CHAPTER 34

Raoul tried to make sense of everything Nadir had told him during the ride to the estate. As they approached the imposing iron gates, Raoul couldn't help but feel anxiety gripping around him like a vice.

Stopping to open the gates then climbing back into the driver's seat, Nadir looked at his paling passenger and said, "Are you ready?"

Raoul kept his attention toward the house and simply nodded.

Nadir took up the reins and proceeded toward The House of Roses.

"She should've been here by now," Erik thought, pacing the floor of his study. He tried to stay positive by assuming she must have gotten caught up with Meg and Madame Giry, that she simply forgot the time. "Impossible, she was always on time for our lessons at the opera house," he concluded.

Erik couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Walking out of his study, he came across his butler.

"Nicolas? Where are you off to?" Erik questioned.

"Your carriage has returned, Monsieur Delacroix, I was just about…" Nicolas didn't get the chance to finish his reply.

Erik quickly made his way to the front door to greet his wife and to see what had taken her so long.

Nicolas followed suit behind his master.

Nadir brought the carriage to a halt before the front of the estate and hopped down from the driver's bench.

Victor opened the carriage door and helped an emotionally frail Madame Giry out of the carriage.

As Raoul made to step down from his seat, Nadir placed a hand at his shoulder.

"I will not disillusion you, Vicomte. Erik will not be pleased by your presence, nor will he understand it. In fact, he may want to kill you, but that will not happen while I am here. I ask that you wait by the carriage, so that I may try and explain the situation."

Raoul stood tall and nodded. "Very well. See to it that he understand my intentions. There is no love lost between us, I assure you. I would rather like to kill him myself, but right now, there are two people we need to worry about, and it is not le fantôme, nor I."

Victor helped Madame Giry up the steps to the front door of the house.

As he made to open the door, Erik stepped out and looked at the two of them with surprise.

"Victor?" he questioned his driver and then looked to Madame Giry. "Annette, what's wrong?"

He glanced past the two of them as he saw Nadir making his way toward him.

"Christine? Where is Christine, Daroga?"

With his keen eyes he focused on the carriage beyond them. The concern of a simple man turned to a maddened hell bound beast. "What in the hell is that BOY doing here!"

Erik moved his hand to his waist on instinct looking for his trusty Punjab lasso, but alas it was not on him.

Raoul steadied his left hand on his pistol at his side as soon as he saw Erik emerge from the house. His hand began to shake nervously as he watched Erik go from a man with a normal demeanor to a raging monster.
Nadir held Erik back as he asked Nicolas to help Victor with Madame Giry, into the sitting room.

"You only postpone the inevitable, Daroga! I will snap that boy's neck like a twig with my own bare hands if I must!"

Erik tried to get past the Persian, sneering at Raoul.

Nadir was an unmovable force.

Erik was much younger than the Daroga, but he was nowhere near his size in brawn.

"I trusted you, Daroga! What did he do with my wife! Why have you brought him here? Has he come to gloat? Are the Gendarmes coming to storm the house as we speak? Was this all just a farce to rid the world of the infamous Opera Ghost!" Erik rambled.

Before Erik could continue his outrageous claims, Nadir thought, "I hate to do it, but I must."

The Persian raised his hand and slapped Erik across the left side of his face.

Glaring fiercely into Nadir's eyes, Erik said icily, "You have exactly five seconds to explain yourself, before I snap your neck and do the same to the fop behind you."

Nadir knew his friend was gravely serious. He also knew that given his current state, he could very well do it.

Erik began his count and without hesitating Nadir spoke clearly and quickly.

"One…"

"Meg has been taken."

"Two…"

"She was abducted while at the opera house."

"Three…"

"I found clues to back my theory."

"Four…"

"Le Vicomte has an idea of who may be behind this."

"FIVE!"

"My friend, this same abductor has taken Christine as well. I'm sorry."

The Daroga's last words shot daggers into Erik's heart as the tension in his face eased.

Nadir could feel Erik's grip loosen from his arms and his head began to lower.

So many horrible thoughts flashed across Erik's mind like lightning. All he could see was Christine's face in despair. His mental anguish took him from one extreme to another.

Nadir lowered his head to look into Erik's face, shaking him firmly by the arms. "Are you alright, Erik? Speak to me!"

Erik's reaction was new to the Daroga and completely unexpected.

"Christine…" Erik breathed as he fell to his knees and passed out.

