Chapter Nine: Catacomb Rescue Part 3: The Good of the Story

Charles quietly crept to the catacomb entrance and lit a light to make sure he could see inside the dark passages as it was already eight in the evening.

()()()()()

"But we've looked everywhere." A guard said to Essex.

"I don't want excuses!" Essex snapped. "I want that Christian! And if I want your opinion, I'll give it to you! NOW GO!"

After that, Essex noticed a light near an abandoned road as he smirked.

"Oh Remy, I think I've found our man." Essex said with a sneer as Remy walked up. "Come. I'll show you how to deal with these Christians."

The two then walked off.

()()()()()

In the catacombs, Charles met up with Stephan, Scott, and Jean as they all smiled at the sight of each other.

As they were about to rush off, Charles noticed Stephan clutch his chest.

"Jean slow down!" Charles called out.

"Sorry." Jean said weakly.

"Are you okay, Stephan?" Charles asked.

"Yeah." Stephan sighed. "These old bones aren't what they used to be, though. I need a minute to catch my breath."

Suddenly, Charles heard something.

"Listen." Charles whispered.

Now they all heard footsteps.

"We're being followed." Charles said. "Run!"

They all rushed off when Stephan began breathing hard.

"Charles, it's me they want." Stephan breathed. "You and the children go on. You've got a better chance of making it without me."

"No, Stephan." Charles said. "Jean, hold onto the traveling papers Hank got for Stephan. Stephan, hop on my chair. The lord will give me the strength of two men."

Stephan hopped on as Charles fell over.

"Yeah, but this chair doesn't have that." Stephan said.

"Good point." Charles said as he set himself back up. "Try again."

Stephan did so, and they sped off.

()()()()()

Essex and Remy were walking when Essex heard hastened footsteps to their left.

"Come!" Essex said as he turned his flash light on and rushed after them.

()()()()()

At a bridge, everyone crossed single file for fear of over loading it as Jean slipped before Scott caught her, and a rock fell into the chasm.

"I wonder how deep this goes." Jean wondered.

"I don't intend to find out." Stephan said plainly.

"They're getting closer." Charles pointed out.

"I've got an idea!" Jean said.

"Oh no." Scott groaned.

"Just help me with this beam!" Jean said as she and Scott grabbed a beam and pulled.

"What are you doing?" Charles asked.

"If we pull out the support, we can pull the roof in behind us." Jean explained. "I've seen it happen before."

"Oh yeah." Scott said sarcastically. "That'll stop them."

They pulled out the support beam, but the cave stood in perfect condition.

"I don't understand." Jean said. "Maybe the foundation needs to be loosened.

Jean kicked the area where the beam was, and the whole tunnel began shaking.

"Okay, sorry about earlier." Scott said.

()()()()()

As Essex and Remy began crossing a plank over a chasm, there was a slight tremor, and Essex lost his footing, barely holding onto the plank.

"Remy!" Essex called out, and Remy quickly helped him up.

()()()()()

Unfortunately, Jean's plan worked too well, and the cave in separated Scott and Jean from Stephan and Charles.

"Jean, Scott, are you two alright?" Charles called out.

"We're fine!" Scott shouted back.

"You and Mr. Strange go onto the cave!" Jean called out. "We'll meet you there! I know another way!"

"Jean!" Charles called out, but there was no response. "Jean?"

With no answer, Charles was forced to continue onward with Stephan.

()()()()()

As Scott and Jean rushed on, they stopped to listen.

"I don't hear the guards anymore." Jean said.

"Maybe they were buried alive." Scott said bitterly. "That's what they deserve."

Suddenly, there was another cave-in.

"Uh-oh." Scott groaned.

()()()()()

As Essex and Remy continued on, the tunnel began shaking even worse than before.

"The tunnel is collapsing!" Essex called out as they rushed off, and both men got on the plank at the same time, causing it to break, and Remy was barely able to hold onto the edge.

"Essex!" Remy called out. "Help me!"

"Help yourself." Essex said plainly as he rushed out.

Remy fell and landed on an outstretching rock, as he felt a snap in his leg, as he knew it had been damaged. Then, everything was darkness.

()()()()()

Essex rushed out of the cavern. The rule of the soldier was survival of the fittest, and he was more fit to be a soldier than Remy.

()()()()()

The cave-in stopped without any more of the tunnel falling in on them.

"Are you okay?" Scott asked.

"Yeah." Jean replied when they heard a groan. "What's that?"

They went to the chasm, which had lost the plank as they saw Remy lying there small and weak, clutching at his leg as they saw blood coming out of it.

"It's him!" Scott said. "He's one of the soldiers that-"

"Essex, is that you?" Remy asked. "Here, grab my whip!"

Remy tossed a dusty whip at the edge of the cavern for them to grab hold of.

"What do we do?" Jean asked.

"Nothing!" Scott said angrily. He was about to walk off when Jean stopped him.

"We've gotta help him!" Jean called out. "He'll die!"

"So?" Scott asked. "Leave him there!"

"Scott, it's not right!" Jean argued.

"What they did to our families wasn't right!" Scott snapped back when he heard Remy's voice again.

