Chapter 4
Catherine scrabbled to her knees, bending over him, beside herself with worry. Then her noted stubbornness came to the fore. "Not again," she said to herself. "Oh no, you don’t," she said. "I won’t let you." Pounding on his chest, she began CPR. "You’re not giving up on me, mister. I need you," she panted, giving him her own breath to breathe. "I can’t find my way out of these tunnels by myself. And I’ll be in the dark all by myself. Don’t leave me, please," she begged. "I don’t want to die in the dark." She used the one thing he feared: her death. When there was no reaction to her efforts, she placed her head over his heart. She was so tired and afraid that the veneer of strength she had worn slipped away and she began to cry. Collapsing on top of him, great sobs shaking her body, she didn’t at first hear the deep intake of breath or feel the rise and fall of his chest until he raised an unsteady hand to stroke her hair. With a gasp of joy, she lifted her tear-dimmed eyes to his clear, drug-free eyes.
"I heard your plea, Catherine. I won’t leave you, but I am so tired." He closed his arms around her shaking body.
"Don’t ever leave me again? I can’t stand it," she said then she realized that she was gazing into crystal clear blue eyes. Wonderingly, she stroked his rough cheek. "Are . . . are you all right?" she asked, hoping for an affirmative answer.
"Yes, Catherine, I am."
This brought on a fresh round of crying as she hugged him tightly. "The drug is completely out of your system?"
"I believe so, but I can’t be sure. This may only be a lull in the storm." He nuzzled the top of her sweet-smelling hair. Oh god, how he loved her.
"Do you think you can eat now?" she asked, pulling back to gaze at him.
"I will try. I think I might be just a tad hungry," he answered.
"Oh, that’s wonderful," she exclaimed and in her elation kissed him soundly on the mouth and then jumped to her feet, hurrying to heat the soup before he could change his mind.
He stared after her, bemused. She had kissed him as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He had no memory of the kisses she used to keep him from giving away their hiding place. His lips burned where hers had branded his, and he raised an awed finger to touch them. Just at that moment, she glanced up at him, and her eyes softened as she felt his amazement and beginning joy.
Happily, she fed most of the soup to him, then, noticing his drooping eyelids, laid beside him and both slept peacefully for the first time since she rescued him from Paracelsus.
Under Catherine’s tender care, Vincent slowly regained his health and strength. He slept often and deep, Catherine beside him. Indeed, he could not rest comfortably unless he could feel her comforting warmth next to him. As his strength returned, he exercised more each day: walking around the cavern, swimming although he scared her half-to-death the first time, and finally running in the surrounding tunnels. It was solely due to his remarkable constitution that he was still even alive. When he had regained 70-80% of his strength, he started to search for Father and the others, fearful that Paracelsus had done away with them.
While searching for his family, he stumbled over two dark mounds: Mouse and Jamie. They were asleep in a darkened tunnel when he found them. Ragged and dirty, they were enthusiastically welcomed by Catherine; although, there was a momentary regret at losing the privacy that she had enjoyed with Vincent. Jamie and Mouse had been on their own for so long that they had developed a deeper relationship and did not hesitate to bathe or sleep together. When Catherine fixed something for them to eat, they devoured it in a matter of minutes. After bathing and putting on clean, whole clothing, they huddled together before the fire and told Vincent and Catherine all that had happened during the last two years. Knowing the horror that Vincent would feel on hearing what had happened to his beloved father and world, Catherine moved beside him, taking his hands in hers. She would offer him all the comfort she could.
Jamie related most of the tale with frequent interruptions by Mouse. It seemed that as soon as Serena had addicted Vincent to the drug, and he had broken up with Catherine, Paracelsus appeared one day with his minions and successfully took over the community. Several of the men tried to fight back: Kanin, William, Cullen, John, and Mouse to mention a few. Even Jamie and Rebecca took up the fight, but all was to no avail. They were heavily outmanned, and with Vincent effectively neutralized, the fight was over almost before it began. At first, Paracelsus confined the tunnel members to the Great Hall while he and his followers took the best of everything, and Paracelsus appropriated Father’s chamber and the library. Being an educated man, he could not destroy all the books that Father had accumulated but had them piled in another chamber. The library was changed into a laboratory where Paracelsus could invent more powerful and different drugs. When this was done, the community members were allowed to leave the Great Hall and gather what was left of their belongings. Then they were taken to the lowest level of the tunnels and confined there until the madman had use for them. It was at this time that Mouse and Jamie had made their escape. They had been spying on Paracelsus ever since and knew that their friends were being forced to make drugs. Paracelsus’ victory would have been complete if only he had been able to use the Beast, but when he drugged the man, he drugged the Beast as well. He wrote that off as a lost cause. As long as Vincent was neutralized, the rest of the community was helpless.
During the recitation, Vincent sat with bowed head, flinching at every hurt or harm that came to his family. He raised a tear-stained face and asked, "What of Father?"
"Well, Father pleaded with Paracelsus to spare the children," Jamie said. "Then Paracelsus had everyone brought to the Great Hall. Sitting in your chair as if it was a throne, he humiliated Father by forcing him to agree to serve him as his personal servant in exchange for the children’s safety."
"Mouse knows this. Spied on meeting. Know way to get into Great Hall that no one else knows," the young man proudly boasted.
Jamie picked up her story, "He made Father get down on his knees and grovel, then told him that their continued safety depended on Father’s complete and utter devotion to his duties and if he stayed in his good graces."
By the time Jamie had finished her tale, Vincent was shaking with repressed rage. Catherine did her best to calm him. He had to keep his anger under control and be logical in all his steps to free the Tunnels of Paracelsus’ ruthless domination. "Do you know if Father is all right?" he asked through gritted teeth.
