Chapter 54- From the Heart

They had blindfolded her as soon as they had left Erik's home, through a back entrance that she had not even known existed. Gerry had spoken in hushed tones to Benjamin and they had all walked quite a distance before she was bustled into a cart of some description. The ride had been fairly bumpy all of the way to their destination but she could tell when they had left the cobbles of the Paris streets and entered the rough terrain of it's outskirts.

At one stage they went over a hill so hard and fast that she fell onto her side, banging her head on the wall of the carriage. It had taken her a while to get herself back so that she was seated upright, it was very difficult to push up when both hands were tied together. She wished that she could see Raoul, to know that he was alright. Every once in a while the road would smooth over a little and everything would be quiet and she would listen, in silence, for his breathing careful that she did not mask it with her own.

He was still there, his breathing told her that he was alive and if she was honest, at that moment, that was all that seemed to matter to her. From the way she was sitting, her legs were starting to ache, tingle slightly with a sensation of numbness, but she found it very difficult to shift position and so she suffered, as she thought she probably deserved.

What worried her most was that she was also very cold, the water that had soaked her dress was starting to freeze; she could feel it on her skin, starting to stick.

She wasn't sure just how long they had been travelling but she knew it had been longer than fifteen minutes. Without a clock or watch of some type she found it very difficult to keep track of the time in the best situations. Now, blindfolded and travelling to an unknown place, it was impossible.

Finally, the cart came to a halt and she heard Gerry tell Benjamin to go inside and tell Gabriele that they had arrived. No more than a few minutes later she felt a chill crawl along her spine at the sound of Gabriele Aiton's voice outside the cart.

Seconds later the door opened and someone grabbed her hands and dragged her out of the back, throwing her to the ground. Then she heard them pull Raoul out in roughly the same manner.

'Take her to the cell,' Gabriele instructed.

'Are you sure?' Gerry asked him, Christine could hear confusion in his voice.

'Of course I'm bloody sure,' Gabriele snapped back. 'Leave De Chagny with me,'

'No!' Christine heard herself yell. It was a strange feeling, not knowing that you were speaking and hearing yourself before you're aware of it.

'What?' Gabriele asked.

'Please, no, don't hurt him,'

He laughed. 'Taker her,'

'No,' She kicked her legs violently as she felt Benjamin's rough hands on the tops of her arms. She was cold and the movement warmed her slightly. 'No, I won't leave him!'

'Just take her,' Gabriele said, sounding bored with the whole thing. She wondered what time it was. Would anyone have realised that they were both missing now. 'Don't take the blindfold off until just before you throw her in and make sure you take the lantern out with you,'

There was no more said between the three men after that and Benjamin dragged her along, as she kicked her feet, as she fought hard, but he barely seemed to notice.

'Got to put her in the cell,' Benjamin told someone.

The other man's reply was a low grunt as she heard a door swing open with a high pitched squeak. She knew they were inside now, it was not much warmer but it was a change. Also, Benjamin's footsteps had begun to echo slightly.

'You've got to go in here now,' Benjamin said to her as they stopped. She heard keys in a door, she heard it open, she felt his hands on her back as he pushed her in and then she felt him lift the blindfold before he disappeared quickly, closing the door behind him.

Although her eyes were no longer covered she could barely see a thing. The room was quiet and she managed to find the wall and feel her way around it until she came to what felt like a bale of hay. She sat in it and, after a few minutes, it began to warm her a little.

In spite of herself, she felt the tears brim in her eyes again but this time she let them flow, a gentle sob escaped her and she wondered how long it would be before they killed her.

Or worse.

Her hands were still tied but the rope had loosened a little and she hooked them around herself, pulling her knees to her chest. It was a few seconds before she realised that she was rocking back and forth as she used to when she was in trouble as a child. Although she knew that she had done plenty wrong in her years she had to wonder what she had done that was so bad that she deserved this punishment.

Then her mind drifted back to Raoul, all alone with those monsters. She felt herself ask for God for the first time since her father had passed away. She begged, quietly, that He let Raoul be well, that He protected him and that He fought for the righteous.

Raoul was good and strong and sweet. He had done nothing to deserve this, nothing at all, and now there was nothing she could do to help him. Nothing at all.

She sobbed again.

'Christine,'

She blinked in the darkness, surprised. 'Erik?'

'Don't cry,' He said, softly. Impossibly softly.

'Oh God,' Another tear dripped from her face, a sense of ironic relief washed over her. 'I thought you were dead, I thought they had killed you,'

'No, I'm very much alive,'

'Oh, Erik,' She shifted her body and tried to move to where his voice had come from.

'Stay there,' His voice cut through the heavy air. 'Are you tied up?'

'Yes,' She choked.

She heard him moving towards her. 'Well, I'm not, it's easier for me to move to you,'

'I'm by the wall,'

'I can see you,'

'In this dark?'

She thought he might actually be smiling. 'Yes, this is how I live,'

'Why aren't you tied up?' She asked.

'They untied me,'

'Why?'

