by Scott Bergin
"Is that what you call these beatings, punishment?" She asked, glancing at Dana.
"That is what I call a little bit of punishment." Robert replied. "You don't want to know what a lot looks like, or feels like."
"You're sick." Christine said, swinging the rolling pin at Robert's head.
Robert leaned back, and let the pin swing by his face. Immediately afterward, he punched Christine square in the face. Christine stood dazed, swaying back and forth. She dropped the rolling pin, without even realizing it. Robert picked it up off the floor. When Christine started to come back around, Robert swung the rolling pin as hard as he could. The pin struck Christine in the stomach, and she doubled over.
"Stop it!" Dana screamed. "She's only a child!"
"A child who foolishly takes after you." Robert replied, hitting Christine in the back of the head with his fist.
Christine fell to the floor. She hoped that Robert would leave her alone if she lay motionless. She wasn't so lucky. Robert grabbed Christine by her hair, and slowly stood her back up.
"Did you learn your lesson?" Robert asked.
Christine couldn't speak. She was in too much pain, and trying too hard to fight back the tears. Instead, she simply nodded her head.
"And what lesson did you learn?" Robert asked.
Christine continued to say nothing. Wiping back the tears that managed to slip out, Christine shrugged her shoulders.
"I can't hear you." Robert replied, making a mockery of her misery.
"I don't know." She whined, breaking into tears.
"That was not the answer I was looking for." He replied.
Dana watched in horror, as Robert lifted Christine off the ground by her throat, with one hand. He threw her backward onto the bed. She landed next to Dana, hitting the back of her head on the headboard. Dana looked over at Christine, and was relieved to see that she had remained conscious. She looked back at Robert, and saw him exiting the room.
"I am going to be gone for the rest of the day." Robert announced. "I will assume that things will be quite different when I get back. I don't think any of us want to have to go through this again."
Dana and Christine each thought of a thousand things to say to him, but they refrained. A moment later, they heard the front door slam. They continued to lie on the bed, thankful that he had left, yet fearful of his return. Neither of them said a word, nor tried to get off the bed. Neither of them wanted to endure the added pain.
Chapter 52
April 20
5:10 p.m.
Nice, France
The pleasantly distracting Italian music continued to play softly from Thomas' clock radio. Gabrielle paid little attention to it. She was far more interested in carrying on with her research. Gabrielle was quite impressed with what she had accomplished in just the last four hours.
The first simple task she accomplished, was to find out where Leonardo Da Vinci spent the last years of his life. She was not at all surprised to find out that he had spent them in France. What did surprise her, was the man who brought Da Vinci back to France. It was king Francis I. Gabrielle was not so overwhelm with who he was, but what he was. His insignia was of a salamander. She was more than a little proud of her finding. Gabrielle could hardly stop smiling. She had solved most of the puzzle on the page. She knew that the place they were looking for had to have significance at the end of Da Vinci's life. The place also had to bear significance to king Francis I, at the beginning of his. Now all Gabrielle had to do was check each possible place, to see if any contained something that could be considered four who are one. Gabrielle's smile quickly vanished. She came up empty handed.
Francis I seemed to be famous for only one thing, according to these files. He constructed the largest castle of its day, but it wasn't completed until thirty years after Leonardo Da Vinci died. Gabrielle dug deeper. That castle constituted the bulk of the information available on Francis I. She found out when the initial construction began. It was only one year after the death of Leonardo Da Vinci. That meant it was conceivable for Da Vinci to have worked on the castle, at least during its design. Gabrielle rifled through the drawers, looking for a picture of the castle. She would have been satisfied with a black and white drawing. What she found was far more splendid. She stumbled across a postcard from the castle. As she held it up to view, Gabrielle softly mouthed its name.
"Chambord."
Gabrielle eventually managed to put the postcard down, and return to her research. Gabrielle was overjoyed when she first thought that she had discovered the four that are one. Then, she slowly realized that nearly everything in Chambord is divided into quarters. The castle had four medieval corner towers, and four keeps. It even had four hundred forty rooms. Everywhere Gabrielle looked, the castle provided more fours. She started to sense that this was the place Da Vinci had been speaking of. Quickly, Gabrielle found herself asking all kinds of questions. The first thing she wondered, was which four in particular Da Vinci was referring to.
