Disclaimer: I do not own Erik, daroga, or other references of Leroux's novel. They belong to the author that created them.

Author's Note: Well, I am sorry for making you all wait for 13 days. Shame…shame on me. Whoa…the news is talking about killer deer. So, how are you all…I DO have a Christmas chapter, but it's ten chapters away in Part Two. Sorry Trust me it is worth the wait. I hope you people like this chapter. Since it's Christmas break, hopefully, I will finish Part One of this story and get started on Part Two…(there will be three parts) HEE HEE Hee hee…my dog has gas…lol…Sorry, I am traumatized…My friend took me to a bar! And I am an underaged conservative….That was an experience… (Just so you know, I DID not do anything bad) Anyways… I love all your stories…It makes me happy to read and review them…Continue to update. This chapter is a little longer, but I wanted to keep the drama going.

Chapter 16- Unending Search

Nicholas was currently searching through the daroga's desk and computer in hopes of finding any evidence that could point him to the whereabouts of Stacy. For the life of him, he could not comprehend Stacy's loyalty to his maniac brother. What could his brother offer her but misery and darkness? William's world is nothing but pain and suffering, and Nicholas dreaded and hated his brother for sucking Stacy down in it.

Because of his fault, Stacy lost her kids whom she utterly loved. Nicholas had fallen in love with Stacy when he first saw her as she dated William. He had tried to make her love him; however, she grew to despise him. Even though she loathed him, he was determined to save her from that monster.

Sighing, Nicholas threw the useless papers in the trash, disgusted with himself for failing to get any good information. Richard Grishold walked in and informed him of the meeting Jacob and Kushoff.

Once everyone was seated in a secluded meeting room, Vlad Kushoff began the conference.

"Hello again, I suppose William trained Stacy very well, for she has escaped with no trace. I have also learned she escaped around the same time that William escaped the insane asylum…before he burned it to the ground. We would be fools not to see the coincidence."

He paused before going on, "William has, no doubt, stashed her somewhere where we cannot find her. He is a genius. We all have different reasons for being here today. I am here to find William, so he can come back to the Russian government since he is a vital asset to this corporation. Without his genius, terrorists would run rampant in Russia. Jacob, you are here because you want to keep the public safe from our asset. We all know what Addams is capable of doing when he feels like he is backed in a corner. Nicholas and Richard, you both are here to keep Stacy away from Addams until he recuperates from his trauma. There is no doubt of why we all are here, but we need to figure out how to find Addams and Stacy before there are more tragedies."

Kushoff sighed. He was not a patient man, and it did not help that his superior was breathing down his neck for him to find the Phantom. Franz Rovanachov was causing problems for the upcoming election.

Nicholas kicked the seat in front of him in frustration. "My search has come up empty. I cannot find out what happened to her."

Richard sat in contemplative silence, obviously plotting something big.

William's Point of View

William was both physically and mentally exhausted. The hot water of his shower beat on his back as he leaned his forehead against the shower wall. He silently wept. His kids…his flesh and blood were dead, and Stacy probably was, too.

He hated himself for the mistakes he made which caused all the drama. Gritting his teeth against the pain from the lacerations on his back, he got ready in his immaculate eveningwear.

He sat down in his armchair awaiting the arrival of the President of Russia, Vladimir Putana. Vladimir was of average height with grey hair and dark beady eyes. Naturally, a quiet man, he still led the nation well. When he arrived, William welcomed him in and they sat down.

The president began, "William, do you know how much trouble that you are in? You burned down an asylum, kidnapped an American citizen, and neglected to do your job where Franz is concerned. Tell me what is going on!"

The cold countenance of William's mask reflected the feeling of William now—cold--. William smiled an eerie ghost smile before he folded his fingers and placed his hands in his lap.

He responded, "I have been doing my job, President. Franz Rovanachov has moved his campaign to Rubtsovsk as well as other cities such as Bratsk, and as far east as Yakutsk, Mirny, and Tynda. I cannot move in on him all at once. As far as burning down the asylum, I hear no one died, so there was no harm done. It probably was just a nuisance to you, though. There is no law against taking your wife to their new home without alerting the media."

At times, William disgusted the President of Russia. It was by not only his repulsive face, but also his secretive and distrustful of life. He had a distorted view, and it disturbed Vladimir Putana very much.

However, William Addams is the only employee of Russia that could be trusted, no matter the cost. He has been the most successful government employee on the force for ten years. He has single-handedly brought down fifty terrorist organizations, twenty cults, forty murderers, three traitors, and six spies. This does not include the countless lives he has saved.

The President remembered a few years ago, he was giving a speech and started to walk away. No one but William noticed the sniper. Before anyone could react, William pushed the president out of the way and was shot in the shoulder.

The scar remains testimony to the incident on William's shoulder.

"President, I need your help. I need you to keep Kushoff off my back and your consent for me to hide away for a while."

"Like a vacation?"

"Somewhat, I need time away before I attack Franz. I have to keep Stacy safe until I know I can fully prepare to bring down Rovanachov. He has already murdered my children, as a result of my lack of preparation."

"I agree, William. I will personally pay for your children's funeral, so you and your wife may have closure."

Grasping William's hand, the President thanked him and then left with the papers William compiled for him earlier. The president called and reported to Kushoff.

Back to the Conference room

Kushoff slammed the phone down in utter rage. The group of Jacob, Nicholas, and Richard stared at him in wonder.

Kushoff growled, "Well, Addams has once again covered his tracks. He gained support of the president of Russia. Stacy and William are not to be touched. The president has sent funding for them to hide away. Apparently, he manipulated Mr. Putana that he is not a threat and is sane."

Sighs of frustration and anger echoed around the table. Nicholas cursed his brother while Richard did not express any emotion, but Grishold stood up and walked out the room.

The rest remained seated, utterly in silent defeat.

William's Point of View

William sat back in sheer satisfaction while drinking Chardonnay wine. Browsing through recent flight passports, he hunted for Abyu Muhammad, a known terrorist for Al' Qaeda. Instead, he found something shocking.

Choking on the wine, he dropped the papers. Amidst the coughs, William glanced on the floor and saw his brother's face staring at him.

How could his brother slip through the cracks without him being aware of it? Fury boiled his blood.

At that moment, William knew that his brother had impersonated him, but he won't succeed in taking Stacy away from him. William would kill him before he even thought about touching her.

Getting up, William gathered a few things and moved on. He had to hurry up and finish preparations. He knew that Nicholas thought he was some psychopath. His cell phone buzzed.

"Yes, William Addams is here."

The voice on the other line scoffed and said with menacingly, "Hello, my dear brother, I promise you that everyone will see you as the evil monster that you are. Stacy will see that you manipulated her and made her blind by your lies, and she will hate you."

William rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Brother, and I use that term lightly, I will warn you once to stay away from my wife. If you come near her, I won't hesitate eliminating you."

Nicholas sneered, "There was actually a time when I thought you changed, but you proved me wrong. You still are a monster, always have been, and always will be one. Stacy will see. I will make her."

William yelled in fury as Nicholas nonchalantly hung up on him. William's phone buzzed. Stacy was calling, of course.

Author's note: Well, this completes Chapter 16, and I HOPE you will ignore my grammatical errors. Sorry. I hope you enjoyed this chappie, I love cliffhangers. Oh by the way, the next chapter deals with the Mafia and how they got involved with the Phantom of Russia. Oh yeah, it's good. Please review while I await Christmas….Oh yeah… I want to wish you all a very happy and early Christmahannakwanzakah! Please tell me what you would like to see happen in the story and I will reply back to your reviews and and review your stories!

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