A/N: Huge thanks to max2013, Stork Hardy, Caranath, BurnedSpy, Guest, zenfrodo, Kenna, Jackie and Vinsmouse for reviewing! You're awesome! Thanks to those reading as well!

Chapter 37

Emily paced.

The cabin was starting to feel claustrophobic.

She retraced her well-worn path.

Window to fireplace.

Fireplace to kitchen table.

Kitchen table to window.

The snow was still falling. Gently for now, but she was worried it could turn into a full blown storm at any moment.

The sky looked threatening.

Dark.

Ominous.

She walked her little circuit again.

"You're going to wear a groove in the floor if you keep that up," Bess said. She was seated at the table sipping a mug of hot chocolate.

"I know. I can't help it." Emily turned away from the window. "I feel useless just waiting here."

Bess pushed a mug of cocoa across the table. "Have a cup. It'll give you something to do."

Emily shook her head. "My stomach's too tied up in knots for that."

"He'll be okay," Bess said. "All three of them are amazing detectives. You know that."

Emily ran her hands up and down her arms to ward off an invisible chill.

"Then why can't I shake the feeling that something is terribly wrong?"

"Because you love Joe."

"That's not it."

Something had been bothering her, but she couldn't quite figure out what. Now she knew. Emily hurried over to her carry-on bag and dug out two of the books Frank and Nancy had purchased at the bookstore in St. Sylvie. She dropped them on the kitchen table and sat down.

Pushing the one written in English toward Bess, she said, "Something has been bugging me about this case, and I haven't quite been able to put my finger on it."

Bess lifted up the volume and read the title.

"The Madonna of St. Sylvie. What about it?"

"Well, we know that Dr. Delacroix…er, Father Jean-Claude…wanted this statue placed back in its original location. He felt that removing it had caused the Virgin to be upset."

"Yes, but the cathedral in this town burned to the ground. There is no original location anymore."

Emily looked up at her. "What if the cathedral wasn't the statue's original location?"

OOOoooOOO

Joe squirmed against the zip ties that were holding his hands together.

Kidnapped.

Twice in twenty-four hours.

That had to be some kind of record.

He kicked against the dirt of the cave floor, trying to loosen the ties around his ankles, with no luck.

Frank, who was tied up about five feet away from him, was doing the same thing.

"This sucks," Joe hissed to his brother.

"No kidding." Frank turned to look at Nancy who was tied up on the other side of him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm mad," she said. "That goon who pulled the gun on us was the one who chloroformed me in the elevator. Just who are these guys, anyway?"

"I don't know, but I plan on asking them as soon as they get back," Frank said.

"I plan on being out of here by then."

Joe pulled at the ties against his wrists, and only succeeded in digging them painfully into his skin. He was about to roll himself over to Frank to see if they couldn't somehow manage to loosen the plastic restraints, when someone entered the room.

Delacroix.

"Ah, and who do we have here? Trespassers, I see."

The doctor paced back and forth in front of them. Joe wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug look right off the man's face.

"Trespassers?" Frank called out. "I don't think so. You don't own this land. If anyone is trespassing here, it's you."

Dr. Delacroix laughed, loud and long. "You are sadly mistaken. Just as you were in the monastery. This cave belongs to me. It was decreed so by a source that trumps all earthly authority. The Madonna and the monstrance belong to me as well."

"So you did take them from Father Bertrand," Nancy said.

"I was only following instructions," the doctor said. "The monastery has no right to those objects. They were in direct defiance of the orders of Our Lady."

Joe shook his head. Yep, another whack job. He really did need to look into accounting. He was sick of dealing with the crazies.

"The pope doesn't think so," Nancy said.

Delacroix walked over to her, and Joe could see Frank tense up. His brother's hands fisted, even within the flex cuffs, and his jaw tightened noticeably. The flash of anger in Frank's eyes told Joe that if the doctor knew what was good for him, he'd move away from Nancy.

"What do I care what he thinks? He is a charlatan and a fool. He has no authority over this church. The papal seat is vacant."

"So what do you intend to do with the statue?" Joe asked. "Did you destroy it?"

Dr. Delacroix opened his eyes wide, and furrowed his brow.

"Destroy Our Lady? Why would I do that? I have merely brought her back to her rightful home."

He smiled. Joe thought it looked more like a sneer.

"And how are we supposed to know that?"

