Chapter Ten-Unexpected Abduction

A week after her big argument with them, Victoria still wasn't speaking to the Ishtars. She let Marik walk her to and from Phantom of the Opera rehearsals, the Robas,and even to the museum,where he'd leave her in Ishizu's care, but she hated it. Today, she was working on scenes with Jonathan, whom also seemed to be in a bad mood. He practically bellowed his spoken words, but otherwise, he was quiet. When they had finished with their morning run through, she went to ask Christien what was bugging him.

"Hey...." The middle Roba had been working with his vocal coach all morning, and that explained his frazzled appearance. "It's not as easy as I thought, playing the phantom..."

"No kidding. Try playing Christine." She sat beside him. "What's wrong with Jonathan?"

"Oh,he and Nikki are on the outs again." Christien sighed. "I'm so glad we don't have those problems."

"That's because we were best friends first." Tori pointed out. "I'm so tired...."

"Yeah......." Christien looked at her. "You're so good up there, you know. Are you sure you've never had a lesson in acting or singing?"

"I'm positive. My whole life revolved around dueling and Yu gi oh." She spoke bluntly about the anime from which Christien and his brothers came from. She knew Christien would understand.

"It should've been on stage. This is where you belong, Victoria." Now Mokuba spoke up from behind them.

"That's what Marik says....." She sighed, glancing out into the house. Marik was there, just as he always was. "I need to make up with him, somehow..."

"I think you should. He does so much for you." Mokuba reminded her.

"You don't think I know that?! Of course I do! I.....I just don't think what he, Rishid and Ishizu are doing to me is right."

"Well, you lied to them. That wasn't right either. They're trying their best to take care of you, but you couldn't care less!"

"That's not true!" Victoria shot back. She was on her feet now, glaring at the Kaiba. "I just don't see what the big deal with working for Duke was! He was helping me improve my game!"

"Your game?! Victoria, I think we know Duke better than you do. Duke never does anything unless it's going to benefit him." Mokuba insisted.

"Shut up, Mokuba. You sound so stupid when you talk." There was a quiet, cold voice that spoke now. At this point, the three friends were in the dark wings on t he left side of the stage.

Mokuba whirled to face the voice. "Who said that?!"

"It's a ghost!" Victoria yelped. Obviously, the sets on the stage coupled with the millions of hours of rehearsing in character had influenced her imagination.

There was a soft, gentle laugh now. "A ghost in broad daylight? Really now, Tori..." Very suddenly, the two boys crumbled without a chance to cry out.

"Mokuba! Christien!!" Victoria knelt, shaking them, as a figure approached her. She looked up to see Duke standing there, his arms crossed. "Something's happened! Help them,Duke, please!"

"Perhaps I will....." Duke held out a hand to help the tearful girl up. "Shh....I'm sure they'll be alright." He drew Victoria close to him, hugging her comfortingly. "You're so stressed..."

"I've been working so hard, Duke. So very hard. And the Ishtars.....they won't lift their sentence in the least. I want to come to your seminars, but they won't budge."

"Shh......relax. I am here now. Come away with me for a time, Victoria...I can give you the R &R you deserve."

"B-but....." Victoria felt herself relaxing under Duke's somewhat restraining grip.

"They don't deserve you, Victoria. You have to know that." Duke interrupted smoothly. "Come away with me. You'll never have to think about them again. I'll give you anything you'll ever need." His friend Kodan had done extensive research on Victoria, and found out things about her that he was certain even Marik didn't know. He knew Victoria had once lived a life of luxury and pampering, despite whatever else had been happening to her.

"The play........it's in two weeks, Duke. I have to finish it....it means so much to me...." She spoke in sobs, for Duke had started to pull her away from her two unconscious friends. "Of course you must. " Duke agreed. "Come with me now, and I will see to it that you do." If I can just convince her to keep her mouth shut about her whereabouts, she can so as she pleases.

Victoria knew something was off. Duke shouldn't be pressuring her to go with him. This was an abduction. Whether or not she went willingly or not, this was an abduction, subtle as it was. "Alright..... just don't hurt anyone." She hoped Christien and Mokuba would be okay. Duke led her back behind stage, holding her wrist firmly.

"We will go out the back exit. Talk to no one." Duke said quietly, seeming to have returned to his amiable form.

Victoria nodded, and they walked outside. No one had seemed to notice Duke was there, and that she was being taken away.

Jonathan gasped when he happened upon his brother's motionless form. "Chris!" Then he noticed Mokuba. "Who did this to you guys?!" He looked around, not seeing anyone suspicious. He went to get Marik's help.

Marik blinked when Jonathan told him what was going on. He stood up immediately, running to the two boys. "They'e just unconscious, but how did this happen?" Marik's eyes narrowed.

"I don't know....I was talking to the director." Jon shuddered, suddenly feeling frightened.

"That is not the least of our worries..." Kendra Underwood approached, her eyes widened.

"She's right." Randi Wilson joined them all, as Marik tried to revive the boys.

"What else is there?!" Jonathan demanded.

"Victoria's gone." Kenny told her friend. "There was a note in the dressing rooms. It was signed T. G." (See author's note at the end.)

"Theater Ghost." Jonathan muttered. "It was probably Victoria herself, playing a joke."

"No, it wasn't. " Randi said. "It wasn't her writing."

"Let me see this note at once!" Marik had snapped to attention the minute Kenny had said his little sister was gone. "Jon, tell the director to call an ambulance." Jonathan scurried to do so, while Marik followed the girls to the dressing room. His eyes narrowed on the note Randi handed him. It said:

To whom it may concern:

Ms. Ishtar will be returned to you in time for the final rehearsals and performances. Do not worry for her safety, she is in good hands.

your friend,

T.G.

Marik scowled, crumbling the note, and throwing it in frustration. "This is an outrage! There should be more security around here!" He was certain his sister was not playing some cruel joke out of revenge.

"Will she be alright?" Randi wanted to know. "I'm so worried about her."

"Victoria has a very strong will. Whoever has taken her away will be in for a fight if they try to harm her in anyway." Yet, Marik was very worried about her. "I must go now. Please tell Jonathan Roba to call me as soon as Mokuba awakens. They may know something about Victoria's disappearance."

"We will." The girls nodded to Marik as he swept out of the dressing room, and down the stairs to exit the theater.

"Outrage. This whole affair is an outrage!" Marik muttered to himself angrily as he left the building. He got on his motorcycle, and headed for the museum.

(A/n:TG is an homage to Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. I have found a very special place in my heart for both the book, and the Andrew Lloyd Webber production. In the book and play, the phantom signs his letters to Carlotta,Raoul and the managers "O.G." Opera Ghost)