A Dish Best Served Cold Part 3

Written by Soar

 

The young nurse looked up from the chart she was updating as the young man on the bed began to struggle again.  He’d only been here a couple of days yet already the nurses fought over who was to take care of him.  It was shame though because he never really seemed conscious of their presence, locked in some private nightmare created by his illness.

 

She felt a shiver creep down her spine at the look of absolute terror and pain that the young man now wore.  His body twisted almost painfully as it tried to unconsciously free itself from the restraints.  The young nurse would have liked to remove the restraints but had been warned that if she did so the young man was more than likely to hurt himself and anyone else that tried to help him, so he remained bound, for his own safety.

 

Actually this patient was something of an enigma.  He was a John Doe, found wondering the streets, although he didn’t look like a vagrant.  He was a little too lean and his body had a number of scars, the young woman did not want to think about how they had gotten there.  There was a small device attached to his forehead.  According to his charts it was experimental technology used for monitoring brain waves.  She didn’t wonder about that, it was far too complicated for her to understand anything other than it’s basic function, but they had been told not to touch it.

 

The young nurse finished her routine checking and left the young man hoping that the medication would eventually help him.

 

Belladonna walked into the parlor at the LeBeau family house.  She had no guards with her, and knew that during this temporary truce she would need none.  The most important thing right now was to find Remy and stop Ellis, in that order.

 

“What measures have you taken t’ find Ellis?” she asked Jean-Luc as she sat down in a large chair by the window.

 

Jean-Luc sighed.  “I have pulled in every operative I have to trace all of his dealings for de past year.  He must have left a clue somewhere, I refuse to believe he can have hidden Remy away so completely.”

 

“What makes you t’ink dat Remy is still alive?” Bella asked.  She hoped in her heart that it wasn’t true but they had to face facts.

 

Jean-Luc glared at her.  “He is,” he stated.  “De note I received from Ellis promised revenge.  We took away his daughter and now he has taken away my son.”

 

“Why you?  Why not someone else’s son or daughter.  Why target de T’ieves?”  Bella enquired.

 

“I don’t know.  Perhaps b’cause we took de more active role in his downfall.  Maybe he jus’ don’ like me.  I don’ know why, I don’ care why, I jus’ wan’ Remy back.”

 

“Very well.  I will also get my best operatives on de job.  Dey will have to work with yo’ men d’ough.”   Bella informed the Thieves Leader.

 

“T’ank you!” Jean-Luc said sincerely, and Bella shrugged, a little uncomfortable all of a sudden.

 

Marrow watched with interest from the doorway of the Professors office as Storm hunted through piles of paper, muttering to herself.

 

“What’cha lookin’ for?” she asked suddenly, and felt a small bit of satisfaction as the windrider jumped.

 

“Sarah, it is not polite to sneak up on someone,” Storm said disapprovingly.

 

Marrow ignored that and repeated her question.

 

Storm frowned and went back to rifling through papers.  “I am looking for the contact number that Remy left for us, there is a matter I needed to discuss with him.”

 

“I have a copy,” Sarah offered after a pause, and Storm gave her a penetrating look before nodding her head.  Marrow ran off to obtain it.

 

When she got back she took a seat as Ororo punched in the number.

 

“Ya?” A voice said at the other end.

 

“I would like to speak to Remy LeBeau please,” she stated.

 

There was a pause at the other end and the sound of muffled voices before the voice came back.  “Who is dis?”

 

“I am Ororo Monroe, a friend of Remy’s.  He gave me this number in case I needed to contact him.”

 

“Remy’s not here.” The voice said abruptly.

 

Ororo had to rein in her impatience with this display of rudeness.  “Do you know when he will be back?”  she asked.

 

“Non!”

 

“Very well, can I leave a message for him?” she enquired.

 

“Non!” the voice said again and hung up.

 

Ororo stared at the phone in astonishment.  What bizarre behavior.  Just what was Remy doing?

 

A knock on the door interrupted Jean-Luc from his thoughts.  He glanced quickly at Belladonna who was drinking tea before calling for whoever it was to enter.

 

One of the young trainees entered.  He cast a quick suspicious glance at Bella, and waited for Jean-Luc’s impatient nod before continuing.

 

“Sir, we jus’ had a phone call from Ororo Monroe,” he reported.

 

Jean-Luc frowned.  Why was the X-woman calling?  “Did she say what she wanted?”

 

The young thief blushed.  “I’m afraid sir dat we were a little too hasty and hung before she could leave a message, alt’ough she did say dat she wanted to speak to Remy.”

 

Jean-Luc frowned.  “You should have handled dat better.  She gon’ be suspicious now.”

 

“Why not use them Jean-Luc?” Belladonna offered.

 

Jean-Luc looked at her in confusion.

 

“Dey are all mutants, and dey have tracking devices to find mutants, maybe dey got de equipment to find Remy.”

 

Jean-Luc nodded thoughtfully.  “I do not want dem all involved.  Remy’s told me somet’in of dem and I have been keepin’ my eye on all o’ dem.  Remy don’ know.  At least I t’ink he don’ know, but I ain’ gon’ leave him dere alone, wit’out no protection if he need it.”

 

Belladonna laughed admiringly.

 

Jean-Luc turned back to the young thief.  “Marc, I wan’ you to book me on de next plane to New York, and arrange for a car.”

 

“You better make dat two seats Marc,” Bella said and cast a challenging look towards Jean-Luc. 

 

“Very well, two seats Marc,” Jean-Luc said and turned away dismissing the young thief.

 

End of part 3