Author's Note: Thank you again for the wonderful reviews! I'm a feedback junkie, I admit it! I won't be getting much editing done the next few days on account of it being Avengers weekend, so hopefully this will tide you over till next week!
Chapter Twenty-One
New Orleans Shipyards
When an outsider thought of New Orleans, it usually brought forth images of Cajun and Creole food, Mardi Gras, beautiful architecture and all the different meanings of The Big Easy. What often didn't come to mind was the fact that the city was a major ship building and repair center for the US Navy and the fleet of fisherman who scoured the Gulf for shell fish.
Along the coast several dry docks were dotted next to the import/export areas where cargo ships transferred their loads. Sat a little father back, large metal buildings held ship parts being built or repaired before going out to the dock. One of these massive buildings had been repurposed as a base of operations, a great hiding place with access to easy international transport.
Somewhere inside the main structure, Julien Boudreaux sat, likely waiting for Remy Lebeau's 'scheduled' appearance.
Best not keep the man waiting.
…
The guards had been put on high alert after the incident the night before at the Presbytere. Amazingly no one died as planned, a flying mutant lifting the bomb high into the atmosphere to 'save the day'. Boy, how the boss had been pissed about that.
Oh well, being unsure when LeBeau would make his appearance in New Orleans, several plans had been made. If the mutant didn't show up at the party then today's hints would have lead to a particular Marti Gras Day float. If LeBeau didn't show, then something was planned for the next day, and so forth.
But now the soviet missiles were used up, which the crew was thankful for, none of them liked having the bunker busting bombs around.
"Hey, Troy," a fellow guard called over to him as Troy leaned against one of the gates, "got any cigs, fresh out."
Troy rolled his eyes, Ricky was always fresh out of cigs, "Yeah, yeah," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a box of Marlboros.
"Lifesaver," Ricky took one of the cigarettes and lit it up, cupping his hands around his mouth to keep the wind from knocking out his lighter.
"Hear anything about today's plan?" Troy asked as he pulled out a cigarette for himself, the smoke from Ricky's wafting towards him, giving him a craving.
"Something about blowing up a parade float," Ricky shrugged, letting in a long drag.
"I know dat much," Troy managed to light his and relished in the burning sensation as the smoke filled his lungs and warmed him up. "You know what float, how dey gonna blow it?"
Ricky shrugged, flicking off some ash, "Dey don't tell me a damned thing."
"Join da club," Troy put the pack in his pocket before Ricky got an idea to ask for another cig to go. "You believe all da talk though, dat dis is all about framing some mutie?"
"Mutants, bah," Ricky took another drag and puffed out smoke, "bunch of ol' wives tales and nonsense."
"Nonsense?" the cig almost fell from Troy's mouth, "What part of dat flying woman launching dose missiles into space did you not get?"
Ricky let out a snort, "Did you see it happen?"
"Well, no," he was on guard duty here at the docks.
"Dere video of it?" his friend asked, taking a last drag of the spent cigarette.
"Not dat I know of," Troy admitted.
"People make up crazy shit all da time," Ricky tossed the cigarette butt to the ground and squashed it with his boot. "I'll believe in mutants when I see it."
There was a whizzing sound and both men looked down as something struck the dirt. An Ace of Spades was sticking neatly out of the tightly packed Earth and before they could register what it was and why it was there, the paper exploded sending dust and rock up into their faces.
Shielding his eyes with one hand Troy stumbled back against the guard house, bringing his gun to bear with the other. Something solid and metal smacked against his wrist and he dropped the weapon. Daring to look at his attacker to try to get a punch in, two red eyes stunned him and then all went dark as a staff struck against his head.
…
"Just received dis from our contacts in da government," Phillip, Julien's second in command, placed a rather thick file in front of him as he sat at his desk on the enclosed mezzanine of the main building. "Dey only have her mutant code-name, Rogue, and no back history before age thirteen."
Julien flipped open the file and found several surveillance photos of the woman with the white stripe. Almost a ream of paper was filled with the various activities she was suspected to have been involved in. Many were classified as acts of terrorism which didn't surprise the assassin. The Brotherhood of Mutants had made it very clear that they believed in the supremacy of mutants over humans.
