Less Than Discreet
Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2005 5:19 pm
Less Than Discreet
Fatimai1: This idea did not come from me. I just use it for the vision of the pair 1XR. AND I do not own Gundam Wing or its characters.
Chapter 1
She looked out the tinted window onto the deep forest. The fog had enshrouded the Land Rover vehicle. The car could be ten yards from her brother?s estate or hanging off a cliff.
It would be foolhardy to press on through such a fog. There was no telling where they were.
Let me think?
She opened the car door and stepped out onto the dirt side road. It was impossible to see anything far past her extended arm and a slight mist was beginning to fall. this was all her fault, she knew. If she hadn?t been so sunk in her thoughts, so immersed in her problems, she might have realized the fog creeping in or seen that she might have taken a or several wrong turns into getting onto the path of her brother?s estate. She should have stopped in the local village and asked for directions or hired a local to drive her up the path. Instead she had been cudgeling her brain for a way to get herself out of her predicament, so intent on the trap she had sprung on herself with her lie--that she had not paid any attention to where she was heading. Well, now she would have to pay for that inattention.
She grabbed the flashlight from the glove compartment. Wrapping around her jacket and pulling on her hood, she left the car running. Looking doubtful, began her walk along the now slightly muddy road. The flashlight did little to illuminate the ground beneath her feet, enabling her to see the narrow path. She tried to keep her shoes a less dirty as possible. The drizzle she soon noticed, was turning into a definite rain and it was beginning to penetrate her hood and she thought of going back to the car and get her umbrella but decided against it. Her only choice as to let the rain stop but she did not relish the thought of being stuck out here any longer than she had to be. So she trudged on, grateful that at least the fog was disappearing, reduced to wisps and patches.
Then, off to her right, she saw a movement, and she jumped, startled, letting out a squeak of surprise. She held her flashlight out and peered into the night. It was a man standing beside a small tree, almost hidden by its branches.
?Sir!? she exclaimed, starting toward him eagerly, ?Sir, can you help me? I fear I am lost, and--?
The man whirled toward her , frowning fiercely, his face pale in the dark. There was a rifle in his hands. ?Hush!? he hissed. ?Do you want to get us all killed??
At that moment, her flashlight slipped out of her hand, accompanied by a loud pop. It hit the ground and went out. Relena screamed and turned to run back to the car. But before she could take another step, the man launched himself across the space separating them and rammed into her with all his weight. Relena hit the ground hard, the stranger lay sprawled on top of her, his weight pressing her into the ground. Relena struggled to get out from under him, gasping for air.
?Stop squirming, dammit!? he growled, pinning her to the ground. ?they?re firing at us you fool, do you want to get us killed??
It was then that she realized what that pop had been and why her flashlight had smashed. Someone had shot at her! She realized, too, that she had heard more pops as the man drove her to the ground. Relena went limp with shock. The stranger lifted his head and looked behind them. Relena stared up at him. His face was fierce and dark. All sharp features and dark messy hair. He looked, she thought, quiet dangerous, and she instinctively was certain that it was he the others had been shooting at.
?Damn it to hell!? he rasped the words out. ?I think they?re coming after us.?
?What?? her voice rose sharply. ?What is going on??
He shook his head and rose to a crouch. Before she realized what he was going to do, he had grasped her upper arms with hands of steel and jerked her to her feet, rising with her.
?Run!? he ordered, and with the word, he ran to the car, dragging her along with him.
?Let go of me!? Relena tried to wrest her arm away from him, but he was too strong. There were more gunshots behind them and Relena heard something shatter from the side of the car. Her companion jerked open the car door and pushed her inside. He tried to continue pushing her along to the passenger side but Relena was at the moment upside down and laying in the middle of the two front seats. Unable to push her along, he pulled the driver shift and the car suddenly began to roll downhill. As the car gained speed the stranger began to cling to the door. She thought he meant to crawl inside again but then to her amazement, he grasped something on the roof of the car and used it as a stepping-stone to climb onto the top of it. The car gathered speed quickly and bounced up and down along the path. Relena grabbed onto a seat, afraid she would fall out the open door when the car bounced roughly up and down.
