“You should rest.”
He dropped her to the floor in the bedroom and, using the weight of his body, pressed down on her chest with his knee. Remi tried to fight him off, kicking and bucking beneath him, but she was too weak. Her muscles tingled and buzzed as if she were drunk.
“Sleep now,” her uncle said, producing a bottle from inside his jacket. He uncapped it and tipped it into a handkerchief. He pressed the wet cloth to her face; she breathed it in despite herself.
The lines of her vision blurred as her body slackened and everything went black.
FREEDOM
BEN
Ben paced his cell like a rat trapped in a maze. He felt wild, out of his mind with worry.
Remi had not returned, and with her uncle’s alarming visit, he grew more and more frantic. He’s going to kill her. He’s going to kill Remi, and I can’t stop him!
His thoughts spiraled into darkness, tearing the fragile corners that frayed in his mind. Arnaud’s confession had been biting, and it still stung. First his sister, then his father. Soon, it would be Ben’s turn, too. His whole family snuffed out.
He banged on the bars of his cell and shouted for what seemed like hours. Finally, an officer of the gens d’armes came to inspect the ruckus.
“What’s all this?”
“Where is the inspector?”
The man frowned. “He’s busy.”
“I need to talk to him,” Ben said. His urgency grew wilder by the second. “Now.”
The officer gave him a once over and banged on the bars with his baton. It shook Ben’s sore hands, but he held on. “He doesn’t have time for the likes of you.”
“Tell him to make time!” Ben yelled as the officer left.
He hit the bars again, shouting into the darkness until his throat burned and his eyes felt heavy. Remi was in danger, and he couldn’t do anything. Ben slid down the bars to his knees, gently knocking his head against the iron. He balled his fists against his knees to keep them from shaking as he struggled to maintain some measure of collectedness.
If they wouldn’t bring the inspector to him, he would draw the man out himself instead.
Ben sucked in a breath, and like a man unhinged, he jumped to his feet and grabbed the cot with all of his strength, throwing it. It took every ounce of his might, but when it hit the iron, it made the most awful, yet satisfying, sound. It bellowed down the hall, loud enough to alert all of the officers.
So he did it again.
And again.
He did it until his mind was incensed until there was nothing but blind rage to keep his muscles moving. If he stopped, he feared he would collapse from the enormous strain.
“Cease this at once!” The first officer, accompanied by another, banged on the bars again. Their voices were small in comparison to Ben’s shouting, and when he threw the bed again, they nearly toppled to the floor.
“What’s happening here?” The sound of the inspector’s voice was enough to stop him. “Ben? What are you doing?”
Before his legs claimed him, Ben fell against the bars to keep himself standing. “You must let me out.”
“What?” Marceau appeared incredulous. “Ben, I can’t do that.”
“You can,” he huffed, “and you will.”
The inspector leveled his gaze. “I can’t.”
“Madame Leone,” he huffed again, trying to catch his breath. “Remi…she’s in danger. Right now, right this second. I need to go to her.”
His eyes widened a fraction. “How can you know?”
“It’s her uncle. He’s behind it all.” Ben could feel his second wind coming on. “I need to go to her. Now!”
The inspector raised an eyebrow. “Do you have any proof of this?”
“Yes,” Ben sputtered. “If you let me out and I get to her in time, I will give you proof. You have my word.”
The inspector was silent for a moment longer, and then he was walking away. The other two officers followed him without another word.
“Her blood is on your hands!” Ben yelled, straining his already sore throat. “You coward! You’re all cowards!”
Ben was on the ground again when keys clinked against his iron bars a few long moments later. He looked up, meeting the inspector’s piercing eyes.
“I hope you’ll spare me the guilt. I have a soft spot for Madame Leone,” Marceau said.
The door of his cell opened wide, creaking in the dark of the gaol. After days locked up inside the small room, it felt good to step outside of his cage, but his relief was short-lived. He needed to get to Remi.
“Thank you,” Ben said. “I will.”
“Where will you go?” asked Marceau.