Suddenly, another thought hit her. What if Francis never got the message, or misunderstood it. With several different fours incorporated into the design, there was nothing to tell Francis which one. Gabrielle wondered if someone had already beaten them to the gem. After all, the castle had been remodeled several times in the past four hundred fifty years. Gabrielle took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself. She had to remind herself why she was trying to solve the riddle on the page. It was not to find the gem. Too many people had already died for its sake. She needed to solve the riddle in order to catch the man who was responsible for all that killing. The only way they would ever run into Thomas LaRue, was if they solved the riddle on the page. Gabrielle was nearly certain that the message was referring to something at Chambord, but she refused to give up the hunt until she could grasp the full meaning. She knew that they would only have one chance to meet up with Thomas again. If they foolishly chose the wrong location to go and wait for him, that sole chance would slip away.
Gabrielle got up from her paperwork. She walked into the kitchen, where she had seen a phone on the wall. She picked it up, and dialed the number for the hotel. Gabrielle was so excited by what she had found, that she had to tell Alex. Before the desk clerk answered the phone, Gabrielle hung up. She smiled when she thought of why Alex wasn't beside her. She had worn him completely out. Gabrielle also recalled the note she had written, and the reason she had left so quietly. She could not disturb Alex, not before he had a chance to read her note and collect his thoughts. Placing the phone back on the wall, Gabrielle returned to the work room. Though she was somewhat upset with herself for having placed the call, Gabrielle was still proud of what she had discovered. Gabrielle wished Alex had woken up first, so she would not have had to go through all this. She thought of him, still sleeping in the hotel bed. What she really wanted, was to have stayed right beside him. She only regretted leaving, because the anxiety of waiting for him was going to drive her mad. Sitting back down, Gabrielle had trouble returning her mind to work. She wondered how Alex would take the news that she had solved in a couple of hours, what they couldn't in a day. He would either be overjoyed, or he just wouldn't accept it. Gabrielle was hoping for the former. She hoped Alex was as interested in solving the puzzle as she was. Alex was not likely to insist that he be the first one to understand the message. He was never eager for the spotlight. Gabrielle wished she could think the same of herself in good conscience. As much as she wanted to be recognized for her efforts, that was not the true reason Gabrielle wanted to break the news to Alex. She still couldn't even prove that she had the right location. Gabrielle wanted to tell him what she had discovered, in order to make it seem real. The time she spent away from him seemed less vivid, almost as if she were dreaming. When she was with Alex, it felt as if she suddenly woke up. Being with Alex not only made that time seem real, but it also made the time they were apart a reality. Gabrielle needed to be with him, if only to show herself that she was still alive.
The fi
le drawer closed with a small squeak. Gabrielle lay on her back, on the floor. She felt like giving up on the search, at least until Alex arrived. Gabrielle wondered if she could somehow be on completely the wrong track. Alex might show up and explain where she went wrong, or at least, that was what she hoped. Holding the single postcard to her chest, Gabrielle stared blankly at the ceiling. She felt all her will power slipping away. Her desire to do anything faded. Gabrielle didn't feel like sleeping. She felt as if she already was. Eventually, she knew, Alex would come and wake her up. Until then, she would just stare at the bland white plastered ceiling above. Within minutes, Gabrielle felt her mind carrying her back to the previous night. She wanted to blush, but she could not. When she recalled the passion, she could no longer pretend to possess the innocence that blushing involved. After remembering the vivid details of their wildly passionate evening, Gabrielle found herself thinking only of Alex. She knew exactly how she felt about him, and had told him in her note. What she could not think of, was when she started to have such feelings. When Gabrielle kissed him for the first time, she had already known that she loved him. However, she didn't recall having such feelings in Waza, or even in Benoué. She wondered where the feeling had come from, and why they rose up so quickly. Gabrielle started to worry. If the feelings could arise suddenly, could they fade as fast. Gabrielle knew that she had to get her mind off Alex, or the time would never pass. She quickly sat up, and opened one of the filing cabinet drawers. Slowly going through the files, Gabrielle hoped to find something that would catch her eye. She was no longer looking to solve the puzzle of the page. All she wanted was a file on something to take her mind off Alex. To her dismay, she could find nothing. Every file seemed the same, uninteresting. Any attempt to take her mind off Alex, only brought stronger memories of him to mind. Gabrielle wanted to go back into the kitchen and call the hotel, but she resisted. She wanted to have the taxi bring her back to the hotel, so they could relive the previous night. Gabrielle resisted that temptation as well. She was trapped by her fear of rejection. As a result, she could do nothing but wait for Alex and hope that he loved her as much as she loved him. She was so consumed with her hopes and worries, that she could not continue looking through the files. Gabrielle closed the drawer one more time, and returned to lying on the floor. Staring at the ceiling, Gabrielle hopped that Alex would not be much longer. Her desire for him had become so strong, she no longer felt whole without him.
