Chapter Summary: Erik and Andrew reach the place where Annalise is being held captive. But will they be in time?
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
The sound of an owl echoed through the night air, not out of place in the dark shadowed woods. Yet at the sound, two riders on the lonely road pulled back on their reins, horses stopping. They turned, watching and waiting as the chaise that traveled behind drew alongside. The powerful stallion and the fiery mare drawing the chaise snorted and stamped at the ground, evidence of their displeasure at being stilled.
"Where to now, Tomas?" Erik asked, his hands holding to the reins of his horse.
"There is a small rohis point, do you understand?"
Andrew nodded, knowing the older man was correct and hating himself for acting like a spoiled child. "Yes," he answered. "I understand."
Erik almost wanted to smile for he recognized the self-chiding tone of Andrew's voice.
"Someone approaches," Regine said as he reached for the loaded gun he kept on the seat.
"No!" Tomas warned him, covering the gun with his own hand. "This is why we wait."
The heightened awareness of the group did not diminish with his words as they watched the shadowy shape slowly approach through the dark. As the figure drew close, they could see it was a man dressed in simple chating himself for acting like a spoiled child. "Yes," he answered. "I understand."
Erik almost wanted to smile for he recognized the self-chiding tone of Andrew's voice.
"Someone approaches," Regine said as he reached for the loaded gun he kept on the seat.
"No!" Tomas warned him, covering the gun with his own hand. "This is why we wait."
The heightened awareness of the group did not diminish with his words as they watched the shadowy shape slowly approach through the dark. As the figure drew close, they could see it was a man dressed in simple clothing; he looked worn beyond his years and tired. The man stopped just short of where Andrew and Erik sat their horses, eyeing with suspicion the expensive chaise and the more expensive horses. Tomas jumped out of the chaise and greeted the man warmly.
"Charles," Tomas said as he clasped the man by the arm.
Charles nodded at the group behind Tomas. "Are they to be trusted?" he wondered.
Erik felt more than saw Andrew's reaction to the spoken words. "What did I just tell you?" he warned.
Tomas saw Charles' eyes dart towards Andrew. "He is in love with the young lady I asked you to watch, you understand."
"Aye," Charles replied hesitantly, drawing the word out, returning his gaze to the only man in the group he truly trusted. "They have been in the house since you left two days ago. I heard screams and cries after you left and there were loud pounding noises earlier today."
Erik's hands closed tightly around the reins of his horse. "If she is dead, I will kill him."
"Not before I can," Andrew muttered under his breath.
"Sound carries easily in these woods," Charles said, nodding towards the horses and carriage. "If you wish to come upon the house unawares, they must stay here until the lady is out of the house." He took off his cap, scratching his scalp before placing it back on his head. "It will be a grace if the noise has not already been heard."
"A very astute observation," Erik agreed as he dismounted, noting that Andrew had already done so. He handed the reins of his horse to Andrew, watching as the young man walked the horses around to tie them to the back of the chaise. He turned his attention back to Tomas and Charles. "You have both been through these woods; what is the best way to approach the house so that we draw as little attention to ourselves as possible?"
Tomas waited until Andrew had rejoined them. "We want to come from the back and the front at the same time." He tilted his head towards Charles, allowing the other man to answer.
"We can take the main drive to where it divides heading both to front and back. The drive is wooded and the shadows should give adequate cover and it will keep the noise down," Charles began. "Once the drive splits, though, that is when you need to seek the cover of the woods for any sign of activity can be seen from the house. The woods are a bit thicker towards the back of the house; you can use them as cover almost to the door. I do not believe that door is locked." He raised his head to look at the half moon shining in the cloudless sky. "It will be darker back there," he stated simply.
"It matters little," Erik replied. "I have lived my life in darkness and my eyes are accustomed to seeing in little or no light. I will go through the back."
Charles grunted as he turned to look at Andrew. "That hair of yours is not going to be your friend in this."
Andrew closed his eyes and drew a deep breath, exhaling slowly before he realized what Charles meant. "Damn," he swore softly, a hand reaching up to touch blonde hair that reflected the moonlight. He opened his eyes as he felt something being pressed into his other hand; it was a dark piece of material.
"It is Tomas' neckerchief," Erik told Andrew. "Wrap it around your hair; it should suffice."
