The driver opened the back passenger door as Caroline and Daryl exited the car and they slid the crossbows onto their backs. Daryl reached in the car to help Katherine out of the car and she nodded her head. Caroline waited for Connor and Murphy to get out of the car, but Murphy shook his head and the driver closed the door. Daryl noticed the guards in white battle armor, boots and riot helmets looking at them and he moved closer to Katherine.
"We're bein' watched," Daryl whispered.
"They won't do anything," Katherine whispered.
They headed up the stairs while Daryl and Caroline held the crossbows in their hands and Katherine led the way. Caroline saw the lionhead doorknockers on the large, dark oak doors and iron dragons embedded in the stone on either side of the doors.
"Nice," Caroline whispered.
Katherine used the doorknocker on the right as a low booming sound came from behind the doors and they looked at the doors. Katherine used the doorknocker again and Daryl and Caroline turned around to watch the guards walking by.
The door slowly opened as a man with white hair and gray eyes looked at them and Katherine saw he was wearing a black tuxedo, a white shirt, a black tie, a black leather belt, black socks and black hard leather shoes. He had a slightly wrinkled face with a long nose, thin lips and a thin moustache. He had a lean build and his hands had long fingers.
"Yes?" the man asked in French.
"Your master is expecting us," Katherine said in French as she looked back at the car. "Tell him Cardinal and Bishop are here."
"I will go tell the Master."
The man closed the door as they looked at each other and Caroline sighed.
"You'd think he would let us wait inside," Caroline whispered.
"Yeah," Daryl whispered.
"Should we go back to the car?" she asked Katherine.
Suddenly, the doors opened as they looked at each other and Daryl and Caroline headed for the doors. Daryl carefully pushed the right door opened enough for him to look inside and he scanned for tripwires or a rifle pointed at the door. He moved back as he nodded and they walked inside. Daryl led the way as he held the crossbow in his hands and Caroline walked slightly behind him.
"What's wrong?" Caroline asked after Daryl stopped walking.
"Him," Daryl said as he pointed to the tall man standing at the top of the grand staircase.
The man had a flawlessly handsome face. His eyes were a bright blue and his hair was dark with a peppering of white and silver. He had sharp cheekbones and a straight nose. His lips were full and he had well-groomed eyebrows. He wore a dark blue turtle neck sweater, a gray suit jacket, gray pants, a black leather belt, dark gray socks and black hard leather shoes.
"Welcome," the man said in French and he walked down the stairs.
Katherine and Caroline noticed a panther-like grace to his walk as the man came to a stop and Daryl and Caroline pointed the crossbows at him.
"Identify yourself," Katherine said in French as she walked to Daryl and Caroline.
"I am Andre Du Monte," Andre said in French as he made a bow.
"Are you the master of this house?"
"Yes, I am."
"You requested an audience with Cardinal and Bishop?"
"I did. Are they here?"
"Yes, but I will decide if you will meet with them or not."
"I see."
Daryl saw the cold look in Andre's eyes as Andre arched an eyebrow and Katherine crossed her arms under her breasts.
"Why do you need to meet with Cardinal and Bishop?" Katherine asked in French.
"That is something I will only discuss with them," Andre said in French.
"Then we shall be going," Katherine said in French with a nod to Caroline and Daryl. They headed for the front doors when Murphy and Connor walked in and they had their heads lowered.
"What are they doin'?" Daryl whispered.
"Dunno," Caroline whispered.
Murphy and Connor walked toward them while glancing at the elegant decorations, framed paintings on the walls, marble planters, statutes and suits of amor and the gleaming tile flooring. Marble columns held up the dark wood ceiling and a grand staircase led up to the next floor.
"I take this is Cardinal and Bishop?" Andre asked in French.
"We are," Connor said in Latin.
"They are," Katherine translated.
Daryl and Caroline noticed the confused look on Andre's face. Andre cleared his throat as he frowned and Connor glanced at Murphy.
"Do they not speak French?" Andre asked in French while he looked at Katherine.
"I am afraid not. That is another reason why I am here," Katherine said in French.
"Do they speak English?"
"No, but I do," Caroline said and he looked at her.
"No one asked you," Andre said in English. "In fact, you are to stay silent."
"Hey! Don't talk to her like that!" Daryl said.
"You will remain silent as well or I will have your tongue removed."
"It's not a good idea to threaten someone who's got a crossbow pointed at you," Caroline said.
Andre stormed toward her as he raised his right hand to strike her, but he was spun around and looked into a pair of hard, cold blue eyes. Andre grunted after Murphy balled his hand into a fist then Murphy punched Andre three times in the stomach.
"Threaten our guards again and you will find out why I am called the Bloody Bishop," Murph said in Latin as Andre fell to the floor.
