Chapter 13

Litchtenhain Waterfall

Rosenberg and his crew had set up a crane of some kind, but Olivia was in awe of the waterfall. Even though it looked small, compared to others, she could understand how Rosenberg sustained his injuries.

The bottom was full of rocks and after a torrential rainstorm, the falls would be hitting them hard, making it impossible to make it out. She looks around at the top, she was trying to imagine the fight between Basil and Rosenberg from twelve years ago.

Rosenberg then has Schmidt tie a rope around her waist and he forces her towards a hook. He then lifts her up, the rope slipping on the hook, and Olivia begins to think of what Rosenberg was planning.

"You see...Miss Flaversham...I'm going...to cripple you...then bring you...back to...your precious Basil...let him cry over...before I kill...the lot of you...That is...if you survive...the plunge..." Rosenberg explains through his whizzes.

Olivia looks at Rosenberg with an angry look and shouts, "I'm not afraid of you!" Then, Rosenberg's crew pulls her up and the crane moves her over the falls.

The misty water was cool against her face, but Olivia felt a warmth inside, she was thinking of Basil. Then, the rope gives a lurch and she falls closer to the water, but the rope stops suddenly.

She looks over to see Rosenberg and his crew laughing. Then they pull the rope up, they were playing a game, a sick game with her. "Are you...afraid...now?!" Rosenberg calls out over the roar of the waterfall.

Olivia doesn't answer, but then, the rope lurches down again, but then stops. She looks up to see Rosenberg and his crew struggling with the rope. "What...did you...do?!" Rosenberg shouts.

"There's a knot sir! It's stuck on the crane!" one of them replies.

"I told you to check for knots! You useless piece of dog shit!" Schmidt yells at the mice.

"Never mind...give me...a gun..." Rosenberg orders and Schmidt gives him his pistol. "We'll bring...her back...dead..." he adds and tries to take aim, but his body was shaking hard.

BANG!

The pistol went off, but the bullet missed Olivia by a foot, she knew right away what Rosenberg was going to do. She looks at him in terror as he struggles with the gun.

"Give it to me sir!" Schmidt said and Rosenberg hands it back to him. Schmidt aims at Olivia and a smile forms on his face, "Got where we want you," he said, cocking back the trigger.

Then, they hear a noise and Olivia hears it, too, despite the waterfall's roaring, but she could hear the sound of...howling? Olivia hears more howling, these were not dog howls, they were deep and almost mournful, but beautiful at the same time.

Olivia then remembers the Koffman's alliance with the wolves, could this be...?

"Fellows, do you feel that?" one of the mice asks, there was a rumbling under their feet.

Suddenly, a white wolf jumps out from the darkness, the pack just behind her. She tramples Schmidt and Rosenberg under her feet. "WOLVES!" Rosenberg's crew shriek in fright.

The crew turns to run away, but the pack surrounds them and the German army mice aim their muskets at them. "Hände hoch!" the army mice yell and the crooks raise their hands up in surrender.

Basil jumps off of Ralphina and sees Olivia, tied to a hook and hanging over the falls' ragged bottom. "OLIVIA!" he cries out and sees the crane. Karl and Dawson try to pull on the rope, but the knot had it stuck in place.

Basil examines the rocky cliff, there was room for him to try and reach Olivia. "Basil, here!" Karl said, bringing some rope and tying it around the detective's waist. Basil then climbs down, the rocks were slippery, but he reaches a level where he was just feet away from Olivia.

"OLIVIA! SWING OVER TO ME!" he calls out. She begins to swing back and forth with her feet, making the rope move with her. She then feels Basil grab onto her at her waist.

"Hold on!" she said and tries to slip off the hook. She does so and falls on Basil's shoulder, causing him to fall backward, but at least she was out of harm's way. Basil helps her to her feet and removes the ropes at her waist and hands. They embrace each other, very tightly.

"I knew you would make it!" Olivia cries and Basil holds her tight as they ascend up the rocky cliff.

When they reach the top, they see Karl's army tying up Rosenberg's crew, but they also notice some of them struggle with Rosenberg. He kicked and scratched at them, refusing to surrender. Olivia then feels the same rage she felt before and then, she sees the pistol at her feet.

She picks it up, examines it, and runs up to Rosenberg with the pistol aiming at his head. "Olivia! What are you doing?!" Basil exclaims, he was shocked to see her with the pistol.

