Story of I can't breathe without you continues. In the midst of new love and the chaos of Rochefort, the four friends have to take on a new, unknown foe, brutal and sinister. Louis is in danger, as well as Anne. The four musketeers have to risk eve...
Chapter 2: An ordinary morning at Chateau Fontainebleau
"Hey, you can't keep me locked up here!"
A man was tied to a chair, his voice echoing from the stone walls of a cellar room. He had no idea if anyone could hear him – or was even around to hear him -, or how long he had been there. He just kept yelling. "Hey, I need to pee!" Slowly he was getting desperate. He tried jarring the chair, pushing off the ground again and again, but the chair didn't move. Four thick bolts solidly connected it to the floor, preventing it from toppling over. It didn't take long for the man's movements to slow down. The waiting and the lack of food and drink had weakened his body. He let his head drop to his chest. An ordinary person would feel pity seeing him like this.
Not so the chief of security of Chateau Fontainebleau and his second-in-command. The two men were alone in the surveillance room, watching their prisoner through the camera. "Good, he's starting to realize the situation. Have Durrand bring him some bread and water."
Athos nodded. Treville had deliberately chosen a senior, experienced man and Athos went to find him.
It was still early in the morning. The gallery opening had ben two days ago and things had returned to their normal routine. Aramis and D'Artagnan had the late shift today, so they hadn't arrived yet. Porthos, like a lot of the other guards, was in the guard room and that's where Athos expected to find Durrand as well.
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He went into the room and where despite the early hour the general hustle and bustle was going on, as some of the men stood at the equipment lockers, picking up weapons, walkie-talkies and protection vests. A smaller group, the K-9s, headed into one of the adjoining rooms, where the kennels for the guard dogs were situated.
Porthos stood at the coffee machine, telling a couple of men about his long night. Athos had no qualms interrupting the thrilling – and partly made-up story. "Where's Durrand?"
"Ah, Athos, always the early bird. A woman would be the right cure for that," Porthos teased and some of the men called out their approval. Athos just looked at him, keeping his expression absolutely emotionless. Porthos held his gaze for a few moments, then he gave up "Durrant is still with the dogs, giving an introduction to one of the newbies."
Athos nodded in thanks and left. As Porthos had said, he found Durrand at the kennels situated at the edge of the Coeur des Offices, leading a young man past the dogs, who were barking loudly, but too well trained to go completely wild. "Durrand!" Athos called out and motioned for the man to come over to him. Durrand apparently sent the new recruit off on an errand and hurried to Athos. Every man on the security team had a lot of respect for the second-in-command.
"What can I do for you, Athos? I'm just giving one of the newbies, Michel, the introductory tour. The guy's deadly afraid of the dogs," he said, smiling.
"Treville wants you to take some bread and water to our prisoner." Athos spoke in a low voice, but took care not to make them look too secretively. Durrand nodded and called out to one of the other men still standing at the kennels. "Lefevre, take over for me." Then he followed Athos.
