Beauty and the Beast Read online

  Adrian spoke in a commanding tone, “Now, give me the report on Diana Bennett.”

  Steve Palmer answered him. “She told us she didn’t find anything, but I don’t know where she is now. She isn’t at her apartment, and she’s not at the diner where we left her. She’s not one to give up easily on an assignment.

  I have a feeling shell keep snooping around.”

  Diana was troubled by what she was hearing and thought, “That means they have my apartment under surveillance. I’m not going to be able to use the manhole entrance to Father’s world behind my building until this is all over with.”

  “Keep your people on her. Let me know as soon as you know where she is, and I want to know about everything she does.” Adrian then dismissed Steve Palmer and told him to send Jonathan Pope in to see him. Adrian walked around the desk and sat down in the chair. After a few minutes the man who had kidnapped Diana, blindfolded her, and had then taken her to Gabriel to see Vincent’s sick child came into the room. He was quite tall with a burly build, but was also an insipid, soft looking man with dark-brown hair, a carefully trimmed mustache, and manicured hands. Diana couldn’t imagine that he had ever done even five minutes worth of manual labor in his life.

  Diana thought, “I see Adrian is putting the band back together again.”

  Jonathan Pope stepped up to the desk and asked,

  “You wanted to see me, Sir?”

  Adrian responded drily, “Sit down, Pope. I want to go over the events the way my brother related them to me, and make sure that is what really happened here. Gabriel was brilliant, but he was also nuts! He was my brother, though.”

  Jonathan Pope sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk. “What did Gabriel tell you, Sir?”

  Adrian began, “He told me that he accidentally stumbled upon a chance to complete a project I started thirty-five years ago. Our old man was a research geneticist who was studying creatures living under New York City. They were advanced humans with incredible abilities, but they didn’t look human. To my father they were family. To me they were an opportunity.

  “Gabriel said he had to take steps when an investigative lawyer in the District Attorney’s office in Manhattan managed to gain access to one of his lawyer’s little-black-notebooks which had sensitive information in it. He had control of the former District Attorney and ordered him to have this woman kidnapped, so he could find out what she knew and how far that knowledge had gone. He had a doctor on his payroll shooting her full of truth serum to no avail. She wouldn’t reveal anything.

  “Gabriel went on to tell me that it turned out that this woman was pregnant, and the doctor feared that she would lose her baby if he continued shooting her full of drugs. Gabriel didn’t care about that until the baby’s father came and attempted to rescue her. Gabriel told me he couldn’t believe his good fortune in getting his hands on the mate of the very baby we tried to capture thirty-five years ago. After that, he didn’t care at all about what she knew; he just wanted her child. I can’t believe Gabriel was foolish enough to send Snow to try to kill the baby’s father. Frankly, I’m surprised that Snow was willing to try

  that. Snow was always resentful of Gabriel’s madness after what happened when I sent him to collect Gabriel from the insane asylum in Queens that my father sent him to.”

  Pope spoke up at that point. “What happened, Sir?”

  Adrian continued his story. “It took me an entire year to figure out who I could bribe at that psychiatric facility, so Gabriel was fifteen when I finally got him out of there and had Snow bring him home. What does Gabriel do as soon as he gets home? He strangles our father to death in his sleep! That made a whole new mess to clean up. I gave Snow our father’s opal ring and a large sum of money to help us cover up what happened, but something went wrong with that plan. Snow ended up being charged with our father’s murder. He was sentenced and put into prison. Snow was a skilled assassin, and it was really ironic that he ended up being convicted of the one murder he didn’t commit! Anyway, it took me more than two years to come up with a technicality to have his conviction overturned, and he never forgave Gabriel for being crazy enough to kill the old man. That is the one murder we have committed that I almost feel sorry about. I wouldn’t have hurt the old man. We never could have become this powerful if he hadn’t taken us away from that drunken devil in Romania!