"Threaten our guards again and you will learn why he is called the Bloody Bishop," Katherine translated and Andre glared at Murphy. Standing up, Andrea adjusted his suit jacket and he glared at them.
"This way," Andre said in English while pointing with his hands for them to follow him.
"You'd think he'd have guards in here to prevent someone from attackin' him," Daryl whispered to Caroline after they walked toward the hallway to their left.
"I think they're all outside," Caroline whispered.
They headed down the hallway when they came to the dark wood door and Andre opened the door. They headed inside the room and Daryl saw the blood red carpet under the large, light oak desk and the light wood, high back chairs in front of the desk. The walls were a cream color with light wood bookcases in front of the walls and a cream color marble fireplace was to the right of the room. Large windows and large French doors with metal bars across them were at the back of the room and dark red curtains were in front of the windows. Gold chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling on iron chains.
Above the mantel of the fireplace was a portrait of Andre standing next to a white stallion and he was wearing a white shirt, a red riding jacket, white riding pants, black leather boot which ended at his calves and a black riding hat was under his left arm.
Marble planters were in the corners with large leaf plants inside and the elegant decorations were on the bookshelves, on the small tables or in small cabinets. Framed classic painting were on the walls between the bookcases except for the bookcase near the fireplace.
"Please be seated," Andre said with a nod as he pointed with his right hand to the high back chairs in front of the desk, but Connor and Murphy stayed near Caroline, Katherine and Daryl.
"I will ask you one final time. Why do you need an audience with Cardinal and Bishop?" Katherine asked and he saw the cold look in her eyes.
"Alright….," he said as he when to sit on the high back desk chair and he placed his forearms on top of the desk. "I have information which I believe will get me killed."
"What sort of information?"
"I am not at liberty to say."
"Let's go," Katherine said as she nodded to Daryl and Caroline and they went to stand on either side of Connor and Murphy. They headed for the doorway when four guards in white body armor, boots and riot helmets appeared in the hallway and they had their rifles pointed at them.
"Now they show up," Connor whispered to Murphy in German and Murphy nodded.
Daryl and Caroline held the crossbows in their hands while Connor and Murphy removed the guns from their robes and pointed the guns at the guards.
"Tell your people to stand down!" Katherine demanded.
"Not unless you agree to help me," Andre said.
Connor and Murphy glanced at each other as they had a silent conversation and they lowered the guns. Caroline saw Murphy barely nod his head as she lowered the crossbow and Daryl lowered his crossbow. The guards walked in the room while Connor, Murphy, Caroline and Daryl turned to look at Andre and Andre leaned back in the high back desk chair.
"Sit down," Andre said with a curt tone.
Connor and Murphy sat down on the high back chairs while Katherine stood in between the high back chairs and Caroline and Daryl stood behind her.
"Are we prisoners now?" Connor asked in Latin.
"Are we your prisoners?" Katherine translated.
"More like my guests," Andre said.
"For how long?" Murphy asked in Latin.
"For how long?" Katherine translated.
"Until I feel I can trust you."
"You do know our people will not allow such a thing," Connor said in Latin.
"Our people will not allow you to keep us for a long period of time," Katherine translated.
"I am aware of what your people are capable of. That is why I will send them a message," Andre said.
"What sort of message?" Murphy asked in Latin.
"What sort of message?" Katherine translated.
"I will be sending one of your guards back to the Cathedral," Andre said while looking from Daryl to Caroline and he slyly smiled. "Well, more like piece of them."
Before anyone could move, a loud boom rocked the room and the chandeliers moved violently back and forth on the iron chains. Several more explosions filled the air as Andre ran to the window and he saw smoke rising from behind the walls surrounding the grounds.
"Master!" the man who answered the door shouted in French as he ran into the room and Daryl and Caroline turned to face him.
"What is happening?!" Andre demanded in French as he stormed toward the man.
"It's her! She is here!"
"What is he saying?" Katherine demanded in French.
"Silence!" Andre said in French as the loud boom shook the room again and the portrait above the mantel started falling. The portrait crashed to the floor while the frame shattered and the portrait ripped into large pieces. "NOOOOOOOOOO!"
Connor, Murphy, Caroline and Daryl ran to the window as they looked outside and they saw the bright blue light covering everything. The wind was blowing through the trees with such a force the trees nearly bent to the ground The guards were being rolled across the ground by the wind and some of the cars, trucks and vans were spinning in wide circles.
"Shit," Caroline whispered.
"Looks like someone pissed off th'Blue Lady," Murphy whispered.
Connor smiled when he thought of something and Murphy sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Don't tell me you got a plan."
"Yeah, I do," Connor whispered then he walked to Katherine.
"What's going on?" she whispered.
"Th'Blue Lady is here," Connor whispered in Latin.
"Why?"
"He's threatenin' us and that has really pissed her off."
