BURDEN OF AUTHORITY
BY: DANI

Unshackled

    Lady J had long since given up trying to break loose of the manacles that had her shackled to the wall. It was probably futile to even attempt escape in the first place; even if she freed herself, she still had to find a way out of the cell. and if she found her way out of the cell, there was still the greater obstacle of actually getting out of the base undetected. and even if she managed that, she literally had no idea where in the world she was. Destro had flown her out of Cairo and they were in the air for quite some time, so the possibilities were endless. Her only real hope was that somehow the Joes would find some way to get her out of here. if they even knew where "here" was.

    She harbored a small longing in the back of her mind that Flint would come to her rescue. her gallant knight bursting through the cell door to carry her off into the night. but that image remained lodged deep in her thoughts. She tried not to delude herself; she had a feeling that Flint was attracted to her, but no matter what she tried, she just couldn't get anywhere. except that night just days before the Cairo mission. He would have kissed her-she was almost certain of it. Damn that phone call! She hadn't really spoken to him since. Hawk had thrown this fouled-up mission into his lap and since then it had been all business. But every once in a while during the few days of training in preparation for the mission, Lady J would catch Flint looking at her; she would smile, hoping to detect a break in his otherwise staunch composure. She had convinced herself so many times that he had feelings for her. that it was his rank and position holding him back. but what if she was wrong? What if she had completely misinterpreted everything? No. She couldn't be wrong about this one. She'd just have to attack the situation with renewed vigor the next time she saw him. No more subtlety. It was time to ante up and find out once and for all if Flint was willing to show her his cards.

* * * * * * * *

    Faintly, as if far in the distance, Lady J heard motion. She'd been down here long enough to gauge changes in the normal pattern of sounds. this one sounded distinctly like a door. Perhaps Destro had finally decided it was time to interrogate her. She had wondered why she had been left to stew in this rotten place for so long without visitors. guess it was just a tactic. Fine. It would take more than solitary captivity in a dank cell to get her to talk. (Although she tried to sway her thoughts from the types of torture that probably would loosen her tongue). She felt her stomach tighten in anticipation, uncertain what Destro's intentions were. Was he simply planning to interrogate her in an attempt to extract useful information, or was she simply a pawn in his game. a bargaining piece to be kept in seclusion until needed to sway the balance in the ultimate battle where the spoils of victory could mean worldwide tyranny? She would soon find out.

    Straining her ears, she heard a similar sound the door closing surreptitiously. Then the almost imperceptible patter of footsteps told her there was more than one person coming her direction, but their apparent gait suggested they weren't on a direct course to her cell-the footsteps paused at varying intervals. hmmmm. perhaps checking on prisoners in other cells?

    As their steps converged on her location, she could discern the murmur of voices; the words were jarbled, but the tone suggested confused wary questioning, not the overconfident blather she would have suspected. Curious. What were these Cobras up to? The situation seemed a bit out of character if they were indeed troops intent on questioning her, but for what other reason would they be down here? Training new recruits? Routine check ups and tally of prisoners? Lady J didn't think so. the pieces just didn't seem to fit. Just as she was trying to formulate a coherent image in her mind that would account for the tone of the sounds, there was immediate silence. They were right outside her door.

* * * * * * * *

    Well. here was her opportunity. If she was going to seize it, she had to act now. She hoped her performance would be convincing enough to draw the guard close; and if his partner was a bit slow in catching on, she might just be able to pull this off.

    She positioned herself on the floor in a manner that suggested she had passed out, but she kept some slack in her chains to enable herself the freedom of movement she'd need to facilitate this little endeavor. She left herself a good view of the door and in a few moments she saw it swing open and two figures step inside. The first was a Cobra Officer, the other was cloaked in darkness, but the way he hung on the heels of the other suggested he was an inferior.

    The Officer said nothing as he approached her-almost tenderly, as if he was genuinely worried about her condition. Just what she needed. a Cobra Officer with a soft side; this would definitely make her next maneuver easier. The more distracted he was the better. That's it you fool. closer. closer.