Andrew nodded his thanks as he covered his hair, tying the dark material at the base of his neck.
Charles cast a critical eye. "It will have to do," he said and continued, ignoring the angry, frustrated look from Andrew. "The approach to the front is a bit more difficult as the drive circles around the facade and across the front lawn. It is all open space and the best you can hope for is to stay in the wooded area as long as possible before breaking for the front portico. It isn't a long portico but the door is in the center. You will need to keep low to the edge of the portico so you cannot be seen through the windows. Then it is up the center stairs and through the door."
Erik turned to look at Tomas. "Once you get Andrew through the front door, you must come back and bring Regine as close as possible to the house. Once Mademoiselle is away from that man ..."
"Monster," Andrew said to no one in particular.
"Away from that man," Erik continued, choosing to ignore Andrew, "we need to get her from this place as quickly as possible. We can take no chances. Do you understand?"
"Oui, monsieur," Tomas answered and turned to Charles. "Can you wait at the end of the drive for my signal and then signal to Regine?"
Charles nodded. "I shall listen for the owl." He looked at Regine. "You must listen, as well; it is the same sound that caused you to stop here."
"I know the sound," Regine assured them with a nod. "I shall be ready at the very instant you signal. Do not worry, you bring Mademoiselle de Chagny to me and I will have her back to her parents in the morning."
"Then let us not waste any more time," Erik said, "too much has already passed."
Four men moved quickly down the road, keeping to the shadows along the edges. They jogged in silence, vigilant eyes watching the surrounding darkness. It was a hot, still summer night and only the occasional cry of a night bird and the rustling along the forest floor betrayed their presence. They could hear the sound of the horses as the animals reacted to the unseen emotions that hung in the night air. The men were thankful that as they approached the drive to the house, the sound of the horses grew ever more distant and faded into the background noise of the woods.
"Here," Charles whispered urgently as he pointed and turned down a drive cut into the woods; he trusted the others to follow.
They kept to the edge of the drive, shadows in shadows; the leafy canopy of the trees hiding their approach. As the drive slowly widened, the woods surrendered their dominion and up ahead, beneath the light of the over-hanging moon, a house drew into focus. It sat in the midst of a circle cut from the heart of the woods, quiet and ominous, candlelight winking from window eyes that gazed into the potent night. Charles held up a hand causing everyone to stop.
"Here is where we must part," he said simply.
Erik looked at Andrew, placing a hand on the young man's arm. "You know what must be done. Her safety at all costs and you leave that man to my ministrations."
Andrew could feel his heart beating as though it would break through his chest. "Understood," he nodded. "Go with God."
"I can only hope," Erik replied and leaned towards Tomas. "Stay with him and try to keep from doing anything foolish," he said softly before disappearing into the surrounding shadows.
"Come," Tomas told Andrew with a tug on his sleeve.
Charles watched as the two men followed the wooded border of the drive as long as possible. He saw as they sprinted across the open area between the drive and the house before dropping to their knees and crawling along the edge of the portico, hidden by its height. He was not a man who played by or agreed with society's rules but he had never knowingly hurt any person - much less a young girl barely into womanhood. Charles crossed himself and spit into the ground, his only form of prayer for the success of the men who were making their individual ways towards the silent, brooding house. He turned to look for the man who had gone towards the back of the house but he had already vanished.
"My pretty little princess has vanished," the anger was saying as it stood in the open doorway of the bedroom watching Annalise with a strange amusement on its face. "I wonder where she went?"
Annalise was holding onto one of the bed's posters, her head leaning against it. She struggled to find her way through the drug-induced cloud that always held her in its grip whenever she awoke. She raised dead eyes to look at the thing standing in the doorway, trying to focus as it approached. "I have nowhere to go," she said in a monotone.
The anger stopped at her side, reaching out and grabbing her chin, lifting her face so that Annalise was forced to stare into eyes that glittered with hate and anger. "That's right; you have nowhere to go." It pinched the girl's bruised jaw for good measure and felt the anger grow as there was no cry of pain in response. "Now," it hissed, "who is the only one in this world that cares for you?"
"You are," Annalise replied, her eyes closing.
The anger released her chin. "What a good little girl you are and because you are, what would you like me to do?" It reached out a finger to trace the curve of her lips. "Perhaps you can make it work," it chuckled.
