The Opera House Chapter 38 to 40

38.

Monsieur Armand looked at the elderly man who had refused to sit at the offered chair. The elderly man was making some demands on him.

“Monsieur Valerian, I cannot take your ….requests. The show will go on despite your ….requests.” Armand seated behind the desk fingered at the leaves of papers. Those were invites that he intends to send for the forthcoming plays.

“Madame Carlotta is…”

“Monsieur Valerian., I ….”

“So it’s now Monsieur, Monsieur Armand. You never address me by that. You used to call me Valerian or pianist. So why the formality now? Or I will be removed soon?”

Armand stared at the man he employed as a pianist. He had heard of the argument that Carlotta had with the others. Or was it one of the many she had done. He knew Carlotta was at odds with almost everyone and that includes Christine.

“Valerian, I did not employ ….you but your contributions were all noted. I continued with your …”

“Are you telling me I am fired now? Well if you are then I am gone.” Valerian retorted back in anger. “I…”

‘No, Valerian…” Armand was getting anxious. He needed everyone in the play. “I was to say we will handle the matter soon after …the play. Valerian, please I need you. The Opera House needs you.”

“Cut the lines, Monsieur. I am not keen but I will stay. For the Opera House and for Christine.” Armand consoled the other and it was then Firmin walked in. `

“Pardone me I did not know you have company.” Firmin turned to leave but Armand stopped him. The later turned to Valerian and told him that all will be over by tonight. With that Valerian took his leave while Firmin approached the other.

“We have a small problem. The shipments are on route to the Opera but the authorities are there to check everything moving in. It will be slow and I have advised Pieter to be careful as not to arouse any attentions.”

It would had worked but a turn of event then soon made it major. Pieter loosened his fingers that he had held the beer drink in the tall glass while he shifted his weight on the seat at the bar. He had avoided the crowds due to his past but the wait was too long and he needed the drink. He looked at the drink there. It was not his Serbian products but close to it. Parisians were not beer drinkers and they much prefer the wine selection. He had his other drinks near his own place but the coming task made him come there. He winded his right hand fingers around the glass and held it hard. He then felt the other hand on his right wrist.

“Durka Goran….” It was not a question but a statement. Pieter looked from the wrist to the face of the man who was holding his. He could not place the face but it was from his past. He tried to pull his arm back but the other held on hard to it.

“Jean Valerian….No, you knew me as Jean Balerius then. Remember me, Pieter.” The one that held the arm had strong fingers. “Remember how we used to hunt then?”

Valerian pulled at the wrist up. It displayed a tattoo displaying the sign of a Phantom.

“Well, brother in arm, and fellow murderer. We went apart before you betrayed me to the enemy.” Jean glared into the face of the man who had made him a runner for survival.

“Jean,…you eloped with the lady.” Durka reminded Jean. “You were to…”

“No, I did….Yes, I did. I did my task to know here. I did get close to her. I used my skills as a pianist. To work with her to know her. Maybe too close. We had a child. And then the war started. Our organization was in shambles. I ran away with her to escape the war.”

“A war which we all ran, Jean. The organization was over. I ran too.”

“Why the betrayal?” Jean asked. “I had to run from the authorities. They have my face and name.”

“I was …caught. They tortured me and among the few I knew of our brothers, you were one. I knew you were in the area like myself. We were trained to escape for such events. You followed it to the word.”

“Yes, I did but the route was flawed. I survived for my love and our daughter.” Jean relaxed his hold and then tightened once more. “I have to kill some of them to escape but I left it all behind. I have changed.”

“Changed? We never could.” Durka rebuked back. “I am in Paris but my heart is still there. I am still the killer from yesterday. Now leave me.”

Jean loosened his hold and it was when Durka asked him.

“Where are you holed up here? I did not see you before.”

“The Opera House. I work and stay there.” That reply shocked Pieter. His reply was direct.

“Don’t go there tonight.”

39.

Christine looked at the box that was given to her by the maid. She knew that it was her present and probably for the play that night at the Opera House. She smiled weakly at her turn of events. One moment she was the dancer then the backup singer before she became the Comte. One that she let off a snigger.

