Chapter 3
They were finally gone, thank goodness for that. He wasn't surprised to find his hands shaking, nor his strength almost depleted. It had taken a lot of will power for him to stay silent, but he had learned how at a young age. He was a thief and pain was no stranger to him. Letting any noise be heard on a mission could be fatal.
He couldn't stand being in such close quarters though. It was like an itch in his blood, the need to breath fresh air again, not the stifling heat that consumed him now. The aftershocks were just now fading but a strange lethargy threatened to weaken him even more.
He paced along the edge of the cell refusing to give in to it. If he fell asleep there was no way he would wake up again at all that night. He stopped dead center and pulled his right arm from the wall as hard as he could. The padlock stayed firmly closed but he couldn't give up yet.
The silence was ringing, slowly driving him mad. He was almost coming out of his skin with the urge to see the sky again and get out of the claustrophobic cell that had held him captive for almost twelve straight hours.
He sat back against the wall searching for some semblance of control but there was none. He needed out now. He put both his hands on the collar and focused with all his concentration on blowing the lock. A faint glimmer of his former power went through his mind, but it was nowhere near enough.
Sweat ran down his face and stung as it mixed in the open cuts on his cheek, however he took the pain and added it to the almost desperate struggle for freedom. He sensed a woman's presence before he actually saw her. He quietly let the chain drop and fell into a fighter's stance.
She had been hiding off to the side for some time now. After sneaking through the window following them there had been nothing else to do but wait until all was quiet. She had taken care of the guards that would have raised an alarm and bought them a few precious minutes to attempt an escape.
There was something about this man that had drawn her to him. The sense of power and ruthlessness under a mocking and aloof façade was enough to spark her interest. She had seen the way he handled Nick and his lackey, not able to help the feeling of admiration that coursed through her. He hid his true self well waiting until he thought everyone was gone before nearly trying to claw his way free.
The man Nick had been cruel to test him that way though, only the thought escape restrained her from attacking him for that. He had been in such pain, it screamed at her conscious to stand by and do nothing.
"You need help." She said softly knowing that he would be able to hear her.
"Depends." Gambit replied looking relentlessly around the room for any trace of movement.
"There's no fine print if that's what your wondering. I won't ask you for anything in return."
"Show yourself." He demanded. But he detected the honesty underneath all she had said. He head a sigh then she stepped out from behind the L- shaped wall.
"Why would you want to help me?" he asked suspiciously waiting for her answer.
"Cause I want too. Unless you like your, erm, glamorous surroundings?" he could imagine her eyebrow rising and couldn't help but grin.
"Just be careful, cher. I wouldn't want you to be caught too."
"I know. They're already taken are of. Don't move." Then he felt the locks shake slightly before they fell to the floor. The door to the cell opened and he was free!
"C'mon." she urged, "I don't know how much longer their doors will hold."
"So you locked them in their rooms?" Gambit asked surprised as he kept pace with his rescuer. Even he had to be impressed with her skill. Creeping into and out of a guarded building was difficult, doing so in a military base? While trapping it's occupants in their rooms? Nearly impossible.
"Freeze!!" a voice screamed behind them.
Gambit had been ready for this though and out his King of Spades. He lit it and without a backwards glance threw it over his shoulder. They both raced down the corridor and through double-doors. As the doors closed and they located an entrance Gambit threw the Jack under the door and the Ten on their side.
They escaped as Gambit looked at his queen and then threw it through a window. The building exploded in flashes of light and collapsed in a heap of stone, rubble, and dust.
"Straight. In Spades." He muttered before turning to look at the woman who had risked her life to save him.
She wasn't short, but wasn't too tall either. Long black hair curled slightly down to the middle of her back, and story gray eyes looked at him in equal curiosity.
"How did you find me?" he asked at last. She was pretty but looks could be deceiving.
"I already told you I didn't want anything in return." He had realized that for every question he asked, she found a way to evade it. Now she looked a little disappointed that he didn't believe her.
"I know, cher. I'm just curious is all. What's your name?"
"Kylina. Glad to be of help." He noticed her slight hesitation before she told him, but he was pleased she had.
"Remy LeBeau, demoiselle. Thank you."
"Watch your back, Remy." She said as she made to turn her back and walk away.
"Wait a minute." He called out to her. "How did you-?"
"You didn't think you're the only special one out there did you?" she grinned, "I can manipulate machinery with my mind so long as I know how they work. I changed the locks around so we'd have a few minutes to get away."
"Do you need anyt'ing? Maybe a ride home perhaps?" he offered.
"Just the reassurance that you won't beat yourself up over this. I heard what they were planning to do to you. They're no big loss to the world so no guilt okay? They would have destroyed you." She said that last part quietly and regarded him sadly.
"Keep this with you, cherie." Gambit handed her the Queen of Diamonds. "Remy LeBeau is yours to call on should you need help."
Kylina watched Remy head off into the night. This hadn't been a good idea, she'd almost lost her composure. But deep down inside even though it would have been easy to fall in love with him, she knew that he would grow to love another.
She stared at the card in her hand, the pulled a heart- shaped locked from under her shirt. She punched a small hole in the top of the card with a pin, then threaded it through the chain. She wasn't able to part with that yet, no matter that she didn't ever expect to see him again.
Although Remy wasn't totally lost to her yet, he had a rogue spirit. He would love someone with all his heart one day, and hopefully she would find one too.
