So, I hope you like this chapter. It's the first time I've ever written anything like this so I hope it's alright. Action and what not is not so easy for me, as romance is my first genre and one I'm comfortable writing.

Also, I'm sorry for the cliffhanger. This was getting too long and I had to break it off. Here's to hoping I can finish this story by the end of the month! :)


Chapter Nine

It hadn't been his face that had scared her.

Sure, it was awful to look at. It had been very shocking to discover that the mask hadn't been to hide his identity, but instead concealed a horrible disfigurement.

His anger, his harsh words, and his deadly gaze were what terrified her. No one had spoken to her like that in her life. She hadn't been able to say anything except for a feeble apology that fell on deaf ears.

He screamed at her. Grabbed her and wouldn't let her run from him. Made her look at him, up close enough to where she could see every single vein in his paper thin skin. And then he'd done something horrible: made her use her fingernails to scratch down his face, making him bleed.

She sobbed in his clutches and only when he let her go to roughly fall down to the ground, did she scramble to back away from him, to run into the bedroom she'd been using and shutting herself up in it.

She'd stayed there for hours, crying until she was too exhausted to move. She lay there, guilt twisting her insides, fear paralyzing her, and a realization of just why he'd done all of this.

When she finally did leave the room, the tension was thick. He wore his mask again, promising her that she'd never have to see it again. The look in his eyes made her feel even worse. She apologized to him but he still would not listen. He knew that he'd scared her enough that they'd be unable to go back to that fragile fantasy.

Fantasies never lasted. She learned that easily enough as a teenager when her father had died.


Christine drove quickly. Nadir had made it to Wyoming but had not seen Erik, however the evidence he had been there was unfounded. Apparently the whole building that the mafia inhabited in the state was completely demolished and still smoking from fire.

She knew that he was headed for Texas next.

As soon as her car had been dropped off, a silver Hyundai Sonata, she'd called Nadir. They quickly made plans to meet up and get to Texas as soon as possible. She had packed a bag, stuffing as many snacks and non-perishable foods into it so she wouldn't have to stop as much, then had left.

She used the handy gps feature on her new phone and met up with Nadir in Colorado. Even though they had spoken on the phone a couple times and had the same goal, Christine still felt awkward meeting him.

He was quiet as well. He climbed into her car, leaving it parked in a random Walmart parking lot, and they took off.

They made small talk, about easy things. She had tried asking about Erik's past with him but it wasn't much of a story and she could tell he was reluctant to share details with her.

When Christine would get tired, she'd switch off and let Nadir drive, allowing her to nap for a few hours. They only stopped to get gas and use the restroom. Erik was more than likely not stopping that much either, intent on getting his plan carried out, and so they did not have time to dawdle.

It was on the third day, when they were so close to Austin (where the next mafia location was), that she was recognized at a gas station.

Nadir was pumping gas while she went inside the convenience store and used their restroom. She had forgotten that she'd been missing until a man said her name.

"Christine Daaé?"

She froze, blood stilling, and looked over to see a police officer walk over to her from the fountain drinks.

"Is your name Christine Daaé?"

She swallowed hard. He didn't look to be a mafia member but she didn't really know what they tended to look like. All she knew was that he didn't look like the ones she'd encountered before.

And he did have a badge. And a gun on his hip.

For a second, she thought to lie. But then wondered why or how he knew who she was.

"I'm sorry?" She said instead, not answering him just yet.

He stopped in front of her, looking down at her with a small squint of his eyes. "A girl from New York is missing and you look just like her, from the photo I saw on the news at least."

Christine gritted her teeth. Had Raoul told the police? She needed to get back out to Nadir. Her eyes strayed over to him, climbing back into the car to wait for her. She immediately regretted it when the police officer followed her gaze and put a hand on his gun.

"Is that the man who took you? Be honest with me. You're safe. I can get you home."

"No. No one took me. It was my choice to leave," she told him, hoping the search for her would stop. She didn't have time for this.

"Are you sure? From what I saw on the news, a young man was very worried about you." Ugh, Raoul. What the heck!

"It was a misunderstanding. I didn't tell him I had left and he freaked out. I explained it to him already." She tried to smile at him. "Could you um, stop the search for me? I'm really fine. I promise."

He didn't look convinced and she itched to leave the store. "If everything is fine, then you won't mind coming down to the station and making a statement that you're okay?"

Her heart quickened. "Oh, no I can't do that. My… friend and I are on our way to a-a funeral. My grandmother. She passed recently. We were just passing through."