Raoul cocked his head to the side and wondered what had just happened. "At least he won't be able to make any attempts on my life in that state."

Nadir motioned to Raoul to help him carry Erik into the sitting room with the others.

Hesitantly, he walked over to the Persian and the unconscious Erik.

"I will take his lower half. You secure him from the top," Nadir directed.

On the count of three, they lifted Erik and carefully made their way through the house and into the sitting room.

Nadir and Raoul carried Erik over to the settee by the bay window. They carefully eased him down onto it. Before Raoul could finish moving his hands from underneath Erik's arms, he gasped as Erik shot his hand up and secured it around his neck.

Nicolas and Victor both yelled out to their master, as their eyes grew wide.

"Did you think you could escape my wrath, BOY!" Erik sneered.

Raoul struggled to breathe as Erik slowly applied pressure to his windpipe.

"I should have done away with you that night below the opera house!" Erik said wildly.

Nadir tried to pry Erik's hand from Raoul's neck. "Erik, release him! He cannot breathe!"

"That's the point, Daroga! Must you be so short-sighted?" Erik stated irritably.

Nicolas and Victor ran over to their master trying in vain to convince Erik to let go of the Vicomte.

Raoul was on the verge of passing out before he heard a loud noise and felt Erik's grip loosen.

The sound of Madame Giry's cane was like thunder, waking Erik from his insensate state of mind, as it struck the floor.

Falling to the floor, coughing, Raoul tried to catch his breath. "She would… never have… been yours… if you killed me… that night," Raoul took a deep breath and continued. "My being alive guaranteed your happiness… like it or not!" Raoul coughed out.

Nadir patted his back telling him to take slow, steady breaths.

"How dare…" Erik was about to retort when Madame Giry loudly interrupted.

"All of you, shut up! My daughter's life is in danger and you fools carry on like cavemen!" She said sternly.

She walked over to them and swiftly brought her cane down again. The men flinched as Madame Giry stood before them imposingly.

"We must concentrate our efforts on bringing Meg and Christine back home safely!"

She brought her cane up and tapped it against Nadir's shoulder. "You. Take le Vicomte over to the far end of the room, away from this man," she poked the end of her cane into Erik's side.

Erik snorted at her and looked away towards the window.

"You two..." she waved her cane and pointed at Victor and Nicolas, "…go bring us some tea."

She eyed both servants as they looked at each other stupefied. She brought her cane down and commanded, "Now!"

The sitting room settled to a tense calm as Madame Giry sat beside Erik. "Mon ami, I need you now more than I have ever needed you. You must put your anger aside for le Vicomte and focus on bringing your wife and my daughter back to us. We will get nothing accomplished if you choose to take every moment plotting your next attack on Raoul."

Erik kept his eyes to the window, the yellow-orange color of the sky occupying his mind. It would be night soon. The longer the two girls went missing, the greater the peril would be.

He took in a long breath and sat up to face Madame Giry. "This is the hardest task I've ever had to deal with, Annette. With him being here, it just makes it more unbearable. Why must he be here? He has no reason to be involved. I am perfectly capable of…"

Erik narrowed his eyes at Raoul as he spoke, interrupting him

"I have every right to be here!" He paused a moment before continuing. "Unfortunately, I believe myself to be the cause for Christine and Meg's disappearance," he admitted, as he stood up and straightened his jacket.

"Please sit down, Monsieur Vicomte," Nadir said anxiously as he watched Erik begin to stiffen his back.

"So, it's you that has caused this? Now, you give me just cause to kill you!" Erik made a move to get up, but Madame Giry held her cane firmly across his chest.

"Erik!" she snapped as he paused.

"Erik, you will want to hear what le Vicomte has to say," Nadir said evenly.

Madame Giry placed her hand on Erik's shoulder and calmly said, "Let him speak, mon ami. Please, for me." Closing his eyes to calm himself, he nodded.

Nadir took hold of Raoul's arm as he tried to move. "This will be your only chance with him. Speak clearly and to the point. He does not take kindly to delays in speech."

Raoul nodded at Nadir in acknowledgement. He ran his hands through his hair and walked toward Erik and Madame Giry with determination.

Author's Note
I'm glad everyone despises Philippe as much as I do. Writing him has been crazy. That man excels at being a jackass!

To PhantomLover05: Yes, Philippe has taken Christine and Meg.

To Lindaleriel: I am glad you are enjoying this fic. It's nice to hear from a Raoul supporter that has positive things to say about the way I am writing him. Thank you!