Rosenberg looks at the mouse woman, he notices the fury in her eyes, but he chuckles. "Go ahead...shoot me..." he said and adds, "Avenge...your father...At least...one of us...will get...what we want..."

He chuckles, again, but Olivia cocks back the trigger and presses the gun to the rat's chin. Basil watches, he was frozen in terror, he never seen Olivia this angry before.

CLICK!

Rosenberg flinches, but nothing came out of the pistol. Olivia gives a snicker and then reveals the bullets in her hand, she had taken them out. She throws the gun away, out of their reach.

"Karl, take him," Olivia said and turns away from Rosenberg.

Then, Rosenberg begins to feel a growing rage, the same rage that Ratigan had when he was in Big Ben ten years ago. The rage drowned out all the pain Rosenberg was feeling in his body and then, the monster was unleashed.

Rosenberg springs up and charges at Olivia. "LOOK OUT!" Basil screams, attempting to move Olivia out of the way, but Rosenberg grabs both of them and they plummet down the cliff.

Basil had lost his hat, but he sees Olivia and grabs her hand just as the rope around his waist stops him from falling. He looks down at the falls, he was reliving the night at Big Ben, again, except he and Olivia were now in grave danger.

He looks down at Olivia, she was looking down at something, no, someone. Rosenberg had managed grab onto the cliff, but he was slipping. "Rosenberg! Give me your hand!" Olivia calls out.

Rosenberg, however, tries to scratch her with his long nails, but he slips even further. Basil notices that Olivia's hand was slipping from his grasp. "OLIVIA! GIVE ME YOUR OTHER HAND!" he calls out, but she refuses and tries to reach for Rosenberg. "IT'S NO USE!" he calls out, again.

Olivia looks into Rosenberg's eyes, they were showing the same rage Ratigan had ten years ago. She tries to reach for him, he needed to face justice for both his and his half-brother's crimes.

"Rosenberg! Come on!" she pleads with him. She sees his left hand go limp, but then, she sees the silver glint of a pistol he hid in his sleeve. He cocks back the trigger and aims it at Basil.

"IF I DIE, I'M TAKING BOTH OF YOU WITH ME!" Rosenberg shouts. Olivia stares at the pistol, she was frozen with fear and time seemed to slow down.

BANG!

Olivia shuts her eyes, waiting for Basil to release her, except it didn't happen. She looks up at Basil, he wasn't hit and looks back down at Rosenberg. The pistol fell out of his hand and she notices the white part of his clothes becoming stained with red blood.

Basil looks over to his right, Karl was standing on a rocky level, musket in hand, he had fired the shot. The three watch as Rosenberg falls towards the bottom, the mist had swallowed him.

"OLIVIA!" Basil calls out, again and she reaches out to him. Karl helps her up and then they sat at the level, finally safe.

"Elliott...I thought...Rosenberg...he..." Olivia struggles while fighting tears.

"It's all right Olivia, like Ratigan, he was a coward to the very end," Basil replies in a comforting tone and he holds her tight.

"Basil! Olivia! You all right?!" Dawson shouts down to them.

"We're fine Dawson!" Basil calls back, "We'll be up shortly!" he adds, but Olivia looks past him.

"Elliott, do you see that?" she asks and points at the waterfall. Then, he sees a faint glint of a light and he looks at her, quizzically. "I have a hunch, I just hope I'm right," she said.

"Hold on," Basil replies and ties some rope around her waist and connects it to his.

"Karl, follow us," he said to his friend and they slowly walk towards the light behind the falls. Behind the falls was a small cave, but the light was brighter now, it was an oil lantern and they see a door made of iron bars.

Then, they hear crying, a woman and children. "LOTTIE!" Karl calls out and the crying stops. A mouse woman with auburn hair and blue-green eyes appears from behind a wall.

"KARL!" she exclaims and four little mice children appear from behind her.

"PAPA!" they cry out and Karl reaches for them through the bars.

"Help me Basil!" Karl cries, he couldn't keep his tears in. The detective and Olivia look around, there was no key.

"Here," Olivia said, pointing to the hinges and pulls the bottom one out and then the top. She then pulls the door outward, freeing Karl's family.

"My word! That was pure genius Olivia!" Basil exclaims and then, Karl's wife, Lottie gives him a crushing hug. She cries out in German and the children hug him, too.