  “Part of Gabriel’s insanity was the fact that he constantly mixed up our drunken biological father with our adoptive father. In his mind they were one and the

  same. Even I had no luck getting him to see them as separate people. He kept accusing our adoptive father of selling him, when it was he who paid that drunken fool a lot of money to have us. When the old man had Gabriel committed, I guess to him it was the same as being sold.

  “Now, I can’t believe Gabriel managed to lose that creature again. He lost the creature’s offspring, killed the creature’s mate when she could have born more of them, and then to top it all off, he got himself killed in the process! At least I know the creature is still out there to be found.”

  Pope spoke up. “Sir, Vincent is highly intelligent. I don’t think he would have cooperated in any breeding scheme.”

  Adrian looked at him and frowned, “Vincent?”

  Pope explained. “Yes Sir; that was what Gabriel called the creature.”

  Adrian snorted. “Who needs for him to cooperate? Thanks to modern science we can just strap him down to a table and take what we want from him. It’s not just his breeding capability I’m interested in. I also want the secret of his advanced immunity. That alone would be worth millions. My father fell asleep in here once while writing in one of his journals. I picked it up and read it while he was sleeping, and it was a real eye-opener. I put it back under his hand, and he never knew I had been here. That was how I found out about these creatures. It actually gave me a new respect for the old man to know that he could keep valuable secrets like that. I just never could convince him to take advantage of the power he could have had with his fortune.”

  Diana felt herself becoming physically sick over what she was hearing, it was so horrifying. She had to figure out a way to protect Vincent and Little Jacob from this madman.

  Adrian added, “It figures that Gabriel would call the creature by his name. He kept referring to Vincent as both his brother and his enemy whenever he talked to me. I guess he was a brother to both of us, because our father loved Vincent and his family. He was our enemy, because he stood between us and greater power. He still stands in my way, and I am going to figure out how to capture and control him. I want a whole army of super-beings, and he can make that happen.”

  Pope spoke up again. “I tried to get Gabriel to leave when we knew that the police were on their way, but he wouldn’t budge. He was glued to the monitor watching Vincent. It finally became too late to save him from being caught and killed by Diana Bennett.”

  Adrian spoke bitterly. “I plan to deal with her myself as soon as I can figure out how to do it without ending up like Gabriel.”

  Pope added, “Everything you’ve told me that Gabriel said to you is pretty much exactly how it all happened.” Adrian finished with, “All right then, lets lock this place up for now. I have one more thing Gabriel told me

  to do. He left me a key for a locker that I need to go to, where he left something he wanted me to see. We are going to have to come back here again. I know the old man had a secret room somewhere in this house, but I haven’t been able to find it yet. I have had my people scouring every possible location for blueprints of this house with no luck finding any. He must have collected every copy to keep that room hidden. Ill contact you when I need you again.”

  The two men got up and left the room, turning the light out as they shut the door. Diana sat for a few minutes in darkness as she listened to them going up the stairs. Then she turned the light back on and sat thinking. She needed help, and Father and Vincent might not like the kind of help she knew she needed.

&nb
sp; Well, at least the mystery of what had happened to Dr. Dominik Vlas was solved, although tragically. She put his final journal into her inside coat pocket. Then she began collecting all of Dr. Vlas’ other journals and putting them into neat piles on the desk, so she could retrieve them later when she had something to carry them in.

  She waited for about an hour before attempting to leave the secret room just to be sure the men were really gone. While Diana was waiting, she thought about what she was going to do once she got out of the mansion. She didn’t know these tunnels beyond the diner. Even if she could make it up to the diner without being spotted by Adrian’s goons, it would not be open this late to call a cab.

  By the time she looked at her watch again, it was well past midnight.

  When Diana was safely in the tunnels under the mansion, she went to the nearest pipe and tapped out a message: “Diana stranded in tunnels under Gabriel’s mansion. Loft and diner under surveillance. Need escort.” She repeated the message until she heard an answering message to wait for an escort. Then she found a set of steps leading up to the doorway of an old service closet and settled down against the door to wait. It wasn’t long before she was sound asleep.