There were more shots and she realized that the car was heading towards the shooters themselves. She had a glimpse of dark shapes that resolved themselves into men. Suddenly one of them jumped on the side of the car and grabbed the door. Using the door for support, he swung his feet into the front seat . Thinking quickly, Relena grabbed the umbrella and swung it at his legs then poked him hard in the shins with the pointed tip. He let out a loud cry of pain and fell backward out of the car door. Relena sat down on the driver?s seat and took hold of the steering wheel. Thinking to stop or to turn on the light of the car would be the worst thing to do with crazy men shooting and trying to enter her car she tried her best to control the vehicle without forcing on the brakes. Cursing a few indecent words as she struggled ,she realized that her stranger was still holding onto the top of the car. She continued to drive for about half a mile until she decided she couldn?t afford to continue driving without risking falling over a cliff and rolled the car to a complete stop.
Putting the emergency break on she felt the weight on top of the car leave and heard a soft thud on the side of car. The stranger. Her eyes narrowed as her thoughts turned toward the man. Who was he, and what had he been up to out there in the wilds of the woods.
He was up to no good, she was sure. Those men had been shooting at him, and, now that she thought about it, it was obvious that he had been hiding behind that tree--no doubt lying in wait for someone. It was no wonder he looked at her with such fury when she called to him; she had broadcast his presence tot eh other men, giving them a chance to protect themselves. She wondered if he was a murderer or perhaps some gangster looking to attack one of his enemies. She thought back to his face, remembering the fierce expression of his face. Yes, she decided, he had a definite look as if he might stop at nothing to get what he wants. Whatever he was, she had seen him where he had not wanted to be seen, and she had been the unwitting cause of the other men shooting at him and chasing him. He had been furious with her earlier and she had no doubt he still was. She had no idea what he would do but she had no trouble imaging him doing anything from hitting her to strangling her.
Relena took a firm grip on her umbrella. It had served well enough as a weapon before. Perhaps if she took him by surprise, she might disable him enough to get away. She waited, the blood pounding in her ears, every nerve stretched, listening for his approach. Suddenly the car door opened again and swung outward.
?Are you al--?
Relena swung at him with her umbrella with all her might at the man?s face, and the tipped slashed across his cheek. The umbrella?s tip broke off and the man staggered back with a roaring oath, his hand going to his cheek. Relena hit the ground running, screaming with all her might. She knew that that was probably not such a good idea since she was trying not to die from a gunshot but decided it would be best if the strange men kill her kidnapper before he got a hold of her. He was after he in an instant. It was difficult to have perfect footholds on the muddy ground since it was still down pouring rain. She could hear him behind her, even though she thought her heart would pop out of her chest, he caught up with her. His hands wrapped around one of her arms like an iron band and pulled her to a stop.
?Stop that!? he snarled. ?Dammit, girl what is wrong with you??
Relena did stop screaming, but only because she was out of breath. She sucked in a lungful of air as she whipped around and struck out at him with all her double-up fist. She only hit neck and it sent a dart of pain up to her arm. He let out a string of curses and grabbed for her wrist, but Relena twisted and struggled, hitting out and kicking him.
?Stop that. Are you crazy??
They were both thoroughly soaked by the rain but neither of them noticed as they grappled in the dark. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her off her feet, but she twisted and reached for his face with her nails. He jerked back. They clashed to the ground, but their fall was softened by the mud into which they fell. The man received the brunt of the blow, he loosened his grasp involuntarily. Relena took this chance to get away from him but he grabbed for her arms and pulled her back down but she was slippery with mud and he could not get a good hold of her. Relena squirmed and twisted to get away and he tried to wrap his arms around her to pin her down. Once, as they struggled, she felt his hands slide across her breast, she sucked in her breath sharply at the intimate touch. It startled and alarmed her, almost as much as the stranger, sudden heat shot through her body as for the impudence of the contact.