"What is he saying?!" Andre demanded in French.
"He is saying you have offended the Blue Lady by threatening to harm our guards and for keeping us here against our will," Katherine said in French.
Caroline was looking toward the window when she saw a large rock heading for the windows and her eyes widened. She was running before she knew she had moved her legs as she tackled Andre to the floor and the large rock crashed through the window. The large rock slammed into the wall near the door leading out of the room and rolled to a stop in the next room.
"Christ," Murphy whispered as he pulled himself onto his elbows after they had dived onto the floor. Glass shimmered on the carpet while the curtains whipped around in the wind and some papers blew off the desk.
"Lord's name." Connor whispered as he lifted his head.
"You alright?" Daryl asked as he looked at Katherine and she nodded.
"Get her off of me!" Andre bellowed in French. Caroline was sitting on his chest with her hands on his shoulders and she lightly shook her head.
"You're welcome, Asshole," Caroline said in French then she got off of him. She walked to Murphy when she knelt down on her haunches and Murphy smiled up at her.
"That's my girl," Murphy whispered in German. She felt the blush moving over her cheeks as she helped Murphy to his feet and she dusted the dust and wood chips off his robes.
Connor helped Katherine to her feet while Daryl stood and the man who met them at the door looked in the room.
"Where did the guards go?" Katherine whispered to Connor.
"Guess they had t'go change their pants after shittin' 'em," Connor whispered in Latin and she smiled.
Daryl and Caroline walked to the hole in the wall as they looked outside and the wind blew violently through their hair after they took off the riot helmets.
"Do you see her?" Daryl asked.
"Nope," Caroline said when the Blue Lady floated down then landed in front of them and the Blue Lady placed her hands in front of her.
"You are unharmed?" the Blue Lady asked in French.
"Yes, we're fine," Caroline said in French.
"Can't say the same fer the house," Daryl grumbled as he looked at the hole in the wall and she followed his gaze.
"Move back," the Blue Lady said in French and they moved away from the hole in the wall. She waved her hands as the large rock rolled back through the room as the damage repaired itself and the large rock rolled down the grass before vanishing into the forest outside the walls surrounding the grounds.
"Thank you, Lady," Caroline said in French as she nodded her head. They watched the Blue Lady fade away when Connor opened the French doors and waved from them to go inside. After putting the riot helmets back on, they walked by him as Connor closed the French doors, pushed the button on the panel near the doors and the metal bars moved across the doors.
Connor walked to Katherine while Daryl looked at the framed photograph on the floor and he picked up the frame. Caroline looked at the photograph when she frowned and she looked at Daryl. He placed the framed photograph face down on the desk when he and Caroline headed for Murphy and Andre headed for the papers which were on the floor.
"Now are you ready to tell us about this information you mentioned?" Katherine asked in French and Andre slammed the papers onto the desk.
"I guess I have no choice," Andre said in English as he turned to look at them. He went to sit on the high back desk chair when the man who met them at the door walked in the room and Andre looked at him.
"Master, I am sorry to intrude, but there is another matter which needs your attention," he said in French and Andre frowned.
"What happened?" Andre asked in French as he stood and walked to the man. The man motioned for him to come closer and the man whispered in his right ear. A slightly shocked look appeared on his face and Andre ran out of the room. The man headed for the doors as he stood in the doorway and looked at them.
"What is going on?" Katherine asked in French.
"I cannot say. But it is in your best interest for you to stay in here," the man said in French as he closed the doors. Daryl and Connor ran to the doors when they found the doors were locked and Connor slammed his fist against the door.
"We can go that way," Murphy said as he pointed to the French doors. Connor walked to the French doors as he pushed the buttons on the panel near the door, but the metal bars stayed in place. He pushed the buttons a few more times then stood against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest.
"So much fer that idea," Connor said.
"What was this plan of yers?" Daryl asked and Connor looked at him.
"I was gonna use th'Blue Lady's attack t'make a break fer it," Connor said with a shrug of his shoulders.
"That woulda pissed her off even more," Murphy said.
"Daryl," Caroline said and Daryl walked to her. She was looking at the frame photograph on the desk and she picked up the frame. "Isn't this Pamela Milton?"
"Yeah, it is," Daryl said while looking at the photograph.
"May I see?" Katherine asked and Caroline handed her the framed photograph. Murphy and Connor walked closer while they looked at the photograph and Connor frowned.
"Who's that?" Connor asked as he pointed to Pamela.
"That's Pamela Milton," Daryl said and he told them about Pamela.
"Do you know why she's in a photograph with Du Monte?" Katherine asked.
"Got no idea."
"Let's check th'desk," Murphy said.
"Not sure if th'desk's unlocked," Connor said.
"Or it doesn't have hidden drawers," Caroline said and he smiled at her.
