An Unlikely Savior

by Camille Oster

  “I am sure Etienne is fine. They left Paris before it got too bad.” She wasn’t sure it was true, but she wanted to believe it was.

  “It is a long way from Paris to Milan,” Tomas said.

  “They had help, he said they had secured means of travel. I think they got someone to help them escape.”

  “I hope you are right,” he said. “We should go. We need to find this ship before someone finds us.”

  He led her out into the street again. Clouds had rolled in, making it darker and colder. It set him on edge even more. He had to get her out of Nantes as soon as possible. The atmosphere of the place seemed to be getting darker on the streets. The sense of desperation seemed to grow, and the presence of the soldiers wasn’t helping. The people were getting angry in their disappointment. Many had come to realize that this revolution was giving them far less than the paradise they had been offered, in fact, in most cases, they were worse off.

  The revolution seemed to be taking on maniacal undertones. Robespierre was taking control of everything and the man had a vicious streak in him. The people were with him for now, complicit in the hell he was creating, bastardizing the intent and purpose of the revolution. It was like a beast that had been set free and now they were losing control over it. Perhaps they had been ridiculous to expect that they would ever have control. Now they just had to ride it out and see what is left on the other side. Tomas couldn’t deny that he was losing hope as each day grew darker and more malicious.

  His original support for the revolution and its principles would count for nothing now. If he was caught, he would lose his head as quick as anyone else. It seemed that the people weren’t interested in principles anymore. There was an element that just wanted blood, and anyone’s would do.

  The weather was turning darker by the minute. Clouds were rolling in and Tomas had an ominous feeling. The streets were clearing of people as there was a general anticipation of rain. Rain might actually make it safer for them. Even the soldiers preferred to stay indoors when it rained.

  They walked through the town, back to the pigeon hole that the retired Captain called a home. He had to get that ship name off the man, and he would not be distracted this time. He would have to take Virginie with him rather than leaving her exposed for the street urchins that seemed to roam these parts.

  He took care to avoid the main square where the guillotine was set up. He didn’t like seeing the disgust and fear in Virginie’s eyes. He also didn’t want her to understand the full extent to which his revolution had devolved. She didn’t need to see such things, she had seen enough as it was, he wanted to protect her from any further challenges to her belief in humanity.

  When they got back toward the part of town they had visited that morning, the first fat raindrop fell.

  “There!” someone yelled. Tomas whipped around and saw a soldier pointing at them. It was obvious that the soldier meant them as there was no one else around.

  “Damnation,” he cursed. The soldiers were looking for them and they had just been identified. Unless this little escapade into the Jacobin leader’s house had been observed, then it was the former Captain that had sold them out for a bit of coin. The absolute cur of a man. Tomas knew in his gut it was the latter, then he wasn’t surprised, he had sought out someone who would do literally anything for coin. The awful man had seen an alternative way of earning from the acquaintance after Tomas had left so abruptly.

  “Quick,” he said to Virginie and started running down the street, away from the soldiers. He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her along. He had to moderate his pace so she could keep up, but he ducked in and out of alleys. It didn’t do much good; he could hear the soldiers behind them, keeping pace. The clattering of their equipment told that they weren’t far behind them. “We must run faster.”

  “I am trying,” she said. He could hear the despair in her voice. He hated hearing it, but it couldn’t be helped. Right now, he had to make sure they escaped.

  There were soldiers running from the other direction as well, he could see them coming as he dashed past a street. He kept running, hearing the soldiers shout directions to each other behind them.

  They turned now an alley but had to turn around as there were more soldiers coming toward them. They ran with their rifles ahead of them. He realized that some of the must be loaded and there was a distinct possibility that they may be shot, but he also knew that they were wanted alive, so they could be made an example of in the square they had been avoiding. They would also be interrogated and potentially tortured.

  He had his blade, but it was no comparison to the number of soldiers that were coming after them. He felt the blade at his back. If nothing else, he would make sure that Virginie didn’t face the cruel fate that lay before her if they couldn’t escape.

  They ducked into a clear alley, running past the carts and the garbage the lined the street. He had lost track of where they were, he was just running blindly down any alley that looked like a means of escape. The soldiers were following relentlessly.

  They arrived at a square and there were soldiers on the other side. Further shouts from both ahead and behind them. Their situation was getting worse. He could hear Virginie crying and he could feel the fear in her as she clasped tightly onto his hand. He changed their direction, pulling her sharply to the side as he spied a clear path on one of the sides of the square. The soldiers saw his intentions and tried to cut him off.

  One of them grabbed onto Virginie’s shawl and he felt the heaviness slow them down. Virginie ripped at the knot at her neck and the garment gave way. They were free again and picked up speed as they ran blindly down the street and then into an alley.

  Tomas stopped and tried to hear where the soldiers were. The shouts were echoing through the walls making it difficult to locate them. They were in multiple directions from what he could make out.

  “Spread out,” he heard an order. There were horses now; he could hear the hoofs on the cobble stones of the streets. Tomas knew their situation was getting worse; every soldier in the town was probably on of the streets chasing them now. His throat felt dry with tension and exertion.

