Authors note: This follows on direction from Shadows Part One. I will post the chapters over the next few days.
Chapter One
Athos pulled the heavy door open. He was not sure what he would find on the other side. He was not sure what he wanted to find on the other side. The sight that greeted him was both shocking and welcome at the same time.
Aramis was alive.
But Aramis was clearly not a well man.
His friend was lying on the floor of what would have been the chateau's wine cellar. The dim room had been cleared of any furniture. A few cobwebs filled the corners and a narrow window allowed light in causing shadows to fall across some of the room.
Aramis was wearing simple clothes. His face was streaked with sweat, his hair hanging limply. He was reaching towards the door with one hand; the manacle on his wrist was pulling his arm down. Aramis was struggling to keep his arm in the air; he was shaking with the effort.
Athos knew his friend had not been fed properly during his time held captive and would be weak.
'How?'
The one word from his friend held confusion in its tone. Aramis moved back a little, pulling his reaching hand away. He leaned against the grey stone wall. He stared at Athos with disbelieving eyes.
'You are safe now, Aramis,' said Athos as he moved towards his friend.
'But I was going to tell them… I was going to help them…'
Aramis looked past Athos, towards the door, searching for someone, or something.
'I have dealt with them,' Athos said. 'You are safe.'
Aramis was shaking, he was twitching slightly, as though he was agitated or anxious. He turned away from Athos. Twisting to the side as though he could block out Athos' existence. He shook his head and furrowed his eyebrows muttering under his breath.
'But I need the drink-'
Aramis stopped himself. He looked at Athos for a few seconds before looking away. Athos could see confusion and guilt on his friend's face during a moment of focused thought. Athos sighed. What he had learned was true. He knew what he had to do, and he knew he would never be able to forgive himself for doing it.
But he had no choice.
They had no choice.
Aramis had no choice.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial of liquid. He saw the change in Aramis instantly. His eyes went wide; all his focus was on the liquid. He shifted himself to sit up straighter. With a tentative hand, he reached out, the clink of the chain reminding Athos that Aramis was restrained.
Athos pulled the stopper from the vial and held it up so that Aramis could take it. Aramis lifted the glass to his lips; he paused for a second before tipping it back. He swallowed the liquid in one go. Athos disliked the ease with which Aramis had taken the liquid.
'I am sorry, my friend,' said Athos. 'But I need you with me in mind even if you lack the strength in your body at the moment.'
Aramis looked at him for a few seconds before looking away. He stared into the distance.
Athos pulled out the keys he had found and searched through them for the one to unlock the manacles. Aramis did not resist him as he undid the cuffs. Athos shook his head as he took in the bruised and bloodied wrists that were revealed. The bandages he had grabbed on his way to the cellar were going to be needed. There might not have been time to deal with the abrasions properly at that moment, but he could at least stop them from getting any worse. Aramis allowed Athos to manipulate his arms to wrap the bandages around his wrists.
As Athos worked, he watched Aramis staring at the corner of the cellar. He was looking intently at one of the spider's webs. Athos could make out the dark spider on the ceiling; he wondered if the spider had been Aramis' only companion during his time incarcerated.
'I am sorry, Aramis, but I do not have time to deal with your injuries now. I have dealt with the men that are here, but more could arrive.'
Aramis looked at him for a few seconds. Athos thought his friend looked focused and that he would stay focused, at least for a while.
'You know what they did to me?'
Aramis held up the empty vial; his hand was not shaking as much.
Athos nodded once.
'You need me focused. So that we can escape… I don't blame you.'
Athos nodded again before returning his concentration to the bandages.
'The contact stabbed himself,' said Aramis who was staring into the distance again. 'I tried to get away… They caught up to me. I tried… I tried to…'
Athos laid his hand on Aramis' arm, 'I know you did. You were unfortunate.'
'l was prepared to do it. l was prepared to kill myself. They shot me. One of them managed to shoot me.'
Athos stopped what he was doing and looked up with concern.
'Where are you injured?'
Aramis shook his head, 'it's healed now. It was only a graze.'
Athos could tell Aramis was more aware of his surroundings. The desperate man he had found a few minutes before was behaving more like his friend. The vial of liquid had transformed Aramis. And that fact worried Athos. But he could not let that worry cloud his mind at that moment. There would be time to deal with the consequences of Aramis' incarceration once they were safe. But they would have to deal with the issue. It was not something that could be ignored. Athos wondered if, in the few minutes since he had found Aramis, his friend had realised that as well. Or was Aramis still trying to keep up with what was happening in each instant.
'Can you walk?'
'I've not been out of this room for-' Aramis stopped what he was saying and looked at Athos. 'How long have I been here for?'
Athos shook his head and frowned, 'at least five weeks, we do not know when you were taken, only that you were late back.'