He too seemed surprised at the touch, and he froze for an instant. She took his moment of pause to rise but he still had his hold on her arm and the sleeve of her shirt ripped. She tore away, and he lunged after her. They went sprawling in the mud again, his weight bearing her down in the soft muck. He grabbed her wrist, hauling them over her head, and sat up leaning on her arms to hold her down. His legs clamped tightly around hers, holding her immobile beneath him.
The man gazed down at her, his chest rising and falling in rapid pants. He was soaked and smeared with mud, his rough dark shirt hanging open down the front, where buttons had been torn. His bare skin showed through the gap, sleek and toned and wet. His hair clung to his forehead. There was a cut on his cheek were she had hit him with her umbrella, his eyes glittered fiercely.
Relena?s throat went dry. The man looked elemental and furious, quiet male and quiet angry. She was very aware of their suggestive position, of his weight around her legs. She was conscience too, of an odd feeling in the center of her being, a strange mixture of fury and excitement and some other elusive emotion she could not have known. His eyes skimmed down her, taking in the wet tight shirt that clung to her breast, she could feel his response to her body.
?Let go of me!?
?Not until I get some answers.? he growled back.
?Who the hell are you, and what are you doing here??
?I have every right to be driving through here. It?s you who is obviously up to no good, hiding in the dark, people firing at you. Release me now or you?ll be in even more trouble than you already are.?
?You?re hardly in a position to be giving commands.? he reminded her, a faint smile touched his lips.
If it wasn?t for her annoyance at him, his face should have been appealing to her but his amusement only infuriated her.
?It is obvious to me that you are scoundrel,? she said coldly. ?I suggest that you refrain from turning yourself into a felon as well.?
His eyebrows rose slightly. ?I scarcely need to remind you that without witnesses, it is hard to charge a man with a felony??
More to come!
Fatimai1: This idea did not come from me. I just use it for the vision of the pair 1XR. AND I do not own Gundam Wing or its characters.
Chapter 1
She looked out the tinted window onto the deep forest. The fog had enshrouded the Land Rover vehicle. The car could be ten yards from her brother?s estate or hanging off a cliff.
It would be foolhardy to press on through such a fog. There was no telling where they were.
Let me think?
She opened the car door and stepped out onto the dirt side road. It was impossible to see anything far past her extended arm and a slight mist was beginning to fall. this was all her fault, she knew. If she hadn?t been so sunk in her thoughts, so immersed in her problems, she might have realized the fog creeping in or seen that she might have taken a or several wrong turns into getting onto the path of her brother?s estate. She should have stopped in the local village and asked for directions or hired a local to drive her up the path. Instead she had been cudgeling her brain for a way to get herself out of her predicament, so intent on the trap she had sprung on herself with her lie--that she had not paid any attention to where she was heading. Well, now she would have to pay for that inattention.
She grabbed the flashlight from the glove compartment. Wrapping around her jacket and pulling on her hood, she left the car running. Looking doubtful, began her walk along the now slightly muddy road. The flashlight did little to illuminate the ground beneath her feet, enabling her to see the narrow path. She tried to keep her shoes a less dirty as possible. The drizzle she soon noticed, was turning into a definite rain and it was beginning to penetrate her hood and she thought of going back to the car and get her umbrella but decided against it. Her only choice as to let the rain stop but she did not relish the thought of being stuck out here any longer than she had to be. So she trudged on, grateful that at least the fog was disappearing, reduced to wisps and patches.
Then, off to her right, she saw a movement, and she jumped, startled, letting out a squeak of surprise. She held her flashlight out and peered into the night. It was a man standing beside a small tree, almost hidden by its branches.
?Sir!? she exclaimed, starting toward him eagerly, ?Sir, can you help me? I fear I am lost, and--?