Joe shifted again, trying to wiggle the zip tie along one of his hands. If he could get it high enough, he might be able to slip a thumb out.

"I will allow you to see her for yourselves," Dr. Delacroix assured him.

He gestured to his henchman, then pointed at Nancy.

"Take her out of here. She is not fit to be in the shrine until she has undergone the cleansing ritual."

OOOoooOOO

"What are you talking about?" Bess asked. "Why wouldn't the cathedral be the original location of the statue?"

"Here." Emily opened the book written in English, and pointed to a paragraph. "I started to look into this when Kathy tried to marry Joe. That whole thing distracted me and I'd completely forgotten about it until now."

Bess took the book from her and silently read the passage.

"So the first shrine wasn't actually in the cathedral…it was in a cave?"

"Yes. According to the legend, Father Gregory had his vision of the Virgin Mary in the year eight fifty-three. There was obviously no cathedral built then." Emily tapped the page. "The priest was meeting with his followers in a cave so that they wouldn't be persecuted. Apparently there were still small pockets of Pagans in this area who clung tightly to their beliefs and didn't want Christianity taking hold any more than it already had."

"So, you're saying that if Delacroix is trying to return the statue to its original location, it might have nothing to do with the site of the cathedral at all."

Emily nodded. "The little chapel that's now inside the monastery, and then the cathedral, were built near where Father Gregory had his vision, but it wasn't in the exact same spot."

"Well, yeah. Who's going to build a cathedral on top of a cave system?"

"Exactly."

"So where is this cave?" Bess asked.

Emily flipped through a few pages in the other book she had, then jumped up excitedly.

"Look at this."

"My French sucks," Bess said, as she took the book. "What does it say?"

"It says that the cave is located about a mile from the original cathedral site to the west. It's supposedly non-navigable at the moment, but there are other entrances where the public can access the cave system."

"'Supposedly non-navigable,'" Bess said. "I take it to mean you don't believe that."

"You're right. I think that's where Delacroix's meeting place is, and that's where he's keeping the Madonna and the monstrance."

Emily pointed to another paragraph in the book.

"Check this out."

"Again…the French."

"Sorry." Emily took a deep breath as she began to translate. "It says that the entrance to the original shrine is difficult to find, because it is narrow and resembles a key hole. That was in Simone's message. 'A key that isn't a key.' This has to be what she's talking about."

Bess pursed her lips. "We're going out in the snow, aren't we?"

"Yes, we have to find Joe. He doesn't know any of this, and it will make all the difference in where they investigate."

OOOoooOOO

Frank thought he hadn't heard the doctor correctly. But he did know one thing…there was no way in hell the man was taking Nancy anywhere.

Nancy sat bolt upright. "What? What are you talking about? I'm not participating in any cleansing ritual."

"No, she's not," Frank said, his voice hard and cold. "She doesn't leave my side."

Frank was ready to kill the man. The only cleansing rituals involving women that he could recall from history, were rituals that had them stripped naked. There was no way in hell this bastard was going to do that to Nancy. Not while there was still breath in his body.

Dr. Delacroix wagged his finger at Frank.

"You're not in a position to tell anyone what to do, are you, Mr. Hardy? She is a woman, and therefore bears the stain of the sins of Eve. She must be cleansed before she can stand before the Holy Virgin."

"I swear on everything holy, if you so much as touch one hair on her head, I will kill you with my bare hands when I get out of these plastic cuffs."

Frank was shaking with anger. This bastard was threatening Nancy and taunting him with it. He couldn't let Delacroix take her away from him. If she was out of his sight, he couldn't do anything to protect her.

"You don't have to worry. I'm not going to hurt her."

Dr. Delacroix gestured to his hulking assistant, who scooped up a protesting Nancy in his arms.

"Frank!" she cried out.

Frank could see her squirming and kicking at the man holding her, and the fear in her voice was evident. She was swinging at him with her hands, even though they were tied together, but her captor was dodging her blows.

Frank saw red. He hurled himself toward the man, trying to grab his feet and shove him forward.

He felt Joe move closer and try to strike out at the henchman as well.

The man laughed and moved out of their reach.

Nancy shrieked as he flung her over his shoulder and headed down a tunnel.

"Put her down, you son of a bitch!"

Frank was full of rage like he'd never felt before.

His chest tightened and he felt like he couldn't breathe as Nancy disappeared from his view.

