Tuck's Revenge

by Rory Flannigan

  "I'm here for the duration, Bill, so we'll see what happens. Do we have to be wherever we're going before we have a serious and honest conversation, or is this strictly a show and tell mission?”

  Bill smiled and said, "I'll make a deal with you. You ask me anything you want answers about, and if I have a truthful answer, I'll give you a truthful answer. But if you ask me something that I have to show you something to answer your question, then I'll say, ‘I'll have to show you that’. Is that fair enough for you?”

  Tuck nodded his head and asked, "This ‘Group’ you have, are you the one in charge of it, or are there others above you? What I mean is, is this connected anyway with the government?”

  "No, this is all my doing. Nobody else is over me. And hell no, we don't have anything to do with the government.”

  "How long have you been working on putting this ‘Group’ together?”

  "Thought about it long before I enlisted, had a few guys with me before I went to Vietnam, but after I went in a lot of them branched off into another direction, trying to exploit my idea. When I got home and saw what was going on, I had to get rid of some of them.”

  "What do you mean, ‘Got rid of them’?”

  Bill looked at Tuck and said, "I got rid of them.”

  "Well, Bill, is everything this group does so covert and illegal?”

  "Always covert, but not illegal unless it comes to that point. That is always a last resort, but we do what we have to do in order to protect each other. Tuck, I started out years ago surrounding myself with people I was sure I could trust. And at first, I was less than proficient at choosing those that were trustworthy because I was focusing in on people I grew up with, or people I knew for a long time. But after several failed attempts with that logic, I realized it worked out better if I chose people out of lots I looked into and researched rather than those that just wanted to be a part of something. We aren't a gang or a group as one might think. We are like a family or an organization that chooses to live and function in a screwed up world, but insist on living our way and by our rules. If our way of living or our circle of people are threatened, we eliminate that threat before it gets a foothold. After so many years of this, we are spread out all over the country, and even in a few countries outside the United States. This is a perpetual thing. We’re always expanding, and always advancing to make ourselves safer and more proficient. We’re involved in every walk of life, from lawyers, to doctors, to police, and everything in between. Some people with us worry about being found out, then being labeled like something similar to the mob. Maybe in some ways we are like mobsters. Only in the respect that we live how we want, make money in shady ways to keep the government out of our business. But we don't see that as illegal or any kind of bad thing. If it is bad, then most politicians in Washington should be locked up too.

  "Look at us like high tech survivalists if you will.”

  "So what is the reason for all the elaborate details of operation with the helicopters and other things I've seen? It looks paramilitary or mercenary like.”

  Bill said, "That is only a part of it. We have to take care of ourselves. These guys you've met so far are there for our protection. They are in place for a particular purpose just like I tried to tell you before. We are all part of a machine, that performs a function to make the whole machine operate more proficiently.”

  Bill continued, "Look, I grew up in a shitty household with an asshole for an old man and a mother too weak to do anything about him, and too weak to leave him. So I watched her live her whole life, miserable, lonely, poor, and getting old way before her time. That's when I realized this whole world wasn't much better than my own life with my family. The whole world is a shitty place. The only alternative you have is to either deal with what you have, create a world of your own, or eat a bullet and leave this world behind. I made the choice to build a world of my own within this world, with a family of people I trust who want the same things I want. We are stuck here in this world, but we don't have to abide by the laws and the rules they give us to live by. You're smart enough to know what this world has created isn't ever going to last. All this is going to overload itself and collapse in on itself from the weight eventually. And when it does, we only have to witness it and survive. But we don't have to be a part of it, because we have our own world now. All these years, I have worked to keep us secret and apart. I have strived to build a trusted group of people that are spread out all over the place where they can't get us all. If they ever figure out who all of us are. We will strive, survive, and go on no matter what happens to one, five, or even fifty of us at a time that they may manage to take out of the loop. I have made sure all these years to not only collect the like-minded among us, but also the smartest in every field and specialty you can imagine. Nowadays, all it takes to run this are a few key people in places to keep things working correctly, and make sure we sustain and even grow our numbers. You asked about our equipment we have and all the other stuff? I guess you were wondering where the money came from for all that? Well, we have some money, and we sustain our money by doing ‘certain things for certain people’, but most of our wealth comes from the fact we have people all over from east to west and north to south. We have businesses that belong to our people that sustain us, and we do things to sustain them. We help each other and support each other. Have you ever seen me pay for a motel? Have you ever seen me pay for a meal or a bill for groceries? Have you ever seen me pay for a tank of gas? No, you haven't, because we all deal with each other, and all of us stay among ourselves. That's how we sustain and survive for and with each other. So basically, we are a huge village and we all live within our own circle and never wander out of that circle. In time, you will learn where all our places are, and how to identify them. But there are hundreds of places spread far and wide, and even I sometimes forget where they all are.”

