Erik needed to find Christine and he needed to do it now. He didn't know the extent of her injuries or how long she may have left to live.
As he searched the area around the back exit for clues, he came across a small rag caught in the door. He picked it up, feeling it's dampness. He brought the material up to his nose and quickly took a small whiff of the substance on it.
He coughed for a second before identifying the scent. "He drugged her. Chloroform, but it was not enough to keep her out for long. We need to find her now. Get everyone out into the park searching. She has to be here somewhere. She has to!" He yelled to Dr. Gangle, Mr. Squelch, and Ms. Fleck.
He then ran as fast as he could out the doors into the massive crowd that swarmed the park. He checked all of the places he could think of. He had searched the pier, the beach, the hotel Christine was staying in, he even checked in the house he owned on the far side of the park.
Where else could they be? Who would want to take Christine and why? Why would anyone want to hurt her? All of these thoughts were constantly running through Erik's mind as he rushed through the crowds and secret tunnels of the park.
Just when he thought all hope was lost, he saw a dark figure moving through the fog just outside the park.
He ran towards it, praying to whatever God or gods there may be, that it was Christine.
Shoving his way through the crowd, he finally got close enough to catch a small glimpse of Christine's frightened face. She had blood dripping down her cheek from a cut just near her black eye.
She was kicking furiously as she was being dragged by a strong, dark skinned man who Erik almost recognized through the hazy darkness. He could only see a small portion of his face as it was covered by a large collar from the man's coat.
He followed them into a dark alley running as fast as he could toward the figure, but the man turned around quickly holding Christine to him with an arm around her neck and holding a gun to her temple.
"One more step and I will pull the trigger. Do not test me. You know what I am capable of, Devil's Child."
Erik recognized this man immediately as he saw his face and he knew exactly what kind of damage could be done with just one wrong move on his part. His body stiffened and his heart raced as he thought through the situation, his breath ragged.
"I knew that one day you would have a weakness. Everyone does. And now I have finally found yours." The man said in a deep, gravely tone. He nudged Christine's head with the gun. Christine's eyes got wide and she tried to hold in her tears, trying to show Erik she was staying strong.
He needed to be strategic about this interaction if he wanted Christine to be safe. It was like a game of chess.
He examined her body closely from where he stood, noting every injury he could see. She had a few cuts on her face, arms, and ankles as well as, a black eye, swollen lip, and possibly a broken arm. That was only what he could see in that moment. He struggled to keep his composure as he imagined all of the bruises and cuts on the rest of her body.
Erik chose his next words carefully. "Hashem, please. You don't have to do this. Tell me what the Shah is paying you for this job and I will double it, triple it even! I will help you and your family get away. Think about Roshanak and Aghigh. You will all be safe from the dangers of Persia. Please just let her go. She has nothing to do with anything."
"She is my way of getting to you! You destroyed my life. Because of you, everything I had was destroyed." Hashem yelled.
Tears streamed down Christine's face as she spoke to Erik. "Erik, please... Turn around and go. Find Gustave and get away. You have to make sure he is okay. You have to promise me he will be okay."
Erik looked at her sadly and did not say a word. "Promise me Erik!" Christine cried.
"I promise Christine, but you will be with me when I do. I will not let anything happen to you. I promise."
"Are you so sure about that? Seems as though you've already let quite a few things happen to her." Hashem laughed, obviously referring to all the scrapes and bruises she got from being dragged and struggling against him. "I am going to make you suffer. I am going to kill you slowly and painfully. You are going to feel every ounce of pain I can bestow upon you."
Erik growled and took a step towards them, ready to attack. Hashem cocked the gun and placed his finger on the trigger.
"I said not another step! I could kill her right here in front of you so you could watch your love die before your eyes just before I kill you as well." He tightened the arm he had around Christine's throat. "Only you are going to die a much slower and much more painful death."
Erik could see that Christine was struggling to breathe. Her skin was slowly turning a blueish purple color. He was running out of time even if Hashem didn't pull the trigger.
"Hashem, what have I ever done to you or your family? I thought we were friends back in Persia. How have we come to this?"
"We were friends, but then you betrayed me. I will never forgive you for it. And now, you are going to feel my same pain!" Hashem screamed as his finger tried to pull the trigger.
Erik jumped and grabbed his arm before the bullet could hit Christine. The bullet flew past them into the brick wall of a nearby building. Christine was able to get away from Hashem now that Erik had pulled his arm off her.
She fell to the ground trying to catch her breath in between coughs. When she was able to breathe well enough, she stood and ran to where Erik and Hashem were fighting over the gun.
She hit Hashem on the back several times with her good arm, hoping that she was able to hurt him enough to lose his grip of the gun. With a firm hand still on the gun, he turned and hit Christine's face hard enough to send her back a few feet.
She stumbled back, feeling highly disoriented and dizzy. She closed her eyes trying to steady herself.
Suddenly, she heard a loud shot ring through the air.
She looked over to Erik, making sure he was okay. But when she saw his face, it was a face of horror and concern. This confused Christine. Why was he looking at her that way? Where had the shot gone?
Suddenly it felt like time stood still as Christine felt a searing pain on the left side of her chest. She looked down and saw her dressing gown filling with blood. Her breath felt heavy as she fell to the ground.
Erik tried to run to her, but Hashem used this distraction as a chance to shove Erik to the ground. kicked him repeatedly in the stomach and punched his face multiple times. Hashem was going to hold true to his word. Killing Erik was going to be much easier than he expected now.
Erik looked up through blurry eyes, coughing up blood as he struggled to breathe. He watched as Hashem pulled out the gun once more and waited for the bullet to pierce his skin.
But instead of feeling the bullet pass through him, he saw a dark figure punch Hashem hard enough to knock him out.
He tried to see who this dark figure was, but his eyes were too swollen to make out the face. He felt his body slowly lose consciousness as he tried to look at Christine who was lying still in a puddle of her own blood.
He watched the dark figure walk over to Christine and check her pulse.
Then, his world went completely black.