Chapter V
Sorry about the delay again, but I have been stricken with writer's block. However, because you are such great reviewers, I'm updating twice today. Enjoy.
Pietro stood in the centre of the quay shivering slightly in the early morning mist. Remy stood next to him, absent-mindedly twirling a playing card in his right hand. His other clutched a briefcase that contained the Gambit Program.
Pietro checked his watch, and glanced to his left. He couldn't see Lance, but he knew his friend was somewhere in that direction. "They're late." Remy muttered.
"I know." Pietro wasn't sure whether the remark was addressed to him or not, but it felt good to break the oppressive silence that hung over the quay. He had a bad feeling about this, but he couldn't back out now. Kitty needed his help.
Suddenly a noise split the dead silence of the quay. It was the sound of a motor. 'Good,' thought Pietro. 'They should be here soon.' There was a dull thud to his right, as if someone had dropped something. Pietro turned his head, about to ask Lance, via his earpiece, if he had seen something, when a smoke grenade that had landed next to Remy went off. Pietro's eyes were suddenly filled with tears and he coughed as he tried to clear the smoke from his eyes and throat. Blinking, he flailed around, trying to find Remy.
Remy was having no more luck than Pietro. Blinded and gagging on the smoke that billowed around them he kept an iron grip on his briefcase. He suddenly slammed his knee into something hard and cursed. That was when he heard someone behind him. He whirled around, thinking it was Pietro, and came face-to-face with a huge man he had never seen before. Remy lashed out with his fist but the larger man easily caught his punch and then threw his own punch that knocked Remy clean off his feet.
Pietro heard the thud of a body hitting the floor somewhere off to his right and drew his Sig Sauer. He tried to head towards where he had heard the noise, but in the smoke he couldn't be sure that he was going in the right direction. He moved forward slowly and then came upon Remy's briefcase. That confirmed it. They'd got Remy.
It was a sixth sense that made him turn around at that point to see the figure of a hulking giant behind him. Pietro snapped a shot off but in the smoke his aim was slightly off and he hit the man in the left shoulder. The man let out a bestial roar of pain and anger, and threw himself at Pietro. The two collided and rolled across the ground, Pietro's gun flying out of his hand and sliding across the quay. His assailant was a good hundred pounds heavier, and it was all muscle, so he easily overpowered Pietro. As his assailant pulled back his fist Pietro managed to lift his knee straight into the man's crotch. The man howled in pain and Pietro scrabbled up assuming a fighting stance. His opponent shook his head to clear away the pain, pulled out a small gun and fired. Pietro felt the nick of a hypodermic needle entering his skin and then the world began to go dark. The last thing he remembered was his attacked pulling him up by the scruff of his neck, a malicious smile on his face.
Lance growled a curse as the smoke grenade detonated. "Callisto, what's the status of transportation?"
"Negative." Callisto's voice sounded distant and tinny in his earpiece. "They didn't come by land."
Lance cursed again. "They must have come by boat."
"What's happening in there?"
"They've detonated a smoke, I can't see anything. Get in here!"
"Affirmative."
Lance sprinted down the steps of the fire escape. This was not good at all. Not only had they failed to get a trace on the kidnappers, but it looked like Remy was about to get kidnapped as well. He pulled out his Sig Sauer and put on his infrared eyepiece. Even in the thick smoke he would be able to see people, although by the time he could tell if they were an enemy it wouldn't make much difference. He ran forwards, but he couldn't see anything. Annoyed, he turned back and suddenly spotted someone moving towards him. He levelled his gun at them and moved forward closely. Callisto suddenly emerged from the smoke and Lance cursed again. "Any sign of them?" he asked her.
She shook her head. Suddenly the whine of an engine split the air. They had gotten away with Remy as well. Lance's shoulders slumped dejectedly. "Come on. Let's get back to HQ and report. Pietro, do you read me?" Nothing but the hiss of static answered Lance. He looked at Callisto, puzzled. She shrugged. "Pietro. Come in! Pietro!"