"I see." He glanced up again toward Nadir and the car and Christine tried to steady her breathing.

"I'm, well thank you. Um, for looking out for me. But I'm fine. I need to get going though." She gave him another smile and headed out the door.

She didn't like the way she just knew he was following her out the door. Maybe he is just going to his car. When the footsteps continued behind her, she tried to meet Nadir's eyes.

He looked up at her just as she reached the hood of the car and his eyes moved behind her, obviously noticing the officer. She tried to convey her discomfort when Nadir looked back at her.

He hesitantly got out of the car and Christine finally turned to see the man approaching.

"Something I can do for you officer?" Nadir asked, voice calm.

"I was just making sure that this young woman was alright. She's currently a missing person."

Christine fidgeted in her shoes. "I told you! I'm not missing. I wasn't taken. I left."

The man glanced at her. "The man who had taken her was described as a tall fellow with a mask on. No one has seen his face. More than likely to hide his identity. Now… I know that Christine says she's fine but I can't just let you leave without investigating further."

Christine saw Nadir's jaw clench and Christine balled her hands into fists. "He did not take me! I went with him! How many times do I have to tell you?"

"It's alright, Christine," Nadir told her, voice steady. He glanced over at her. "He's just doing his job. We should appreciate the fact that he cares about you. What can I do to clear my name?"

"She says she's here for a reason."

"Ah yes. The funeral. Poor old woman."

Christine smiled, relaxing slightly. Thank god they had made a cover up story in case they needed it.

The man looked confused and glanced between them. "I… Christine mentioned her grandmother had passed and that she was traveling with her friend to the funeral."

"Yes, that's right," Nadir said. "She needed help driving the long distance."

"What happened to her car?" The man asked suddenly. "She was last seen in an old green Honda Civic."

Nadir hesitated, making the man lean a little closer, clearly realizing they didn't have a thought out answer for that particular subject. Christine tried to pipe up. "It broke down. On the way. It was really old and not suited for a long drive. We left it somewhere in Michigan. I don't remember where exactly. I used an online service and was able to have this delivered to me."

It wasn't a lie. Not really. She just skipped over all of the stolen vehicles Erik had used in between.

The man's eyebrows rose. "Is that so?"

Christine was getting impatient. They needed to leave if they were going to get to Erik on time. Before he left for the East coast. This was taking too long. Why couldn't you just listen to me, Raoul?

"Well, since that's sorted. May we leave? We have a time schedule," Nadir asked, obviously getting antsy to leave as well.

"Yes, I… Well, I suppose you may leave. I will inform the authorities in New York that you are no longer missing. That it was a misunderstanding."

Christine's tense muscles relaxed in relief. "Thank you officer. I really appreciate that!"

"Yes, thank you," Nadir told him with a kind smile.

The man looked between them both one more time before he finally turned around and headed over to his cruiser. Nadir and Christine both sighed in relief and hurried to get into the car.

They pulled away before the man could change his mind and sped down the highway.

"If I had known you were considered missing I would have made sure your appearances were more carefully orchestrated," Nadir told her, hands firmly on the wheel with a frown on his face.

Christine shrugged. "I didn't actually know that I was. Raoul… um, my friend from New York, he must have thought the worst and made a report."

"The Chagny boy?" Nadir asked and Christine looked over at him with surprise. Nadir glanced at her. "Your spectacle with Erik a year ago was well known in the area."

Christine sighed and put her hands in her lap, facing the road. "Yeah, I'm sure everyone knows our names. Well… not Erik's."

Nadir chuckled. "Ah yes, Phantom does have a nice ring to it."

Christine smiled, noting that he was joking. But then her smile fell. "I hope we can make it to him in time."

"I'm sure we will, Christine. We couldn't have been that far behind him."

She clutched the material over her heart, feeling it beat quickly. God, she hoped so.

It was four more hours before they reached Austin and Christine was practically out of her seat with nerves. Her fingers tapped briskly on her leg and her heartbeat was quicker than she'd ever felt it. Her stomach kept doing somersaults and she thought she may be sick a few times.

"This is going to be dangerous," Nadir told her as they neared the location. That statement didn't help her feel any better.

"I know," she whispered, wide eyes raking the area. There were trees everywhere, obscuring the sides of the road from view. She desperately tried to spot the stolen SUV that they'd driven to the safe house, assuming he still had it.

"You remember the plan?" Nadir suddenly asked her and Christine nodded mutely.