Chapter 53
April 20
6:00 p.m.
Nice, France
The clock beeped only once. Alex's quick hand slapped it before it had a chance to annoy him further. Alex slowly put out his other hand, and felt for Gabrielle's body. The warmth that had pressed up against him several times while he slept, was now gone. He opened his eyes, and verified the awful truth. She was gone. Alex looked over at the digital clock, and verified the other awful truth. It was six in the morning. He strangely felt like he had slept for hours, though he clearly recalled seeing the clock after four in the morning. Alex forced the blanket and sheet off himself with his feet. He knew that Gabrielle was an early riser from the time he had spent with her in Africa, but this was a step beyond. She had already gotten up and left for breakfast by six in the morning. Alex tried to focus his weary eyes on the bathroom. If she had just left, the room should still have the last remnants of steam on the mirror. Alex stared into the bathroom, while his eyes adjusted to the light. The mirror appeared to be smashed. He couldn't imagine having slept through something like that. A sudden horrible thought raced through Alex's mind. He envisioned Thomas breaking into the hotel room, and abducting Gabrielle. Alex sat up in the bed, attempting to see better into the bathroom. He began to wonder if Thomas could have gotten to France so fast. Alex remembered wasting a significant amount of time in the jungle, and he feared it was possible. There might be an all night train that could have brought Thomas to the northern extremes of Africa, where he could take a boat across the Mediterranean Sea. Thomas lived remarkably close to the Sea. Being afraid of flying, it seemed like the most reasonable choice of transportation. Alex could see nothing different about the mirror. There were three distinctive cracks. One ran along the bottom. One ran along the right-hand side. The last ran diagonally through the center.
Alex swung his feet off the side of the bed. He quickly stood up, causing a temporary dizzy spell. Alex realized that he was still not fully awake. His mind was functioning normally, but his body wasn't. After regaining his balance, Alex walked into the bathroom. Turning on the light, Alex saw the cracks in the mirror for what they really were. Alex followed each soap streak with his eyes. He stared at each with the same disbelief. Gabrielle had certainly wanted to get his attention, and she had. Alex knew that Gabrielle had certain strange little quirks, but he had no idea that mirror art was among them. With a damp hand towel, Alex began removing the streaks from the mirror. The task was relatively simple, but Alex felt compelled to do it. He didn't want to leave it up to housekeeping. They would probably add on a charge for it that he could not afford. They would undoubtedly ask questions as well. Questions that he could not answer, like why she had done it. As Alex wiped each streak down to the bottom right-hand corner of the mirror, he felt like an idiot. He realized what the streak marks were there for. Gabrielle had wanted to get his attention. She had taken the time to draw three giant arrows on the bathroom mirror, and he didn't even realize what they were while he was removing them. Alex considered himself lucky that Gabrielle knew how absent minded he could be at times. This happened to be one of those times. Alex finished wiping off the mirror, then looked into the small soap dish. Sitting on the bar of soap was a folded note. Alex wondered why she couldn't have just tacked the note up somewhere, or just written it on the mirror. Though, he was thankful she hadn't just left it on the side of the bed for him to overlook. Alex got the distinct feeling that the note had to be important. If it contained anything less than vital information, Gabrielle was guilty of possessing a whole new level of paranoia. Alex unfolded the note, and read it to himself.
