This is a shorter chapter, but it's important. There's only about one or two left. I've tried to make the characters a little bit more like themselves- particularly Raoul, who I do believe I was unfair to.
"Erik- what are you doing?" Christine inquired nervously, not daring to move an inch. The blade hovered dangerously close to her neck. Before this moment, she never thought Erik would ever hurt her, but right now- she wasn't all too sure. He was an agent first and foremost, and perhaps their relationship wasn't as strong as she thought it had been. Perhaps she meant nothing more to him than anyone else here.
Erik ignored her, instead choosing to address Charles. "Drop the gun, Daae."
Charles shifted slightly, but did not lower his weapon. "You're bluffing, Erik."
"Am I?" He asked haughtily, as he tightened his grip on Christine's waist.
"You really think I am that naïve to believe that?" Charles asked, still not making any move to lower his weapon.
Operations cleared his throat, but typically did not show any fear. "The Section comes before all of us, Charles, you especially should know this," he calmly told the former level five agent.
Oh, great, my own flesh and blood just gave Erik permission to kill me if needs be. I'm glad I mean so much to the both of them.
"You'd let that miserable son of a bitch kill her, Greg? I guess that wouldn't surprise me, seeing as you nothing less than signed Madeleine's death warrant," Charles paused, turning his head slightly towards Erik and Christine, although he could not see them. "And Beatrix's," he threw at Erik. Christine instantly knew he was trying to pit Erik up against Operations, but Erik's loyalties toward the older man and the Section were too strong to break despite all the wrongs that had befallen him.
A rough, broken sound rattled in his throat, and he opened his mouth to speak but the words died before he could form them properly. He licked his lips before whispering a small apology to Christine as he looked back towards Charles. "Ten seconds, Charles," came the threat, sounding almost forced from his mouth as if someone had threatened him to say it.
Christine stifled down a sob, closing her eyes tightly. This was it; this was the end. A loud, piercing gunshot rang out following by a loud, masculine grunt, and Christine swore she smelt blood almost immediately. A hand grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the chaos. After a moment or two, Christine gathered up the courage to open her eyes.
"Raoul!"
"Christine, are you alright," he asked, kneeling in front of her. He brought his hand to her neck, examining the small cut. It was barely more than a paper cut, thank goodness.
"I'm fine," Christine breathed, looking beyond him in an attempt to find out what happened. Charles' gun was still aimed at Operations, and they were discussing something between the two of them.
Where's…oh, God!
Erik was lying still on the ground, the hand that held the knife was freely bleeding. There was no cloth over his body from the waist up, and cuts and bruises marked his torso. His normal pale skin had a bluish hue to it, a testament to the torture he had survived for the past thirty hours.
"Erik!" Christine exclaimed, ignoring the fact that just moments ago he had threatened to kill her. She tried to go to his side, but Raoul reached out and grasped her arm in a tight hold.
"No, Christine…wait."
Everything was silent for a moment, save for the labored breathing of the occupants. Raoul raised his weapon then, aiming it towards Charles.
"Raoul, shoot him." Operations ordered.
"You don't want to be doing that," she hissed bitterly at Operations.
Operations only sighed. "Haven't you caused enough trouble already, Christine? Shoot him, Raoul."
Rising to her feet, Christine procured a small tape from her jacket pocket, and threw it as hard as she could at Operations', who caught it almost effortlessly. "I've exposed you. My father and I have thoroughly detailed just a handful of your killings. And we have proof, Operations. It's all right there. Any information anyone would ever need to find you, anywhere. Perhaps you remember the bombing of the Michael Degroote Centre, you should, you briefed a team on it. You got away with the murder of over a thousand people, and no one on the outside ever knew who was responsible. They'll know now, Operations, and you won't have time to run. I've made copies, and sent them to two large news programs in the country. If I don't interfere in fifteen minutes, they'll open them and broadcast it live."
Operations rolled his eyes, clearly exhibiting in dislike at being controlled. "And what is it you want, then, Christine?"
"My father alive, for starters. And, I want you to change the way you do things around here." She said, trying to appear more confidant than she actually felt. "There's far too much collateral damage, and there are people encountered on missions that we can help but instead turn a blind eye too. Enough is enough."
"Anything else?"
It did not take long for Christine to think of her answer to that. "Out. I want out."
"Ask for something else." He said, while maintaining his firm eye contact with his former colleague.
Christine cleared her throat before repeating herself. "Out. I want out."