"Let me sleep," Annalise said, hoping for her only means of escape. "I just want to sleep."
"I cannot do that," the anger told her. "It is time for a lesson in pain. It is time for you to learn how to crawl." It reached over, grabbing Annalise's hair, pulling her head back. "I am sick of waiting."
"I am sick of waiting," Andrew muttered to himself and stuck his head up from where he crouched underneath the edge of the portico. He saw Tomas kneeling by the front door but could not see what he was doing to the lock. Andrew took several deep breaths in an effort to control his agitation.
Tomas turned around. "Get down!" he whispered strongly before turning back to the task at hand.
Andrew did not even have time to comply with Tomas' order for Tomas immediately turned back to him, the front door gently swinging open. "Thank God," he breathed.
Tomas moved quietly across the porch and down the few stairs to crouch next to Andrew. "Remember, move quietly and quickly. There are stairs just inside the door to the right."
"Go," Andrew said with a nod towards the main drive. "Get Regine here and waiting."
"I will be but a moment," Tomas said as he watched Andrew quietly move towards the door and safely inside the house before running down the drive, an owl's cry echoing through the dark woods.
The dark woods proved a friend to Erik and he moved quickly and quietly through them. Years of living in the depths below - and the shadows of - the opera house gave him an advantage over other men. He was sure footed and quiet as he jogged quietly past trees and over the dangers that lurked underfoot. He would pause occasionally to listen to the night, watching the house for any sign of discovery. He had gained the last bit of shadow before the house, the back door within but a few steps when he stopped. Erik waited for the call of an owl to let him know that the front entrance had been breached.
While he waited his thoughts drifted towards the one person his thoughts had always drifted towards - Christine. The dull ache and the longing were still there, still his attachment to the girl who had so enchanted him. Now, though, the ache and the longing were no longer centered around him and his needs; they were felt for Christine. No matter how hard he tried, Erik could not begin to fathom the anguish his beloved angel must have been suffering the last days. A strange thought passed through his mind as he looked upwards towards the lights flickering on the second floor and it startled him. What had that sweet child done to him?
The thought was quickly willed away, all emotions buried again as the sound of an owl filled the night air. Erik drew a deep breath and walked boldly through the back door. "Hold on little angel," he thought.
"Hold on, Annalise," Andrew thought as he entered the house, noting the staircase to his right. He walked softly across the floor, trying to evenly distribute his weight to avoid making any creaking noises. He reached the stairs and began to make his way up them. "Just hold on," the thought played over and over in his mind.
"Why do you insist on holding onto that post?" the anger wanted to know as it let go of Annalise's hair. "Would you not rather hold onto me?"
Annalise returned her head to rest against the bedpost, the spinning room slowly drawing into focus. She kept her eyes focused on the window, unwilling to look at the man next to her. A dark, desperate thought began to grow in the emptiness that held her in its grip and she did not want him to see it. "It spins and swirls," Annalise told him. "It makes me dizzy."
The anger reached out a hand to pat her head as if Annalise were nothing more than a pet. "Poor little princess ..." The anger stopped in mid-sentence, its head abruptly turning towards the door, eyes narrowing. Something was not right; it could sense a change in the air. It turned back to the girl on the bed. "Do not move from this spot," it growled and disappeared out the bedroom door before Annalise could answer.
Annalise watched out the corner of her eye as the anger left the room. She returned her attention to the window, slowly standing, a sad determination on her face. "It's time to go home," she said quietly as she started to walk towards the window. "Maybe God will still want me."
"Oh God!" Andrew thought in despair as a stair creaked beneath his weight. He paused for a moment, listening to the still house and shook his head. "Damn it anyway," he said under his breath and took the stairs two at a time.
Andrew had just reached the curve of the staircase when a large dark shape swung at his head from the wall. Nerves and senses heightened by the task before him, Andrew quickly ducked and only felt the wind as the object passed over his head. He struggled to maintain hold of his balance as he raised his head to see Michaud standing in front of him, a board in his hand. "Where is she?" Andrew demanded.
"Nowhere you can ever get to her again!" Michaud said, arms moving back.
