Secret Ops: Ty's Revenge

by Kim Vanderpool

  “Damn Lazarus. What voltage do you have that on?”

  “All the way.” He laughs.

  “You know I had him.”

  “Yeah I know, but that was fun.”

  Lazarus and I load a still jerking Braxton in the chopper after he removes the taser wires. Lazarus’s meaning of fun is a little twisted. “We need to contact Tango. Tell him we have one, but the other is heading his way.”

  “I’m on it.” Lazarus jumps in the pilot’s seat taking his phone out.

  I Secure Braxton making sure he doesn’t attempt to jump out of the chopper while we are airborne. Strapping myself in so he doesn’t get any ideas to push me out. I slip my headset on so I can converse with Lazarus. After a few minutes he closes his phone.

  “What does he want us to do?” I ask.

  “Come in with Braxton. He will meet us at the base.”

  I don’t tell Lazarus anything about William. I will save that for the meeting. I’m not even sure Braxton is telling all he knows. It’s best to wait for Tango even though Lazarus would want to do the whole torture thing. Not only is he a damn good pilot he could also squeeze information out of a lemon, so to speak. Braxton finally comes around. Looking out the window he stiffens up. I’m not sure if he is afraid I will push him out or if he is actually afraid of flying. Which doesn’t make much sense.

  “What’s wrong sunshine?” I ask mockingly.

  “Nothing.” He quickly looks away from the window.

  “If I didn’t know any better I would say you’re afraid of flying.” I laugh.

  “I’m not afraid, so shut the fuck up.”

  “Our guest is afraid of flying.” I say over the headset.

  “I’m not afraid, I just don’t like being in choppers. That’s all.” Braxton swallows hard a few times.

  Lazarus sways the chopper side to side a bit laughing the whole time. Braxton looks a little pale as if he’s going to be sick. “If you throw up on me I will cut off your fucking arm.” I won’t, but that should calm him down a bit.

  “You all right back there?” Lazarus asks me still laughing.

  “We’re all good.” I chuckle.

  Again Lazarus sways the chopper. This guy can have fun no matter where he is. Whether he is messing with mountain lions or flying a chopper.

  “Please man!” Braxton begs. He doesn’t have a headset on so he has no idea what Lazarus is saying.

  “I think he wants you to do that again.” I laugh.

  “Man he is going to throw up all over you.” Lazarus informs me.

  “One more time, man.” I have been around him too damn long. I’m starting to enjoy his twisted sense of humor.

  This time Lazarus takes the chopper straight up then down really fast. I can’t help the laugh that bubbles out. Braxton closes his eyes as if his stomach has bottomed out. “For the love of god, please man.” Braxton begs again.

  “You know Braxton. This could all be over if you just tell me everything you know.” I use his fear of helicopters to my advantage. Rule number one. Never let anyone know your fears. Too bad for Braxton he did just that.

  “Ty man. I want to question him.” Lazarus sounds disappointed.

  “You know we are dead men.” Braxton alleges.

  “You’re a dead man if you don’t.”

  “Ty. Come on I want to have a little fun.” Lazarus says.

  “Fine.” I state.

  “Fine. What?” Braxton looks a little green.

  I really do believe this guy would tell me everything right now. Instead I’m going to let Lazarus have his fun. “Never mind Sunshine. My man here,” I pat Lazarus on the shoulder, “is going to…” I don’t finish. I want to make Braxton squirm.

  “What? He’s going to what?”

  “Okay sunshine. Time to take a nap.” I punch Braxton in the jaw knocking him out cold.

  “Was that necessary? I was having fun.” Lazarus asks.

  “Sorry man. I’m tired as hell and I want to take a little nap.” There was no way I was going to sleep with Braxton sitting next to me. The little shit is capable of anything. Even though he is securely tied, doesn’t mean the little weasel isn’t capable of doing something stupid.

  “I’ll yell when it’s time to land.”

  “Thanks.”

  Closing my gritty eyes I feel as if I hadn’t slept in months. It isn’t long before I’m out like a light. Then the dreams come. This one is where I’m on the jungle. The little girl is sitting on that boulder crying. She is calling out my name. Asking me to help her. I’m running toward her and when I finally get to where she is sitting. She jumps off the cliff and in the river below. I jerk awake. Sweat is beading on my upper lip. I hate the dreams after a mission. They feel too damn real. It feels as if I’m reliving them over again.

