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A/N: I this chapter, you

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Chapter Five- Secrets, Secrets Are No Fun

When I awoke the next morning, a breakfast tray of hot food lay next to me. Not hungry I pushed the tray aside. William came in with what seemed to be medicine, but I was wary and refused to take it. This only further infuriated him. His golden eyes flashed angrily, nevertheless he just sighed and took my hand as he said, "Stacy, I would never harm you. You are the mother of my children… my wife. You can at least trust that I would not hurt you if not anything else."

Taking the medicine, I eyed him cautiously. His hair was disheveled, his clothes hung loose on his skeletal frame. He was still strong physically, I knew. His black mask, as always, gave a hateful stare. Those golden eyes seemed to be in two sunken eye sockets. He had been drinking and evidently received no sleep. I realized then that I could never hate him, for somewhere in this shell of a man was my beloved husband.

Reaching my hand out to touch his cold lips, he swayed slightly. He realized his mistake immediately and tried in vain to rise up. However, I pulled him to me.

"William, what is haunting you so much, you can't face it?" As I said this, I stroked his hair like a parent would a broken-hearted child.

For a brief moment, he gave the impression like he was about to tell me, but he whispered, "Sleep. Do not worry about me. I lov-. "He bit his tongue, but I knew. Averting his eyes for a minute, he regained his cold countenance and ugly bitterness. "Sleep." His mask could fool me but his eyes could not. Pain etched in every word his voice expressed.

"William, I need you…in my life… Don't leave me again…" I was not able to read his expression, as a result, he leaned over and his fingertips stroked my cheek. Emotion got the best of me and I repeated,

"William, I need you!"

His mouth opened slightly and shut as he forced down the passionate fire that burned in his eyes. After five minutes of silent confessions, he still positioned the stupid wall. "Get some more sleep. When you wake up and feel better, I will take you and the kids to the Red Square." Nodding, I fell back asleep. I woke up two hours later to discover four pairs of eyes gazing upon me. "Dad, she's up!" William came in and ushered our kids out. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thank-you. I take it that we are going to the Red Square, now?"

"Yes, we all are going out to get some fresh air. Get ready." I did get ready and followed William and the kids outside to the car. Once we reached the Red Square, we got out of the car to walk.

After a period of walking, William, the kids, and I sauntered over to a sidewalk. We were walking briskly and then I saw Richard, my supervisor, standing in front of me conversing with a security guard! I glanced at William and noticed he acted suspicious but did not identify anything wrong. I prayed to the Lord, Richard would not see me. I could not handle… could not bear it if William killed him because of me. The guilt would be too horrendous.

Richard turned in my direction and met my eyes. His eyes glinted a myriad of emotions; shock, fear, thought, determination coursed through them. Looking away, he continued to make conversation with the security guard in front of the hotel.

Staring at William, I lied, "William, I need to use the powder room." He pointed towards the hotel while nodding nonchalantly, stating, "Be back in five minutes or else I will come and get you."

Ignoring the threat, I made my way into the hotel. Richard followed me at a safe distance as not to arouse any alarm. When we were safe, he whispered loudly, "What happened to you? Everyone in Colorado has been searching for you! How did you end up here? How?"

"Shh, Richard. Listen to me. The Russian Phantom… he was…is my husband. He kidnapped my children and me. Don't tell anyone and do not come after him and try to rescue me. He-he's a genius and he will kill you. How did you end up in Russia?"

Smiling slightly, he answered, "I watched BBC news one night and I heard the infamous Russian Phantom had been reinstated as the Head of Investigations at the time of your disappearance. I found it peculiar and did research on your late husband's name. After I read his medical and public records while he stayed in the United States, I put two and two together. I had an inkling he brought you here and I was right. I cannot leave you with him."

"Be quiet, Richard," I murmured as I ushered him further down the hall. "Richard, I do not have much time left. Don't do anything until I say so. He has not hurt me but he will hurt you. Oh, he's coming! Run!" Richard stood there, conflicted, but he nodded solemnly and fled through the back door.

I met William later once I rounded the corner. "I'm ready. Let's go." He sensed something was shady. Pursing his lips together, he sighed irritably. We made our way out.