It happened in the space of a heartbeat. Eyes grown used to the dark, Andrew could see the subtle movement of the other man's arms and knew the board would be swinging his way again. He turned away from the oncoming swing in the hope that the board would miss and Michaud would be thrown off balance. The turn was not fast enough and the board connected with Andrew's arm. The force of the blow was enough to cause Andrew to lose his footing and go tumbling down the stairs. He finally stopped at the base of the staircase, splayed on his back, motionless.
Michaud walked down the stairs to look at what he had done. He stopped at the bottom step and poked at Andrew with one foot. There was no response and Andrew's closed eyes did not open. Michaud needed to be sure and kicked out at the still man; he only succeeded in jostling the unconscious Andrew like a rag doll. Satisfied that Andrew would present no further problem, Michaud climbed the staircase stopping at the board he had dropped. He picked up the board and threw it at Andrew; it landed on his chest. "Now you can see her again!" He shouted as he turned to climb the rest of the stairs, sprinting down the hall and into the open bedroom door. "What are you doing?" he demanded of the girl standing by the open window.
Annalise did not respond to him, her thoughts already flying free in the world just beyond the open window.
Michaud walked over and grabbed her bruised and cut wrist. "I have a gift for the little princess!" he said in a menacing tone and dragged the listless girl from the room. He pulled her down the hallway to the darkened staircase, grabbing her head and forcing her to look down. "There is my present to you," he hissed in her ear. "You wanted the perfect little boy? Well there he is, princess; sorry the toy is broken."
Annalise looked down the stairs at the shape lying in the light coming through the open front door. Her brows knitted in concentration as her mind struggled through the drugged confusion trying to remember. Her breathing grew more rapid as a clear memory broke through her clouded reason. "Andrew ..." she breathed. "Andrew!" she screamed bursting into tears. "No!"
Michaud let go of her head and grabbed the kicking, crying girl about the waist, pulling her back down the hall. "Yes!" he shouted, as he threw Annalise into the room. "Now what are you going to do? Your perfect little knight lies broken and dead and there is no one else to help you."
There was only sobbing from the girl on the floor.
Michaud walked over and dragged her up by her arms, pushing her into the wall and turning her around to face him. "You have become a liability," he snarled at her.
Annalise could not find words beyond her tears.
Michaud ran a single hand over her throat. "I heard the stories of your mother and the Opera Ghost. I heard that he killed anyone who got in the way of his love for her. I heard he strangled them with a noose." He moved his other hand up to encircle Annalise's neck. "That is rather impersonal do you not think?" He asked quietly as his hands tightened about her throat.
Erik felt his throat tighten as the sound of something crashing and falling reverberated through the still house. He had been searching for the back staircase, cursing the incompetent architect who had built the house, when the crashing sound caused him to pause in his search. His thoughts flickered to Andrew and he willed down the fear that began to grow in his stomach. The fear did not stay down as he heard Annalise scream Andrew's name.
"Damn it," he said to the darkened house as he found his way through rooms and hallways to emerge into the entry foyer. He stopped as he saw Tomas kneeling next to Andrew.
Tomas felt Erik's presence and looked up. "He is only stunned," Tomas said.
Erik moved towards the stairs, pausing to look down at Andrew. He heaved a silent sigh as he noticed Andrew's eyelids flutter.
Andrew managed to lift his head and saw Erik standing over him. "Upstairs," he managed. "Go!" Andrew's head dropped back to the floor.
Erik knew that Tomas would see to whatever Andrew needed and he bounded up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, it took only a moment for Erik to see the light coming from an open door. He moved like a cat, quietly and swiftly towards that light. As he reached the edge of the door, he heard the words "opera ghost" come from the room.
That was all it took.
Erik quickly entered the doorway. He saw a tall man with his hands around Annalise's throat and a darkness from his past overwhelmed Erik. He reached beneath the cloak he wore his fingers sure and steady as they felt the rope that hung from his belt.
The whine of the lasso split the quietness of the room and Michaud felt himself pulled away from the girl beneath his hands. He reached up to pull at the sudden constriction about his throat only to find himself falling backwards onto the floor. Angry, rough hands grabbed at him, rolling him over, pulling at arms and ankles. Michaud struggled in vain as he felt the rope from his neck pulled taught around his limbs.
"The more you struggle, the sooner you die," a deadly voice whispered in his ear and then was gone.
Erik finished binding Michaud and turned to see Annalise slide down the wall and crumple to the floor.