In Dreams She Came

Chapter 24: Mel's the Only One

Caroline slowly entered the room, looking nervously over her shoulder.

"Can I help you?" Catherine asked with a bit of annoyance.

"I just...I thought I'd check on you," Caroline said meekly.

Catherine sighed. "I'm done for, aren't I?"

"I'm honestly not too sure what my father is planning," Caroline grimaced. "But I think he's trying to use you to get Matt over here."

"Oh, god," Catherine moaned. "I swear, I will beat the crap out of your father if he lays a finger on Matt."

"I don't blame you," Caroline shrugged. Not knowing what else to do, she left the room.

For the first time since she'd been taken, Catherine was truly afraid. Not for herself, but for Matt. She knew that he would try to come find her and there was a possibility that he was in grave danger. There was one thing Catherine knew for sure. She would die for Matt if she had to.

—————

"What exactly are you proposing?"

"Ever gone fishing?" Matt sighed. "You'd be the bait."

"Okay," Jacob said slowly. "How is this going to save your girlfriend?"

"I can't promise anything, but-" Matt shivered, "we're going to have to get Mari involved."

"Why would we do that?" Jacob questioned with suspicion.

Matt gave a little smirk. "I'm going to need Mel back for a day."

"Okay," Jacob shrugged. "Where are we going?"

"Back to the theater. I'm gonna need a wig and about ten gallons of concealer."

Jacob nodded and the two set off for the opera house.

Matt's phone began to ring. He swiped it the bottom bar to answer the call. "Hello?"

"Matt," Ashley sighed, "listen, we have news on Cath."

"Make it quick," Matt said, glancing at his watch. "I'm onto something."

"They're keeping her at an abandoned warehouse. It's the same place where they were holding us. If we play our cards right, I think we can sneak in to rescue her."

"Don't- stop- gah!" Matt exclaimed. "Listen, stay put. I'm going to get her. Tell Mari to meet me at my house."

"Okay," Ashley shrugged. "Just hurry."

—————

Mari quickly adjusted her purse strap and ran into the apartment. "Would someone please tell me what's going?" She yelped.

"We're going to rescue Catherine," Matt nodded.

"Dad?" Mari exclaimed in surprise.

Jacob stared at his shoes. "I don't like this, Matthew."

"Mari," Matt said softly, stepping foreword. There was a fire in his eyes, one Mari recalled in those icy seconds as the pyrotechnics shot up in an angry fury. "I need your help."

"Me?" Mari asked with a frown. "What could I do?"

"I need you to pretend to be Mel."

"What?" Mari scoffed. "I look nothing like her-"

"You look more like her than you think," Matt smiled. "With a bit of makeup, I think we can pull this off."

—————

"I'm here for Catherine Daei!" Mari said loudly, attempting to keep the trembling in her voice hidden. "She's of no consequence anymore. To you or to Matthew." Her Converse echoed as they slapped against the cold concrete of the warehouse.

Isaiah scoffed. "And what makes you think we'll just give her up?"

"Why don't you come out and take a look at me?" Mari taunted.

"If there's commotion, bring out the girl with a gun. We'll threaten if we need to," Isaiah whispered to Caroline. He stepped out and looked Mari up and down. "Cute disguise."

"How's Rose?" Mari spat. "We were always so close."

Isaiah's face changed, a twinge of fear in his eyes. "That proves nothing."

"I'll tell Issac you said hello."

"Issac?"

"Issac Taylor. What an idiot you had to be to not smell him right under your nose."

"Issac Taylor is dead," Isaiah said shakily, "and so are you."

Mari gave a little smirk. "As dead as Matthew Collins?"

"W-what?" Isaiah stammered.

"Did you really think something like a brake line could stop me?!" Mari scoffed. "Matt knows that I'm back. No matter who he might have been seeing in the meantime, I'm the only one who matters now."

"What?" Cath whispered with her brow furrowed as she peeked around the corner.

"We were inseparable then. It's the same now. There's no force on earth that can keep me from my husband. Now, I'd suggest handing the girl over before the tens of thousands of police my father commands arrive."

Caroline pulled Catherine roughly by the arm out of her room. "You so much as make a noise and she's dead," she threatened, holding a gun to Catherine's head. "Please believe me," she whispered in Cath's ear. "He's threatened Jeremy, I just want to keep everyone safe."

"How do I know you're not bluffing?" Isaiah frowned.

"Because," Matt said rushing in in a bullet proof vest and looking at Cath emotionlessly as he wrapped an arm around Mari's waist, "you know me. Mel's the only one for me, always has been. Nothing else matters. Especially not Cath."

His words were like a dagger in Catherine's chest. "Just kill me, I beg you," she moaned.

Caroline pushed Catherine to the ground forcefully. "I don't take orders," she said coldly.

Catherine made a face. "What the crap, Caroline?"

"No one has to die," Matt said, raising his gun to the level of his eye. "Let me and my wife go, turn Cath over to the police, and maybe we can negotiate some cable TV for your four by four cell."

Catherine laid on the floor and pulled out her phone. "Let me know when you're ready to shoot me."

"Where did you get that?" Caroline frowned.

"Your back pocket," Catherine smirked. "Say goodbye to my sisters for me, will ya?"

Matt stepped forward with a desperation Cath didn't see, but Mari grabbed him and pulled him back forcibly.

Isaiah's eyes narrowed and he gave a smirk. "You know, it's funny. Sometimes it's our actions, not words, that betray us. A man truly completely in love with his wife, a man like Matthew Collins, wouldn't think of risking the life of his beloved."

Caroline turned the gun to Mari, hands shaking as a crash came through the door.

"FBI! freeze!" A young man shouted.