They were finally gone, thank goodness for that. He wasn't surprised to find his hands shaking, nor his strength almost depleted. It had taken a lot of will power for him to stay silent, but he had learned how at a young age. He was a thief and pain was no stranger to him. Letting any noise be heard on a mission could be fatal.
He couldn't stand being in such close quarters though. It was like an itch in his blood, the need to breath fresh air again, not the stifling heat that consumed him now. The aftershocks were just now fading but a strange lethargy threatened to weaken him even more.
He paced along the edge of the cell refusing to give in to it. If he fell asleep there was no way he would wake up again at all that night. He stopped dead center and pulled his right arm from the wall as hard as he could. The padlock stayed firmly closed but he couldn't give up yet.
The silence was ringing, slowly driving him mad. He was almost coming out of his skin with the urge to see the sky again and get out of the claustrophobic cell that had held him captive for almost twelve straight hours.
He sat back against the wall searching for some semblance of control but there was none. He needed out now. He put both his hands on the collar and focused with all his concentration on blowing the lock. A faint glimmer of his former power went through his mind, but it was nowhere near enough.
Sweat ran down his face and stung as it mixed in the open cuts on his cheek, however he took the pain and added it to the almost desperate struggle for freedom. He sensed a woman's presence before he actually saw her. He quietly let the chain drop and fell into a fighter's stance.
She had been hiding off to the side for some time now. After sneaking through the window following them there had been nothing else to do but wait until all was quiet. She had taken care of the guards that would have raised an alarm and bought them a few precious minutes to attempt an escape.
There was something about this man that had drawn her to him. The sense of power and ruthlessness under a mocking and aloof façade was enough to spark her interest. She had seen the way he handled Nick and his lackey, not able to help the feeling of admiration that coursed through her. He hid his true self well waiting until he thought everyone was gone before nearly trying to claw his way free.
The man Nick had been cruel to test him that way though, only the thought escape restrained her from attacking him for that. He had been in such pain, it screamed at her conscious to stand by and do nothing.
"You need help." She said softly knowing that he would be able to hear her.
"Depends." Gambit replied looking relentlessly around the room for any trace of movement.
"There's no fine print if that's what your wondering. I won't ask you for anything in return."
"Show yourself." He demanded. But he detected the honesty underneath all she had said. He head a sigh then she stepped out from behind the L- shaped wall.
"Why would you want to help me?" he asked suspiciously waiting for her answer.
"Cause I want too. Unless you like your, erm, glamorous surroundings?" he could imagine her eyebrow rising and couldn't help but grin.
"Just be careful, cher. I wouldn't want you to be caught too."
"I know. They're already taken are of. Don't move." Then he felt the locks shake slightly before they fell to the floor. The door to the cell opened and he was free!
"C'mon." she urged, "I don't know how much longer their doors will hold."
"So you locked them in their rooms?" Gambit asked surprised as he kept pace with his rescuer. Even he had to be impressed with her skill. Creeping into and out of a guarded building was difficult, doing so in a military base? While trapping it's occupants in their rooms? Nearly impossible.
"Freeze!!" a voice screamed behind them.
Gambit had been ready for this though and out his King of Spades. He lit it and without a backwards glance threw it over his shoulder. They both raced down the corridor and through double-doors. As the doors closed and they located an entrance Gambit threw the Jack under the door and the Ten on their side.
They escaped as Gambit looked at his queen and then threw it through a window. The building exploded in flashes of light and collapsed in a heap of stone, rubble, and dust.
"Straight. In Spades." He muttered before turning to look at the woman who had risked her life to save him.
She wasn't short, but wasn't too tall either. Long black hair curled slightly down to the middle of her back, and story gray eyes looked at him in equal curiosity.
"How did you find me?" he asked at last. She was pretty but looks could be deceiving.
"I already told you I didn't want anything in return." He had realized that for every question he asked, she found a way to evade it. Now she looked a little disappointed that he didn't believe her.
"I know, cher. I'm just curious is all. What's your name?"
"Kylina. Glad to be of help." He noticed her slight hesitation before she told him, but he was pleased she had.
"Remy LeBeau, demoiselle. Thank you."
"Watch your back, Remy." She said as she made to turn her back and walk away.
"Wait a minute." He called out to her. "How did you-?"
"You didn't think you're the only special one out there did you?" she grinned, "I can manipulate machinery with my mind so long as I know how they work. I changed the locks around so we'd have a few minutes to get away."
"Do you need anyt'ing? Maybe a ride home perhaps?" he offered.
"Just the reassurance that you won't beat yourself up over this. I heard what they were planning to do to you. They're no big loss to the world so no guilt okay? They would have destroyed you." She said that last part quietly and regarded him sadly.
"Keep this with you, cherie." Gambit handed her the Queen of Diamonds. "Remy LeBeau is yours to call on should you need help."
Kylina watched Remy head off into the night. This hadn't been a good idea, she'd almost lost her composure. But deep down inside even though it would have been easy to fall in love with him, she knew that he would grow to love another.
She stared at the card in her hand, the pulled a heart- shaped locked from under her shirt. She punched a small hole in the top of the card with a pin, then threaded it through the chain. She wasn't able to part with that yet, no matter that she didn't ever expect to see him again.
Although Remy wasn't totally lost to her yet, he had a rogue spirit. He would love someone with all his heart one day, and hopefully she would find one too.