Phantom Resurrected Chapter 16

Erik rushed through the catacombs holding Desiree close to him. She insisted that she could walk by herself, but he ignored her protests. His feet splashed in the dank smelling puddles that filled the lower corridors, spilling water over his boots and jacket. Finally they reached the lair and he carefully set her down on a couch. She immediately jumped back to her feet.

"Desiree please you shouldn't be up at all!" he said. She brushed a lock of hair off her face and shook free the remaining ropes from her bounds.

"I'm fine really I am."

"But you're are bleeding." He noted pointing to her torn pants and wounded legs. Even some of her blood had fallen on his clothes and to the floor. "We need to dress those wounds." He turned to get some bandages. Dessy put a hand on his shoulder stopping him.

"No there isn't enough time." She said looking directly into eyes. "Erik they are coming to kill us. You know it. And when they are done with us, they will go after Christine and Jacob next. Please there is no other way."

Erik glanced down at his daughter and could now realize how much Christine saw himself in her. Her eyes flashed with a certain fire and her face beamed strength and pride. She had proven her ability to fight in the alley and had even bested him in sparring. Perhaps it was finally time for him to not fly solo anymore.

"I've taken on street gangs and mobs of police by myself. I don't think an assassin and a drunk shouldn't be too much trouble...for the both of us I mean." Dessy smiled at him, and Erik wasn't sure how to react. This was the first time in his life that someone had actually trusted him.

" You're right Dessy, we can do this together. Come follow me." He said leading her to his study.

Jacob struck a match up on the wall illuminating only slightly the dark corridor in front of him. Christine took the match from his hand. " Here let me lead the way." She said crossing in front of him. He moved to stop her.

"Wait Miss Day, are you sure about this. I don't want to lose you too." Christine glanced at him and saw no more than a frighten boy in his place. They couldn't both be scarred and irrational in the tunnels. When Erik had first brought her here, she had trembled like a leaf caught in a windstorm. Now this time it was Christine's turn to find their way through. She had to be confident.

"Do you really think it's over for Erik and Desiree?" She asked taking careful small steps letting her fingers trace along the wall. Jacob followed behind her, keeping a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know. I can't tell."

"Trust me Erik can stand up to anyone. I know. But we can't help them if we let Matthews get to them first. Do you still have your pistol?"

Jacob withdrew it from his vest and cocked it. "Right here." Christine leaned down to pick up a piece of chalky white stone that lay on the ground.

Here use this to mark out path." They continued to walk in the dank darkness until they heard a shout echoing across the walls. "Don't say anything." Christine whispered. "It could be Matthews." She listened closer while Jacob struck another match.

"Then we have to hurry then, before they find Desiree." He started to run splashing the water of his shoes and Christine's dress.

"No wait!" She called, catching his attention again. He tripped and fell down to his knees. Christine put a hand to her lips motioning for him to be silent. "The noise came in that direction, and if I remember correctly, that near the lower sewers under the river, not where we are going." Hope dawned on her face as she reached down to pull Jacob with her. "Come on, we are almost there.

Jacob stumbled to his feet after her. "But where are we going in the first place?" he asked

Erik tossed aside the large throw over his mattress to reveal a set of stainless steel swords with sliver delicately laid into the handles. He picked on up in his hand flicking the blade back and forth. He heard a rushed rattling sound behind him and turned to see Dessy in the doorway holding a drawer.

She had pulled on a fresh set of his clothes and then flashed him the contents of her container. "Hey look, I can use these!" she said proudly. He saw what was inside and looked at her quizzically.

"Kitchen knifes?"

She frowned at him. "Well what else then? I have to have something to throw something, I don't have a gun." Then her eyes lit up mischievously. "Do you have a gun here?"

"I don't carry a weapon that primitive." He replied. Dessy rolled her eyes. He picked up one of the swords and handed it to her.

"I assume you know how to handle on of these?" She nodded. Then Erik pulled out a long leather pouch and gave it to her.

"Here I want you to have this." She opened it with drawing one of Erik's personal knifes he carried with him. She held it in front of her tracing a finger over the blade.

"Thank you Erik. I know what this means to you. I'll use it well."

Erik placed his sword into a holster at his belt as well as some more knifes. He patted Desiree on the shoulder. "Are you sure you are ready for this?" She looked up at him with bold brown eyes. This was his daughter, he could almost see the exact image of himself in her face, but more so in her determination.

"Destler!" came the shouted threat from beyond the door. Erik narrowed his eyes and pulled his sword free.

"Well Erik." Dessy said. "I guess we'll find out if I'm ready now." They both moved towards the door and saw Matthews and his hired "Ripper" guns drawn wandering around the lair. Matthews over threw an armchair in anger, as if he could find anything under it.

"We have to get the guns out of their hands, but without being seen. Let them shoot at nothing. Once they run out of ammo, I'll take care of the rest. You get out of her, find your mother and get her to safety understood?" Erik explained. Dessy let her head slump in disappointment. He jerked her chin back up with his hand. "Think and move." And with that he opened the door and they both spread in the opposite directions crawling on their hands and knees. Shots ran out aimed at the door, leaving a few holes.

"Stop you idiot!" a rough voice which must have belonged to Jack. "You're wasting bullets."

"Shut up I know what I'm doing." Whined Matthews. Erik hiding behind a false wall he had built within the cellars and aimed his sights on the Ripper. It was an easy target since he had his large worn pistol held straight up in the air. All it would take was one clean throw.

The knife whirled through the air knocking the pistol out of his hand and clashing it against the wall. "What the-?" he exclaimed, examining his broken pistol. Matthews cocked his gun and aimed it towards Erik's hiding place. A stream of bullets pelted the wall, but none of them touched Erik.