A sleek black speedboat sped down the River Thames throwing up an impressive amount of spray. Standing on the prow a hulking figure held something in his palm. "Pietro! Come in! Come in!" The man grinned and closed his palm around the tiny earpiece, crushing it completely and dropping the remains overboard.
A piercing whine of static filled Callisto and Lance's ear for several seconds, and then completely died away. "His earpiece has been destroyed," Callisto said. Lance nodded. "They took him as well."
"But why?" Lance wondered aloud.
"We better get back, Xavier's going to want to hear this," Callisto moved off. Lance nodded and hurried after her.
Onboard the speedboat the hulking man had come aft to where Pietro and Remy were tied up. Remy was barely conscious and Pietro was totally out. "Hey, wake up!" the man grabbed Pietro and slapped his face hard.
"Be careful Victor! The boss doesn't want the merchandise damaged." This came from the man at the wheel, much taller than his partner, but not as heavy.
"Yeah, yeah I'm just having a little fun with him, Peter." He threw some cold water into Pietro's face, jerking him awake. As Pietro coughed, Victor grinned. "So glad you could join us," as he was talking he slipped a brass knuckle-duster onto his right hand. "Now it's time for a little payback for earlier." Victor slammed his fist into Pietro's jaw, causing him to sag back, a trickle of blood running from his lip. Victor repeated this tactic, hitting Pietro all over his upper body with his fists until the man at the helm, Peter, turned around.
"Don't you listen to anything Victor!" he snapped. "The boss says don't damage them!"
"Fine," Victor grumbled as he pulled his knuckle-duster off and went to sit at the prow. "Stupid Russian bastard, always ruins everything!" he muttered as he looked back at Pietro, who was a bleeding wreck. He grinned and turned to face forwards. 'Good', he thought. They were nearing their destination. Victor never had liked water travel, but it had been essential if the boss's plan was going to work. And it had worked perfectly, allowing him and Peter to grab both the American kid and that stupid secret agent that the boss was so interested in.
Sorry about the delay again, but I have been stricken with writer's block. However, because you are such great reviewers, I'm updating twice today. Enjoy.
Pietro stood in the centre of the quay shivering slightly in the early morning mist. Remy stood next to him, absent-mindedly twirling a playing card in his right hand. His other clutched a briefcase that contained the Gambit Program.
Pietro checked his watch, and glanced to his left. He couldn't see Lance, but he knew his friend was somewhere in that direction. "They're late." Remy muttered.
"I know." Pietro wasn't sure whether the remark was addressed to him or not, but it felt good to break the oppressive silence that hung over the quay. He had a bad feeling about this, but he couldn't back out now. Kitty needed his help.
Suddenly a noise split the dead silence of the quay. It was the sound of a motor. 'Good,' thought Pietro. 'They should be here soon.' There was a dull thud to his right, as if someone had dropped something. Pietro turned his head, about to ask Lance, via his earpiece, if he had seen something, when a smoke grenade that had landed next to Remy went off. Pietro's eyes were suddenly filled with tears and he coughed as he tried to clear the smoke from his eyes and throat. Blinking, he flailed around, trying to find Remy.
Remy was having no more luck than Pietro. Blinded and gagging on the smoke that billowed around them he kept an iron grip on his briefcase. He suddenly slammed his knee into something hard and cursed. That was when he heard someone behind him. He whirled around, thinking it was Pietro, and came face-to-face with a huge man he had never seen before. Remy lashed out with his fist but the larger man easily caught his punch and then threw his own punch that knocked Remy clean off his feet.
Pietro heard the thud of a body hitting the floor somewhere off to his right and drew his Sig Sauer. He tried to head towards where he had heard the noise, but in the smoke he couldn't be sure that he was going in the right direction. He moved forward slowly and then came upon Remy's briefcase. That confirmed it. They'd got Remy.