"Essex?" Remy pleaded. "Please help me!"

Jean rushed at the whip as Scott sighed and knew Jean was right about helping Remy, and he helped her pull the whip up when it suddenly gave a little, and the traveling papers for Stephan fell into blackness.

"Oh, that's just perfect!" Scott groaned, but he and Jean continued pulling.

()()()()()

At Clint's cave, Moira rushed up to Charles and Stephan as they arrived.

"Thank goodness you're here!" Moira sighed. "We were so… Where are the children?"

"There was a cave-in." Charles explained. "We got separated, and they're trying to find another way. Hank, some of you search the catacombs for them."

"Right." Hank said calmly as he and a few others headed off.

()()()()()

Eventually, Scott and Jean managed to pull Remy up as he collapsed on the floor breathing heavily as Scott saw that the blood was from a large gash in his leg.

"Oh Essex, I didn't think you'd come ba-" Remy said before he noticed Scott and Jean. "You? You saved me?"

"Yup." Jean said plainly.

"But… You're Christians." Remy said confusedly.

"Uh-huh." Jean agreed again.

"Jean!" Scott shouted.

"I came here to arrest y'all." Remy continued in shock. "Why would you risk your lives for me?"

"We were just doing what the Samaritan did." Jean explained.

"What Samaritan?" Remy asked.

"The one in the story Mr. Strange told us." Jean explained.

"Ah… Stephan Strange." Remy said. "The Story Keeper. He's the man I'm after."

"Well you shouldn't have any trouble now!" Scott said moodily. "Thanks to you, we just lost his traveling papers."

"Please take me to him." Remy said without any hesitation in his voice.

()()()()()

In Clint's cave, the Christians were getting restless.

"First they burn our houses, now they take our children!" A woman shouted.

"How much more are we supposed to take from Nur's thugs?!" A man called out.

"Please!" Charles said, trying to calm everyone down. "Hank and the others will find them!"

"There are only two soldiers there, and there are fifty of us!" Clint shouted. "I say we go in there and get some revenge!"

"Friends!" Stephan called out. "Friends, we mustn't be like other people! We must learn to forgive!"

"Yes, but how many times do we have to forgive them?!" Clint asked.

"Disciple Peter asked the same thing!" Stephan called out before calming down. "Come and listen. They were walking in the hillside, and Peter said, 'But lord, when someone treats me badly, how many times do I have to forgive them? Is seven times enough?'

"'No.' Jesus responded. 'Not seven times or seventy, but seven times seventy.'

"Jesus then told his disciples a story to explain his point.

"'There once was a king who wanted to settle the accounts for the men who worked for him. One man owed him thousands of silver coins, but he didn't have any money to pay him.

"'"Then everything you own will be sold to pay your debt." The king said. "Even your wife and children."

"'"Give me time!" The man pleaded. "I'll pay you back. I promise."

"'The king felt sorry for the man, crossed out his debt, and let him go, but on the way home, the man met another of the king's servants who owed him a small amount.

"'"Pay me what you owe me!" The man said.

"'"Give me time!" The other man pleaded. "I'll pay you back. I promise."

"'However, the man tossed the other into prison. When the king found out what the man had done, he was furious and brought both men before him.

"'"You wicked man!" The king snapped. "I wiped out your debt when yo begged for time to pay! You should have done the same for this man! Guards, take him to prison until he pays all of his debt!"

"You see what Jesus was saying?" Stephan asked. "We must forgive those who wrong us just as God has forgiven us."

()()()()()

"Are you Stephan Strange, the Story Keeper?!" Remy asked as he walked up to Stephan with Jean and Scott behind him.

"I am Stephan Strange." Stephan said calmly.

"Are you the one who told these children the stories of Jesus?" Remy asked.

At that moment, Hank and several others walked up and held out their swords when Charles stopped them.

"If the people who hear your stories become like these children," Remy began. "Then all o' Earth should hear about your Jesus."

Remy then handed Stephan his traveling papers.

"Here." Remy said. "You'll be needing these papers."

Stephan took them and smiled.

"You're drawn to him, aren't you?" Stephan asked.

"A fellow soldier left me ta die, but these children saved my life 'cause o' Jesus." Remy said as he smiled.

"Come." Stephan said. "We'll talk."

"No." Remy said plainly. "It isn't safe now, and my men will be looking for me."

"Then I leave you in the hands of my friend, Charles." Stephan said.

Charles walked up and made the sign of the fish on the ground as Remy memorized.

"Look for me at my school in Bayville, Remy." Charles said.

"Please." Remy said as he shook Charles's hand. "My friends call me, Gambit."

"Definitely more interesting to say." Stephan said with a smile as Gambit smiled too.

"May your god go with ya, Mr. Strange." Gambit said.

"He will, my brother." Stephan said with a smile. "And also with you."

Stephan then walked off as Gambit turned to Scott and Jean.

"And as for y'all," Gambit said. "I don't know how to thank ya, but I promise you, I will find a way."

"Hey, don't mention it." Scott said with a smile as he and Gambit shook hands before Gambit headed out.

Hooray for Gambit, Scott, and Jean!