Immortal Beauty (49 page)

In the darkness of the catacombs the two creatures were getting closer to the house. They had just a few more turns to make and then they would be there. Celine was going to let them in when she could and so now they had to wait. They didn’t speak at all and sat down in the cold and dark, huddled together like the two little babies they really were. They smelled a human every once in a while and lifted their heads in unison only to return to a lulling, stasis waiting patiently for their mother. As they had passed through the dark halls and crevices of the catacombs Osiris noticed ancient graffiti from the time of the Romans. He wished he knew what it said. His human mind was curious and relentless in the pursuit of knowledge and it conflicted deeply with his animal brain. He was beginning to feel odd after glimpsing the great city of Paris for the first time. He was aware suddenly of just how different he and his sister were from these people, indeed even from their own mother! Why didn’t she look like them and more importantly why didn’t they look like her? He was worried now that these people would look at him and Isis in the horrified manner that Claire had done. He tried to find Claire now with his mind. He could feel her close but somehow she was not letting him in. That meant she must know he was coming and that he might have just done something stupid. If he could sense her, then she could sense him. This whole plan of mothers was based on surprise and he had just let the enemy know that they were close at hand. He was startled when he heard her voice loud and clear in his mind. Isis heard it too for she jumped out of her slumber.

“I can help you. You have to trust me.” He cocked his head to one side and Isis grabbed his arm in fright.

“Don’t answer her Osiris! Keep her out!” She growled the words in an instinctive move to protect her brother. He nodded in agreement and smiled at his beautiful sister. She would never look at him the way the others did. He couldn’t wait until there were others like them. He began to picture the city filled with their kind. The Chimera walking about in open greeting each other and talking to each other pleasantly as he had recently seen the humans do. Celine had promised them the world and for the first time he could imagine it. He looked around and noticed a drawing on the wall behind them. It was the same drawing that Celine had shown them in Orleans. It was Celtic in origin and was a round symbol of interlocking pieces that looked like it was really one piece, impossibly connected. This was where Celine would open the door and welcome them into their new home in the new world.

DUPLICITY

Marcus and Frankie were in the study. They were going over the notes on the data they had confiscated from Celine’s computer. They were more alarmed as they began to put the pieces together. Celine was going to start creating these monsters of hers to unknowing and unwilling mothers. The technology for an artificial womb was still years away and she would have to rely on “volunteers”. These volunteers were to be lured into the Orleans facility with the promise of trying new products and tonics that would make them younger looking and more beautiful. Celine would feed them the water to which they would quickly become addicted and at some point during the research study, she would impregnate them with her designer demons. Frankie was wondering how Celine thought she could keep all of this a secret and actually think that she could get away with it in this twenty first century world. There were too many cameras, videos, spy satellites; the world was not as private as it once was. He was personally appalled by Celine’s plans. They reminded him too much of World War Two which he remembered very well. Hitler had wanted to create a master race and Celine’s plans echoed the dreams of a mad man. He was visibly upset.

“Experimenting on people without their consent. You remember Marcus, how horrible it was.” Frankie’s eyes darkened and the look frightened his friend. Frankie could laugh at anything, but this was something he just could not find any humor in.

“Yes. I remember too well.” Marcus looked directly at Frankie. “I remember the refugees coming to Paris. I remember the stories they told and the horrible things they had to endure.” He sat down at his desk and began to rifle through the papers that were beginning to pile up everywhere. “I remember hiding so many of them in this very house.”

‘Oh yes!” Frankie was seeing everything so vividly now. “We had to hide people underneath the city in the ancient catacombs because the Germans were too superstitious to go down. They believed the caverns held some mystical power that kept them out. Frankie’s inevitable smile returned to his face rendering him familiar again. “Those catacombs saved so many lives and they sure came in handy for getting around the city undetected.” Frankie had been a part of the Resistance movement and with his expertise at seduction and lock picking, he was highly valued and adored by his comrades. It was sad now to think of all those brave and wonderful people of all nations as dead and buried now. If there were any still living it would be impossible to visit them. There were times when living so long became almost unbearable. This was one of those rare moments for Frankie when he wished he had gone the way of his old friends. He shook himself out of nostalgia.