"Told you watchin' spy movies would come in handy."
Caroline softly laughed as Daryl, Connor and Murphy tried to get the drawers open and Caroline and Katherine looked through the papers on the desk. Most of the papers were in French and Caroline placed the papers on the desk.
"Murphy, what are you doin'?" Connor asked as Murphy knelt down and he went onto his back after he crawled under the desk.
"Lookin' fer a key," Murphy said as he moved his hands over the bottom of the middle drawer then he noticed he could reach the back of the middle drawer. He moved his fingers along the back of the drawer when he felt something and he pulled on the elastic bands holding the key to the back of the drawer. "Bingo."
Murphy carefully crawled out from under the desk when he stood and placed the key on the desk. Connor patted Murphy's right shoulder then Connor picked up the key and he unlocked the middle drawer. He opened the drawer as he removed the papers, pens, file folders and some letters and placed them on the desk.
"He's got sticky notes," Murphy said while he removed the small pads of yellow paper and he placed the small pads on the desk.
"How do we open the other drawers?" Daryl asked.
"I think openin' th'middle drawer opened t'others," Connor said as he opened one of the file folders.
Daryl opened the top left drawer when he looked at the stack of blank paper, a box of pens, some envelopes and a box of paper clips. He closed the drawer when he opened the bottom left drawer and he saw empty file folders.
Murphy had opened the top right drawer when he found a box of cigars, a silver lighter, some packets of crackers and potato chips and a silver flask. He picked up the silver flask as he opened the top and he could smell the whiskey inside the flask. He placed the silver flask back in the drawer when he opened the bottom right drawer and he saw a pair of brown felt slippers, a stack of envelopes and a revolver. He removed the revolver as he placed the revolver on the desk then he removed the stack of envelopes.
"What are you doing?!" the man who met them at the door demanded in French as he walked to the desk and Murphy and Daryl closed the desk drawers.
"We are trying to figure out why your master is in this photograph with this woman," Katherine said in French and she showed him the framed photograph. Caroline noticed the look of recognition in his eyes and the man sighed.
"She is a family friend," he said in French.
Daryl and Caroline glanced at each other when Daryl noticed a piece of paper with the Commonwealth seal on the top and he slid the piece of paper toward him.
The Commonwealth
Ezekiel sat at his desk when someone knocked on the door and he looked up.
"Come in," he said.
The door opened as his aide led Carol and Dog in the room and Ezekiel stood.
"What's wrong?" he asked and Carol saw the worry in his eyes.
"Nothing's wrong. I just need to have a look around your office," Carol said.
"Why?"
"I think Pamela Milton might have left something which might tell us why she sent Daryl and Caroline to France."
"France?! Well, not sure if you'll find anything. We searched the whole place," he said while Dog sniffed the floor and he watched the dog move around the office. The dog headed for the cabinet behind the desk when the dog growled and lightly scraped at the floor. "Looks like he found something."
Ezekiel knelt down next to Dog when he went to look under the cabinet and he could barely see something at the back.
"There's a flashlight in the top drawer," he said as he pointed to the desk and Carol opened the drawer. She removed the flashlight when she handed the flashlight to Ezekiel and he pushed the button. He shined the light under the cabinet when he saw what looked like a crumpled ball of paper at the back and he tried to reach the crumpled piece of paper. "I can't reach it."
Carol left the room when she returned with a broom and she knelt down next to Dog and Ezekiel. She used the broom handle to remove the crumpled piece of paper as they sat back on their legs and she opened the crumpled piece of paper.
"Look," Ezekiel said as he pointed to what was written on the crumpled piece of paper.
PAMELA.
I AM IN DIRE NEED FOR THOSE BODYGAURDS YOU PROMISED ME.
PLEASE SEND THEM IMMEDIATELY.
A
"Who the hell is A?" Carol asked as she frowned.
"Dunno. But look at the address at the top of the paper," Ezekiel said and she turned the crumpled piece of paper.
"Paris."
"Well, it looks like we found proof that she was going to send Daryl and Caroline to France."
"Looks like."
"Let me see if there are any other requests from this "A"," he said and he helped Carol to her feet then he went to check the file folder where he had placed Pamela's correspondences.
"Find anything?" Carol asked after a few minutes and he shook his head. "Damn."
"Hold on. Don't give up hope just yet. Maybe we can get her to tell us who this A is."
"No. She'll just deny knowing whoever it is."
"Then what do you want to do?"
"I think it's time for me to gather a rescue party."
"How do you expect to get to France?"
"Still working on it," she said and she left the room. Carol and Dog headed out of the office as she walked down the hallway and she squeezed the crumpled piece of paper in her hand. Dog looked up at her as she sighed and she looked down at the dog. She left the building while she headed for home and she walked faster down the sidewalk.