"To the rescue" for the Short Affair Challenge

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Challenge: The Short Affair

-Prompt Word #2 – Floor

-Prompt Colour – Gold

Author: mrua7

Title: ‘To the rescue’

Word count: approx. 850

The only source of light in the blackness of the rocky tunnel was Napoleon’s small flashlight. He’d gone farther inside, moving carefully, one foot carefully placed a step at a time.

At first there was the sound of sand and pebbles crunching beneath his feet, but eventually that changed to something soft, squishy.

Salt air, that’s what it smelled like at first but seconds later it hit him, the distinctive odor of bat guano and urine covering the floor.

Solo gagged, and pulling his handkerchief he held it over his nose and mouth.

“Jill?” He called out, hoping she was still alive.

Jill Pennington was an innocent, an American tourist, caught up in a Jamaican smuggling ring. She’d been at the wrong place at the wrong time having stepped out of a club to get some fresh air; she’d witnessed the something she shouldn’t have, and the men grabbed her.

Napoleon had met her at the bar, bought her a drink and they chatted, that was it.

He went outside to check on her and saw them taking her away, and now he’d  been hot on the trail to find her ever since.

He stopped walking, canting his head to listen. It was then he heard it, a chattering sound and the flapping of wings. Hundreds of bats flew above his head, Napoleon crouched down just in case.

For once he was glad his partner wasn’t with him as the Russian, having had a bad experience with them thanks to Count Zark, wouldn’t have been a happy Russian.

Once the creatures were gone Napoleon resumed his search.

“Jill?” This time his voice echoed. “Jill Jill Jill…”

He listened carefully, and thought he heard a tapping sound.

“Tap-Tap, Tap-Tap-Tap.”

“Jill honey if that’s you, keep doing what you’re doing.”

The tapping continued, though like his voice the sound echoed, making it difficult to locate the source.

The flashlight began to flicker, and suddenly failed, but Solo wasn’t left completely in the dark. Ahead of him there was an eerie blue glow.

He moved towards it and found the tunnel opened to a grotto filled with water, bright iridescent blue water. If Kuryakin were here, he’d know what that was, but there was no time to wonder about it; he had to find the girl.

Napoleon gave the flashlight a tap; it came to life, shining right at the wide eyed woman who was trussed up to a stalagmite. Duct tape covered her mouth, and she'd used the heel of her shoe to tap on the floor of the cave. Yet the gold of her sequined dress sparkling in the light was like a beacon drawing him to her.

He rushed to her side, pulling the tape from her mouth.

“Behind you!” She screamed.

Solo turned just in time to duck as a hulking figure took a swing at him. Napoleon dove at the man’s midsection, driving him backwards.

A hand lashed out, grabbing the UNCLE agent, and the two men went flying into the water with a great splash.

Down and down they went into the blue depths, struggling wrestling. Napoleon felt like his lungs were going to burst and that instant moment of panic set in, his fear of drowning nearly winning out.

He freed himself of the monstrous grasp of his adversary who could no longer hold his breath and water filled his lungs. His body quickly drifted away in the current and would soon be drawn out to sea.

Napoleon, filled with desperation,  paddled upwards until he broke the surface of the water, gasping for air.

He pulled himself out, and after catching his breath, Solo rose and made his way back to the girl.

“Thanks for the warning. You okay Jill?”

“Thanks for the rescue and I’ll be fine once we get out of here. It’ll probably be faster if we swim it, as there’s light that way. It’ll take us out to the bay,” she pointed. “Isn’t the algae gorgeous? The brackish water from the bay and and fresh water meet in the grotto and combines with nutrients from the stalactites and stalagmites. It create a perfect environment for bioluminescent dinoflagellates to thrive.”

“And you know this how? Napoleon asked.

“Oh I’m studying marine biology, just earned my Masters at…”

Napoleon smiled. “You know my partner would love to hear about that. Shame he’s in Belgium. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve had my fill of water today, let’s take the scenic route back through the cave. I have a jeep at the top of the cliff. I have a villa in St. Anne’s and we can get you home from there.”

“Just one second,” Jill took hold of his sopping wet tie and pulled Napoleon to her. She kissed him, long and hard.

“I had to thank you after all,” she smiled, not being shy about it at all.

“That’s all I get is a kiss for saving your life?” He held her close, running his fingers through her auburn hair.

“Oh, there’ll be more later… you did say you had a villa?”

“I most certainly did,” he grinned.

Comments

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thank you, this one evolved rather strangely and started out just in a cave and originally it was April. Funny how these things work out. Glad you liked it and thought it very MFU!