He fell silent for a moment before he said, softly, 'They were pretty convinced I wouldn't be able to fight them off,'

'What… they hurt you,'

'A small beating,' she could tell he was trying to sound undaunted but she had become so used to his voice that she heard the slight change in tone.

She began to cry, couldn't stop herself. Then she felt his arm encircle her, pulling her into his chest. He was kneeling and her head rested in the softness under his chin.

'I can't hold you...' She whispered.

He let go quickly. 'I'm sorry,'

'No,' The word came out mixed with a sob. 'My hands... I can't... they're tied,'

She felt him take her wrists gently and then slowly, carefully, untie the rope from her hands. When she was free she threw herself into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his torso, pulling him close, breathing him in. He gasped and she loosened her grip.

'I've hurt you,' She whispered.

He shook his head. 'They hurt me, you can hold me as tightly as you need to,'

And so she squeezed him and, after a few seconds, he placed his arms around her again and squeezed her back.

'Did they hurt you?' He asked, she could feel his warm breath in her hair.

'No,' She felt more tears. 'They've got Raoul,'

'Don't worry,'

'He's... they hurt him,'

She felt him nod, hug her a little bit tighter. 'I'm sorry...' a pause and then, 'We'll find him,'

Oddly, even under these circumstances, even in their prison, in the dark, in the little hope she had left of living ... she believed him.

Erik clutched Christine to his chest, he could feel her breathing slowly begin to steady and he resisted every impulse within him to kiss her hair. She smelled of peaches. Gently he rubbed her back, in an attempt to sooth her, and he stroked her hair. In return he could feel her hands grip his shirt at the back, she leaned her weight onto him and he sighed gently.

What horrible circumstances in which to have the best moment of your life, he thought.

'How hurt are you?' She asked, after a moment's silence. 'How bad is it?'

He shook his head, feeling the pain shoot through his neck as he did. 'Lets not talk about that,'

She pulled away from him. 'Please...'

'They hit me, that's all,'

'Are you bleeding?' Her voice quivered.

'No,' He lied.

After they had brought him back they quickly realised that the others had not arrived with Christine and so, after tying his legs up, they left him alone in a small room with Gabriele. The younger man had taken a lot of pleasure out of kicking and punching Erik but Erik never made a sound, not a word was spoken. He didn't give Gabriele the satisfaction of knowing that he was hurt, that he was bleeding, that he was sore.

After thirty or so minutes Gabriele stopped and let a couple of the others have a turn, as if it was a sport. After they were done they threw him in here.

The next thing he heard was the sound of Christine crying... and that hurt him more than any of their punches ever could.

His arms were still around her, she was tucked back into his body, and she was starting to feel a little warmer and slightly drier.

'What's happening?' She asked, quietly.

'They want my money,' He answered simply.

She was quiet for a moment before she said, 'Will you give it to them?'

He thought for a minute. 'No,'

'Not even if they threaten to kill you?' She sounded surprised.

He smiled. 'Absolutely not, they can't kill me, if they kill me then they will never find it,'

He felt her swallow. 'If they threaten to kill me?'

'Then I will kill them,'

'How?' She asked. 'How, when we are trapped here?'

'You won't be here for long,' He said. 'They are taking you and Raoul somewhere else,'

'How do you know?'

'I heard them talking earlier,'

'And then what,'

Erik shrugged. 'Then I will come for you,'

'How?'

'Don't worry,' He said and this time, he could resist no more, his lips nestled into her hair and he kissed, just softly, where they lay. She squeezed him tighter.

'I'm sorry,' She whispered.

'You already told me that,' He said, gently.

'I know,' She looked up, as if trying to find his eyes. He could see hers almost perfectly. 'But I need you to know that I mean it,'

He fought to catch his breath as it stopped in his throat. 'I know,' He managed to say.

She kissed his chin and he closed his eyes. 'You are wearing your mask,'

'Yes,' He managed. 'They let me keep it,'

She reached up and ran her finger around it, touched the skin next to it, traced the tips along the line of his nose. 'Your face...'

He swallowed hard.

'It doesn't bother me...' She whispered. 'It... I lo...'

As she was about to say more the door to the room burst open and the man he knew as Gerry, and another he did not know at all, came in carrying pistols.

'How sweet,' Gerry said. 'On your feet,'

As they stood Erik found her hand and squeezed it hard, firm, so that she knew. She understood... he would find her... he would always find her.

The lantern was obviously allowing her to see him for the first time and she gasped at the wounds on his face. He shook his head simply, trying to tell her not to worry, telling her that he was fine.

The other man pulled her arm and dragged her to the door and it took everything in his whole body, every piece of restraint, not to grab him and break his neck.

Gerry walked to Erik and he suddenly felt something sharp dig into his side. Gerry moved away and smiled at him. A few seconds past and the room began to blur slightly, everything seemed hazy.

He could see Christine at the door, as he collapsed to the floor, he needed to look at her... needed to see her. He forced his eyes to stay open.

'Erik!' She screamed but Gerry pushed her closer to the door.

'I'm... fine,' He managed to murmur. She heard him, he knew that she had heard him because as they pulled her to the door he heard her say,

'Erik, I love your face,'