They had gone over different scenarios on the drive. The one they'd settled on was the safest for her. Erik would not be happy if something happened to Christine and Nadir had made it abundantly clear that he was risking his own life (by Erik's hand) by doing this.

Christine knew the risks, but she also knew that she couldn't live in a world without Erik. She just couldn't. She had lived that half a life before and she refused to do it again.

And it was horrendously unfair of him to take that choice away from her.

"Alright, we are coming up on our stop. It's nearing dusk and I know Erik prefers to work in the shadows. We will have to sneak in through the back fence. There's an opening that is hidden by two pillars. I've been here before, once. I remember that's where Erik entered when he didn't want to make a fuss."

Christine nodded again, brain spinning with anxiety. She'd never done something so dangerous before. She was willingly walking into the lion's den. And she still didn't see the SUV. Or even a car at all. Surely he was using one. He was planning on driving back east after this.

Nadir turned off the headlights of the car and pulled over to the side of the road, hiding the car between trees. The car shut off and Christine's adrenaline was pumping so hard she hoped she didn't pass out.

"You ready?"

She caught his eyes and tried to smile but it didn't form completely on her face. "We have to find him, Nadir. We have to."

"We will do our absolute best. Good thing you have me," he tried to lighten her mood but she exhaled.

"I couldn't have done this without you. Thank you… Just in case."

Nadir placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be okay. If we can't find him, I will personally see you to the safe house."

"But you're putting yourself at risk. They know who you are."

Nadir gave her a look. "I'm more worried about his reaction once he knows I've brought you here."

"I made you," she defended.

Nadir smiled and then he straightened, a serious look taking over his face. "Let's go."

Christine nodded and exited the car on shaky legs. She peered around as she followed Nadir through the trees, not seeing him. But Erik knew how to be invisible.

Surely though, if he were to see her, he'd rush over to her. If nothing else, but to yell at her for being so reckless and putting her life in danger.

When a large building came into view, Nadir stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, both of them still obscured by the tree line. "Here, take this. Hopefully you won't need it but I'd rather you be armed."

Christine looked done to see he was offering a gun for her to take. It was a heavy pistol and she stared at it, swallowing thickly with nerves. "I don't know how to use it."

Nadir quickly showed her and Christine took it with trembling fingers. She pointed it down as she followed Nadir's careful steps toward the building.

They got about half way to it, near the fence line, when out of nowhere, Christine was grabbed by sharp hands from behind.

She let out a startled yelp, but it was quickly stifled by a leather gloved hand. The gun, embarrassingly enough, fell to the ground.

"What are you doing here?" A frantic, hushed voice spoke in her ear. She immediately relaxed at the sound and grabbed his wrist. Ahead, Nadir had turned at the sound of her scuffle and had drawn what looked to be a long knife, pointing it in their direction.

Erik slowly released his hand on her mouth and she spun around, throwing her arms around his middle and felt warm tears of relief sting her eyes. She shut them tightly and inhaled his familiar scent, mixed with cold night air and chemicals.

His hands fell to her shoulders and pulled her away. She looked up into his fully masked face, finding the gentle glow of his eyes. He must have found another one at some point. "We can't do this here." He grabbed her hand and tugged her quickly back toward the tree line.

She glanced behind her to see that Nadir was missing. She stopped walking, heart jumping. "Erik, no. Wait. Nadir - he, where did he go?"

Erik turned to look and stopped walking too when he realized the disappearance. He quickly looked around the area but when neither of them saw Nadir, he let out a heavy, irritated sigh.

"Come Christine. Let me get you to safety and then I will find that meddlesome fool, and then kill him for bringing you here. Here! Of all places." Christine let him pull her a few steps again but she dug in her heels.

"No, no Erik I can't leave him. He came because of me. Did they take him ? Oh god, don't tell me they'll kill him."

Erik pulled her up against his side, glowing eyes glaring down at her. "You are going to the car and you will sit there until I come back, do you understand me?"

Christine's irritation with how he still was taking her choices from her grew at that moment and she glowered back, ripping her wrist from his surprised hand. "No! I'm not leaving him. I'm coming with you. I'm not some child, Erik."

Erik growled angrily and she momentarily felt a little fearful of him. "Do not make me pick you up, Christine, but I will if I have to."

"You do and I will never forgive you."

Erik's body stiffened and his eyes narrowed. For a long, drawn out moment, they simply surveyed each other, both battling for control. Finally, he huffed behind his mask. "Fine. But stay close to me."

Christine felt her heart jump and she wanted to grin but the situation was too dire. "Thank you," she breathed.

