Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 21:19:02 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Vengeance - Chapter 10 Message-ID: Chapter 10 "I was able to get into Burke's group with a forged background. It made me out as a real rogue: insubordination, bad temper, a bit of blood lust. He took me in almost immediately, though I'm sure it was more for my looks than for my background. Almost immediately, he started making passes at me. He made me his third in command. He whispered suggestive comments in my ear. He entered my room without permission, all in an attempt to get me into bed with him. Finally, he forcefully kissed me. It was his kiss that did me in. Al raised his eyebrows. "A kiss?" he questioned. Genine closed her eyes and took a breath. "You don't understand, sir. It was the sexiest, most alluring, most mind-numbing kiss I had ever had." She hesitated. "The moment he kissed me, I was in love with him." Al frowned. "You were in love with General Albert Whitefeather Burke?" he asked incredulously. She was silent for a moment. "It was much more than that, Admiral. I was so in love with him that... I married him." Al exhaled. "Geezus, Genine." He closed his eyes and sat down in shock. She looked at Al firmly. "My marrying him didn't effect my job, sir. He may have had my love but my loyalty to the Navy was much stronger. Otherwise, we would have never regained the complex from him." Al looked at her carefully. "You don't believe me, sir?" Genine questioned. Al paused. "To tell you the truth, I don't know what to believe." There was silence between them for a moment. "You are wondering why I didn't stop him," Genine realized. Al raised his eyebrows, listening. Genine took a deep breath. "I did try to stop him but he wouldn't listen. I was afraid that, if he invaded the complex, he would be killed. I didn't expect him to succeed in the invasion. I tried to convince him to turn himself in. Of course, all that did was make him angry and suspicious. I knew he would kill me if he found out I was a spy. So, I played along." She exhaled. "I loved him, Admiral. But I didn't love him enough to betray my country for him and that was the greatest betrayal in his eyes." Al exhaled. "Genine, what happened in your apartment?" Genine took a deep breath which obviously caused her great pain. She winced hard, a muffled scream slipping from her lips. Al gently touched her arm, being careful not to cause any inadvertent harm. "Genine?" he asked with concern. Genine exhaled in frustration. She looked at Al. "Would you give me a moment, sir? I need to regain my composure." Al stood up with a nod. As he did so, a series of soft beeps came from his wrist. With a frown, he took a few steps away from Genine to answer to the sermons. "What is it, Ziggy?" he asked after pressing a button on the colorful band on his right wrist. "Dr. Beckett has changed history, Admiral," Ziggy told him. "There is now a sixty-four percent chance that Henry Stark Jr. will be killed." "What?" Al exclaimed. "How?" "Dr. Beckett inadvertently provoked General Burke into negative action," Ziggy answered. "Ah, damn!" Al exclaimed. "Where the hell is that car I called for?" "Lieutenant Hickle left the complex approximately one hour forty-six minutes ago. He should arrive at the hospital shortly." Al exhaled in frustration. "Okay. I'll be at the complex as soon as I can. But keep me updated until I get there." "Yes, Admiral," Ziggy replied. Al took a breath. He returned to Genine's bed with a concerned look in his eyes. "Dr. Beckett's leaped into Al's... General Burke's army?" Al nodded, understanding now why Genine refused to use the nickname for him. "Into Harry Stark." Genine smiled slightly. "I always wondered about Harry's change of heart. Now I know." "Admiral Calavicci, sir," a voice said at the door. Al looked towards the door to see Lieutenant Hickle waiting with a salute. Al returned the salute quickly before turning to Genine. "Time's up," he told her. "I have to get to the complex." He stood up and started towards Hickle. "How fast can you drive, Hickle?" "As fast as I need to, sir." "Good. Let's go." Al started towards the door. He stopped for a moment and looked at Genine. "Tell me all about it when I get back." Genine nodded. "Aye, sir." Sam was trying very hard not to move. He was also trying very hard not to scream. He'd been trying for less than an hour but it felt like an eternity to him. The rope around his neck was beginning to feel more and more constraining