Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 21:40:16 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Vengeance - Chapter 19 Message-ID: Chapter 19 *Don't make a sound*, he told himself. *Not a sound.* But the pain was too great even for him. He had no choice but to scream as a wave of agony coursed through him. When the pain finally passed, he dropped his head to his chest in exhaustion. He didn't know how much more pain he could handle. He took a shallow painful breath. His entire body felt like it was being ripped apart. *It probably is*, his mind told him. He knew he had hundreds of cuts all over him, some of them very deep. A baritone voice laughed evilly as he struggled to breathe. "Confess and live; oppose and die," the voice told him just before he felt hard rubber hit the right side of his jaw. The pain and the humidity was beginning to get to him. He was so hot and tired. He hated the jungle. He mentally shook his head to clear his thoughts, given that he hadn't the strength to shake his head physically. *Get a grip!* he ordered himself. *You're not in the jungle. You're not in Vietnam and the person beating you is not the VC, no matter how often he says those damned phrases. You're in a little storage room on a large private estate in New Mexico and the person doing this to you is ex-General Albert Whitefeather Burke. He wants you to think you're in Vietnam. He wants you to think it's 1969. He wants you to think he's VC. Fight him! Don't give in!* "Where are you, Lieutenant?" Burke asked him with a malevolent smile. Al took a painful breath. "I'm not a lieutenant anymore," he said quietly. "I am Rear Admiral Albert Calavicci. Serial number B-21-23-29. I'm in New Mexico and it's the year 2000." Burke huffed. "You are truly pathetic." Al opened his eyes and looked at Burke, having barely enough energy to do so. "I'm not the one stooping to giving into my feeling of revenge," he told Burke before coughing harshly. "That's what I call pathetic." Burke laughed slightly. "Hours of torture and you've still got your spunk. I like that." "Glad to amuse you," Al whispered sarcastically. Burke took Al's chin and looked at him like a father looking at his disobedient six year old son. "I am going to break you before you die," he assured. "You can't fight me forever." Al gave a weak smile. "No, not forever. Only as long as I live. Then, I won't have to." Burke laughed. "That won't be a long time from now, Albert." He struck Al on the left side of his face with a piece of rubber tubing. Al called out slightly, too weak to actually scream, even though a scream was warranted. There was another strike and another and another until Al was too weak to even raise his head. Internally, he was begging for mercy but he wouldn't let Burke see that he had already been emotionally broken. He wasn't going to let Burke know that he was succeeding. The attack on his face had ceased but Al didn't open his eyes for the simple reason that he couldn't; they were swollen shut. He took a couple of painful breaths before coughing up a mouthful of blood. Gene Burke watched the scene with mixed emotions. Certainly, he wasn't fond of the Admiral, especially after how he had tied the young man in Al's bedroom. But he wasn't sure that Al deserved the pain he was in. Gene was beginning to feel deep sorrow for the Admiral. He had never seen anyone in so much pain before, even after all those years he spent in his father's house. He approached the General slowly and with respect, cautious of the man to whom he was about to speak. "Sir, I honestly don't think that you are going to break him. Look how much pain he is in now, how many hours it took you just to make him scream. He will have bled to death first before you get an inkling of your breaking him." Burke said nothing in response as he looked at Al's bloodied body. "You're tired, General," Gene told him, seeing the redness in his father's eyes. "Let's call it a night." Burke glared at Gene. "Are you suggesting that we let him live?" he asked angrily. Gene took a breath, trying to think of a suitable response. The problem was that he was suggesting exactly that but he knew that, if he told his father so, he would find himself hanging beside the Admiral. "Not at all," he lied. "I think you need a rest. If it pleases you, let him hang there. If he's still alive in the morning, you'll have the energy to continue. If he isn't, the last moments of his life will be miserable. Either way, you will have had your revenge." He exhaled, hoping his father would see his way, hoping he would have the chance to save the Admiral's life and