Ohhh WOW!! I can't believe that everyone is actually liking this story and getting behind it!! I am just floored with the reviews and responses. I swear, there IS a payoff between Ardeth and Leigh coming up... but not for a few more chapters. Hang with me!!
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Ardeth had been discussing Leigh's tattoo with Hamid and Sayid when he heard gunshots. Both he and Sayid looked at one another, then took off running out of the tent. They came to Leigh's tent to see one dead man and five more running into the entrance to the ruined temple. A quick look inside the tent told them that only Leigh's guns were missing along with her. The holster sat empty on the bed and all the spare magazine clips were there.
More gunshots rang out, echoing from the ruins along with the sounds of shouting. Ardeth grabbed up her gunbelt with the extra clips of ammunition on it. He and Sayid took off for the ruins, Hamid behind them both.
"She's heading for the Main Chamber."
"How do you know?"
"Because she's got more room to move around, more room to hide and suprise whoever it is that's after her."
"Makes sense. Just promise me you won't spank her again... at least not where we can all see it."
Ardeth didn't answer him. They both rounded the corner into the main chamber to see... absolutely nothing. The hissing was still there of course. At Sayid's questioning look, Ardeth pointed to where the floor ended over the pit of snakes. Hamid skidded into their backs, knocking them both forward a few feet from the impact.
Ardeth pulled both Sayid and Hamid into a nook behind a pillar. "Stay with Hamid and protect him. I'm going to look for Leigh and whomever is after her." Ardeth gave Sayid Leigh's gunbelt and started off towards where the altar was.
"Be careful Ardeth.." Sayid nodded and put himself between Hamid and the entrance to the nook.
A man stepped from behind a pillar, kicking a loose stone in the process. Ardeth pulled his scimitar just as his attacker came from behind. The man bought his own scimitar down over Ardeth's head. Ardeth dropped to his knees, bringing his scimitar sideways over his head to block the blow. The two of them danced around each other with deadly grace, parrying and fending off blow after blow.
Sayid and Hamid were also set upon by two men, Sayid doing his best to fend off both of them. Hamid was pushed back into the nook just as a sword slid past Sayid's side. Eventually Sayid was drawn out of the corner and into the open room with his two attackers. This left Hamid to duck and avoid the fighting as best he could while looking for Leigh.
He didn't have far to look. Leigh's voice echoed from the private room behind the altar right before she took off at a dead run towards where Hamid was hiding. She had both guns - one in hand and the other tucked into her shorts waistband, the slides full back and proving that she was out of bullets.
"LEIGH!!" Hamid shouted at her. As she turned around, he threw a clip at her and ducked back out of sight. She caught it easily and reloaded her gun in hand. She turned and threw the other one to Hamid with a shout for him to reload. Two men were chasing Leigh as she cleared the width of the room in her mad dash. Hastily she ducked behind a pillar to catch her breath. As she did, Leigh took a quick mental summary of what was going on. Ardeth was having his own problems. The man he was fighting was a good 6 inches taller and about 100 pounds heavier. He seemed to be made of pure muscle. Ardeth kept having to back up inch by inch. Sayid had managed to kill one of his attackers and was busy dealing with the second. Hamid had her second gun and she had two men bent on killing her. This was peachy.
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Ardeth had been discussing Leigh's tattoo with Hamid and Sayid when he heard gunshots. Both he and Sayid looked at one another, then took off running out of the tent. They came to Leigh's tent to see one dead man and five more running into the entrance to the ruined temple. A quick look inside the tent told them that only Leigh's guns were missing along with her. The holster sat empty on the bed and all the spare magazine clips were there.
More gunshots rang out, echoing from the ruins along with the sounds of shouting. Ardeth grabbed up her gunbelt with the extra clips of ammunition on it. He and Sayid took off for the ruins, Hamid behind them both.
"She's heading for the Main Chamber."
"How do you know?"
"Because she's got more room to move around, more room to hide and suprise whoever it is that's after her."
"Makes sense. Just promise me you won't spank her again... at least not where we can all see it."
Ardeth didn't answer him. They both rounded the corner into the main chamber to see... absolutely nothing. The hissing was still there of course. At Sayid's questioning look, Ardeth pointed to where the floor ended over the pit of snakes. Hamid skidded into their backs, knocking them both forward a few feet from the impact.
Ardeth pulled both Sayid and Hamid into a nook behind a pillar. "Stay with Hamid and protect him. I'm going to look for Leigh and whomever is after her." Ardeth gave Sayid Leigh's gunbelt and started off towards where the altar was.
"Be careful Ardeth.." Sayid nodded and put himself between Hamid and the entrance to the nook.
A man stepped from behind a pillar, kicking a loose stone in the process. Ardeth pulled his scimitar just as his attacker came from behind. The man bought his own scimitar down over Ardeth's head. Ardeth dropped to his knees, bringing his scimitar sideways over his head to block the blow. The two of them danced around each other with deadly grace, parrying and fending off blow after blow.
Sayid and Hamid were also set upon by two men, Sayid doing his best to fend off both of them. Hamid was pushed back into the nook just as a sword slid past Sayid's side. Eventually Sayid was drawn out of the corner and into the open room with his two attackers. This left Hamid to duck and avoid the fighting as best he could while looking for Leigh.
He didn't have far to look. Leigh's voice echoed from the private room behind the altar right before she took off at a dead run towards where Hamid was hiding. She had both guns - one in hand and the other tucked into her shorts waistband, the slides full back and proving that she was out of bullets.
"LEIGH!!" Hamid shouted at her. As she turned around, he threw a clip at her and ducked back out of sight. She caught it easily and reloaded her gun in hand. She turned and threw the other one to Hamid with a shout for him to reload. Two men were chasing Leigh as she cleared the width of the room in her mad dash. Hastily she ducked behind a pillar to catch her breath. As she did, Leigh took a quick mental summary of what was going on. Ardeth was having his own problems. The man he was fighting was a good 6 inches taller and about 100 pounds heavier. He seemed to be made of pure muscle. Ardeth kept having to back up inch by inch. Sayid had managed to kill one of his attackers and was busy dealing with the second. Hamid had her second gun and she had two men bent on killing her. This was peachy.
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