He had to get out of these restraints.

Nancy needed him.

OOOoooOOO

Nancy knew she had to stay calm. It was the only way she was going to save herself. Swallowing her fear, she tried to pay attention as Delacroix's goon carried her down a tunnel in the cave. She had to be able to find her way back to Frank and Joe at some point. Being separated could be deadly.

The man took a smaller tunnel that branched off from the one they were in. He went right, Nancy thought, committing that to memory. After a turn to the left and another to the right, she found herself entering what appeared to be a small room with a very thick wooden door.

The man deposited her on a cot in the corner in a sitting position. Nancy noticed that there was a small cabinet with a pitcher, towels, and what looked like a jar of oil sitting on top of it, next to the cot.

She glanced at the man who had brought her there. If he so much as tried to touch her again, she was going to knock him into next week.

The man, however, had moved to the other side of the small room, and stood near the entrance. He wasn't looking at her. His eyes were firmly fixed on the wall ahead of him.

"What exactly is going on here?" Nancy demanded.

The man remained silent.

"Answer me!"

The man gave her a quick glance, then averted his eyes.

"You are unclean."

"Oh, that whole 'stain of Eve' thing again? You do know the rest of the world has moved out of the Dark Ages, don't you? I'm no longer a pariah of society simply because I'm female."

The man didn't respond.

Nancy rolled her eyes and looked around the room, hoping to find something she might be able to use as a weapon. Footsteps in the tunnel turned her attention back to the door of the room. A woman in a nun's habit entered with her head bowed.

She walked over to Nancy and stood in front of her, finally lifting her eyes to meet Nancy's.

Simone.

OOOoooOOO

Joe watched as Frank tried to lash out with his feet at the doctor, who neatly sidestepped him.

"Ah, ah, ah, Mr. Hardy. You'd better watch yourself. I'm holding all the cards here. Not to mention…your girlfriend."

Joe could tell that Frank was so angry, he couldn't even speak. Joe decided to do it for him.

"You're only holding the cards for the moment," Joe assured him. "And when we do get loose, you're going to wish you had never gone near my brother's girlfriend."

Dr. Delacroix waved his hand dismissively.

"I am not afraid of you or your brother. I have the power of heaven on my side."

"You'd better damn well hope so," Frank said, his voice taut and full of venom. "Because when I get my hands on you…you're going to need whatever supernatural power you can muster to protect you."

The doctor laughed and moved over to Joe.

"And where is your lovely girlfriend today?"

"None of your damn business."

Dr. Delacroix nodded. "Well, maybe I'll just have my men go and find her when I'm finished with you. She wouldn't want to miss our celebration. I've been impressed with her knowledge of the Madonna. I know she'll want to see that she's safe."

"Emily stayed behind in St. Sylvie to help with the senator's daughter, so you can look for her here all you want. You won't find her."

"You're lying," the doctor said. "And I will find her."

Joe shrugged and pretended not to be worried, although his insides were now twisting with fear.

"Not here you won't."

Dr. Delacroix turned as the man who'd held the second gun on them earlier, entered the room carrying a chalice. The doctor smiled his thanks and took the cup from him. He looked down at Frank and Joe.

"Now is the time for your preparation. You must drink of the fruit of the holy vine in order to stand in the presence of Our Lady. It will allow your mind to relax and receive the spiritual truths that are presented. Once you learn of them, you will not want to leave our order."

"Don't swallow," Frank hissed.

No shit. Joe had no idea what sort of potion the doctor had concocted, but he knew that the man had access to every kind of drug on the market, and that thought alone made him wary.

The henchman approached Frank first and grabbed his hair. He yanked him backwards, forcing Frank's mouth open while the doctor poured half of the contents of the chalice between his lips.

Joe saw most of it trickle out of the corners of his brother's mouth, so he knew that even if Frank did swallow, it wasn't the full adult dose. He saw Frank's Adam's apple move up and down, but he also knew Frank was the king of holding something in his mouth, pretending to swallow, and then spitting it out later. Aunt Gertrude's penchant for serving Brussels sprouts at dinner during their childhood had perfected that talent in both of them.

The man approached Joe next, and Joe kicked out with his feet at the man's shins. He got a crack upside the head for that little move. The blow stunned Joe, and when the man poured the rest of the chalice contents into his mouth, Joe was unable to resist swallowing some of it. It tasted like wine to him. He hoped that was all it was. Altar wine he could handle. An altar drug cocktail, he couldn't.

