Cathablanca

Episode #3: "The Wedding Night, Part 2"


Antonio and Cathie were awakened by the ruckus outside their door before Steve started shooting. They knew who it was; that British voice, screaming at the top of his lungs, was instantly identifiable all over the world.
Antonio was no coward. He was strong, extremely handsome and built like a professional athlete, and had won more than his share of fistfights. But now he ran for cover behind the curtains of the picture window.
Cathie was stunned.
"Antonio! What are you doing? I've never seen you afraid like this before!"
"That guy out there isn't human! He's a demon! He's ONE WITH THE DEVIL! He cannot die! Cannot be killed! Everyone knows it! Let's get out of here! We can go through the window!" Antonio said in an excited Spanish accent.
"Oh, baby! Poor baby! Don't be frightened! I'll take care of you!" reassured Cathie.
Cathie leapt from the bed and grabbed her trusty black leather whip, still hanging from one of the bedposts. She was wearing a black teddy from the previous night, given to her by Frederick's of Hollywood in gratitude for designing their award-winning web site in her spare time.
As Steve kicked in the door, his gun raised and prepared to blow Antonio's head off, Cathie lashed out with her whip. With a loud crack, it sent the gun flying from Steve's hand across the floor. She quickly wrapped the whip around Steve's neck from behind and slowly pulled him to the floor, keeping him helplessly off balance. As Antonio cowered behind the curtains praying in Spanish, Cathie grabbed her handcuffs from a nearby chair and maneuvered the drunken rock star into a face-down position, sitting atop him. As she brought his hands behind his back and handcuffed him, Steve passed out.
With Steve subdued and helpless, Cathie's anger turned to pity. Without a weapon, she knew he wasn't capable of hurting anyone. Though millions of fans feared Steve Callaway's demonic public image, in reality he was as physically weak and harmless as a child. He had all but destroyed his health with drugs and alcohol. Could Steve's unrequited love for her have contributed to his present state?
'Am I somehow responsible for this?' pondered Cathie to herself. Logically she knew she wasn't, but when it came to Steve there was no such thing as logic, no such thing as sane judgment. Like an animal, he obeyed no rules and lived by pure instinct -- and his instinct told him he wanted Cathie for himself.
In the hallway outside, hotel security staff were responding to Taylor's trouble report. Other guests were emerging from their rooms to see what all the commotion was about. Cathie, clad in lingerie and still holding her whip, came out into the hallway and calmly spoke to the uniformed security guards.
"He's inside. It's all right now, he's handcuffed."
As the security people passed by her and into the room, her gaze fell upon the people gathered outside their rooms. Beside one of those doors stood two of the last people on earth she would have expected to see, clad in only their underwear.
Standing together and staring back at her were the Reverend Gregory and Sneena, a C*E*A staff member!
Next Episode: "Francesca Cicci-Lorenz, Queen of the Internet"