  Virginie was shaking beside him and he pulled her close. He’d come to realize that their chances were now very slim. The soldiers were getting closer and he tried to think of something to do as Virginie buried her face in his chest. He desperately tried to see some access onto the roofs, maybe they could find a route on top of the buildings, but the walls were straight with no easy means of climbing.

  Virginie was looking up at him now and he looked down at her face. Her eyes were large and pleading. He wished there was something he could do.

  “Psst,” he heard a quiet voice behind them. He frantically sought the source of the voice and saw a small crack in the door. He felt hope flare as they had access into one of the buildings. If nothing else, they could jump out a window on the other side. Soldiers were coming down the alley; he could hear their footsteps pounding down the wet stones.

  They came into a dark space. A hunched over old man with a candle pointed to his lips as he closed the door behind them. The soldiers were getting closer, he could hear them arriving to the spot they had been only moments before. The old man waved them toward a staircase down into the cellar.

  They quickly followed the man, almost stumbling down the dark staircase. The old man waved them forward as they got to what must be some kind of storage space. It was dark and dank, with the only light coming from a small dirty window close to the roof. The old man blew out the candle leaving them in darkness.

  Tomas could see the boots of soldiers running past the window outside. Virginie sobbed and he pulled her close again. “Hush,” he said trying to sooth her. The old man moved with his awkward gait down the dusty space until he stopped and bent over. Tomas watched as he fumbled around on the floor until he heard the release of a catch.

  “There’s not much time,” the old man croaked and lifted some floor boards up. “They w
ill search soon. Down here.”

  Tomas walked over and saw a black space under the floor boards. “You can hide in here,” the old man said. “I don’t know if it will do any good, but it is the only hope you have.”

  Tomas stepped into the dark hole. It only went down as far as his thighs. He lifted Virginie down and they lay down in the space. He could see footsteps over the dusty floor boards. Anyone with an ounce of intelligence would find their hiding spot, but there was nothing he could do about it and no time to do it in. The soldiers were searching the streets, Tomas could hear their confusion, which meant that the soldiers had the space cordoned off and they knew that the two of them were in these buildings somewhere.

  The old man replaced the floorboards, leaving the two of them in the dark except for a sliver of dusty light coming through the boards from the window. The dust made a visible column of light. The old man hobbled away, leaving the cellar quiet. Tomas felt around the space to learn that it wasn’t much bigger than the size of a man, dug out of the dirt.

  “What is this?” Virginie whispered with a shaky voice. She could feel her whole body shake as she lay next to him, with her arm tight around his waist.

  “A priest hole maybe. Or some kind of smuggles’ hollow. This area is notorious for smugglers.” His voice wasn’t all that steady either. Their ragged breath bounced off the dirt walls. They had to calm down or their heavy breathing would give them away.

  Chapter 8

  Virginie lay next to Tomas in this black space, clinging to him. She could feel his heavy breathing as his chest expanded and contracted. He was trying to calm down and she followed his lead. She had never in her life been so completely terrified. She couldn’t help the tears from flowing silently, making it hard to calm her breathing.

  “You must calm,” he whispered quietly. She could feel him relaxing a bit more, but she tried to focus on him and his calmness. The tears were still flowing down her cheeks and she buried her face in his chest again. He reached up to stroke her face, wipe the tears away and to distract her. She turned her face to him, accepting his touch. She could feel his breath on her face before she felt his lips on hers. The softness of his lips were a shock, but the kiss drew her complete attention. His arm tightened around her back as he drew her closer into the kiss, deepening it, urging her to give him access.

  The kiss felt like hope and it was exactly what she needed at that point. She opened her mouth and let him explore. His tongue entered her mouth, filling her with sensuous sensations, moist and warm, sending a thrill of excitement down her entire body.

  He pulled away when he heard the soldiers start pounding on doors to gain access and search all the buildings in the area. Virginie felt the overwhelming fear returning after the brief respite. She wanted to hold him even closer, but she was as close into his side as could be.

  “We’re going to die aren’t we?” she said trying to make her voice stronger than a mere squeak.

  “Probably,” he said. She could hear the sadness in his voice.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said. She started crying again. “I did this. You were only helping me, and I have given you a death sentence. I’m so sorry.”

  “Hush,” he said and placed his lips at her temple.

  “You don’t deserve this.”

  “Neither do you,” he said. “I won’t let them hurt you.” He leaned in and kissed her again, deeply. He turned so their bodies were facing each other. It made the kiss much more intimate. She could feel his chest against her, flattening her breasts against the solid form of him. She realized she wanted his kiss more than she had ever wanted anything.

  A noise close by distracted them; they froze as they heard soldiers entering the building they were hiding in. Tomas held her close with her face snuggled into his shoulder as soldiers started searching through the building. She heard them go up the stairs, the wood creaking as they moved through the building. Then she heard the door to the cellar creaking open. She was too scared to breath. She clasped onto Tomas a little harder, fear suffusing every part of her. She stopped breathing.

