Beauty and the Beast (38 page)

“Catherine had given Gabriel’s crime notebook to Elliott Burch for his cryptographers to decipher, and that was what Gabriel wanted to know. Gabriel imprisoned Catherine in an abandoned warehouse, and he had his doctor injecting truth serum into her, trying to get her to tell him where the notebook was. She refused to tell him. Catherine was emotionally spent from dealing with my illness. She was pregnant and suffering with morning sickness. She was cut off from me empathically, and she was being drugged and subjected to psychological torture. At that warehouse, Catherine found some pipes that she was able to tap out an S.O.S. on, and our Helpers relayed the message to Pascal. I tried to rescue her then, but Gabriel’s men managed to get her moved to the old Battery

Arms building before I could reach her. Since I still couldn’t feel her, I didn’t know where she was being held after that failed rescue attempt.

“When Gabriel saw that I was the one coming for her, his goal changed. He was no longer interested in the notebook. Instead, he was obsessed with taking our child. The torture for Catherine then became excruciating as she was imprisoned in a small room, isolated and alone, with the knowledge that our child would be taken from her as soon as he was born. Gabriel lied to me when he locked me in the electrified cage in the basement of his mansion. He claimed that he had allowed Catherine to hold Little Jacob after he was born before he killed her. Catherine was never allowed to even touch her baby after he was born. Gabriel immediately ordered his doctor to administer what should have been a fatal dose of morphine, and then they took our baby out of the door and left Catherine to die alone.

“Catherine used the last bit of strength she had to break out of the restraints they had left her in on the delivery table. She had heard me tearing through Gabriel’s barriers trying to get to her. So, she used her failing strength to come to me by climbing up the stairs to the roof. My little Catherine is so very courageous! Most women would have given up and died from that kind of brutal treatment. It sent her spinning into this traumatic nightmare, but she is bravely hanging on.”

Father spoke to Elisia at that point. “Elisia, I am really intrigued by the treatment that you spoke of. I don’t care if it can’t be explained if it will help Catherine. We definitely believe in miracles in our world.”

Peter added to Father’s comments. “Did I understand correctly that we will get to help with this treatment?”

Tanimus answered them. “Yes, you will see first hand how it works, because you will be part of the treatment. It will be easier for you to understand when we get there.

You will be joining in the combined mental strength of other powerful Tandin minds as we support Vincent, so he can go into Catherine’s mind and retrieve her. There isn’t an adequate way to describe it. You really have to experience it to fully comprehend how healing the process can be.”

Father spoke up with a question. “Tanimus, obviously yours and Elisia’s mental powers are quite advanced. Can the two of you not simply wake Catherine up yourselves now?”

Tanimus smiled as everyone looked expectantly at him for his explanation. “Father, let me ask you a question first. What is Vincent’s physical condition?”

Father had concern in his voice as he replied.

“Actually, Vincent is still not fully recovered from the ordeals he has endured. He has had two serious illnesses in his life, both of which severely taxed his heart. I have also had to remove bullets from his chest on a few occasions. Vincent still hasn’t caught up on the sleep he needs for his body to repair itself. Peter and I are both very worried about him.”

Tanimus nodded his head as he continued. “We have felt both Vincent’s impaired condition and your community’s concern for him. To answer your question, yes, it is possible that Elisia and I could just wake Catherine up ourselves, but her condition is not simply physical impairment. Catherine’s psychological health is also compromised. Her mind and spirit need healing, and Vincent is the one best qualified to accomplish that by rescuing her from the nightmare she is trapped in. She has convinced herself that she failed both Vincent and her baby, and she desperately needs Vincent to pull her out of this and wake her up.

“Given Vincent’s current physical condition, it would be best to perform this procedure in our world, where we have an advanced monitoring system to scan both Vincent’s body and Catherine’s when he attempts to enter her nightmare and wake her up. The chamber there has been prepared to enhance this process and make it more conducive to relaxation and faith. Over the centuries, we have also found that this method works far more effectively when family members participate with their added love and support. This is especially important in this case, because Vincent himself is not completely well and strong. We have family members in our world with far stronger spirits than bodies who want to help wake Catherine up. They weren’t physically able to make the trip here, but they are waiting to help us there. The trip to our world will give us the greatest chance for success, and it will help to heal two worlds. Our world has been in pain ever since we lost Vincent, and if we are successful in waking Catherine up, your world will be healed by her restoration.”