Aramis looked shocked, 'is that all?'
Athos nodded. He glanced around the cellar and thought about the state of his friend. It was no wonder Aramis had lost all concept of time. The grey, lifeless room and a lack of human contact would be enough to drive most men insane. And that had not been all Aramis was forced to endure, thought Athos sadly.
'Help me up,' said Aramis, 'I'd like to leave now.'
Athos helped his friend to his feet. Aramis managed to stay upright for a couple of seconds before wavering. Athos was forced to hold his friend up. Aramis tried to take a few steps but lacked the strength to walk unaided.
'Aramis, you have been held by these men for weeks. You have to accept that you cannot simply walk out of here as though nothing has happened.'
Aramis looked down for a few seconds before he nodded, 'it's bad, isn't it? I know what they did to me. What they've made me…'
'We will deal with it,' said Athos, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt.
He could not get the image of Aramis eagerly taking the drugged liquid from him mere minutes before. He did not want to think about the consequences for his friend. The situation was not Aramis' fault, but he was the one who would have to pay for what had happened.
They made slow progress out of the cellar. Aramis glanced up at the corner of the room as they reached the door. Athos realised he was looking at the spider. Perhaps the eight-legged beast had been a welcome distraction for his friend. Athos wondered if Aramis would talk about his time as a captive; or if he would want to push the horror away after he had recovered.
If he recovered.
As they exited the cell Aramis looked around.
'I only ever saw the inside of that room,' he said. 'I don't even know where I am.'
'The landowner's chateau,' Athos informed his friend, 'the gang that took you were staying here whilst the owner is in Paris. The locals told me about them, which is how I found you.'
Aramis nodded, 'only you?'
'The Captain could not spare anyone else, and he did not want to draw attention to the fact that we were searching for you. The intelligence is still valuable, even if it cannot now be used.'
'Too late?' asked Aramis. 'Even if I had told them, it would have been too late.'
Athos was reminded of Aramis' words when he had first found him. His friend had said he was going to talk. Poor Aramis had been broken by the gang. Athos wondered what effect that would have on him. But he had not been broken using usual methods. The underhand nature of the torture Aramis had endured would have been difficult for any of them to withstand. Athos vowed to ensure Aramis understood that he had not failed in his mission. The mistreatment he had suffered was not like anything they had dealt with before.
They reached the end of a short corridor and paused at the bottom of a set of stone steps. Aramis looked at them and sighed.
'Take your time,' said Athos. 'I do not think there will be any visitors today. We have a bit of time before it becomes dangerous to remain here.'
Aramis took the first step slowly, steadying himself against the wall with his free hand. Athos remained at his side. Aramis was panting from the effort as they reached the top and stepped out into the large hall.
'Impressive,' remarked Aramis. 'I had no idea I was staying in such luxury.'
His gaze settled on the body of one of the men Athos had killed during his one-man assault on the chateau.
'That's the leader,' said Aramis. 'I never heard any names. I don't know if they are the ones that wanted the intelligence or if they were working for someone else.'
'Mercenaries, I think,' said Athos. 'I did not have time to ask them any questions.'
Aramis chuckled before wavering again.
'I'm sorry,' he said. 'But I'm going to need to sit for a few minutes before we leave.'
Athos could tell his friend felt bad for needing to rest, and despite wanting to leave as soon as he could, he knew they had no choice. He guided Aramis towards one of the rooms off the hall. They skirted around the body of the bald man, who lay at the bottom of the grand staircase. Aramis looked at the dead man as they passed him.
'He helped to hold me down when they forced me to have the drug. They knew what they were doing.'
Aramis' words sounded hollow, without emotion. Athos wondered if his friend had come to accept the assaults he must have endured during his time in the cellar.
Athos settled Aramis on one of the large couches in the reception room. His friend took a few minutes to settle his breathing.
Athos took stock of their situation. Aramis was alive but not in good shape. He was weak and suffering from the effects of addiction. They could not stay where they were for long. Athos may have dealt with the gang members at the chateau, but more could arrive. Or the people who were paying the gang for the information could turn up. Athos might not be able to take on whoever else turned up.
They needed to find somewhere safe where Aramis could rest, and they could deal with his injuries properly. Athos reached into his pocket; he felt the remaining vials of liquid. He looked at his friend and felt a pang of guilt cross him as he worked out the best way to deal with the situation.
Aramis was leaning back on the couch, his pale, sweat-streaked face was turned towards the windows. Or was he watching the shadow and light caused by the sun crossing the floor? His friend appeared deep in thought.
'Did the Captain ask you to search for me?' asked Aramis. 'Or did you volunteer?'
Athos thought back to the moment he had found out about Aramis' mission.
MMMM