A/N: Hope you enjoy the next chapter- this is rapidly coming to an end and I'm sure you'll agree, it's about time

Chapter 60- Last Request

For a moment Christine actually thought that her heart had stopped beating. She looked up at Gerry's right hand, hanging in the air above her head, and almost let out a sigh of relief. Although she knew that her ordeal was not yet over, she knew it was about to be.

The sound of Erik's voice creating a crack in the atmosphere had been music to her ears, and when she found the courage to look over at Gabriele, she knew that now, even he realised that it was all over.

Raoul had stepped back away from Gabriele's sword as their captor looked frantically around, trying to find the origin of Erik's voice. There was no sign of him. Gerry's hand dropped back to his side, and he now looked around too, as if trying to help his boss. It was no use of course because Erik was the master at this.

They could look forever and never find him… unless he wanted to be found.

Raoul turned and moved towards her, no one stopped him, and in the absence of the ability to wrap her arms around him, she simply stared.

'Untie her,' came the command as it echoed ominously around the cavernous barn.

Gerry stared around him again. Still, no sign on the infamous phantom, and so, Gerry took Christine's hands and began to untie the binds.

'Stop it!' Gabriele demanded. Gerry's fingers paused over the twine and he glanced into the room, back at Gabriele.

'I think we…'

'Don't think,' Gabriele spat. 'And don't untie her,'

'But…'

'Don't!' Gabriele snapped.

'Your temper worsens, Monsieur,' Erik said, from somewhere.

'Show yourself, Erik, I've had enough of your game,' Gabriele's grip tightened on the weapon in his fist and Christine watched as his knuckles whitened.

'But Gabriele, we're not playing my game,' Erik said, and then the soft tone of his voice changed, hardened: 'We're still playing yours,'

Christine could see sweat gathering around Gabriele's temples as he continued to look around him, as if he had no idea where he was, as if he was completely lost.

Gabriele swallowed. 'Grab the girl, take her inside,'

Gerry stared at him like he had lost his mind. The young minion's eyes were wide in disbelief and he looked from Christine to Gabriele and then back to Christine. His face was so covered with fear that she almost felt sorry for him… but not quite. She would not forget that he was a part of this and she would not forget what he had done to Raoul.

When Gerry made no attempt to move, Gabriele shook his head: 'That wasn't a request,' he snapped.

Cautiously Gerry stepped towards Christine again and took her hands, far more carefully than before, in his. As they began to walk away Erik said, strangely, 'Where do you think I am, Gerry?'

His voice was all around them but Gerry did not respond.

'Gerry, that was a request,' Erik boomed. 'Where am I?'

'In here,' Gerry choked, eyes flicking from side to side.

'Am I?'

Gerry's eyes darted nervously and Christine could feel his palms dampen with perspiration. Gerry nodded his head, lacking the confidence he would have needed to hold his own against Erik. There was no sympathy in her body for these men and when she glanced at Raoul she saw that he felt exactly the same way.

'Am I in the barn?' Erik asked again.

'I can hear your voice in the barn,' Gerry swallowed, looking more and more like a lost child with every second that past.

'Yes, but does that mean that I am in the barn?'

Gerry looked over his shoulder.

'Are you absolutely sure I'm not in the farm house?' Erik questioned him. Christine looked at the young man, was he sure?

This time it was Gabriele who answered, irritation masking his panic in his voice. 'He's in here somewhere, Gerry, move it!'

Taking one quick glance back at his boss Gerry let out a low grunt and tightened his grip on Christine's arm. He wasn't hurting her anymore, he wouldn't dare, but he obviously saw that there was more logic in what Gabriele was telling him than what Erik had said.

He led her by the wrists to the door and then stepped through it, as he did Gabriele shouted, 'Close the door behind you,'

Gerry did close the door as he walked Christine through it.

Closing that door was the last thing he ever did.

Raoul was left in the barn, facing Gabriele alone, with his hands still tied.

'You understand,' Gabriele said, speaking more quickly than he had previously. 'That this isn't personal,'

'You mean, you kidnapping my fiancée and I, and then beating us both to a bloody pulp?' Raoul asked, feeling tired and in pain, but staring at the man in front of him as if he would a pile of manure on his boot.

Gabriele forced a smile and shrugged his shoulders. 'Come on then Erik,'

There was no response.

'Erik, I'm tired,'

Still nothing, not a word, the eerie silence that now surrounded them was enough to make Raoul take another step forward, into the barn. He wanted to see all around him, he couldn't understand why the Phantom was no longer speaking to them, no longer taunting and mocking.

Gabriele sighed. 'Fine,' he raised his voice and then he raised his sword. 'I'll take care of le Vicomte first, then you and I will talk,'

Raoul suddenly realised the mistake he had made in wandering back into Gabriele's path and stumbled backwards to get further away from his tormentor. As the other mans sword plunged down Raoul managed to dive to the side, falling as he did and coming to rest in a bale of hay.

Gabriele was shaking his head as he walked over. 'Don't make this any harder than it has to be,' he said, as he raised the sword again.

It was at that moment that the door to the bar re-opened with a crash, causing Gabriele to turn around quickly and lower his sword.

The Phantom walked out, sword in his left hand, Christine to his right, mask neatly placed across the left side of his face. His face looked saw and bruised, he was covered with cuts and dried blood, but still he cut an imposing figure.

Somehow he was taller than Raoul remembered, broader and stronger than he had hoped.

Gabriele actually laughed when he saw him. 'Amazing,'

The Phantom said nothing as he walked towards them, making Christine stand behind him.