He turned to his brother, who was holding his arms up to his mouth in the guise of covering a cough. Joe saw the burgundy liquid spilling out onto Frank's shirt sleeves.

Joe managed to bend his head forward and let the liquid remaining in his mouth trickle down onto his sweater. Thank goodness his sweater was navy blue and the color of the wine wasn't glaringly noticeable.

"Now then," Dr. Delacroix announced, with a wide sweep of his arms. "When the potion begins to take effect, we will be ready to move into the cathedral."

"Cathedral?" Joe asked.

"Yes. I have restored the original shrine to Our Blessed Mother, just the way she asked me to. She is finally home."

Joe was starting to feel a little woozy. "What did you give us?"

"Just a little elixir I concocted after reading a story about another famous priest…Friar Laurence. Does the name ring a bell?"

Joe thought it should, but his mind was growing fuzzy.

Frank spoke up. "Romeo and Juliet."

"Ah, yes. I see you are literate." Dr. Delacroix stepped over to him. "Friar Laurence was inspired to make a potion…mandragora…from another famous character in history. Hannibal."

Joe saw Frank nod, and he wondered what the hell Hannibal had to do with Shakespeare. They didn't even live at the same time. The thought made Joe stifle a giggle. That couldn't be good. He wasn't one to giggle. Frank began to speak and Joe thought he sounded very far away.

"In the battle for the city of Carthage, Hannibal left behind a feast that included drugged wine. He made it from the Mandrake root. It put the invading warriors to sleep, and when Hannibal's troops returned, they ambushed their enemies and destroyed them."

Joe didn't like the word "destroyed."

"Are you going to destroy us?" Joe's speech sounded slurred, even to his own ears.

Dr. Delacroix laughed. "No. I am only preparing you to receive spiritual enlightenment by reducing your inhibitions. I know how to prepare mandragora so that the effects are more subtle."

"Why?" Frank asked.

Now his brother's voice was sounding slurred, too. Joe thought this might be a good time to take a nap. His eyes were feeling so heavy. Dr. Delacroix's voice echoed in his head.

"Because Our Lady needs valiant soldiers to defend her to the world. I have observed you and your brother. You possess all the qualities of the ancient knights. You are now under my control and you will be ordained as one of my knights. One of her knights. And you will do whatever I command you in her name. Won't you?"

Joe felt Dr. Delacroix gazing at him as he awaited a response. It made Joe uncomfortable, but he couldn't move. His body was too heavy.

"Yes," Joe mumbled, before he closed his eyes.

Sleep was beckoning.

OOOoooOOO

"Oh, this is rich," Nancy said, staring up at the woman who'd been Kathy's governess. "Playing nun with Dr. Delacroix on his trip down Insanity Lane? And I thought Kathy was whacked. You have her beat, you know that? And that's not an easy thing to do."

Simone gave her a pitying smile. "You are a foolish girl."

"Right back at ya," Nancy replied.

"No matter, we will fix that. You will soon see the light."

Simone walked over to the small table and reached for the cabinet door underneath the wash basin. She pulled out a glass and a decanter of what Nancy thought was wine. She filled the glass halfway, then gestured to the man standing guard.

"Please make sure she drinks this."

"What is that?" Nancy asked.

She was not going to swallow any of it.

"Just some wine to make you relax before I begin the cleansing."

And that wasn't happening either.

Nancy decided that for the moment, resistance would make things worse. She was going to pretend to cooperate…for now.

"I could actually use a drink."

Simone smiled, as the man approached Nancy and tugged her head back.

"Hey, I said I'd drink it. You don't need to be a jerk."

He released his grip a little as he pressed the glass to Nancy's lips. She took the contents into her mouth in one gulp and pretended to swallow while pressing her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Nothing went down her throat. She held the wine in her mouth, waiting for a chance to get rid of it without anyone seeing.

"Good girl," Simone said, and turned her attention back to the table where she began arranging the oil. She handed the pitcher to the man.

"I need this full of hot water, please. And there is no perfume here. Would you please bring me a bottle from the supply shelf?"

The man nodded and taking the pitcher, left the room. He pulled the large wooden door closed, and Nancy was left alone with Simone.

She knew this would be her only chance to escape.