and the pain in his arms and shoulders was teasing him into trying to break free of his bonds, an action which he knew might cause him to choke himself to death. It was a relief to his ears when he heard the Imaging Chamber door open in front of him. He heard a low moan before he saw the pair of dirty black dress shoes and the edge of wrinkled blue trousers. "Sam," Al's firm voice told him, "don't move a muscle." "Al," Sam whispered breathlessly. "I..." "I said not a muscle, Sam," Al said more firmly but did not raise his voice. "If you want to survive this, you have to do exactly what I tell you. Any movement of any kind could make the situation worse." He paused. "Understand?" Sam didn't answer but his eyes were clearly wide and alert. "Good," Al replied, lowering himself closer to Sam's level. "I want you to concentrate on your breathing. You need to relax so that you won't struggle against your bonds. Burke trussed you up pretty tightly." He waited a moment. "You remember those relaxation methods from all those martial arts you know? Put them to use." He looked at Sam carefully. He could easily read all the emotions that shown in Sam's eyes. "I know you're scared, Sam," Al told him. "I know you're scared and angry and in pain. And you feel a little betrayed. I know exactly how you feel, Sam. I was there too. But you have something I didn't have - someone to help you through this." He took a breath. "Concentrate on your breathing and find your inner peace." Al was quiet as Sam closed his eyes and concentrated. Sam was noticeably starting to relax when he suddenly tensed, causing him to fight to breathe. "Ignore the pain," Al ordered. "Ignore it. You let it rule over you, Burke wins. You have to concentrate, Sam." Sam began to relax again. "That's right," Al encouraged. "Good. Nothing exists except your breathing and my voice." Al watched carefully as Sam let the tension in his body slip away. Only when he was certain that Sam was completely relaxed did Al allow himself to relax as well. He finally sat down on the floor, wincing slightly at the slight pressure he had placed on his left shoulder in the process. "How are you doing, kid?" he asked gently with concern. Sam took a slow, calming breath. "My whole body hurts," he whispered. Al exhaled with understanding. "Dislocated shoulders can do that," he said quietly. "Don't worry," he told him in a more positive tone. "You just have to hang on for a little longer. Ziggy says that Genine is going to come in here in a few minutes and release you. So just relax and try not to talk to much." "Major Taylor," Sam whispered. "There's something about her." Al smiled. "Yeah. Genine's quite a woman." "You're pretty close to her," Sam whispered. Al hesitated. "I wouldn't say that. She's... very important to me. Enough said, Sam. Save your strength for something more important than talking." There was a moment of silence between them. "Al, you said the Major is going to release me?" "Yes," Al said simply. "With Burke's permission?" Al hesitated. "Not exactly." Sam frowned. "Why would one of Burke's people take a risk like that?" Al took a breath. "She's not one of Burke's." "What?" Sam questioned. "You mean she's..." "Forget it, Sam," Al said firmly. "It's better that way. Just focus on relaxing." Sam obeyed, keeping quiet as several minutes passed. Al continually assured him that he was there, giving him moral support. A moment later, the door to the room opened. "Oh, gawd!" a female voice exclaimed. Genine quickly approached Sam and knelt beside him. "Hold still," she ordered as she untied the rope around Sam's neck, thus allowing Sam to finally breathe freely. "Thank you," Sam told her. Genine stopped for a moment. "You're welcome," she replied. "But I don't think you're going to thank me for too long," she told him as she untied his legs and arms. "I have to snap your shoulders back into place and that won't exactly be pleasant for either of us." She raised Sam so that he was seated and facing Al. For the first time since Al came into the Imaging Chamber, Sam could see Al's face. He could see the extreme concern in Al's eyes. It was the look of a man who had seen too much and knew he had to see more. "Sam," Al said firmly. "Focus on me. Ignore what Genine is doing." Sam nodded and looked directly into Al's eyes. Genine took a breath. "Ready?" Sam nodded but didn't change his gaze. Genine took another, much deeper breath. "Try not to scream," she warned before she forced Sam's shoulders back into place.