'You should have let me kill him,' Gabriele said, indicating that he meant Raoul with a tilt of his head. 'You would be long gone with your little treasure here and things needn't have come to this,'

Still the Phantom remained silent, his piercing eyes stayed fixed to Gabriele's, his face was utterly, and frighteningly, expressionless.

It was Christine who broke the silence. 'Raoul, come to me,' her voice was soft and inviting and Raoul became so fixated he found the energy to begin to push himself to his weary feet.

As he did Gabriele stepped across and pushed him back down. He fell awkwardly, twisting his back, and for the first time he actually called out in pain.

This time the Phantom said, 'Don't be a fool, Gabriele,'

Gabriele smiled coolly.

'Let the boy leave,'

'You must think I'm a fool if you think I'm going to let him go and get untied so he can help you,'

'Christine and I have an agreement,' The Phantom's voice came so softly it could easily have been a whisper in the wind and Raoul was amazed that such a soft sound could come from such a vicious man.

Gabriele frowned.

'She and Raoul and going to leave now,' he explained. 'You and I are going to stay,'

'And I am supposed to believe that?'

'I am nothing if not a man of my word,' the Phantom replied and when Gabriele said nothing further the ghost fixed his sharp eyes onto Raoul and said, 'Go,'

Raoul once again dug deep and found the strength to push himself up but this time there was no resistance from Gabriele. As he moved past he was careful to put some distance between his-self and his captor. Once he knew he was safe he stumbled without care towards Christine and allowed her now unbound hands to wrap around him, pulling him into a tight hug.

As she squeezed he felt pain tear through his ribs but just the feeling of being in her arms nullified the sensation and he let her hold him for a long moment.

When the embrace ended, he turned around and saw that the Phantom had not moved, had not turned to look at them. His attention was for Gabriele and Gabriele alone.

Raoul kissed Christine's soft cheek, felt tears as he stared at the bruises on her beautiful face. She untied him carefully.

'I want to stay,' he whispered.

Christine shook her head. 'We can't,'

'Why not?' Raoul asked.

'Because I gave him my promise that we would go now and we wouldn't look back,' she said gently. 'That's what we're going to do,'

'What if…'

'Erik can handle this, Raoul,'

'What was your agreement?' he whispered.

Christine shook her head. 'We need to go,'

'Please…'

'He told me that if I would not agree to leave immediately after you were rescued, then he would leave you with Gabriele and take me with him,' she said.

Raoul's heart thudded, 'Would he do that?'

'Of course he would,' Christine said. 'Lets go,'

Raoul risked one more look over his shoulder and saw than now, the two men were facing each other.

'Go,' the Phantom said firmly, without turning around.

Christine grabbed Raoul's hand and he felt her warmth pour into him. 'The front door is unguarded,' she said, and pulled him towards their exit.

'Goodbye, Christine,' Raoul heard the Phantom say, as he pulled the door shut behind them.

'Just you and me,' Gabriele said, watching Erik carefully.

Erik smiled a half smile that vanished quickly from his face. 'I warned you,'

'So you did,'

Erik could see the fear dance in Gabriele's anxious eyes. 'You hurt her, Gabriele,'

Gabriele didn't reply.

'I told you,' Erik said, tilting his head to the side and taking a good luck at the man he was about to kill. 'What did I tell you?' he lifted his eyebrows. 'I told you not to hurt her, never to hurt her,'

Still, Gabriele's silence spoke volumes. Erik could almost smell his terror.

'She was bruised,' Erik said, softly, staring at the younger man.

'If you'd just given me the money…'

Erik looked down at his sword and at Gerry's blood streaked along its edges. 'This isn't about money, Gabriele, this is about you,'

'I don't suppose I can talk you into making an arrangement with me so that…'

'No,' Erik said simply.

Gabriele looked down at his own sword and then, reluctantly, worked his way into a fighting stance.

'You're a fool,' Erik said.

Gabriele leapt forward, probably thinking that taking the initiative in the fight might help him in some way, might put him onto the front foot, as it were. He was wrong. Erik moved the side and brought the handle of his sword down on Gabriele's back.

Somehow the young man kept the sword in his hand as he fell to the ground and skidded along the floor. Erik turned and faced him again but Gabriele was quick to his feet and was already walking gingerly back towards him.

As Gabriele came forward again, Erik held out the blade and touched the young man's sword. This signalled what would be the beginning of the end as each man moved and turned, twisted and danced away from each other.

The clanking and smacking of the two weapons sent echoes around the room and seemed endless in their own world. Gabriele lunged again, Erik stepped deftly to his right, letting Gabriele lose his balance and stumble into the wall.

His sword dropped the ground and Erik kicked it away quickly, holding the point of his own weapon at Gabriele's exposed throat.

'You hesitate,' Gabriele breathed.

Erik smiled. 'I want you to suffer,'

'You should just kill me,'

Erik nodded. 'You're right,'

He held his sword firmly and pierced into the younger man's skin, as he was about to pull the blade across Gabriele's neck he heard the back door to the barn crash open and there was a pistol shot.

He almost felt the air move around him as the bullet whistled past him and buried itself into the wall opposite.

Erik turned quickly, sword in hand, to be greeted by the faces of three members of Gabriele's company. One was holding a pistol, one a shotgun and the other a long sword.

Before Erik would react he felt Gabriele's foot sweep around and bring him off balance, send him to the ground and his sword spinning away from him.

'You took your time,' Gabriele snarled at the three men who had just entered.

'Sorry,' the oldest answered.

'Erik,' Gabriele smiled down at him. 'How the tables have turned,'