"Don't thank me Lottie," Basil said and points to Olivia, "This fine lady saved you," he adds, but she shakes her head.

"We both did," she replies and they leave the cave. They carefully walk across the rocky cliff and when they were in reach for the top, Basil turns to Olivia with a smile.

"Olivia," he begins, his hand trying to reach the top, "There's someone I want you to-" he stops when he feels something, fur and maybe a nail. He looks up and Olivia gasps in fright.

Staring down at them was Ralphina, she looks at them with her big yellow eyes. "Ralphie!" the children exclaim. The wolf lowers her head down and the children grab onto her fur, but then, she takes the back of Basil's coat in her mouth. Olivia grabs onto him as Ralphina pulls them up and onto safe ground.

"BASIL! OLIVIA!" Dawson cries out. The doctor hugs Olivia tight and he and Basil share a celebratory hug. Karl and his family share a tight embrace and the army mice give a cheer.

Basil clears his throat and takes Olivia by the hand. "Olivia, this here is Ralphina," he said, pointing to the wolf. The animal looks at them and settles down on the ground, the Koffman children hugging her.

Olivia smiles and says, "She's a wolf. She's beautiful." Ralphina inches her nose towards the mouse woman and sniffs her. Then, she licks her, leaving a trail of saliva on Olivia's dress.

"Silly wolf," she said and leans her body against the wolf's muzzle.

The mice congratulate one another on a successful mission, but Karl looks at Basil. "What should we do about Rosenberg?" he asks, but his wife gives an angry look.

"I want to give that rat a piece of my mind!" she exclaims. Basil begins to think and looks down at the falls.

"I have a feeling that he won't be coming back. So, let him stay in a watery grave, I think it suits him, but if you want to be sure, go ahead," the detective answers and Karl sends a few of his soldiers to make sure.

"Basil," Dawson said and the detective looks at him, "Can I speak to you for a moment?" he asks.

"Can it wait?" Basil replies and looks back at Olivia who was snuggled up against the wolf.

"It is a matter of urgency," the doctor said and Basil gives a sigh.

"I won't be long Olivia," he said to her, who nods. Dawson takes him out of anyone's ear shot and looks at Basil. He then reveals the velvet box in his hand. Basil looks at him in shock and checks his pockets, he had forgotten about it.

"It's all right Basil, it fell out of your pocket the moment Rosenberg took you and Olivia down," Dawson said and gives it back. "Although, I never thought you were actually considering of proposing to her. You really are serious," he adds.

"Thank you old chap," Basil replies and places a hand on the doctor's shoulder. "And I should thank you again," he adds.

"For what?" Dawson asks and Basil chuckles, while looking back at Olivia.

"For bringing her into my life," he replies in a romantic tone. Dawson smiles and they share a hug.

"You know, she is lucky to have you, and she will be the luckiest with you as a husband," the doctor said, but asks, "But what about her family?"

Basil breathes in deeply and answers, "I suppose we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." They return to the celebration, but it went quiet when the soldiers return.

Karl speaks to them in German and then one of them shows something, a locket. Karl looks at it and has Basil and Olivia examine it. There was an inscription on it, "To Erich, you'll always be the best brother a criminal mind could ask for-JR"

Basil was puzzled, but Olivia gasps. "They found it in Rosenberg's pocket, he is dead for sure, but what does JR stand for?" Karl asks. Olivia looks at them and they wait for her to reply.

"JR is for James Ratigan," she said and she adds, "They were half-brothers. Their mother was formerly married to Ratigan's father, but then married Rosenberg's father. She taught them about the crime industry."

Basil looks at her in shock and says, "So, they were more than just brothers-in-arms."

Then one of Karl's soldiers hands over Basil's hat, "Danke!" he exclaims and places it back on.

"I suppose that is that, let's go back to Castle Grün to celebrate!" Karl exclaims and everyone cheers in excitement.

"It's Oktoberfest!" Lottie adds, "What a perfect time to celebrate!" This lead to more cheering and the mice get on the wolves' backs, with Olivia taking a seat next to Basil on Ralphina.

Before the wolves could move, Ralphina gives a wonderful howl and her pack howl in return. It was the most beautiful sound that both Olivia and Basil heard in their lives. Then the pack head on back home.


From the author: Yes! Three chapters in one day! I couldn't stop typing on this! I had to get it out there! However, the conclusion is not yet in sight! Still have plenty of excitement to share! See you soon!