Peter looked at Father and grinned. “I guess we’re going to Tandin medical school!”

Father chuckled at him and nodded, and then he said, “Well, I suppose we had better get packed up and get a good night’s sleep, so we can be well rested and ready for tomorrow’s trip.”

Elisia made a final comment before everyone left.

“Bear in mind that it took us about three days to get here. With a larger group, as well as the necessity of taking time to nurse and change Little Jacob along the way, it will probably take about four days to get back to our world.

So, pack accordingly.”

Susan approached Elisia. “I have rooms for you and your uncle, if you would like to stay with us here tonight.” Elisia smiled at her. “That would be wonderful! Please take Uncle Tanimus to his room. He is a lot more tired than he would ever admit. I’m going down to our Tandin replacements for Father’s people, who are waiting in the tunnels to go on to Father’s world. Ill get our bags from them, and 111 be back up shortly.” Susan smiled and escorted Tanimus from the room.

Elisia looked at Jamie and said, “Be sure to pack your bow and arrows, little Huntress. The way may be treacherous, because we must pass through tunnels and passageways which have not been used and secured for many years in order to reach our world. Have everyone bring whatever weapon they can safely handle for protection.”

Jamie smiled at her and said, “Mouse made a new crossbow for me, which is much more powerful than my bow.”

Elisia smiled back at her warmly. “The crossbow may be more powerful, but you prefer your traditional bow.” Jamie looked at her in surprise. “You are reading my mind!”

Elisia giggled, “Not your mind, Jamie, just your fingers.” Elisia took Jamie’s right hand in her left hand and compared their right hands together. Both were callused along the insides of their fingertips. Elisia then said, “You don’t like finger-guards either!”

Jamie laughed, “No, I don’t. They mess up my aim!” Father had been listening to their delightful conversation. He broke in now with instructions for Jamie. “Jamie, Mary and I are going to stay in our bedrooms here tonight. When you take the Tandins to our world, please tell William and Angela that they will need to handle any Council decisions while we are gone.”

Jamie nodded, “111 tell them, Father.” Then she and the other community members left with Elisia to go into the tunnels.

Before she went out the door, Elisia turned and looked

at Devin with a smile. He smiled back with a look of rapt devotion and watched her as she left the room. Devin strode quickly to Vincent and grabbed his arm. He exclaimed, “Oh, Vincent, that tiny sister of yours is so enchanting and beautiful and sweet!” Vincent chuckled at him, and Devin continued, “Vincent, we had never set eyes on each other before, but she looked right into me and through me, and she was able to sum up my life in one very accurate sentence! I am so in love with that little woman!”

Vincent smiled at his happiness. “Elisia is remarkable, Devin. She is also a little miracle-worker if she has cured you of your wanderlust.”

Devin shook his head. “The only place I ever want to be now is wherever Elisia is!”

When Joe and Diana arose from the sofa, Diana took Little Jacob to Vincent and placed him in his smiling father’s arms. Then the couple left the room hand-in-hand. Diana had expected Joe to stop and wait for the elevator to come back up, so he could leave through the tunnels to go back to his apartment and pack. Instead, Joe took Diana on down the hall a little farther to Peter’s office. It was empty, and he took her inside and shut the door.

When Joe turned around to face her, he had a serious expression on his face as he took both of her hands in his. Diana raised her eyebrows, but she waited for him to

speak. He said, “Diana, I don’t know how you are going to feel about what I want to say to you.”

Diana smiled up at him. “You can tell me anything, Joe.”

Joe smiled lovingly down at her. “OK, then, here goes. Goodness knows I’m no virgin.”

Diana broke in quickly. “Neither am I, Joe.”

