Captain Oblivious: Yes, yes, I felt the same way as the story unfolded. Raoul …well, yes…an enemy of sorts. Perhaps you know the saying "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." Something tells me you're smiling right now just thinking of the possibilities!

Inuyashaslover: Thank you for your review. The story has rather taken hold of me, rather than me of it. Just so you know - I'm cowering…no sticks please!

Midnight tango: Reunited – I must admit I'm a bit of a love-sick-sap through and through. The pair has far too much passion between them to be parted! Although, as they say, "absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Vixen: Thank you for the review. I hope you enjoy what's yet to come!

Chapter 14 Weary souls

Raoul had been searching for what felt like hours. With no clocks or light to give them guidance, they had no way of knowing what time it was. He was the first to sit. He leaned back heavily against the cold unforgiving stone. "Must have escaped through a tunnel or something." One man retorted.

"It's not likely he would risk being found in the streets of Paris, he is much too clever for that." Raoul snapped back at him. "No telling which way he might have taken, there are so bloody many different places he could have wandered off." Another man said as he pushed his head back staring up at the craggy surface above. "We've been down here for hours now, and I'd fancy a stiff whiskey if we could have one."

"We are indeed all weary, but to end this pursuit would only give that mad-man more opportunity to escape." Raoul was once again on his feet. Standing at the entrance to a choice of two tunnels, he closed his eyes and reached out his hand. We will take this one he exclaimed pointing to the left. He knew not which path to take, he simply felt drawn to this one.

Everyone was on their feet again, moving single file down the narrow halls of the caverns. The ground began to slope, and the incline decreased sharply. All were reaching for whatever they could grasp on the sides of the wall just to maintain their foothold. They descended down, and down further still until the ground began to level The walls seemed to widen a bit now, with two men being able to stand shoulder to shoulder. There was loose gravel beneath their feet, odd Raoul thought for a cave surely carved by mother-nature herself with waters from the river Seine. Loud scuffling echoing once all the men were on the loose stone. Something was wrong, Raoul could feel it, but there was no turning back now.

XXX

Erik froze. He moved deftly to the candle on the table, snuffing it out with his thumb and forefinger. He moved back to Christine, taking her in his arms, slowly sliding to the floor. He pulled his cloak from the bed and covered them both. Erik whispered to Christine "we must be very quiet now. I fear that someone has found their way this far. The room is well hidden, and unless one would know it was here, the entrance is obscured so none should be able to find it. Rest now, it will be a long while before they abandon their search, and there is nothing to do but wait. Rest your eyes, you must be tired."

Christine felt warm, and strangely safe in the arms of a man most men revered and feared. Her eyes closed and her breathing slowed. Soon she gave in to her exhaustion and fell deeply asleep in the arms of her angel.

Erik's senses were keenly tuned to the sound of feet on the gravel not a hundred yards from where he and Christine now sat in hiding. His mind working fast to devise a plan in case by some odd chance the room was found. He was able to get the two of them out quickly if the need arose. He was so very grateful for the trip that he had taken to the caverns above this one, and an untimely fall that he had revealed the room they now occupied.

The ceiling above was not thick, and had in fact broken under his weight not a year before. It was quite by accident that he had found this room. Above them there was a three-foot wide piece of stone that covered the only escape from this room. He would have to hoist Christine on his shoulders to provide her enough height to move to the room above. He would not disturb her now with the details as he knew not if it was necessary, and did not wish to raise her from her much needed slumber.

The voices grew louder, the thudding of heavy boots upon the stone indicated they were moving closer. There was little to do but wait. What seemed like hours passed but he was sure it was minutes only, the group came to a halt outside the room. Erik shallowed his breathing so that it was barely audible.

"This is the end of it" one man yelled back toward a point in the distance. "No where to go here it's a dead-end. Must've missed another tunnel somehow." He heard scuffling behind the man as it sounded as though someone was pushing through. "It cannot be, there must be another way out."

Erik's breath caught in his throat, that voice belong to one man and one man alone….Raoul. Erik wanted so to burst threw the stone and pierce him through. He loathed the man who had tried to woo and charm his Christine. He had released him so that he might have another life. He had all of society to choose from, why must he pursue the one treasure that was left on this earth for him?

Erik shook his head, fighting back tears of rage, and anguish. The full realization of what he was asking Christine to do flooded his mind. He could hear the searching of hands on the walls outside, knowing that Raoul would not leave until he was satisfied that no outlet could be found. Then he heard silence. No sound at all from the outside. He heard the coarse scraping of gravel yielding under the weight of heavy boots.

"We will have to search the other tunnel, it surely must lead to the outside or a room or something. He must have gone this way, I cannot imagine he would have wanted to stay in this awful place, or subject a woman to it either." The footsteps began to fade to the distant echo that had first alerted him to their presence.

Erik breathed a heavy sigh of relief and leaned his head back against the cool stone wall. He had broken a sweat, and it weighed heavy on his brow before trickling down behind his mask. He closed his eyes lifting yet another silent prayer. They were safe….for now.