"Damn, I'm out!" Matthews shouted and threw his gun down. Erik moved along the false wall, which would open behind the intruders so he could surprise them from behind them.

"Right you are!" Erik glanced back to see Desiree standing in plain view challenging them. Cursing he hurried along, just to come out to see Matthews and Jack stalking towards her. Before the Ripper could draw his own blade, Erik threw his hands around his neck pulling him backwards. Matthews grabbed the knife Erik had thrown from the floor and rushed towards Desiree. Jack pointed his long rushed towards Desiree. Jack pointed his long blade at Erik, as he in turn drew his sword.
The duel had begun.

He was slow, but he was angry, Dessy calculated as Matthews lunged at her with a knife. She tried to pull free another knife while dodging him. She got caught against the wall and found Matthews had pinned her. She turned to see pure blood lust in his eyes. The weight of his body pressed hard against her, alcohol leering on his breath as always.

"Oh Desiree Deslter." He cooed into her ear. "You are so ravishing when you're threaten. I'm going to enjoy watching you suffer slowly." He shoved his lips over her's letting his tongue lash inside her mouth. Unable to scream she kicked upwards between his legs, kneeing him in the groin. He pulled away and groaned. Desiree saw her chance pulling free her knife and slashing him across the back. He yelled in pain but it only made him no enraged. He went again to attack her and they both danced back and forth the small blades clashing trying to stab one another. She could see Erik struggling with Jack. Apparantly he was also skilled in the art of sword fighting.

Matthews tried to take a running start but Desiree jumped out of his way. He stumbled into a cabinet. Dessy rushed to his fallen form ad turned him to face her. She held the blade under his neck. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you?"

Matthews had a large gash across his head and as he spoke blood fell from is mouth. "I can't. You have to think of one for yourself, bitch." He gurgled. Enraged she threw him back down took a bottle of wine and smashed it across his face. Matthews's head went limped backwards and he was out cold.

"Damn waste." Dessy said flicking the broken bottleneck aside and let go of Matthews' body.

"ERIK!" That was Christine screaming. Dessy turned to see Erik crumpled against the wall. Christine and Jacob looked up in horror as Jack had his blade raised high above his head ready to strike. Dessy took her knife and flung it, hitting the Ripper straight in the back. He groaned and clawed desperately to remove the knife. His eyes focused on Desiree. Showing no fear, she picked up her blade and moved towards him.

Erik tried to pick himself up and watched as the two stalked closer. Desiree noticed he had a large wound across his abdomen and it looked like he was even holding some of his insides from falling out. Seeing him wounded only made Desiree angrier.

"You are a fool girl." Jack hissed wiping his long bloody blade on the bottom of his jacket. "A dead fool that is." Dessy brought her sword up to a fighting stance. Her palms were sweaty and her knees shook but she tried to keep a stoic face.

"Not before you are." She whispered. He made the first strike bringing his blade in a downward arc that would have opened her from nose to spleen, if she hadn't jumped away that is. She brought up her blade to ward of his next blow. Starring at each other eye to eye, locked in combat, they sized each other up. Though the man had strength and contorted his face into a sinister sneer, Dessy could not believe this man could have been Jack the Ripper. He was too simple, just a simple, stupid angry man. But of course madman did have a way of look like everyone else. She threw him backward and the duel began again as they swords did a deadly dance.

"Why are you doing this?" Dessy asked. "What do you want from us?"

"The police want a reward for your father's head, and I intend to deliver just that to them." He gloated dodging one of her attacks.

"Idiot! You have no proof." Dessy challenged trying to make a surprise lower cut, which he again blocked. "And what about me?"

He laughed. "Oh I'll just kill you for the hell of it." They had made their way to the organ and Desiree could not bear having her father's beautiful instrument destroyed. She jumped down off the ledge leaving Jack starring down at her. "Do you know what its like to kill?" He leered. "To have the blood flow through your hands. To reach inside them and touch them in a way that only God has done before." He took his own blade, swiped it across his own hand letting the blood fall towards her. Droplets of it hit her eyes and mouth. "Perhaps you should join me, see what it feels like."

"Never!" Dessy shouted and picked up a spare knife and threw it at him. But he was too quick and jumped down to her level. With a well-placed hand he delivered a blow that sent her sprawling backward against a wall. The blunt ends of the candleholders embedded themselves into her shoulders and back and the candles fell to the floor burning her face. Her sword had been knocked from her hand and she looked up to see Jack standing over her. His blade positioned in a way that would kill her with one blow. She closed her eyes preparing to meet her end

Mom, Erik, Jacob, I'm sorry

A shot rang out and Dessy opened her eyes to see Jack staring at a gapping hole in his arm. Erik stood behind them, holding Jacob's smoking pistol in his hand. While Jack was distracted, Dessy grabbed a blade from the wall and shoved the sharp end into his abdomen and through his chest. He gasped and his eyes bulged out in surprise. Blood dripping from his lips, he lurched forward and then fell to his side, death before he hit the ground.

Dessy used her hands and back to slowly stand up. Just as she had gotten to her feet, a pair of small arms holding her tight knocked her forward. It was Christine, and she buried her head into Dessy's shoulder. "It's all right mom, I'm okay." Christine sobbed and Dessy stroked her mother's hair to comfort her. Erik came towards them. Desiree glanced at the gun and then back to his face. "A primitive weapon huh?"

Erik took another hard step towards her, and Desiree could see the he too was crying. "Shut up Desiree." He gasped throwing his arms around them both. He squeezed hard and while the wounds he disturbed protested, Dessy let him hold her anyway.

"Just shut up."