Dear Alex,
Last night was magical. I didn't want
to disturb you this afternoon, you looked
so peaceful. I'll see you at Thomas'
when you get up. There is no hurry.
I love you.
Yours always and forever,
Gabrielle
At first, nothing seemed out of place. It was just a pleasant note saying that she would see him later. Alex was caught up in the last sentence. Gabrielle had showed him that she loved him the night before, now she was telling him. He couldn't decide which was more fulfilling. Alex gasped, as he read the note again.
"Afternoon." He said softly.
Looking over at the clock, Alex noticed something else he had overlooked before. The small light on the digital clock, that indicated post meridian, was lit. It was six in the evening. Gabrielle had been gone all day. Alex recalled feeling as if he had slept all day. He had. Alex wondered why she had not called. It was understandable to let him sleep late, but this was taking it to the extreme.
A cold chill came over Alex. When he thought it was six in the morning, he wondered if Thomas could have made it back to France. It was instantly twelve hours later, and Alex found himself asking the same question. Alex hated to admit what he was thinking. Part of him wanted to rush to Gabrielle's side to save her from the threat of Thomas. Another part of him wanted to rush to her side, in search of the love she had showed him the night before. The only thing Alex knew for certain, was that all he wanted was to be by her side. Whatever reason or excuse he could come up with didn't matter, he knew where he wanted to be.
Without a shower or a shave, Alex threw on the first set of clothes he found. He didn't bother tying his shoes, until he was in the elevator. When the doors opened on the first floor, Alex found himself running toward his car. He thought it was odd that Gabrielle didn't take the car. She had driven the car in Cameroon so well, it s
eemed like a waste to have someone with her talent riding on public transportation. Alex reached the black Mercedes, and quickly jumped in. A moment later, he was spinning the tires pulling away from the curb. Even though he didn't mean to do it, he knew Gabrielle would have been pleased with his performance. Alex tried not to speed. As he drove, all he could think of was Gabrielle. He no longer wanted to race to her side for fear she was in danger. Alex knew that Thomas was still days away, in some remote corner of Africa. The only reason Alex wanted to be by her side, was the most important reason. He loved her. Alex thought back to reaching his hand out, and finding her gone. All at once, he had felt alone, afraid, and confused. The confusion with the mirror hadn't helped his situation much. Though, it did take away from his feelings of loneliness.
Alex found himself thinking back to his flight from Gabon to Mali. At first, he didn't know what had brought those thoughts rushing back. Then he recalled his previous thoughts of Gabrielle bringing about thoughts of Maria. Alex remembered her warning on the plane. She had told him that nothing is finished until you let it be, and that he would understand when he got to France. Now, as he drove through Nice, he wondered if he was starting to grasp what she was talking about. So far, the only thing he had found in France was love. Maria had also told him that they were not through. Alex felt he finally had all the pieces to what she was saying. They were not through, because Alex still had unresolved feelings for Maria. Feelings that were buried so deep, he would not discover them until he fell in love again. Now that he had fallen in love that deeply again, he would have to come to terms with his feelings. Alex knew that if he could not, he didn't stand a chance with Gabrielle. Every moment he would spend with her, he would be thinking back to Maria. The same questions, which arose years before, would spring up again. Alex would be as uncertain as ever about whether this was the person he truly wanted to be with forever. He knew that he truly loved Gabrielle, but then, he had felt the same way about Maria. Alex wanted to be with Gabrielle so much, that he wondered if it was really Maria that he longed for. He tried to clear that thought out of his head. It came right back. Alex wondered if he was running to Gabrielle in order to get away from Maria, or worse. He wondered if he was only drawn to Gabrielle as a substitute for Maria. Unable to dismiss the thought, Alex found himself questioning everything about his relationship with Gabrielle. The only conclusion Alex could make, was that he loved Gabrielle. He was unsure if he still loved Maria. It was so long ago, Alex found himself using that as an excuse not to think about it. His greatest fear was that he still loved her, and everything he had done in his life since then was a mistake.