  Diana stirred awake and found herself wrapped in a cloak and cradled in strong arms like a child being carried by her father. “Vincent?”

  Vincent spoke softly. “Go back to sleep little Brat.

  You have had a very busy day getting yourself into trouble. I’m just thankful you had sense enough to call for help.”

  Diana’s voice sounded drowsy as she answered. “OK Monster,” and Vincent chuckled as she drifted back to sleep.

  Chapter IV

  That King Piece

  The next time Diana awakened, she was tucked into a soft bed. She looked around and realized she was in one of the satellite sleeping chambers the community kept for Helpers who visited or new community members who didn’t have their own chambers yet. Her shoes were under and her coat on top of a chair by the doorway. Rebecca was sitting in an armchair near the bed reading a book.

  Rebecca looked up from her book and smiled at Diana. “You’re awake!”

  Diana asked her. “How did I get here?”

  Rebecca explained. “Vincent carried you here during the night.”

  Diana looked confused. “I thought I had dreamed that.”

  Rebecca laughed. “Vincent left me in charge of you with strict instructions that I was to go get him as soon as you woke up.”

  Diana countered with, “Well, I’m rewriting those instructions. Where is Vincent? Ill go to him.”

  Rebecca laughed again. “Vincent certainly does have you figured out! He thought you would say that, so he told me to drag you, kicking and screaming if I must, to William’s kitchen to eat first.”

  It was Diana’s turn to laugh. “I promise I won’t throw a tantrum. I’m starving! I didn’t end up eating anything at all yesterday, so a trip to William’s kitchen would be most welcome.”

  Diana climbed out of bed and went to the chair by the door. She pulled a comb out of her coat pocket, took her ponytail down, and combed her hair before pulling it back up and putting the comb away. Then she sat down and put her shoes on. She stood up and grabbed her coat.

  “I’m all yours, Rebecca! Take me to William’s kitchen.”

  When the two women arrived at William’s kitchen chamber, Diana looked around in amazement. This chamber was a massive cavern with a very high ceiling. It had numerous long beautifully crafted dining tables and chairs in it like a cafeteria only much more inviting with the pretty candles down the centers of each of them.

  There were cozy rugs all over the stone floor. Three of the five walls were lined with beautiful marble counters over

  fine wooden cabinets. She could see that they had to be Cullen’s handiwork. What she was most amazed by, though, was the array of high-tech electrical kitchen appliances all along the fourth wall at the back of the chamber. This kitchen wasn’t lacking anything in the way of the latest food preparation and storage conveniences and equipment.

  There was the happy buzz of community members either still eating their breakfast at the tables or just sitting and socializing with one another. Children were everywhere happily playing on the rugs or still eating at the tables. Some of the younger ones were just sitting on the adults’ laps getting their daily dose of hugging.

  William was beaming with pleasure as he came from his stove to greet her. He looked like an huge fierce Viking with his flaming red hair which was just beginning to turn grey and his full beard and mustache. His temper could be just as fiery as his hair sometimes, when rules were broken or his community threatened, but most of the time he was happy just doing what he loved, feeding people.

  His food was not only delicious but very healthy, so illness was rare among them.

  “William, this is my first visit to your kitchen. How is it that you are able to have all of these electrical appliances down here?” Diana asked him.

  William replied, “That is a rather complicated story. I tell you what, let’s get you started eating, and 111 tell you all about it. Are you hungry?”

  Diana gave him her hand. “Feed me please! I didn’t get anything to eat at all yesterday. I am so ready for a good meal!”

  William laughed and led her to a table and seated her. She put her coat on the back of her chair. Then he went to the stove and filled a plate for her, grabbed a glass of juice off the counter, and took it all to her. “We’ve already asked a blessing on this morning’s meal, so dig right in!”