"No," Jamie answered. "I do know that he is at Paracelsus’ side at all times and sleeps on the floor at the foot of his bed. Mouse found this out."
"Oh, that horrible man!" Catherine burst out. "He’s heartless. Father must be in terrible pain from his arthritis. Sleeping on the cold hard floor will only inflame it."
Suddenly Vincent’s emotions took a violent turn. Always a rational man, the events of the past two years had brought his emotions closer to the surface. "All my fault," he cried, raising his closed fists to cover his ears as if he could shut out all the terrible words he had heard. "All my fault. How can you bear to even look at me?" he moaned. "I failed you when you needed me the most."
Mouse knelt before him and pulled his hands away from his head, cradling them in his own. "Don’t blame you, Vincent. Blame Serena. She did it."
Jamie came to kneel beside Mouse. Placing a hand on Vincent’s shaking shoulder, she agreed, "You were only trying to help a lost soul, Vincent. It’s not your fault that she was a snake in disguise. She waltzes around like she’s the queen of the tunnels, ordering everyone to do her bidding."
"Vincent," Catherine said, attempting to take his mind off his supposed betrayal, "we have to make plans to rescue them."
Suddenly, he stopped crying, and when he raised his head, there was a look in his eyes that she had seen only when the aspect of the Beast was upon him. But it was different this time. The man was in total control. The two sides of this divided man were working in harmony. In this venture they needed each other.
"Yes, we need a plan. Mouse, can you show me where you have spied on the intruders?" he asked, deadly calm.
"Yeah, sure. Stupid men could never find Mouse. Always just out of reach." Mouse jumped to his feet ready to take off at a minute’s notice.
"With Jamie and Mouse here, the food supply is going to run out quickly. And we’re going to need medical supplies, clothing, and more food for the community. I’m sure Paracelsus hasn’t worried too much about their diet. Jamie, can you take me to the surface?" Catherine asked the eager young woman.
"Sure. When do you want to go?"
"Vincent, while you and Mouse are scouting the tunnels, Jamie and I will go above and contact Peter. We can let him know that we plan to rescue the community and get more food and medical supplies. God knows what that man has done to our family."
***********
The following morning, Catherine and Jamie returned Above. Shortly after leaving the warehouse, they were accosted by two men. Neither man expected the resistance that they met. Catherine had not forgotten Isaac’s lessons, and Jamie had learned to defend herself long ago when she was a young teenager living on the streets. The two women were about to send the men packing when a police car pulled up. Forgetting their intentions, the two muggers fled with one of the policemen chasing after them.
The remaining officer stepped out of the car to question the two women. "Well, you ladies were certainly giving them a run for their money," he quipped then, peering closely at them, said, "Catherine Chandler? What are you doing here on the docks?"
Catherine squinted up at him. After all this time in the tunnels, her eyes still hadn’t quite become accustomed to the daylight. "Vern James, isn’t it?" she asked.
"Yeah, we were on that drug bust about four years ago. Man, you were cool." His coffee colored face broke into a huge grin as he remembered his part in that drug bust and how easily she handled herself in a difficult situation.
"Thanks. Can you tell me where the nearest telephone booth is?"
It wasn’t until much later that he realized that she had never answered his question. "You need to get to some place?" he asked just as his heavily breathing partner returned.
"Lost ‘em," he stated as he took an appreciative look at the two women.
"Sorry, Cathy," Vern stated. She shrugged a shoulder. Their capture was the least of her worries. "Cathy," he continued, "this is my partner, Sam Owens. Cathy used to work for the DA," he explained to his partner.
Sam nodded to her then, looking past the pretty face of the other young woman, noticed the strange way she was dressed.
"Oh, this is Jamie, a good friend of mine." Jamie nodded uncomfortably at the two officers. "Now where’s the nearest telephone?" Catherine asked again.
"Where do you need to go?" Vern asked.
"Dr. Peter Alcott’s office."
"Oh heck, I know where that is, he’s my wife’s doctor. Hop in and we’ll be there in no time," Vern offered.
With a relieved sigh, the two women climbed into the back seat and settled back for a comfortable ride to Peter’s office.
*************
A short while later they were striding into Peter’s office suite. Vern had been as good as his word and the two women thanked him profusely for the ride. Now they stood in front of the appointment desk which was manned by the same woman who had tried to keep Catherine from seeing Peter the last time. She frowned at the young woman, thinking, /Not this time, lady./ Catherine fooled her by sweetly asking if she would take an important message to the doctor. Caught off guard, the receptionist agreed before she realized what was happening.
"Just tell the doctor that Cathy is here," Catherine said. The receptionist glared at her but did what she had asked. While this was going on, Jamie was nervously looking around the well-appointed office. She felt like a hick from the country: completely out of place. She wanted desperately to get away from the superior looks of the well-dressed women sitting in the waiting room.
As the two women turned to find a seat, Peter burst through the door. "Cathy!" he cried then he saw the other young woman, "Jamie? Get in here, both of you." He led them to his office and closed the door. "Now what’s happened," he demanded.
Catherine told him her tale then Jamie related the take-over by Paracelsus.
"I knew something was wrong. Vincent is all right?"
Catherine assured him that Vincent was almost back to normal.
"Well, how can I help?" he asked.
"We’re going to need food, clothing, and medical supplies. Vincent and Mouse are scouting the tunnels now. Mouse knows how to get to the prisoners. Vincent will take care of the guards. I don’t have enough food to feed the four of us as well as the whole community. Have you gotten in touch with the Helpers?" she asked.
"Yes, they are ready to help in any way they can but not to fight. Most of them have families or are too old to go to battle. We would have done something--don’t know what--before this, but we just didn’t know what to do. We couldn’t go to the police, and Paracelsus changed all the entrances so we couldn’t even get in. We needed you before we could do anything."