“Sometimes I think those creepy old tunnels made all the difference in the war. The Germans never knew what was going on right underneath their feet.” Now it was Marcus who was smiling and then all at once he was overcome with a strange foreboding. It was something he had just said. Something about what was going on. He looked at his watch. The doctor was fifteen minutes late with his report. All of this talk of the past had made Marcus sloppy in his vigilant watch over their enemy.. It could be nothing as the doctor was such an old man but it wasn’t worth the risk. Suddenly it seemed foolish to let the doctor in the room alone with Celine at all. He had underestimated her in the past and he did not want to repeat any such thing. Just then the doorbell rang and he waited for one of the maids to answer it. Marcus left the study and Frankie began to look over the data again. The water which Celine had claimed to replicate was a poor version of the water that flowed beneath the house. It would probably make someone feel stronger and more clear headed and might make them even feel younger for a little while, but they would need to continue drinking large amounts for the effects to last. Celine would need the real thing to pull off her plan. The mothers to be would have to be much stronger to survive the gestation period. Frankie stopped reading. With revulsion he realized that Celine had no intention of letting any of the mothers survive. They were disposable once their purpose was fulfilled. She must have never gotten over the idea that it was not o.k. to sacrifice people to the gods anymore. She wanted her old world back and if Frankie knew one thing in all this time of living it was this; that the world never turns backwards. His hatred of the red haired monster was growing by the minute. He felt that if he read anymore of the offensive plan he would go upstairs and take her out himself. It would give him great pleasure to rid the world of Celine. He realized that he needed to cool off. A walk through the streets of Paris always did him wonders and now was the perfect time. He was thinking of asking Claire to go along but already knew what her answer would be so he headed down to the terrace and began to walk through the wooded gardens out to the back gate down by the Seine. The clouds looked as though they were passing through quickly and he gave no thought to the rain that might fall. Frankie loved the rain. He always felt that rainwater cleaned his soul. Already he was beginning to forget the evil Celine and tried to focus on the fact that they had stopped her in time. The wind was picking up and suddenly he wished it would pour down buckets. Paris was very romantic when awash with light and water playing together which gave every vista a movie quality that always encouraged l’amour. Maybe he would find a pretty young girl to have dinner with and maybe go dancing somewhere. It was never a problem for Frankie as his skills in seduction were unparalleled but tonight he did not want to use any special ability. He was thinking of Sasha and Taylor and the way they held hands silently and how they moved as one which had always intrigued him. He was beginning to yearn for just a little of what they had. Taylor was upstairs moping in his room and Sasha was busy running away from love. Maybe he didn’t want what they had as neither one of them was happy. Maybe true love was just a myth. He stayed close to the river and enjoyed watching the boats cruise up and down full of starry eyed tourists and now and then he would wave at them playfully. Now that Celine was subdued it was time to have a little fun. It had been a very long week and he needed distraction. He lost himself in the crowds underneath the Eifel Tower where there were plenty of beautiful women all around. All Frankie had to do was smile. He felt the first droplets hit his forehead and he lifted his face up to the heavens to accept the blessings from the skies above.

Marcus was about to enter the hall leading to Celine’s room when Virginie intercepted him.

“Monsieur, it is the police.” She almost whispered to him.

“Police…where?” He stopped in his tracks.

“At the front door Monsieur. They are asking for you. They will not go away.” She sounded a little frightened.

“Just go back to what you were doing Virginie. I’m sure it’s nothing. I’ll attend to them myself.” He smiled at her and tried to calm her. “There’s nothing to worry about. I’m sure everything is fine. Maybe there was another robbery in our little village!” He teased her and she accepted his nonchalant attitude and went back to the million things that such a house needed tending to. The last thing Marcus needed was the police. Their timing couldn’t be worse and he ran up the staircase in the hopes of getting rid of them quickly. He was after all, the wealthiest man in the neighborhood, that did count for something. He saw two men standing in the foyer and as Marcus walked toward them he could see them admiring the house and trying to take in all of this unbelievable beauty that belonged to another world. Marcus smiled at them and held out his hand. The men did not smile back, nor did they accept his hospitable gesture. The one was heavily built and it seemed his blue uniform was sewn onto the muscles that lay underneath. They were both wearing the baseball style caps that were common now to the police in France but they did not seem like your typical French civil servant. The first one spoke in a very gruff and serious manner.