“Comte…” Christine smiled. She was not but for some time, she was with the younger one, Raoul the Viscomte. She recalled the period when she yearned for Raoul ever resisting his advances. It was not that she was conservative; she knew many of the dancers were flouting their bodies to get what they want and love hardly ranked on the list. What is she had relented to Raoul’s for she was in love with him. Well she thought she was then and with the Comte, she was unsure.

“Comte…” Yes, he was older and had been seen in the company of other ladies. Those were Christine’s thoughts then.

“Am I a …slut?” Christine muttered out with embarrassment. She knew that from her strict upbringing. She then smiled.

“Saving it for the one.” Christine smiled. Ain’t we all was one wishing it was that simple.

“Christine…” Christine heard her name called and turned to look. It was not the Comte but Raoul. He was standing there looking at her. She was in the bedroom assigned by the Comte.

“What…How did you …” Christine struggled to find the words to ask the man standing there.

“I lived here.” Raoul replied. “Well, I used to be. So I heard that you are here.”

“I…” Christine found her words stuck at her throat but the other interjected on her.

“Why, Christine? Why?” Raoul had then raised his voice. “Why … What do you want? All of this? Or what? Was it the wealth and never our love?”

“Raoul… I came here to …find you.” Christine replied. “I was removed from the …Opera House. They don’t want me.”

“So you sought my brother to help you? To become the next Diva of the House? Do you not have any values of your own.” Raoul snapped back.

“”Don’t judge me, Raoul. I came here …I do not need to answer to you. I am …”

“Yes, you are on your own. I am no more your ….friend. For the Opera House, I will say this once...Don’t go there.” With that Raoul saw the box. He reached out for it and took out the red dress. 

“Bloody shade like blood. Like dead.” Raoul then tossed the dress to the floor. “Only a slut will wear that.”

Raoul then left the bedroom. Christine looked at the dress on the floor. She then stood up and left the bedroom soon after. The departure of Raoul and Christine was observed by the Comte from the far end of the corridor where he stood by the window of the bedroom that he arranged as his private room. He turned away from the window and then approached the work desk he had placed there. On the desk was the two suitcase of francs and krone notes which was the reason for the meeting

“The money is good.” The Comte was motioned to the suitcases on the desk. “All I want is your betrayal on Armand.”

The Comte looked at the man who had earlier transacted with him for the guns and then decided to betray his partner.

“You are puzzled by my move. Well, I will be open to you. Armand Moncharmin is an enemy of my friends. Armand is no Frenchman although he adopts that name. He is Serbian with his father heading the agency that hunted down the so named fugitives during a crackdown years ago. The fugitives fled the country but not all made it. Some of my friends’ father died but their legacy lived on. The Phantom lives on.”

“Phantom? What is this some joke?” The Comte asked.

“The Phantom is real. They were working with the tyrant then removing the oppositions and calling in the others to stay in line. It was all fine until the country demanded a change. They then become the hunted. They fled and some to Haiti doing the same cause with the members in the continent funding them. I was to arrive in Paris before I took on the new identity to hunt the them. That was when I found out of Armand. He was the youngest and the worst. He helped his father kill my friends but we cannot bring him down. His father escaped the punishment when he committed suicide but I intend to get the son. I cannot just kill him but destroy him in a manner that the others will know how revenge felt like.”

“What about the rebellion in Haiti? Why not start the new cause?” The Comte asked.

“It has been taken care off. They got their shipment from another source arranged by us but Armand must go down as an example.”

“Why the sudden change?” The Comte asked. “I thought….”

“Haiti is a lost cause. The shipment of arms will only allow them to escape. The authorities are onto them but here in Paris, they can rebuild the Legion. I have to stop them, and that means I have to remove Armand. I need your help there.”

“Why me?” The Comte asked.

“Because you are also a part of the team that hunt the Phantom. Or your father was. He was one of our supporters but with his death, we did not contact him and soon his fortune dwindled, we held back till now. We can restore that for you. With us, we can also restore your wealth. And your rank in the team to replace your father’s. You can be once more powerful and rich.”