  “Lazarus? How long until we land?”

  “I was just getting ready to wake you. Two minutes.”

  Wiping my hand down my face. I let out a breath. I can’t shake the effects of the dream. Closing my eyes I can still see the little girl’s face when I told her I had to leave. It was as if she had lost someone close to her all over again. I don’t know what to call it, but somehow I feel closer to the little girl. Maybe it’s where I lost my parents when I was a child. I’m not really sure. I just know that she is alone and scared. I never thought of myself as a dad before. My ex-wife and I never discussed having children. I was never home long enough to even try. That’s one reason she divorced me.

  Lazarus brings the chopper in smoothly. Tango is waiting. Climbing out Lazarus and I pull a drowsy Braxton out. He stagers and sways a bit, then throws up all over his cloths. Both Lazarus and I let go of him. He falls flat on his face.

  “What did you do?” Tango looks to me.

  “Wasn’t me.”

  “I may have had a little fun.” Lazarus laughs.

  “Get him up.” Tango turns walking toward the torture room.

  It really isn’t a torture room, but by the time Lazarus is done, the bad guys think so. We pull Braxton up dragging him. Tango is waiting when we finally get him inside. Lazarus pulls out a chair tying him to it. The smell of vomit is strong. I have to step outside to keep from throwing up myself. I can stomach stitching wounds. I can even eat after watching Dr. Bailey do surgery, but there is something about vomit that makes my stomach go weak.

  “You okay?” Tango says walking out behind me.

  “Yeah. Just a little tired.”

  “What did you find out?”

  “Vancard is heading for the states. He is meeting with his boss. Which happens to be none other than William.”

  “Are you certain he is telling the truth?”

  I can almost see the delight dancing in Tango’s eyes. We have been after William for a year and now we are closer than we have ever been. “I’m sure. How else would he know William?”

  “I’m sure if he wasn’t telling the truth before. He will be when Lazarus gets done with him.”

  “There’s only one way to know.” I walk back inside and Tango follows.

  “Come on Braxton. You know a lot more than you are telling.” Lazarus is saying.

  “I swear man. I don’t know anything else.”

  “Your choice.” Lazarus blind folds him.

  “No man please! That’s all I know!”

  “You’re lying.” Lazarus laughs.

  “Sunshine. If I were you, I would start talking. My man here is going to…” I pause for some effect.

  “He’s going to what! Please man!” Braxton is almost crying.

  Lazarus pokes him with the end of a sewing needle. Yeah like I said he has his tactic for making them think he is doing really bad things. Braxton jumps at the feel of the needle poking him. “It will all be over soon now.” Lazarus is smiling from ear to ear.

  “What did you inject me with?”

  “You have three hours before this stuff kills you. I have the antidote and I can give it to you. It’s up to you.” Lazarus says close to Braxton’
s ear.

  “Okay! Oaky! William is the boss as I told you before. He is meeting Vancard in Vegas for a meeting. He wants to go worldwide. He already controls every country on the east side of the Atlantic. That’s all I know.”

  “And you think I believe you. How about another dose of my special stuff. I made it myself. I’m not sure if the mixture is right though. You’re the first person I tried it out on.” Lazarus laughs.

  “What do you mean?” Braxton ask shakily.

  “I’m not sure if you actually have three hours, it could be less.” Again Lazarus pokes the sewing needle in Braxton’s arm.

  It won’t be long before Braxton cracks. He will be spilling everything he knows. Tango and I walk out leaving Lazarus to do what he does best. “Maggie wanted me to tell you that the little girl still isn’t talking. She isn’t eating either. Maggie wants to take her to see Sylvia. She won’t though until you give her the go ahead. She feels that you are sort of the little girl’s guardian.”

  “That would be best. Sylvia can get her to come around. She has been through some kind of ordeal. I just don’t know what.” I say looking out over the horizon.

  “Good I’ll give Maggie a call. If Braxton cracks we will be on our way to the states. I’m sick of this place.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  Tango walks off toward the make shift office he uses with his phone in hand. No doubt he’s calling Maggie. He stops a few feet from the door. “Ty.” He yells for me.

  Walking over to him. “Yeah?”

  “Maggie thinks it would be a good idea if you talked to the little girl. Even though she probably won’t talk to you. Maybe the sound of your voice will help some.”

  Chapter 4

  Taking Tango’s phone I put it up to my ear. “Maggie.”

