"Come out with your hands in front of you" Joseph commanded in a serious tone of voice leaving no doubt for what his intentions were.
Antoinette put her hands in front of her and walked up the rest of the way.
"Where is he" Joseph asked when he did not see James?
"I don't know who he is" Antoinette lied.
"We saw your father with you. Where is he" Shades asked firmly?
Antoinette remained silent.
"Do not make us hurt him" Joseph warned her.
Antoinette sighed and admitted, "he is there please do not shoot. Dad, come out" She begged.
No response.
Joseph and Shades looked at one another.
"Please Joe don't hurt my father" Antoinette begged him.
Joseph gave the go ahead to Shades who approached the stairs cautiously.
"Dad please, come out" Antoinette called out, her eyes tearing.
No response.
Shades ventured down the stairs, his gun in front of him.
"Joe, please" Antoinette begged.
"We are here to bring you both in unharmed. I hope that your father does not try anything" Joe tried to explain.
Antoinette looked toward the staircase a worried expression on her face.
"Antoinette" Helena called out as she approached her and Joseph.
"Mother" Antoinette said relieved as she went to her. Both women embracing.
"Where is your father" Helena asked?
"I don't know and now Shades has gone looking for him. What if Dad…" A shot rang out making Antoinette cry out, "NOOO…DAD…."
Joseph prevented Antoinette from running down the stairs as he blocked the entrance.
"DAD!" Antoinette cried as Helena held her.
Moments later, Antoinette, Helena and Joseph watched as James appeared with a gun in his hand pointed right at Joseph.
Joseph mind raced. Shades, he thought as his heart clenched.
"DAD…" Antoinette cried out in relief.
"What have you done" Helena asked as she realized Shades was either hurt or dead?
"Drop the gun. Your friend does not have much time" James warned.
Joseph thought for a moment to shoot but decided against it. The chance of someone else getting hurt was high and he did not want to put anyone else at risk. Instead, he put his gun down. "I need to see him" He said as he worried about the extent of Shades injury.
"Go right ahead" James said as he moved out of the way.
Joseph went down, hearing the hatch close behind him, he swore as he continued down the stairs and down the hall. He saw Shades against the wall.
"Are you alright" Joe asked as he kneeled beside him? Removing the restraints that were on his hands and feet as well as the cloth on his mouth.
"Yeah. I am sorry Joe. He got the drop on me" Shades seethed.
"Forget about it" Joe said calmly as he sat beside him.
"He locked us in" Shades said not asking since he knew the answer already.
"That he did. He had me convinced. I thought he shot you" Joe admitted as he looked at his friend with relief in his eyes.
"He's going to wish he had" Shades promised making Joe chuckle.
"Dad, what are we going to do" Antoinette asked in a panic?
"We are leaving" James said as he took Helena by the arm forcing her to the captain station on the yacht.
"We can't leave them down there" Helena tried to reason.
"We can and we will now walk" James demanded as he forced them to get off the boat as walk to the car.
"They will die if we leave them down there" Helena continued to push.
"Dad…" Antoinette said worried about what her mother was saying.
"That is their problem" James hissed as he looked at Helena harshly. He blamed no-one but her for the predicament they were in now.
Palace….
Clarisse sat at the desk reading her speech when a knock on the door made her look up. Charlotte stood by the door peeking in.
"Come in" Clarisse said with a small smile. She was happy to see her trusted assistant and friend.
"Sorry to interrupt. I just…wanted to check in on you" Charlotte admitted as she walked over to her desk.
"I know that I have to make this speech but…what if…" Clarisse stopped talking realizing no-one else could know the truth.
"What if what" Charlotte asked hoping Clarisse would confide in her even if the Queen would not?
"Never mind. I must do this" Clarisse said firmly as she handed her assistant the speech.
"Do you want to wait until Joseph gets back" Charlotte asked not being able to help herself? Some-how she knew Clarisse was nervous that this speech would be a mistake.
"Where is he" Clarisse asked confused?
Charlotte admitted, "he and Shades went after James."
"What? No" Clarisse said in a panic as she stood up nervously.
"Your Majesty" Charlotte asked worried?
"I want you to call him right now and tell him to come back" Clarisse said her heart racing at the thought of what could happen.
"Yes ma'am" Charlotte replied as she practically ran out of the office to call Joseph.
Clarisse felt herself get angry at Joseph. How dare he do this without discussing it with her first?! But then her heart screamed at her, he loves you and he is doing this to protect you all. And, he would not have done it if he knew the truth about Alex paternity. He would have found another way. A less public way of dealing with this. She sat feeling defeated. The thought of Pierre, Phillippe, Genovia finding out about Alex was…the weight of everything settling on her shoulders suddenly became too much.
"Hi Charlotte, where is Mother" Pierre asked as he approached her?
"He isn't answering" Charlotte said her anxiety over- flowing and taking over.
"Who isn't answering" Pierre asked confused?
Before Charlotte could respond both turned their heads when they heard someone crying.
"Is that my Mother" Pierre asked terrified as he did not wait for Charlotte to answer as he went into the office without knocking?
Charlotte face fell. Worried, she tried calling Shades but there was no answer. Upset, she slammed the phone down.
Pierre went to his mother without hesitation pulling her close to him as he stood beside her holding her.
"I'm sorry" Clarisse cried not being able to stop the flood of tears.
"Don't be Mother. It's alright" Pierre soothed her.
Clarisse heart ached more. She could not go on deceiving her son. She knew what Rupert wanted but she could not in good conscious not tell her son. He deserved to know. And she was not in denial. Once Pierre knew the truth it would never be alright ever again. It would ruin the little progress Pierre had been making with his father.
"Mother, what is it" Pierre asked wanting to support her?
"I have to tell you something" She forced herself to say.
"You can tell me anything" He tried to reassure her.
"It's your father" She forced herself to continue.
Pierre sat beside her; his eyes filled with worried. "Is father alright" He asked fear taking over?
"I don't know…" She admitted.
He put his head down, tears filling his eyes as they fell one by one.
"He…he loves you so much" She tried to force herself to admit the truth, but the words would not come out.
"I promise you mother. I will make this better between us. I just need the chance" He said as he looked at her with tear filled eyes.
"And I hope you get that chance. No matter what happens I hope that you believe in your heart that your father loves you" She whispered her eyes tearing again. She wanted to tell him the truth, but she just could not. Looking into his eyes showed her how much he needs to make amends with his father. How could she destroy that?
"I know he does in his own way" He admitted.
"Yes, he has a hard time showing emotion" She said sadly as she took her son hand in her own.
"He loves you too mother" He said as he reached over and hugged her.
Clarisse did not reply. She knew that Rupert loved her. As her son stated, in his own way. Realizing she could not tell her son or anyone else about Alex, she knew what she had to had to do next. It was time to take control. She was no longer trapped in this nightmare that Arthur Mabrey and James created.
"I love you mother" Pierre said softly.
"I love you too" She said as they stood up and walked out of her office.
Charlotte stood by her desk nervously.
"Is Joseph coming back" Clarisse asked?
"No one answered ma'am. I think something is wrong" Charlotte admitted with a worried look on her face.
"Contact the Commander. I believe Joseph may need reinforcement" Clarisse said determined.
Charlotte nodded her head and picked up the comm device.