The man whirled toward her , frowning fiercely, his face pale in the dark. There was a rifle in his hands. ?Hush!? he hissed. ?Do you want to get us all killed??
At that moment, her flashlight slipped out of her hand, accompanied by a loud pop. It hit the ground and went out. Relena screamed and turned to run back to the car. But before she could take another step, the man launched himself across the space separating them and rammed into her with all his weight. Relena hit the ground hard, the stranger lay sprawled on top of her, his weight pressing her into the ground. Relena struggled to get out from under him, gasping for air.
?Stop squirming, dammit!? he growled, pinning her to the ground. ?they?re firing at us you fool, do you want to get us killed??
It was then that she realized what that pop had been and why her flashlight had smashed. Someone had shot at her! She realized, too, that she had heard more pops as the man drove her to the ground. Relena went limp with shock. The stranger lifted his head and looked behind them. Relena stared up at him. His face was fierce and dark. All sharp features and dark messy hair. He looked, she thought, quiet dangerous, and she instinctively was certain that it was he the others had been shooting at.
?Damn it to hell!? he rasped the words out. ?I think they?re coming after us.?
?What?? her voice rose sharply. ?What is going on??
He shook his head and rose to a crouch. Before she realized what he was going to do, he had grasped her upper arms with hands of steel and jerked her to her feet, rising with her.
?Run!? he ordered, and with the word, he ran to the car, dragging her along with him.
?Let go of me!? Relena tried to wrest her arm away from him, but he was too strong. There were more gunshots behind them and Relena heard something shatter from the side of the car. Her companion jerked open the car door and pushed her inside. He tried to continue pushing her along to the passenger side but Relena was at the moment upside down and laying in the middle of the two front seats. Unable to push her along, he pulled the driver shift and the car suddenly began to roll downhill. As the car gained speed the stranger began to cling to the door. She thought he meant to crawl inside again but then to her amazement, he grasped something on the roof of the car and used it as a stepping-stone to climb onto the top of it. The car gathered speed quickly and bounced up and down along the path. Relena grabbed onto a seat, afraid she would fall out the open door when the car bounced roughly up and down.
There were more shots and she realized that the car was heading towards the shooters themselves. She had a glimpse of dark shapes that resolved themselves into men. Suddenly one of them jumped on the side of the car and grabbed the door. Using the door for support, he swung his feet into the front seat . Thinking quickly, Relena grabbed the umbrella and swung it at his legs then poked him hard in the shins with the pointed tip. He let out a loud cry of pain and fell backward out of the car door. Relena sat down on the driver?s seat and took hold of the steering wheel. Thinking to stop or to turn on the light of the car would be the worst thing to do with crazy men shooting and trying to enter her car she tried her best to control the vehicle without forcing on the brakes. Cursing a few indecent words as she struggled ,she realized that her stranger was still holding onto the top of the car. She continued to drive for about half a mile until she decided she couldn?t afford to continue driving without risking falling over a cliff and rolled the car to a complete stop.
Putting the emergency break on she felt the weight on top of the car leave and heard a soft thud on the side of car. The stranger. Her eyes narrowed as her thoughts turned toward the man. Who was he, and what had he been up to out there in the wilds of the woods.
He was up to no good, she was sure. Those men had been shooting at him, and, now that she thought about it, it was obvious that he had been hiding behind that tree--no doubt lying in wait for someone. It was no wonder he looked at her with such fury when she called to him; she had broadcast his presence tot eh other men, giving them a chance to protect themselves. She wondered if he was a murderer or perhaps some gangster looking to attack one of his enemies. She thought back to his face, remembering the fierce expression of his face. Yes, she decided, he had a definite look as if he might stop at nothing to get what he wants. Whatever he was, she had seen him where he had not wanted to be seen, and she had been the unwitting cause of the other men shooting at him and chasing him. He had been furious with her earlier and she had no doubt he still was. She had no idea what he would do but she had no trouble imaging him doing anything from hitting her to strangling her.