“Monsieur D’Alessandro? We have been instructed to bring you in for questioning concerning the whereabouts of Miss Celine D’Aumont. Please come with us. It will only take a couple of hours.” He motioned his big hand to force Marcus out the door. Marcus didn’t budge.

“Hold on there. Miss D’Aumont of Celgen?” He stepped back and away from the intimidating man. This couldn’t be happening. How could the police be involved and where would they get his name. He made certain throughout the centuries that there was never any connection between him and Celine. It was part of their truce, unless Celine had some kind of digital fail safe in the event she ever did disappear one day. Celine would most definitely leave a trail of breadcrumbs right to his front door. He quickly collected his wits and decided that the best course of action was not to arouse any suspicion.

“Is it necessary for me to go with you now? Could we schedule an appointment for later this afternoon? You see I am right now in the middle of a very delicate international transaction worth a few million. I really just need one hour. I’m sure I could have everything wrapped up by then.” He smiled as graciously as he could and wished Frankie was here to glamour them away. He just had to make sure everything was alright with the doctor before he left the house.

“I’m afraid that’s impossible Mr. D’Alessandro. I don’t think you quite understand what we are saying. You are being taken into custody for the abduction and possible murder of Miss D’Aumont. Now if you’ll come with us quietly. You can call your lawyer on the way.” The other officer was tall and slender but looked like he was all muscle, like a long distance runner. Marcus knew that he couldn’t cause a scene.

“Yes, yes…of course.” Marcus was all smiles and geniality again. “I assure you this is all a terrible mistake.”

“You can tell that to the detective.” The two men on either side of him now walked him out of his own home. Marcus looked for a police car and was very suspicious when he saw none. “Surely you fellows didn’t come here on your bicycles? Am I supposed to ride on the handle bars?” He was trying to sound offended and indignant.

“We came in an unmarked car Monsieur. We wanted to save you the embarassment since you are obviously someone of importance.” The tall one smirked. They walked to a small black car and Marcus sat willingly and quietly in the back seat. The muscle cop sat next to him while the bean pole got into the driver’s seat. They took off without a word and marcus decided that he’d better call his lawyer now. He started punching the numbers on the screen when the skinny cop yanked his phone out of his hand and without warning, threw it out the window.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ Marcus yelled at the man. He would have him fired regardless of what happened next. Then it hit him. These were not policemen, and before he could even think of who was behind this, the big man smiled at him.

“I’m just doing what Celine told me to do.” He laughed and Marcus grabbed for the door handle but it was too late. The man yanked him by the back of his hair with one hand and with the other he shoved a cloth obviously soaked with some kind of noxious chemical over his mouth. He needed to warn the others. Celine was awake! He was unconscious in a few seconds and the car sped away from Passy with no regard for traffic lights or the multitude of pedestrians who ran scrambling from the mad driver near the Champs Elysees.

Celine crept into the large room with the tall windows and watched Frankie leave the garden. She was alone now and this was her chance. She slowly moved the obvious bookcase from the old door with no effort whatsoever. She was almost drooling with the thought of being in the cavern again. She wanted to strip off her clothes and jump into the pool of water and bathe in it. She cautiously closed the door befind her and held up a small flashlight. The gold paintings were still there. The goddess of the hillside was there while the moon watched over her to guide and protect her. She could see the intruders coming to her land. Her story was all here. She moved with reverance past the intricate images made hundreds of years ago. The entrance to the cavern was just ahead. She walked in and listened for the familiar sound. The dripping sound that had been her only companion for countless years. There it was! The sound took her back to the night her father betrayed her and the night she had become a prisoner in the hill. It was the last night she was human and the first day of being an immortal godess. She felt her way along the rocky wall and felt for something she alone knew was there. It was a round stone protruding from the rock. She pushed the stone as hard as she could with her unnatural strength and as she pushed, the wall receeded slowly. It was really a small opening that resembled the rest of the rock. She pushed again and she could hear the excited voices of her progeny.