  “Thank you so much, William. This looks absolutely delicious!” She began eating with great enthusiasm.

  William watched her with delight, and then he began explaining how his kitchen came to be so well equipped. “Remember when Father took you to see Catherine for the first time two weeks ago?” Diana nodded as she continued to eat. “That was when Peter told Father that Catherine had set up a multi-million-dollar trust to take care of us down here. Well, the first thing Father wanted to do was to figure out a way to pay for our power use.

  “For the last roughly forty years, we had been using the city’s abandoned power lines for our limited needs. The city had electrical lights running all through the tunnels, so maintenance workers could work safely when they needed to make repairs to water and sewer pipes or electrical wiring. Since we maintain all of those things, so they won’t come down here and find us, Mouse had just rerouted the electrical wiring to run my appliances for the kitchen. We figured that my kitchen wouldn’t use nearly as much electricity as the city would spend paying workers to make repairs in the tunnels.

  “Since we now have the means to pay for our power, Father didn’t want to be pilfering power from the city any more, even if we were trading work maintaining the city’s service lines down here for it. We will still continue to do that work, but Peter helped Father implement a clever ‘power-laundering’ plan. It routes our power usage through the electric meters of several of our wealthier Helpers’ businesses, which operate in the Chinatown area and other parts of Manhattan that we are under. That way, their electric meters aren’t noticeably spiked by our power usage. Peter has accounts set up with them for other services we use anyway, and he now also pays for our electrical use through the bills from them.

  “Mouse thinks he’s in Heaven! He and his team of engineers and electricians have shiny new tools to work with, and they haven’t had to make do with materials thrown away at construction sites. While he was at it, Peter also updated my kitchen, so I’m having even more fun preparing food than I was having before.”

  Diana widened her eyes in surprise as she asked, “All of this was done in only two weeks?”

  William laughed. “It is amazing how much can happen in a very short period of time when you have money, the right materials, and you are in possession of an highly motivated, happy Mouse!”

  Diana laughed too. “I have a good mental picture of that! Well, it is absolutely wonderful. I assume th
e tables

  and chairs as well as those counters and cabinets are Cullen’s work?”

  William smiled. “They are.”

  When she was finished eating, Diana turned to Rebecca. “Now, where is Vincent this morning?”

  Rebecca pursed her lips and said, “Well, if we haven’t managed to lose track of him again, he’s in his chamber sleeping.”

  Diana raised her eyebrows and was almost afraid to ask. “You lost Vincent? How did that happen? When did that happen?”

  Rebecca giggled at her. “It actually happened last night before Vincent came to rescue you.” She looked around the kitchen at everyone who was still there. “All of the key players in that little drama are still here. I think between them they should be able to tell you the whole story.”

  An hush had fallen over the room, and Diana was fascinated to watch what was happening here. Everyone had moved closer to the table where Diana and Rebecca were sitting, obviously thrilled over the prospect of a story, especially one about Vincent, and this one was still new. The smallest children were being picked up and deposited on laps all around. A tiny boy of about three was standing by Diana, and he looked up into her face. She recognized Luke Evans, Olivia’s son. She smiled at him and he smiled back. Diana picked him up and put him on her lap. Then they began to tell her about what happened the

  This is the story of how the pipe chess game went awry. Sound the alarm: “King at large!”

  previous evening.

  Tony, true to his word, had been doing an excellent job of making sure he knew where Vincent was at all times and using Pascal’s new code to let the rest of the community know as well. Pascal’s new code consisted mainly of references to chess pieces with Vincent being referred to as the “King,” so that if he did catch on to any of it, he would just think the kids were playing a new type of chess on the pipes. Tony had just finished letting everyone know that Vincent was with Mary and Little Jacob in his chamber and would soon be going to see Father in the Council chamber. Then Tony went to the kitchen chamber to eat his supper.