Relena took a firm grip on her umbrella. It had served well enough as a weapon before. Perhaps if she took him by surprise, she might disable him enough to get away. She waited, the blood pounding in her ears, every nerve stretched, listening for his approach. Suddenly the car door opened again and swung outward.
?Are you al--?
Relena swung at him with her umbrella with all her might at the man?s face, and the tipped slashed across his cheek. The umbrella?s tip broke off and the man staggered back with a roaring oath, his hand going to his cheek. Relena hit the ground running, screaming with all her might. She knew that that was probably not such a good idea since she was trying not to die from a gunshot but decided it would be best if the strange men kill her kidnapper before he got a hold of her. He was after he in an instant. It was difficult to have perfect footholds on the muddy ground since it was still down pouring rain. She could hear him behind her, even though she thought her heart would pop out of her chest, he caught up with her. His hands wrapped around one of her arms like an iron band and pulled her to a stop.
?Stop that!? he snarled. ?Dammit, girl what is wrong with you??
Relena did stop screaming, but only because she was out of breath. She sucked in a lungful of air as she whipped around and struck out at him with all her double-up fist. She only hit neck and it sent a dart of pain up to her arm. He let out a string of curses and grabbed for her wrist, but Relena twisted and struggled, hitting out and kicking him.
?Stop that. Are you crazy??
They were both thoroughly soaked by the rain but neither of them noticed as they grappled in the dark. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her off her feet, but she twisted and reached for his face with her nails. He jerked back. They clashed to the ground, but their fall was softened by the mud into which they fell. The man received the brunt of the blow, he loosened his grasp involuntarily. Relena took this chance to get away from him but he grabbed for her arms and pulled her back down but she was slippery with mud and he could not get a good hold of her. Relena squirmed and twisted to get away and he tried to wrap his arms around her to pin her down. Once, as they struggled, she felt his hands slide across her breast, she sucked in her breath sharply at the intimate touch. It startled and alarmed her, almost as much as the stranger, sudden heat shot through her body as for the impudence of the contact.
He too seemed surprised at the touch, and he froze for an instant. She took his moment of pause to rise but he still had his hold on her arm and the sleeve of her shirt ripped. She tore away, and he lunged after her. They went sprawling in the mud again, his weight bearing her down in the soft muck. He grabbed her wrist, hauling them over her head, and sat up leaning on her arms to hold her down. His legs clamped tightly around hers, holding her immobile beneath him.
The man gazed down at her, his chest rising and falling in rapid pants. He was soaked and smeared with mud, his rough dark shirt hanging open down the front, where buttons had been torn. His bare skin showed through the gap, sleek and toned and wet. His hair clung to his forehead. There was a cut on his cheek were she had hit him with her umbrella, his eyes glittered fiercely.
Relena?s throat went dry. The man looked elemental and furious, quiet male and quiet angry. She was very aware of their suggestive position, of his weight around her legs. She was conscience too, of an odd feeling in the center of her being, a strange mixture of fury and excitement and some other elusive emotion she could not have known. His eyes skimmed down her, taking in the wet tight shirt that clung to her breast, she could feel his response to her body.
?Let go of me!?
?Not until I get some answers.? he growled back.
?Who the hell are you, and what are you doing here??
?I have every right to be driving through here. It?s you who is obviously up to no good, hiding in the dark, people firing at you. Release me now or you?ll be in even more trouble than you already are.?
?You?re hardly in a position to be giving commands.? he reminded her, a faint smile touched his lips.
If it wasn?t for her annoyance at him, his face should have been appealing to her but his amusement only infuriated her.
?It is obvious to me that you are scoundrel,? she said coldly. ?I suggest that you refrain from turning yourself into a felon as well.?
His eyebrows rose slightly. ?I scarcely need to remind you that without witnesses, it is hard to charge a man with a felony??
More to come!
