The Price of Protection

Chapter 37~ Empires Rise

Marius:
     It has taken much longer than I originally anticipated to put our plan into motion. First, dealing with explaining the turn of events to Remington and then going over anything Simone may have bugged or touched regarding sensitive information. We couldn't risk that someone was listening in when we made our rescue plans. There are many possible outcomes since we can't account for every scenario, but we've schemed as much as possible on our end. As long as I get her out mostly unscathed I will have succeeded. I doubt being kidnapped again will go lightly into the recesses of her mind, but maybe she is stronger now. 

     It's been a rough 22 hours even on our end and I hope that Céline has managed not to panic. I remember how she was the last time after he'd held her captive and I'm sure he will have put her in that same damp underground cell, but hopefully she knows now that I wouldn't leave her there-- I love her. It would be cold now, the ground hard and nearly frozen. Perhaps the folds of her gown will have kept her mostly warm.
     Quinn seems strong also, but I don't know what state she was in when they took her so I try not to think about whether or not Jacques knows who she is.
    
     Andre and I have been quite the pair, raging around as we got everything in place for this meeting. I didn't think we would be able to convince Simone to meet with Andre, but he's very convincing and she knows that he loves her. He managed to convince her that he would follow her anywhere as long as he could keep her safe and she believed him. She is young after all, naive still. And though Jacques said he didn't care about her safety, I am calling his bluff. I saw the look in his eyes, the smile. He loves her. And for the first time I see why, in the past, love has been so easily used against some of our enemies. I see why when you threaten someone's loved ones they give in so readily... Using it as a weapon is no longer as much fun.

     When we pull up to the gates of the overextravagant estate, vehicles, and armed men are waiting to escort us. We brought only two vehicles. Andre, Simone, Remington, and I are driven in one, with a driver and armed guard in front, and four armed guards reside in the vehicle behind us.

     "Andre," Simone is crying again. I am fed up and exhausted by the emotions she has been constantly spilling since we caught her. "Andre, I do love you. Can you blame me for falling in love?"

     He says nothing in response, keeping his eyes fixed out the window. My only promise to him is that I would try to make sure she was unharmed in the exchange, his eyes showed his appreciation. It would be better this way-- if she went with Mesrine, then I would not have to punish her and would avoid possibly causing a rift between Andre and I.

     When we've pulled up and exited the vehicles, Mesrine's men begin escorting us immediately to the entrance keeping with their stone faces.
    
     "Ah!" His voice comes from across the large foyer, "Cutting it a bit close, aren't we?"

     My eyes roam the dim space until they land on him and I can barely stand my own skin. If he gets too close I can't know for sure that I can control myself long enough not to strangle him with my own two hands. I burn. My whole body burns, my heart pounding and rage trembles through me at what he's threatened of mine.

     "Where is she?"

     He grins, "Don't you mean 'they'"?
    
     "Where," my teeth grind painfully.

     "Come, come," he sighs exasperatedly as if I've just ruined his fun. He turns and leads us all into a large ballroom. It's open and free of tables and chairs, dust coverings are over random pieces of furniture around the edges of the room as if it hasn't been used in a very long time. The lighting is kept low. 

     It is nearly completely dark out since it's been nearly a full 24 hours now. There is one chandelier light on the tall ceiling that's been turned on, but the bulbs are that weak antique yellow that barely brightens anything and casts a haunting glow to the grim mood.