It was a sixth sense that made him turn around at that point to see the figure of a hulking giant behind him. Pietro snapped a shot off but in the smoke his aim was slightly off and he hit the man in the left shoulder. The man let out a bestial roar of pain and anger, and threw himself at Pietro. The two collided and rolled across the ground, Pietro's gun flying out of his hand and sliding across the quay. His assailant was a good hundred pounds heavier, and it was all muscle, so he easily overpowered Pietro. As his assailant pulled back his fist Pietro managed to lift his knee straight into the man's crotch. The man howled in pain and Pietro scrabbled up assuming a fighting stance. His opponent shook his head to clear away the pain, pulled out a small gun and fired. Pietro felt the nick of a hypodermic needle entering his skin and then the world began to go dark. The last thing he remembered was his attacked pulling him up by the scruff of his neck, a malicious smile on his face.
Lance growled a curse as the smoke grenade detonated. "Callisto, what's the status of transportation?"
"Negative." Callisto's voice sounded distant and tinny in his earpiece. "They didn't come by land."
Lance cursed again. "They must have come by boat."
"What's happening in there?"
"They've detonated a smoke, I can't see anything. Get in here!"
"Affirmative."
Lance sprinted down the steps of the fire escape. This was not good at all. Not only had they failed to get a trace on the kidnappers, but it looked like Remy was about to get kidnapped as well. He pulled out his Sig Sauer and put on his infrared eyepiece. Even in the thick smoke he would be able to see people, although by the time he could tell if they were an enemy it wouldn't make much difference. He ran forwards, but he couldn't see anything. Annoyed, he turned back and suddenly spotted someone moving towards him. He levelled his gun at them and moved forward closely. Callisto suddenly emerged from the smoke and Lance cursed again. "Any sign of them?" he asked her.
She shook her head. Suddenly the whine of an engine split the air. They had gotten away with Remy as well. Lance's shoulders slumped dejectedly. "Come on. Let's get back to HQ and report. Pietro, do you read me?" Nothing but the hiss of static answered Lance. He looked at Callisto, puzzled. She shrugged. "Pietro. Come in! Pietro!"
A sleek black speedboat sped down the River Thames throwing up an impressive amount of spray. Standing on the prow a hulking figure held something in his palm. "Pietro! Come in! Come in!" The man grinned and closed his palm around the tiny earpiece, crushing it completely and dropping the remains overboard.
A piercing whine of static filled Callisto and Lance's ear for several seconds, and then completely died away. "His earpiece has been destroyed," Callisto said. Lance nodded. "They took him as well."
"But why?" Lance wondered aloud.
"We better get back, Xavier's going to want to hear this," Callisto moved off. Lance nodded and hurried after her.
Onboard the speedboat the hulking man had come aft to where Pietro and Remy were tied up. Remy was barely conscious and Pietro was totally out. "Hey, wake up!" the man grabbed Pietro and slapped his face hard.
"Be careful Victor! The boss doesn't want the merchandise damaged." This came from the man at the wheel, much taller than his partner, but not as heavy.
"Yeah, yeah I'm just having a little fun with him, Peter." He threw some cold water into Pietro's face, jerking him awake. As Pietro coughed, Victor grinned. "So glad you could join us," as he was talking he slipped a brass knuckle-duster onto his right hand. "Now it's time for a little payback for earlier." Victor slammed his fist into Pietro's jaw, causing him to sag back, a trickle of blood running from his lip. Victor repeated this tactic, hitting Pietro all over his upper body with his fists until the man at the helm, Peter, turned around.
"Don't you listen to anything Victor!" he snapped. "The boss says don't damage them!"
"Fine," Victor grumbled as he pulled his knuckle-duster off and went to sit at the prow. "Stupid Russian bastard, always ruins everything!" he muttered as he looked back at Pietro, who was a bleeding wreck. He grinned and turned to face forwards. 'Good', he thought. They were nearing their destination. Victor never had liked water travel, but it had been essential if the boss's plan was going to work. And it had worked perfectly, allowing him and Peter to grab both the American kid and that stupid secret agent that the boss was so interested in.