Capitola Thirteen
Rowina grabbed the front of Signor Giry's shirt.
"Where has she taken him?" she shrieked. "Show me!"
"Okay," said Signor Giry. "I never liked that woman."
Back in the lair, Erika had forced Christopher to put on a wedding suit. He fought back.
"I don't know why you care about me. You're really hot, you could snag any guy! Except me, of course."
"You just don't get it. I love you." Erika sighed. "You don't know what that means to me. It happened when I was a little girl."
"We were attending a ballet. My Father was the Phantom of the Opera in Paris. After the ballet, I accidentally knocked off his mask. They all saw his face."
"They chased Erik out on to the streets. When he tripped and fell, the crowd pounced. They beat Erik with any weapon they had available. When they were done, Erik was a bloody pulp in the street."
"I screamed when I saw Father. I sobbed as I ran back to the Royal Italian Ballet. No one noticed when I crawled down a trapdoor in the theatre."
Erika turned, crying to Christopher. "I feared since they had hated my father. I was scared they would shun me too. Now I live here, and I am comfortable. But I love you, I want you to stay here. And you will."
Right then Rowina ran in the lair. "Let him go!" she yelled. She waved her gun in the air. "I'll shoot!" She shot the pistol, and the ball went no where near Erika.
Erika pulled her own pistol out. She grabbed Rowina, holding her with one arm, the other ready to shoot her. "Tell me you love me!" Erika shreiked. "Say you'll stay! Or she dies!"
Christopher didn't know what to do. They heard chants from the ballet crowd. They were trying to find them. While Erika wasn't looking, Christopher pulled out the giant hammer.
When Erika turned back to Christopher, he hit her with the hammer. Erika passed out.
"Let's go," Rowina said. "We'll let her live."
"But Rowina, she tried to kill you!"
"We're leaving!"
"Only if I'm allowed to loot!"
"Okay."
Christopher grabbed the snow globe that Erika admired so much. But he dropped it on his way out. (His arms were too full of other looted tings.)