Of Cages and Misery

[Catbert]

Kyle replied in a calm, estranged manner: "Yeah, I'll get to it." He then heard Elena's comment; his mind told him to apologize again, but it didn't seem appropriate. That's why Kyle limited his apology to a sour and sympathetic expression as he looked at Elena briefly. He then turned his face to the guy: "Take care of Elena in the meantime, ok?" Kyle didn't wait for an answer and exited the room, closing the door behind him.

On his way to the bathroom he stumbled across the pistol that Mason had thrown into the corridor earlier in an attemnt to lure Kyle out of cover. Leaving a gun lying on the floor like that didn't feel right, so Kyle picked it up. The holster on the inner side of his jacket was already occupied with Elena's kinetic pistol, so Kyle made sure the safety lever was on and put the gun in the pocket for the time being.

As he approached the bathroom door, he hesitated for a bit, unsure what he should say or do. In a dozen of seconds he made up his mind and knocked on the door softly, his voice calm: "Aurora? Are you ok?" The door was closed and locked, no reaction came from inside. The only thing Kyle noticed was the sound of running water. Concerned, but still trying to stick to the plan, Kyle knocked louder, raising his voice: "Aurora? Please say something! There is no danger now, nobody here is going to threaten you anymore." If seeing Kyle alone had made her that frightened, he wouldn't know how she'd get over the way that the other two 'guests' arrived. That's why he attempted not to push her more than he had to.

Not getting a reply for a few more moments, Kyle got nervous. He had last seen Kiara wounded, holding a hand to her stomach. What state of mind could she be at the moment? Was she even alive? That last thought hit a switch in Kyle's brain. He slammed his fist on the door a few times, almost shouting. "Aurora, please don't be silent! I don't want to shoot the lock, but I'll have to, if you don't at least say that you're ok!"

As no reply followed, Kyle decided to act. He took out the laser pistol out of the pocket. After turning off the safety and setting the weapon to maximum power, Kyle pressed it against the place where the lock bolt would be. He then moved the weapon a bit higher, aiming at the supposed lock bolt from an angle so that the laser wouldn't hit anyone in the room by accident. He then pulled the trigger, and the weapon burned through the lock bolt along with a part of the door-post and the door itself. Ignoring the smell, Kyle opened the door.

A scream was heard from the inside and the flowing water stopped. Kyle saw the woman flee into the furthest corner she could find, and once again curl up with her knees up to her chin and her arms around her legs. She started helplessly sobbing in the corner. Kyle only sighed with relief as he saw Kiara in good health... physical at least.

Apparently, it wasn't Kiara's stomach that was hit by a blaster shot. Kyle was afraid to find her dead or unconscious, but with that out of the question, he could return to plan A. He lowered his gun, turned on the safety lock again, and put the laser pisto back into his pocket. As he stepped into the room, he closed the door behind him (although with the lock gone it was merely a formality) and sat down on the floor by the entrance, leaning his back against the damaged doorframe. "It's ok, nobody is going to hurt you now," Kyle said calmly, looking at the nervous wreck that was once his girlfriend Kiara Garlow. He tried to smile, but the rollercoaster of events has left Kyle almost burnt out emotionally.

"Then get out!", she yelled at him, in tears. "Leave me alone! Why can't people just leave me alone?!" She was hiding one of her hands between her torso and her legs, holding her legs with the other arm. She tilted her head down, laying it onto her knees, and hid her face behind her hair and knees, still crying.

Kyle sighed remorsefully again, but remained seated where he was. "Because they care about you... Well, some of them do." Kyle had to correct himself after remembering what that thug brought by Elena had done to Kiara. "In fact, that woman who came here... She is the one who told me about Kiara Garlow getting captured in the Taus by some Gallic slaver who demanded a big ransom." Kyle wiped his face with his right hand; he remembered that he had never said that part around Kiara's alleged 'husband', for better or worse. "That's why I went to Gallia. To save a person I care about," he spoke all that in a casual, almost emotionless manner, as if making a confession.

Apparently, Kiara wasn't even listening to him: "You broke into my home, you threatened me, you shot at me, you scared me to death and you still do. Get out, or let me leave. You can have this apartment, if you want, my jewelry, whatever you're after. Just let me go, please!"

"I didn't threaten you." Kyle put an emphasis on "I", hoping to bring the woman back to reality. "You let me in and let me have a shower, remember?" He made a pause, hoping that the thought would sink in. "Then those guys showed up because they were looking for Kiara Garlow, just as I am. And they only shot the door because they didn't know about your condition, I think. Either way, I won't let them harm you now." Kyle looked through the hole he made in the door to check if anyone else was in the corridor. "That's why I'm not leaving you alone."

"They shot the door, you rang and forced your way in. Where's the difference?", Kiara just continued, not calming down. "You're just as bad as they are, if you're not already working together, playing some stupid game. Why can't you just let me live my life?" Her last reply was rather loud, and it made Kyle wonder if anyone heard them through the door.

"If it was a game, we wouldn't have been shooting at each other. And by now I'm sure that the 'life' you mentioned isn't yours. Some things just don't add up." Kyle stroked the week-old stubble on his face before continuing: "For example, these two guys came here looking for Kiara Garlow, because some Gaul had asked them for ransom. Do you happen to know anything about that? I mean, you didn't seem like you were a captive."

Kiara didn't reply to anything he said, instead she pulled herself together and slowly stood up, still holding her hand close to her stomach, while she went along the wall, heading for the door that Kyle was sitting in front. She just tried to squeeze past him without any hint of response. Kyle stood up and put his hand on the doorframe, unwilling to just stop it here: "Look... Aurora... I'm sorry about what happened." Kyle still found it hard to refer to his girlfriend by her other name. "Those two guys are still in your apartment, they have just as many questions as I do, and they are more pushy than I am." He sighed, lowering his head for a moment, coming up with what to say: "It was just a fair warning. It's your home, so I won't stand in your way for much longer. But please, could we at least talk later, like you promised we'd do?"

The woman didn't reply to Kyle; instead she just tried to push him out of the way with a hand on his shoulder. Out of options, Kyle stood aside, letting Kiara pass. "I'll take that as a yes," he mumbled to himself as his girlfriend left the bathroom. He walked out too with the intent of following her.

As soon as Kiara walked into the corridor she looked around, noticed something by the door to the bedroom that caused her some concern. She then quickly walked towards to the damaged apartment door. Kyle exited the bathroom a moment after Kiara. He took a quick look to the right and saw the thughelping Elena walk of the bedroom. An expression of regret appeared on his face again, but he had nothing to say. He then turned around to Kiara, who was at that time by the entry door of the apartment. "Aurora, wait!" Kyle made a few quick steps towards her, not catching up with her yet, but close enough to rush after her, should she decide to run away. "I don't want you to disappear again."

Elena reacted to this attempt to flee as well. "Kiara!" she called, inhaling sharply. "Hold it!" It didn't at all sound like an order, but like a plea. Aurora jerked again as she heard the calls, and quickened her pace towards the door. She did not dare look back, only when she heard Kyle get closer she gave up the pretense and actually started running towards the door.