It was not a hard choice for the Comte.

40.

Madame Giry looked at the door in her room hoping that it will opened then and in came her beloved daughter. Well, it did open but the person that came in was Lenier. The man approached the lady.

“I can’t find her anywhere. I came back to tell you. I have works to do. Some last minute shipments arrived.” With that Lenier stepped out. Madame Giry then stood up and soon after Madame Valerian pushed her way in holding the elder pianist. The later was injured with blood on his clothes.

“Let me …” Madame Valerian pushed her way in, and seated the injured man by the bedding. Madame Giry had then reached for some spare towels to assist the man. The man was attended on his injuries and then he was queried.

“I met …an old …lost associate. We spoke and then he told me to stay away from the House. I was ….concerned.” The elderly man looked towards his love. “I had to know.”

Madame Valerian reached for the bloodied towel and handed it to Madame Giry.

“I followed Durka on his way out. He was… I cornered him in the alley and confronted him there. He evaded my question and we got into a fight. Durka was good but he slipped and I hit him hard. I hammered him and finally he told me.”

“There will be some shipments handled here tonight.” Jean Valerian spoke up. “Soon after I found the authorities were running towards us. I escaped but Durka was arrested.”

“Why did you have to fight him?” Madame Valerian was upset. “You are a ..”

“It was my past, my love. I was not the pianist then. I was a ….like Durka a killer. I used to kill people on the orders of my superior. I….”

“Jean, I don’t care of your past before we met…” Madame Valerian held her lover. “I only know you love me.”

“No, its best I clear my conscience. I was ….assigned to ….monitor you.” Jean struggled to explain himself. “Instead I fell in love with you and with our child then, I had to leave. I left with both of you and the rest you knew.”

“Assigned? Why me? I was not any… No, you …It can’t be. He was my father.” Madame Valerian recoiled in shock. “We were out of the … Legion then”

“Yes, your father was part of the organization which I was in. I was assigned to watch you. Your father was concerned of his enemies within and outside. I did my task.” Jean reached out for his lover. “I …protected you.”

Madame Valerian moved from her lover and then stepped to the doorway. She turned to look at the man she had lived together for many years.

“Jean…I need to know. I…No, it won’t matter. It was our past.” It was then Lenier stepped back in. He saw the Valerian.

“Jean, the authorities are looking for you.”

At that moment Chief Inspector Buquet had stood at the window of his office watching the courtyard of the station. There were flurry of activities then with the detention of one wanted criminal name Marcel Loren but they found from the Foreign Section that he was Durka Goran, a wanted war criminal from Serbia. The criminal was arrested in a brawl but the other had escaped. Durka was brought to the station but he asked for a deal of negotiating his charges.

“I know of the event that will take place at Opera House tonight. The Legion of the Phantom will rise once more.” Those were the bold words of the figure then seated in the prison at the basement of the station. With the mention of the Opera House, the words were sent to the Chief Inspector.

“Should the Mayor be warned?” Chief Inspector looked to the officer who raised the concern. It was a precautionary move for the Mayor was not the only invited guest but an array of who’s who in Paris.

“No, do not alarm them. Keep the papers off. I want more men on the streets.” Chief Inspector looked at his officer. “And get that man to talk more. I want to know what is planned.  And who are the Phantoms?”

The Chief Inspector knew of the Legion of Phantom. It was one of his earlier tasks to trace the Legion and despite his many arrests, the leaders evaded him. They have resurfaced then and he will end the Legion influence in Paris.

“Who was the one who escaped.”

“That one that escaped we may have a lead. The man was seen running towards the Opera House.” The officer replied. “We are going over there.”

“The Opera House? What infernal thing is happening there?” Chief Inspector Buquet cried out. “Damned Phantom plaguing us?”

The officer nodded and left the office.

Just then at the Opera House, Lenier looked at the figure who was his friend and associate for years. He had joined the ladies at the bedroom of Madame Giry. He heard of the authorities checking the Opera House for an escaped criminal.

“Jean, you cannot hide here. I know of the place which you could stay hidden.” Lenier offered his assistance. “It’s in the catacombs below the Opera House.”