  After the long explanation from Bill, Tuck got to better understanding what he and the others were all about, but what Tuck was wanting to know, was where he fit in the big scheme of things. "Well, Bill, if all this is true that you've told me, where do I fit in to all this?”

  Bill said, “You are going to be one of my people that help me sustain our numbers, and help find recruits that will fit in with us, just like I found you. Then when I retire or die, you will be one of those to take over this and take care of it for me. I told you, Tuck, you're special, and I need you. I meant it.”

  "And what if I don't want any part of all this?”

  Bill continued to drive but didn't answer the question, and Tuck didn't really need an answer, because he already knew.

  After several hours, Bill asked Tuck if he wanted to stop for the night, or if he wanted to drive on through and rest when they got to where they were going. Tuck told Bill he's fine with just driving through if he felt like it, and even offered to drive when Bill got tired.

  "How can you drive if you don't know where we're going?”

  Tuck laughed and said, "Well you can tell me which way to go, can't you?”

  Bill said, "Well, I wouldn't get much rest having to do that, so I might as well drive myself.”

  After some time passed, Bill asked Tuck, “I have a question for you. How do you respond to a surprise that may make you angry, but make you glad at the same time?”

  Tuck said, "Well, that will all depend what it is I guess.”

  "When we get to where we're going, I have something to show you, and then tell you. So take this as a heads up to get your mind right for it.”

  Tuck looked bewildered and said, “Okay. Exactly how many secrets are you keeping from me?”

  Bill laughed and said, "I promise you this is the last secret, and everything else is just information you'll need to know.”

  As they made their way down the road, Tuck thought about what Bill said, and Bill wondered how Tuck would react when he divulged what he wanted him to know.

  As Bill and Tuck pulled into a little town down in southern Texas called Sa
n Angelo, Bill announced, "Well, we're almost there."

  Tuck looked around. It wasn’t anything like he’d imagined an organization being headquartered. "This is either a setup or maybe a hell of a good cover.”

  A little further down the road, just outside the city limits, they turned off the main road and traveled a few miles until they came to a gate. Bill told Tuck to get out and unlock the gate, then close it behind him. As they drove on a little way, a small cinder block house came into view, with several trucks sitting around but nobody was in sight.

  As they pulled up to the house, a young man stepped out and met them. Bill got out of the pickup, smiled, and shook the young man’s hand then started speaking to him in Spanish. Bill looked around and said, "Come and meet a good friend.”

  Tuck walked up to the young man, and as they shook hands the young man said, "Glad to meet you, Seńor Tuck.”

  Tuck looked at Bill, smiled, and said, "You speak Spanish huh?”

  Bill smiled and walked toward the house saying, "Time to rest for a while. We'll meet everybody after we catch a few hours of sleep.”

  They went inside to a table set with enough food to feed at least four or five people. They sat down and began eating, when Bill said, "Is anybody else here yet?”

  The young man said, "Si, Seńor Bill, three of them got here a couple of hours ago, but no more yet.”

  Bill smiled and said, "Fine, they'll get here eventually.” After they ate, Bill told Tuck to grab a room and get some shuteye, and he'd wake him up in a few hours.

  It was a strange place, so Tuck didn't go right off to sleep. He was listening and watching. He was still wondering what it was Bill had to tell him and show him.

  The next morning, about an hour before daylight, Tuck smelled coffee brewing, so he got up out of bed and went into the front room searching where the smell was coming from. It didn't take long to find Bill in a room off to the back of the house.

  When he walked through the door, Bill said, "Morning, did you get any sleep?”

  "Yeah, I slept pretty good actually, all considering.”

  Bill looked at Tuck and said, "Quit worrying, man, you're among friends here.” Then he said, "Want some coffee?”

  Tuck accepted, so Bill reached up in the cabinet, pulled him out a cup, handed it to him, and said, "Help yourself.” Bill poured another cup for himself and they walked through a door out to a back porch. Sitting at the table, they drank their coffee and watched the sun come up.

  "This is a great place here. I relax better here than in most places.”

  "You spend a lot of time here, don't you?”

  Bill said, "What makes you think that?”

  Tuck said, "Well I noticed when we were in the kitchen, you seemed at home. You knew right where the coffee cups were, and didn't have to search for them.”

  Bill laughed and said, "You are observant.”

  "Like I said, that's how I stay alive.”

  "Yeah, I used to live out here. I call this my ranchette, and I hope to live out here again someday if I can. I have one hundred and eighty acres here with goats, sheep, and horses, even a few cows out here on the place. It's quiet nearly all the time, so it's where I go when I need to relax. Right out there under that tree is where I hope to be buried when I die. Although I hope I can put that particular plan off for a while longer."

  As Bill and Tuck was sitting there, Bills radio keyed up, and a voice on the other end said, "We're at the gate.”

  Bill answered back and said, "Coffee is ready, come on in.”