free himself of his father's domination once and for all. Burke stood his ground silently. "Cut him down," he finally ordered. "We must remove him first. Then I will rest." Burke's words startled Gene. "Cut him down, sir?" he questioned. Burke nodded. "You're right that he won't be broken. He also won't survive the next two hours." He looked at his son. "I don't want a dead body in my house. We'll finish this outside. Cut him down." Gene took a breath. "Yes, sir," he answered, going up a ladder to cut the rope that was holding Al up. A moment later, Al dropped to the ground with a groan of agony, landing in a pool of his own blood. He coughed harshly, bringing up more blood as he did so. "You won't get away with this, Burke," Al whispered in pain. "You may kill me but that would only put you into more trouble than you already are. Fifteen deaths are a lot on your head, especially when two of them are admirals." Burke laughed slightly. "I'll take the risk." He motioned Gene to get on the other side of Al. Together, they raised the plastic on which Al lay and took him out of the house. Sam paced. He was more confused and lost than ever. "Why would Burke want to kill me... Harry?" he questioned. Gushie tilted his head slightly. "Maybe because you're going after Major Taylor," he supposed. Sam exhaled. "But that's what I'm here to do. Right? I mean, I can't believe that God, Fate, Time, or Whatever has put me here to risk Harry's life by going after Taylor." Gushie shrugged helplessly. "But that's what Ziggy says is going to happen if you try going after her." Sam exhaled. "Okay," he said thoughtfully. "Get back with Ziggy and see if you can't find something else to go on." Gushie nodded. "Right," he said as he opened the Imaging Chamber door. He looked at Sam carefully. "Good luck, Dr. Beckett." Sam gave him a slight smile and a nod before the Imaging Chamber door closed behind Gushie. The smile faded when Sam was finally alone. He closed his eyes. He felt alone - very alone. "Oh, Al!" he whispered prayerfully. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to hold back his grief. There would be time to mourn later. Now, he had work to do. He had to focus on the mission - for Al's sake. He slowly started back towards the barracks, deep in thoughts of Al and of how he was going to accomplish his mission. "Major, may I see you for a moment?" Genine stopped her walk past the living room of the main house and looked into the room to see Burke waiting expectantly for her. "Of course, General," she answered, a little nervous about what Burke wanted. She entered the room and stood at attention before him. Burke walked around her and closed the door. "I noticed that you and Ensign Stark are getting along famously all of a sudden," he commented as he returned and faced her. "We have always gotten along well together, sir," Genine answered. "Is there something wrong with getting to know the troops under your command?" Burke smiled. "I hope you don't mean 'know' in the Biblical sense of the term." Genine frowned. "I don't understand what you mean, sir." Burke's smile widened as he came closer to her. "Then, I will show you what I mean." He grabbed her forcibly by the back of her neck and kissed her while he attempted to grope her. Genine pushed him away from her with all her strength before she slapped him hard on his cheek. She slowly walked towards the door. "What's the matter, Genine?" Burke yelled angrily. "You can give a surprise kiss but you can't take one? I saw you and Stark out there in your little rendezvous!" Genine shook her head. "A kiss is one thing but rape is something completely different!" Burke looked at her firmly. "Is it?" Genine growled in fury. "General, if you ever attack me like that again, I'll kill you." She was now at the door. She turned the knob to open it. The knob didn't move. "Let's test that threat, shall we?" Burke leered. "Unlock the door, Burke." Burke slowly approached her. "Or what, Genine?" Genine pulled out her pistol, cocked it, and aimed it at him. "Or you'll lose your manhood, Al," she threatened. Burke looked into her eyes and saw that she was deadly serious with the threat. He nodded with a slight smile. Taking a breath, he removed the key from his pants' pocket and tossed it to her. Genine caught it gracefully. "There's the key. You can let yourself out." Genine holstered her pistol safely before unlocking the door and leaving the room hurriedly, going up to her room. Burke smiled in delight as Genine left the room. He took a deep breath. "You will be mine, Genine Taylor, one way or the other. I always get what I want."