    And as his hand reached out towards her, she made her move. Swiftly she had him by the wrist, twisting his arm around behind him and in the same motion, bringing her other arm around the front of his body so the chain came to a rest around his neck. As she tightened her hold on his arm, she tightened the chain around his neck. A surprised gasp was all that escaped his lips as she kicked him to his knees. Having him now in this incredibly vulnerable position-starved for oxygen and practically gasping for air-she released his arm and quickly went for his sidearm. In a split second she had it at his head and was addressing his shadowed partner "Alright you Cobra scum. unlock me or I turn this one's head into a fine red mist."

* * * * * * * *

    To Lady J's utter shock, Mainframe stepped out of the shadows. Clearing his throat and smiling, he nonchalantly spoke "Unless you want to face a major court martial, Lady J, I'd think twice about striking a commanding officer. although trying to strangle one probably qualifies you anyway."

    With a blank expression that was only slightly beginning to spark with realization, Lady J dropped both the gun and the chain. The figure in the Cobra uniform dropped to all fours, ripping off the mask and helmet as he gasped for air. Lady J's jaw nearly hit the floor in synch with his hands. "Flint.!" she managed to utter with a tone that simultaneously expressed shock, relief, and disbelief.

    "Well." Flint managed in a slightly raspy voice as she stood, rubbing his neck, to face Lady J, "I thought you'd be a bit happier to see me."

    Lady J, finally collecting herself and assimilating the situation started toward him, "Flint, you can't even begin to imaging how happy I am to see you." and in a moment of abandon spawned partially by her previous fear and current relief and partially by lustful thoughts an overwhelming emotions, she threw herself into his arms. His surprise was apparent at first, but within moments he had his arms around her, holding her tightly. She felt completely safe in those arms. as if they provided an impenetrable barrier between her and the world. She wanted to remain there forever, savoring the embrace. For the first time, she actually felt as if Flint's emotions were cresting-the way his arms caressed her in this moment conveyed more than just a friendly comforting embrace. She felt as if he was releasing something. as if he had been uncorked and all the bottled up pressure had been allowed to spill out; and although they only held each other this way for a few moments, Lady J had felt a connection that surpassed any emotion she had ever experienced. Her knight had come to her rescue. and she was more than ready to be saved.

* * * * * * * *

    Unchained from the ties that had bound her, Lady J felt rejuvenated. The physical chains that had restrained her were gone. But more importantly in her mind, the metaphorical chains that had been restraining Flint seemed to have been unlocked as well. She wanted to be alone with him more than anything right now, but there were more important matters to attend to. Personal factors aside, they were still within the bowels of a Cobra Base and escape wasn't going to be easy.

    "Lady J," Flint helped her to her feet and looked her in the eyes. She knew he wanted to tell her something but couldn't find the words. The change in his demeanor was enough. She knew what he was feeling. he didn't need words.

    "Flint, I'm fine." She reassured him. He had been worried about her. That realization made her feel warm inside. The idea that he had risked his life to save her was so arousing she almost couldn't contain herself. She took his hand as she gazed into his eyes. "Thank You."

    "Hey! It's not like he did this all by himself you know," Mainframe interjected with a miffed chuckle. He wasn't stupid; he had figured out a while ago that there was more to this mission for Flint than just rescuing a team member. he really cared about her. It irked him a bit that he had risked his own life for Flint's passions. but for Mainframe, Lady J was a teammate. a friend. If Flint had other ties to her, so be it. Even if Flint hadn't organized this mission, Mainframe would have jumped at the opportunity to save her. Heck, he couldn't blame Flint for being attracted to her. she was beautiful. intelligent.

    He was jarred from his thoughts by her hand on his shoulder. "Mainframe. I' m indebted to you too."

    Her smile was genuine and he knew she wasn't just saying that to appease him. He glanced at Flint and decided to push his luck. "I don't suppose you'd let me take you out on a date as repayment."

    Before Lady J could answer, Flint interjected, "Ahem. I think it's time we thought about getting out of here before we attract too much attention to ourselves." He gave Mainframe a cold stare which conveyed his message better than words. Hands off, buddy. she's mine.

______________________________________________________

Continued in Part Five
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