  The footfalls continued down the stairs relentlessly, then moved around the floor searching every crevasse of the cellar. Dust fell down on them as the soldier stepped on the floor planks above their heads. Virginie was sure the soldier would hear her heartbeat because it was incredibly loud in her ears. She could feel the tension in Tomas, every part of him was tense. He was holding his breath too.

  She expected the floor boards to be ripped up any second and she felt so incredibly sorry that she had done this to Tomas. He was fine until she had come along and made him take her on this foolish endeavor. If it wasn’t for her, he would be sitting safe and happy at the tavern back in Angers. She felt so selfish, because now they were going to die and his life would be cut short because of it.

  She tried desperately hard not to voice the squeak that was desperate to get out. The soldier moved on and she could hear him walk back toward the staircase.

  “Nothing down here,” the soldier called up.

  “They’re here somewhere, they’re hiding. We’ll find them,” another voice said. “We have them hemmed in. We just have to wait and flush them out.”

  Virginie felt panic grip her, but Tomas held her even tighter to restrain her. The last soldier was walking up the stairs and closed the door behind him. She let out the ragged breath she had been holding and the tears started to flow. She tried to be quiet.

  Tomas kissed her cheeks, distracting her. His lips moved lower until she welcomed him in her mouth. It was the only thing that felt real at that moment. She needed comfort desperately She felt his thighs against hers, sending sensations flowing through her, centering in her stomach.

  She lost track of the world outside and its dangers when he kissed her. She also knew in the back of her mind that this was it, this was the rest of her life however short it ended up being and she was going to spend it with him. Whatever minutes they had left, this is exactly what she wanted to be doing.

  He rolled on top of her and she felt the weight of him. She sighed with the pleasure of it. It felt completely right, being with him. She realize that she wanted to lay with him more than anything. She wasn’t sure of the mechanics of it, but if she was going to die than she wanted to know what it would be like being with him in the most intimate way. She knew through the musings of her friends that he had a part that went inside of her. It had seemed shocking when she’d heard it, but it seemed so very right now.

  She wanted to touch him, touch the skin she had seen that morning. She tugged his shirt out of his pants and ran her hands up the side of his abdomen. He felt so solid and warm, she just want to melt into him. His skin was smooth and she ran her hands around to his back, feeling the muscles under his skin.

  She felt heat pool deep inside her. She parted her legs for him and was rewarded by a flood of sensations as his hips moved closer to her most private area. She wanted more. She wanted him to have every part of her. She wanted to belong to him in the most carnal sense possible.

  His lips strayed from her mouth, trailing down the side of her neck. His fingers shook as he unbuttoned the front of her dress then releasing the bow that held her neckline of her shift together. Her clothes gave way and his hand cupped her breast. She felt the warmth of his hand further stroke the fire down lower. He pulled his hand away and placed his mouth around her nipple. Virginie strangled a whimper at the pleasure of it. His tongue whirled around and she felt like she was going to be undone by the sensation. His hands moved down her body to her backside, squeezing her to him, sending darts of sensations emanating throughout her body.

  Virginie wasn’t entirely sure how this worked, but she needed more of him. She needed the manly part of him that she knew was hiding in his trousers. She undulated her hips trying to resolve the sensations that there driving her to the point of madness.

  “Please Tomas,” she whimpered.

  “Virginie,” he moaned. He was holding back, she
could feel it. She pushed herself lower until her hips were flush with his. She could feel his sex against the apex of her thighs. It made for the most glorious sensations. She heard him hitch his breath.

  “Please Tomas,” she repeated and ground her hips to him. He moaned again and she kept up the friction between them. The tension in her grew stronger with every passing moment, until he pulled back and released the tie on his pants. Then she felt him at her entrance, pushing inside. She moaned with relief as the sensations of him entering her focused her entire being on this act. He pushed in until he reached her barrier, where he stopped.

  “Yes, yes,” she urged.

  “Virginie,” he repeated gently.

  “Don’t stop Tomas, please.”

  He pushed sharply into her and pain flared through her making her grit her teeth. Even with the pain, she had absolutely no regret. She had no qualms about giving this to him; she wanted him to be the one that broke through her maidenhead. The pain pulsed around her. He was buried in her all the way to the hilt, kissing her lightly until the pain subsided. The pain was replaced with the curiosity of having him inside her and the full and complete feeling she had.

  When he moved sensation ebbed and flowed, overwhelming her with pleasure instead of pain. She wanted this so much; it felt like she had been waiting for this for a very long time. He withdrew and pushed back into her, heightening the sensations that tortured her with relentless tension and pleasure. He pushed in and out until she didn’t think, she seemed to lose the ability to focus anymore. She needed to escape and to intensify it at the same time. The tension was taking over her completely and it got unbearable until it hit some point when she didn’t think she could take any more. His pace was slowing down and he was grinding hard into her. Then her body exploded in sensation, sending out waves of pleasure unlike anything she had ever known.

  “What was that?” she asked when her mind could make sense of the world around her again.