Once Julian solidified his control over the entire Assassin network he would have to deal with what was left of the Brotherhood group, it wouldn't be easy but he had plans, up to an including working with several government agencies to make sure Magneto and his brood would never see him coming.
"She can't touch someone without draining their life force?" the fact surprised him when he came across it at the beginning of the report. So, LeBeau was running around with a beautiful virgin whom he had absolutely no chance of deflowering. Julien grinned, it had to be torture for the womanizing playboy. "And she borrows da other mutant's memories and powers, dat would come in handy."
"If we can capture her alive," his second added, "den she'd fetch a pretty price. A few black ops government groups would be interested, certainly Essex. There could even be a bidding war over her."
"Yes, but he's obviously been paying her to help him," Julien rubbed his chin, taking all this new information into consideration, "and after last night he's probably terminated da contract meaning she'll be long gone now."
"You think so?" Phillip asked, taking the file back as Julien was finished with it for now.
"LeBeau is smart but also very predictable," the assassin waved the man off, "by now he's figured out I was da one who killed Bella, dis will have enraged him. He'll want to settle dis personally."
"Are you sure?" the man questioned.
Julien allowed himself a self-satisfied chuckle, "Da man has a soft spot for family, you poke him dere and it's like a bull seeing red. It's gotten him into more trouble dan anything else in his life. Dat's why he's such a great thief. Stealing is impersonal to him, a rush, I'm sure, but he can maintain his distance. Get someone he loves involved and his reason goes right out da proverbial window."
"You seem confident of your psychological assessment," Phillip said warily, but then Julien wouldn't have picked a second in command who didn't cover all angles and considerations.
"LeBeau dated my sister for many years," Julien waved him off, "he and his kin were a bane to da Guild, I made it my business to know everything I could about dem."
"Still," Phillip said slowly, "ten years is a long time."
"And in all dat time, LeBeau has acted da nomad," Julien pulled over a few of the many files from various government agencies, all detailing as much information as each had on Remy LeBeau, aka Gambit, aka Le Diable Blanc]. "He's not had a single steady address, simply floated from job to job. I know for a fact dat both Xavier and Magneto have offered him positions in deir groups yet he continues to wander. He's left a string of lovers in his wake, never sticking with one more than a couple of days. With his looks and resources he could have any woman he wants and retire to a life of ease and yet he does not, why is dat?"
"He enjoys da thrill of the playboy-thief life?" the man suggested.
"If dat was da case he wouldn't turn down some of da jobs, and women, dat he has," Julien tapped his fingers against the various surveillance photos. "No, he's a man in pain trying to numb da wound. Now it's been torn open and he has to deal with it. But he's a loner with his brother dead and a family just as hell-bent on revenge as he is. A fire has been lit under da kettle, now we wait for da water to boil over."
"Well," the second shrugged, finally giving in, "everything is in place, if and when he comes after you, we'll be ready as instructed."
"I'm sure it won't be long now," Julien leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers together.
Phillip cleared his throat, "As a precaution I have put extra spotters out to watch for da flying mutant, just in case."
Julien took a second to consider this change, then shrugged, "Doesn't hurt to be prepared, who knows, da man may end up surprising me by bringing his untouchable fille along."
"My thoughts exactly," Phillip nodded his head.
A howling screech pierced the air and neither man reacted to the alarm except for a small upturn of their face towards the noise.
Julien grinned, "Didn't waste any time, did you, LeBeau."
…
Why do stealthy when stylish is so much more… stylish?
Gambit drove his staff into the ground and let the kinetic energy funnel through the shaft into the gravel causing the Earth to ripple and buckle. This sent several down to the ground and he thwacked many more with his Bo as he made his way forward towards his objective.
Cards went spinning through the air, taking out at least two cameras and three guards. Another suit laid waste to a group of men who tried to come at him from the left. A perfectly aimed Three of Clubs and Seven of Diamonds blew open the door of the main building, Gambit knocking down a guard with a sweep of his staff.