"Stay quiet," he told her and took her hand again, pulling her back toward the fence line.

As they neared where Erik had found them, she looked down and saw the gun she had dropped glinting in the growing moonlight. "Wait, Nadir gave me a gun."

"He did what?"

Christine shook off his hand and bent down to pick it up. She looked up to Erik who stared down at it with disapproval, but just grabbed her hand again.

"If he's not dead already, he will be quite soon."

Christine ignored his threats and let him pull her through the small opening that Nadir had mentioned. She wanted to ask Erik how Nadir had been taken so quickly without any sound, or how they hadn't been discovered as well, but she couldn't talk as they neared the building.

"I placed explosives at each corner of the building along with one large one in the middle," Erik told her quietly in her ear as he poked his head in through the side door, before pulling her inside with him. "You are lucky you did not come a few minutes later."

"I just wanted to stop you," she dared to whisper. "I couldn't let you die."

Erik glanced behind him at her, eyes glowing brightly. She gave him a tiny smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She didn't think she'd be completely relieved to have him alive until Nadir was okay.

Erik led her through the building, seeming to know where to go, even though Christine didn't understand how. It was a gigantic warehouse building with a million rooms. Nadir could have been taken anywhere.

Finally, Erik took her through a door that led her down a series of stairwells. Her legs ached as they neared the end and her lungs burned. Erik's grip on her hand and the gun in the other, was the only thing keeping her from falling over. She had to find Nadir.

In alarm, Erik suddenly grabbed her and pulled her into a dark alcove, putting his hand over her mouth again to prevent her from making any noises. She tried to steady her breathing, her body pressed against his, as she heard footsteps come near them. Indecipherable voices were heard and she wondered if Nadir was one of them. It almost sounded like -

"They have him," Erik breathed into her ear, barely audible. "He's going to be sentenced for his treachery and treason."

Christine's heart flipped and beat painfully in her chest. No! They had to stop him.

"Calm, sweetheart. We can still get to him." He must have felt her shake against him.

Christine felt tears prick her eyes, but did not make any sound with his hand on her mouth. She felt his hand caress her hair once before he straightened, as if remembering where they were.

When the voices stopped and a door closed, Erik finally released her mouth and carefully led her away from the alcove and into the room. She almost gasped.

It looked like a jail, with cells lined against the wall. But the middle of the room was some sort of machine, where Nadir sat, looking red and purple, his eye swollen shut and his nose crooked and bleeding down his chin. His hair was a mess and he looked to be exhausted, leaning his head back against the seat he sat on.

Erik's hand tightened on hers and then placed her back into the alcove. "Christine. Stay here. I must retrieve him on my own. I cannot let anything happen to you."

"But I -"

"No." His desperate eyes made her stop protesting. He was shaking slightly. It was unfair to make him worry about her like this.

She put her hand on his masked cheek. "Okay."

He relaxed only slightly and released her hand to place it over the one on his cheek. "I'll be back for you."

Christine nodded, too fearful of all of this to be able to say anything comforting.

Erik looked her over once more, as if committing her to memory, and then released her. "Use the gun if necessary."

"Okay," she whispered, hand tightening on the heavy metal weapon.

And then he was gone. She put her back as close to the wall as possible, scared anyone would walk in and see her there in the shadows. Thankfully, she had drawn from a page in Erik's book and had worn dark colors to blend in. She hadn't known what to expect and so she had prepared herself for anything.

Unfortunately, she had not foreseen this. She assumed if they had found Erik, that they'd just stop him and have him come home with her.

She felt a tear escape and trail down her cheek. Poor Nadir.

If they did survive this, she would make sure that Erik didn't lay a finger on the man.

The sound of a door opening made her jump. She couldn't see anything and so she had no idea if Erik had successfully got Nadir. She just had to silently wait. Her fingers tightly dug into the gun's handle as she heard footsteps and then voices start up again.

Then yelling. Then shooting.

She shook so bad, eyes wide and alert, terrified that she'd be discovered. That Erik or Nadir were killed.

She shut her eyes and tried to pray. She admittedly hadn't prayed as often as she should have. Her father would be disappointed in her. But she'd been miserable and unsure of how to even feel for so long. But now… now that she had a future within her grasp where she could be safe and happy, surrounded by love and music - she prayed for their safety out of this.

A hand grabbed her arm, abruptly stopping her prayer and her eyes shot open when she was violently tugged forward, landing hard against a warm solid wall behind her.

No, not a wall. A man. A man that was not Erik.

Her panicked eyes met terrified golden ones from across the room.