Then Joe went on. “It is taking every ounce of willpower I have to keep my hands off you! The desire that rises in me every time I lay eyes on you makes me want to drag you off to the nearest bed, tear your clothes off, and make wild passionate love to you. But—”

Diana finished for him, “You want something more!” Joe looked relieved, “Yes! I have been watching these people, Diana, especially Vincent with Catherine, and Father and Mary. I want what they’ve got, and I want it with you. I could see that Cathy had something more with someone long before I ever knew about Vincent and the tunnels. It was something that was very special to watch.

I can see that it is worth waiting for.”

Diana smiled softly up at Joe. “I can’t tell you how long I have waited to find a man who is on the same page with me! I feel as you do, Joe. Ever since I rescued Vincent, I have longed for what he has with Catherine. After meeting Vincent, I broke up with my boyfriend, because I realized that I would never have that with him. When we broke up, he told me that I had only given him small glimpses of myself, that I had never really let him in.

I’ve never let anyone in, until now, with you, Joe. I have never really felt comfortable letting anyone in before. I never thought any man would ever truly be able to understand me. I am confident that you can.”

Joe took Diana in his arms and whispered, “I sure do want to try!” He covered her mouth with his, and they both sighed in ecstasy as they expressed their passion for one another with that kiss. When they finally parted, he kept his arm around her as he opened the door, and they stepped into the hallway. “I have already put in for a long overdue vacation, so I can now leave without anyone wondering where I am. Everyone still thinks that you are missing, so we can just enjoy being ‘missing’ together.” Diana giggled as they went to the elevator, and Joe then left to go pack at his apartment.

When the group met in the tunnels late the next morning, they were all wearing backpacks with sleeping bags attached, and they were all carrying lanterns, except elderly Narcissa who was nearly blind anyway, and they had packed additional flashlights. William had provided meals that were ready to eat and light for everyone to carry. Since there were ample water sources along the way for drinking and bathing, they didn’t pack heavy beverages, just cups to drink from. Catherine was tucked in on a rolling hospital gurney, which Vincent had personally taken charge of. He put Narcissa’s backpack on the bottom shelf of the gurney. Brooke was pushing

Little Jacob in a stroller that could convert to a rolling bassinet for him when he needed to sleep. Years earlier, Mouse had fitted Peter’s hospital gurneys with oversized pneumatic wheels to facilitate rolling them with ill patients from Father’s world over uneven tunnel floors more comfortably. Recently, he had done the same with Little Jacob’s stroller.

Devin’s heart began pounding with excitement when Elisia approached him, looked up into his eyes, and held out her hand. The thrill that went through him, as he took her slender hand in his, was evident in the expression on his face, and everyone smiled. They were all in high spirits as they followed Tanimus and Elisia, with her devoted Devin in-hand, on their journey to the Tandin world.

In traveling through the tunnels that Father’s people were familiar with under Manhattan, they climbed carefully down the Serpentine Stairwell over The Abyss, through the Chamber of the Winds, past the Crystal Cavern, and around the Burial Catacombs. Then they had to take turns being ferried across an underground river. When they came to that obstacle, they folded up Catherine’s gurney, and Vincent carried her onto the raft.

When they began traveling through the steam tunnels and caves at the outer edge of Manhattan, they entered a large cavern between the tunnels. As they approached the

center of the cave, they were suddenly beset by eleven of Paracelsus’ leftover followers who rushed in from several of the tunnel openings. These were large simple-minded men over whom Paracelsus had ruled with an iron fist. They were disorganized and without purpose since Paracelsus’ death, but they were ruthlessly violent, and they wanted the women. The terrifying roars of Tanimus, Vincent, and Elisia didn’t deter these men as they rushed the group.

The men struck so unexpectedly that there wasn’t time to get the women into the center to protect them. One of them grabbed terrified screaming Brooke by the arm and tried to drag her away. Charles was closest to her, and he tackled the man to the ground. Brooke bit the thug’s hand, and he released her. Then Charles was in mortal combat with him as they rolled on the ground with fists flying. The man was nearly Charles’ size, but Charles finally got the upper hand and snapped his neck.