Again, Operations did not turn from Charles to look at her. "I said; ask for something else."
"I want out," she hissed again.
"Not even I can grant you that, Christine."
"Well, who can?"
"That is extremely confidential."
Christine mockingly laughed, feeling tears about to form in her eyes. Her hands began to clench as she realized that her freedom was clearly not up for debate. She'd have to work around him to get what she wanted. "Raoul," she began, "please put down the gun."
"If you do, you'll be cancelled, de Chagny."
In a relatively uncharacteristic outburst of frustration, Christine stomped her foot down. "Thirteen minutes and this footage will be accessible worldwide."
Finally, it was Raoul that interjected, "Christine, even if he does promise you your freedom after you interfere, how do you know he'll keep his word? You can not leave first, you'd have to get the tracking chip out of your body, and the equipment is back at the base. Just make the call…"
"I want out," she whispered, more to herself than to anyone else.
"You can't have that. I'm willing to compensate with the rest, make the call."
Although surprised that her father had remained quiet through the entire ordeal, Christine didn't want to appear diffident or insecure about her decision. There would be other opportunities to get out, there had to be. Lucas could think of something. But for now, she wanted to protect her father. She wanted the Section to change, whether she was an operative or not; the ends does not always justify the means. Christine hesitantly flipped open her phone, slowly dialing the numbers and inserting the five digit code that would cut the deal.
It's not over. There's another way. There has to be another way.
Without uttering another word, Christine looked from Operations to where Erik lay on the ground before turning on her heel and bolting out of the room in a fury.
"Christine!" a voice called out, and Christine abruptly stopped to turn and look at its owner.
"Lucas." She replied quietly, breathing deeply in an attempt to quiet herself as she enfolded the boy in a tight embrace. "I missed you. I'm happy to see you," Christine told him, and even though she meant it, her tone much too apathetic to sound sincere.
Lucas quickly dismissed it, "Well, good news is we've secured the substation."
"Already?"
"Mm hmm."
"But I thought-"
Lucas interjected, holding up his hand. "It didn't take long to cover."
Standing with her hands firmly placed on her hips, Christine looked to the ground; wondering whether or not the area had been unprotected in the first place.
I wouldn't doubt it. It wouldn't be the first time you've been lied to here.
"Hey, you okay girl?"
Christine's head snapped up, "yes, why?"
"Please. I know when you get angry. You get right white and really quiet."
"I'm fine," she insisted.
"You're also a very unskilled liar."
Christine narrowed her eyes. "Really, Lucas. I'm going home."
Lucas watched as Christine made for the exit. "You sure that's safe?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, we don't know where Jane is, but she knows where you live."
Christine looked upwards, shaking her head. She was so tired; she wanted nothing more than just to sleep for a few days straight. She didn't want to deal with any of this anymore. "I don't care," she said, finally.
"Well, at least go to my place until we know it's safe," Lucas fished through his pocket until he pulled out a set of keys. He threw them at her, more gently than he normally would, as it did not seem that she would put much effort into catching at the moment.
"Thanks, I-"
A loud shot fired had forced both their attention in the direction that Christine had just come from. Christine jumped, placing a hand over her heart. "No," she whispered to herself as she made her way back to Operation's office, unable to suppress her shaking as she feared the worst.
"No!" Christine screamed out, violently racing to her father's side. She bent over his body as it lay on the ground, pressing her hand over the wound in a futile attempt to stop the blood. It was no use calling out for help; this was what they all wanted, and no one dared go against Operations' will. It was all over for them; the 'bad guy' would be dead in a matter of moments. "Dad…" Christine cried out, giving her his hand as he sought it.
"I'm so-sorry, that you had to see this, Chris-" Charles coughed out a stream of crimson blood, and Christine gently wiped it away as best she could with the sleeve of her jacket. "You shouldn't have ever- I'm sor-sorry."
Christine grasped his hand tighter as his eyes began to close. Her tears were flowing freely, and she was nearly on the verge of hyperventilating. "I do- I love you, Christine," he told her, right before he took his last breath.
"No!" She screamed, her voice breaking, laced with her sorrow. "No, please, don't leave me here! Don't leave me! Not again, not again…" Her chest was heaving with her sobs as she bent over to kiss his cheek, the hot, sticky blood getting all over her body. "Not again," she repeated through her sobs.
Christine could hear footsteps walk by her, and even through her racked sobs she heard Operations' steady voice. "Call housekeeping. It's over now."