  Then in a minute or so, they heard several trucks coming up the drive, and that's when Bill and Tuck walked around the house to meet them. Several men and a couple of women crawled out of the trucks, walked toward Bill all smiles and happy, like it was a big reunion. A couple of minutes later three men with scoped rifles walked out of the brush on the hillside. Tuck was eyeing them and on alert, they shouldered their rifles then walked up to Bill, shook his hand, and let him know that no one followed them in.

  Bill introduced him to everybody. They were all friendly enough, but Tuck could tell he wasn't yet in the clique or accepted as part of the fold. But with Tuck, he didn't make friends and cozy up to people anyway, so he didn't care if they liked him or not, and he wasn't going to change for anybody.

  While everybody was talking and slowly migrating back to the rear of the house, Tuck was his usual standoffish way and some among the group questioned Bill about him. One man, sort of a big mouth and showoff, yelled over and said, "You too good to hang out with us?”

  Tuck looked up at him and said, "Only time will tell.”

  The Bigmouth started walking toward Tuck when Bill said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you." But the big mouth kept walking. When he got up to Tuck, he stood to his face and said, "You want to repeat that again?”

  "Do those big balls make you deaf and stupid?”

  The big mouth got a serious look on his face for a second, then smiled and walked back toward the porch saying, "I think I'm going to like him.”

  Everyone started laughing except for Bill. "I'm glad you didn't try anything.”

  Bigmouth smiled and said, "Why, you don't think I can handle myself?”

  Bill said, "When you take on Tuck, you better keep a close eye on his hands.”

  That's when everybody looked down at his hands, and that's when they saw the knife he was holding that no one noticed before. The smile the big mouth had on his face instantly faded away.

  After the tension of the big mouth nearly getting gutted by Tuck, Bill asked everybody to gather around so they could have a little meet up. Bill began speaking and was giving everyone a little background information about Tuck, like where he was from, where Bill got him, and how they inadvertently met while they were serving in Vietnam. Bill went on to tell them about how Tuck went AWOL, and then about his time in the jungles by himself for several years. When Bill started to prompt Tuck into telling everybody what they called him, he looked up and he wasn't standing there anymore.

  Bill was looking around for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. He started to call his name when all of a sudden he came walking out of the brush to the side of the house with two men held at gunpoint.

  Tuck walked them over to Bill, and said, "These guys said they knew you.”

  Bill looked at them and said, "No, I don't know these men.”

  Then Tuck told Bill that they had a pickup parked about a mile up the main road, and they walked in.

  "Did you see anybody else out there?”

  "There's nobody else within eye shot.”

  Bill told a couple of his guys to go get the truck off the road and bring it inside. They sat the intruders in chairs and tied them up out in the sun while they questioned them. After a few minutes, Tuck told Bill that he didn't feel good about the situation, and told him he was going up the ridge to keep a lookout.

  Bill said, “Okay, but take a radio and a rifle.”

  After about an hour, Bill had failed to get any info out of the guys, and Tuck was still on the ridge when he called Bill on the radio, and told him he saw movement to the south. Bill told him to keep an eye on it and if they started taking fire to take them out. Then he casually walked around to the back of the men’s chairs and dragged them in a position where they'd be in direct line if they started taking any fire from whoever was out there. Then, Bill maneuvered himself where he would be out of the line of fire, and told the men, "You have a man out there." Both of them instantly denied it.

  "Well, somebody is out there and they're either going to try to stop me from breathing, or they're going to try to shoot you to keep you from talking. My bet is they're here for you.” Suddenly, one of the men was hit in the chest by a round and collapsed, which visibly alarmed the other man.

  "Tell me what I want to hear and I'll move you out of the line of fire.” Then, from the hillside where Tuck was, a shot rang out. Bill waited for a few seconds for radio confirmation Tuck got the shooter, but confirmation nev
er came. Bill decided to preserve the other man until a later date, so he pulled him out of the line of fire.

  About that time, Bill and other members of the group saw Tuck walking up the driveway. When he made it to the house, he told Bill that the guys that went after the truck on the road were dead and lying off the side of the road. Tuck then told Bill he was going back up the hill to watch, but before he left, he told Bill the truck he’d wanted retrieved was rigged to explode and not to bring it to the house.

  After an hour or so, Tuck came back and told Bill everything looked alright now and wanted to know what Bill needed done to straighten the mess up. After seeing all of this, one of the group asked Bill who Tuck was, and exactly where his loyalties lie.

  "I will vouch for Tuck!”

  The dissenter said, "Well that may not be good enough this time because two of our friends are dead, and this guy is out there creeping around. How do we know he didn't kill them?”

  Tuck stepped in and said, "I didn't ask to be brought here. I was brought here at Bill’s invitation. Until I got here, I didn't even know where we were going, so how could I have anybody here with me? Besides, I don't know anybody at all, my whole family is dead and up until a few months ago, I had been in Vietnam for nearly eight years. These guys more likely came in with one or more of you than me. You got here after we did, so if anyone was out there before, wouldn't you have seen them when you came in?”