Rushing inside, the thief immediately dodged to the right as gun fire rang out. A distraction of four cards were sent in the general direction of the shooters and Gambit jumped up on top of a wrapped pallet. He could see the main office entrance on the second floor, a small gallery with a metal stairway leading down to the ground.
Flipping off the pallet, Gambit tossed several charged cards and made his way across the open area… which really wasn't the smartest thing to do.
Guards in full flack armor rushed in from every entrance, down catwalks that lined the sides of the building, and from behind the large equipment sat to the back. Gambit glanced down at his body which was now swarming with little red dots ala laser pointers. At a quick glance, he could count about twenty three… really, only twenty three?
He didn't know if he should be amused or insulted.
…
"Looks like he's going the direct route," Phillip gestured to the surveillance, picking up a walkie talkie from the desk, checking the frequency, "Containment squad to the main building, positions beta."
Julien watched the video feed as Gambit recklessly tore his way through the complex, knocking down the guards as he went. The Assassin was smart enough to admit that the thief was an exceptionally good fighter, better than himself. This was why he had to cheat during their little duel ten years ago.
Getting Bella Donna out onto the docks that night hadn't been easy either, but he knew how to manipulate his little sister, especially since she thought he was dead. The second shot was supposed to kill LeBeau as well but the man moved and Julien was feeling the pain of the recoil too much against his sore body to react as fast as he should have. Still, the end result was satisfactory enough and he used it to his advantage.
All his plans where coming together nicely.
"He's breeched the building," his second said, gesturing to another monitor, then into the talkie, "containment squad, on my word."
"Wait until he's farther from an exit," Julien grinned in anticipation, waiting for LeBeau to make his rush towards the stairwell.
"Now," Phillip spoke into the radio as soon as LeBeau made a break for it.
Fifty plus guards in two waves flooded into the building from their pre-determined entry points. Each was decked out in flack gear 'acquired' from the military, able to protect the men from at least one or two of LeBeau's concussion blasts. Within seconds the thief was surrounded, trapped like a caged animal.
"Perfect," Julien, rather pleased with the outcome, walked to the door of his office which opened up onto a small gallery leading to the stairs.
Despite the fact that LeBeau was surrounded with heavily armed men, and the thief would never resort to any kind of hand gun, Julien felt it prudent to stay as far away from the mutant as possible. His men had orders to shoot if they saw the man even attempt to throw a card, but one was never too careful around Remy LeBeau.
"Let's settle dis like gentleman, Julien," LeBeau shouted up at him.
"Tried dat once, LeBeau," Julien snickered, "didn't end well for me if I remember correctly."
"I dunno," the thief looked around slowly, "you seemed to have come out of it alright."
"Yes," Julien said slowly, "I should have killed you dat night on da docks, but dis is much more satisfying."
"What, watching others do your dirty work?" he eyed the red dots glowing against his chest.
Julien chuckled, wondering just how much he could taunt LeBeau before the mutant got himself shot for doing something stupid. "Alive, dead, doesn't matter to me, I'll still be able to use you to strike a war between da Guilds. A conveniently placed body is all I need."
"You and your 'war between da Guilds' shtick," LeBeau shook his head and laughed, "doesn't dat get old?"
"It will only be da beginning, LeBeau," Julien sneered.
"Oh, right, den comes control of da Assassins network, footholds in da major governments, even got the head of the Senate Military Oversight Committee on your payroll which was a smart move I admit," LeBeau acted as if he was reciting a grocery list. "Now, getting da mafia's and cartels to work for you, tricky, but placing your cronies in high level security positions will help. You know, it's a big complicated game of chess you've gotten set up for yourself dere Julien, I must say I'm mighty impressed."
The assassin frowned, how did LeBeau…? "I suppose you think I should be scared now, thief, because you've been able to guess at just a few pieces on da game board?"
"Nah," LeBeau shrugged, a small smile on his lips, "I didn't think a man like you'd be fazed by dat, but dese next words, now, dey should do da trick and get your hair standing on end."
Julien practically snarled, "And what could you possible say LeBeau dat will convince me you're not bluffing out your ass?"
The other man grinned, red eyes twinkling, "Julien, I once said you could call me whatever insult you could imagine, even asked you to get more creative, but one thing you may never ever call me… is predictable."