After two more long hours of sight-seeing, we headed home. The sun was fading on the horizon and a dull light reflected off Saint Basil's Cathedral. The kids were wiped out as well as me. A queer looking man in a blue suit trailed behind us trying to come near the kids.

I stood in front of our kids as William halted ahead of me. His melodic voice became contorted into a demonic sound, "What do you want, Ferdinand?"

"To get what the boss wants, Phantom."

"Over my dead body."

"Well, then, maybe he will settle for that pretty woman." William's eyes glowered at the ignorant fool as he pressed a nine millimeter gun at the man's throat.

I screamed to my kids, "RUN!" They scampered off frightened as William disregarded the man's pleas for his life.

A shot rang out in the square and the body hit the pavement. There was no face that could be recognizable. When the police came, the body hauled off, being questioned, and released, we were able to go home.

When the kids were settled in their rooms, I lit into William, heatedly. "How dare you! You've traumatized our kids. Once more, you have murdered another man…an unarmed one at that… in front of our children. Oh, I am too angry to speak to you."

The mask, black and cruel, scowled at me under the twilight gleam from the window.

"I suppose now I should tell you everything."

"What happened to my husband," I asked, turning to him. We now sat at the opposite sides of the couch in Hugo's room he prepared for us.

William began, "As you know, I have been keeping secrets from you. Now I must reveal them to you. I went back to Moscow on a privately owned jet when I faked my death. All was going well until the plane was shot down. After I regained consciousness, I realized it was a set-up meant to kill me. I ran, eluding my killers for four months. However, I was eventually captured. I was tortured terribly. I was shot, stabbed, kicked, spat upon, whipped, jeered at, beat with various objects for at least seventy-two hours. I was brainwashed. I forgot all of my memory except for you and my name. I forgot our family, my job, the daroga, and my deformity. Then I was hauled to Vladivostok and was tortured for another seventy two hours until they convinced me that I was one of them. They had me go and assassinate many people on the Russian Embassy board until the President rescued me. Through extensive therapy, I recovered most of my memory, but my fury still remains."

He took a moment to sit back and sigh heavily while a huge burden lifted off his shoulders. I soon learned that this was not all. "Stacy, the reason I kidnapped you, I will disclose to you now. As you probably know, I have been reinstated as the Head of Investigations and with that, I have discovered some disturbing revelations. I am sure you remember the General. He had an illegitimate child, Franz Mikhail Rovanachov. Since his father's death, Franz has become blood-thirsty. He wants me dead to avenge his father's death. He created a new terrorist organization with the Russian name translated 'Death Elite.' My colleagues gave it the code name 'Federalist.' This boy is clever, I give him that, and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He has already killed Victor Kudrawl, the man whom I replaced. He will target you and the children. I cannot let this happen. The man I shot was his second-hand man. Now they know you and the kids still live. Hugo and I have discussed ways to keep you safe. We plan on taking you and the kids to a safe house on the southern edge of Russia near Ukraine. So now you see why I cannot allow you or the kids out of my sight. This whole situation is my fault. I should not have dragged you in the middle of this mess."

As if the first part of his story was too much, the second part was almost too much to bear. There was an extended amount of silence before he spoke again,

"There is going to be a masquerade party to commemorate the President, and I believe that Franz will target it in order to eliminate an official. I do not want to leave you alone. If I take you, I will put your life in danger, too, but at least I can protect you. So you must come with me, and Hugo will take the children to the safe house."

Before I left the room to kiss my kids goodnight, I gazed at William. He sat stiffly in the chair and stared into the fading fire in the vast fireplace. His eyes, slightly glazed, stared unblinking in the hearth while he drank brandy in disheveled evening wear.

A/N: on hands and knees, begging again for the 3rd time Please REVIEW! Hopefully since I will tell you a secret that next chapter will have VIOLENCE cough chandelier, you will be more inclined to review. I love you guys, and did I forget to mention, I add my reviewers on my bio and I also REVIEW YOUR STORIES IF YOU REVIEW MINE! SO, PLEASE REVIEW. I want to know if my story is really any good… It would help me tremendously. I know you guys are reading it… I have seen all the hits… wink

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