  “Hey Ty. I thought it might help if she heard your voice. You know maybe to understand that you are coming back for her.”

  “Sure. Put her on.” I hear shuffling.

  “You’re on speaker Ty.”

  “Hey there sweetie.” I say to the little girl.

  “She’s smiling Ty. That’s a good sign.”

  “I’ll be back in a day or so. Okay. Then we will go to the zoo. I have to go, but I’ll call when I get close to home okay.” I know the little girl won’t say anything, but maybe that will help her in some way to know I am coming back for her.

  “Okay Ty. I think that helped more than you know. We will see you in a day or so.”

  I hand the phone back to Tango. Blowing out a breath. I walk back to where Lazarus is still torturing Braxton. The little girl needs someone to talk to, someone to help her come around. I just hope Sylvia will be able to get her to at least talk. I never thought I would actually have the responsibility to another person, let alone a child. I don’t even know what I will do with her. I’m never home. Who will look after her while I’m on missions? I’m gone weeks at a time. I can’t count on Maggie to watch her. She is on missions as well. Even though she doesn’t actually go out in the field. She still has responsibilities as well as the rest of us.

  I can hear Braxton scream. I’m reluctant to walk through the door. I have no idea what Lazarus is doing. Walking in the door I notice two things. One Lazarus is enjoying himself more than he should. Second is Braxton is bleeding. Lazarus looks up smiling. “Our boy can sing.”

  “Sunshine. Are you ready to talk?” I ask Braxton.

  “I told him everything I know. He doesn’t believe me.” He sounds weak.

  Lazarus shakes his head no. He doesn’t believe so. “Where is William meeting Vancard?”

  “I told you everything I know.” Braxton sounds desperate.

  “Okay your choice.” Again Lazarus turn the power up on some kind of shock device he has. Braxton screams. Lazarus turns the device off.

  “Okay! Okay! He and Vancard are meeting on the Vegas strip. I know you don’t believe me, but that’s the truth. It’s out in the open. No one will expect that. They are to meet there then they are going to William’s place. He owns one of the casinos there. We are all supposed to meet there.” Braxton slumps in the chair.

  I look to Lazarus he doesn’t look as if he is having too much fun now. He hates this part as much as the rest of us do. It’s one thing to mess with them, making them think you are doing bad things. It’s another to have to actually do it. “What’s the name of the casino?”

  “The strip tease.”

  “If you are lying.”

  “I’m not I swear.”

  “We will see.”

  Lazarus pegs Braxton in the side of the head knocking him out cold. We quickly untie him. I haul him over my shoulder heading to the car. Tango and Lazarus will stay behind and take care of anything that has been compromised. They will call the cleaning crew to come in and wipe everything down making sure there is no sign of us ever being there. They will load the chopper in a cargo plane and bring it to our permanent base in Mexico.

  I will be escorting Braxton back to the states in the private jet. Where he will be held until Tango figures out whether to hand him over to the appropriate agencies. Placing Braxton in the trunk of the car; I head in the direction of the private jet. The air strip isn’t far and it doesn’t take long to get there. The pilot is one of our guys who also is a pilot. The difference between this guy and Lazarus is that he doesn’t go into hot zones.

  The pilot greets me in a kind manner as I load Braxton on the plane. I strap him in a seat securely as I do myself. “Will be lifting off in one minute.” The pilot informs me over the intercom.

  Taking one more look at Braxton. I close my eyes and settle in for a long flight. The dreams come once again. This time the little girl is reaching for me to take her hand. I can’t see her face but, I know it’s her. My fingers touch her hand, but they slip and she falls. She screams on her way down. The dream shifts. I’m in the middle of a war zone. Buildings are blowing up and bullets are flying in every direction. I hear screams and shouts. In the middle of all the chaos is the little girl. She is crying once again. Yelling for her mother. Tears streak down her dirty face. She holds out her hand for me to take. I run toward her.

  “Ty. We land in fifteen minutes.” The pilot announces.

  I rub my blurry eyes. Immediately looking over to Braxton. He is wide awake. He hasn’t said a word, but he looks as if he ghost. What the hell is up with him? “I forgot you’re afraid of flying.” I chuckle.

  “No.” He swallows hard.

  “Come on. We already went through this before. No reason to lie about it.”

  “No. I’m fine flying on a plane.”

  “Then why do you look as if you have seen a ghost.”

  “Nothing.” He says turning to look out the window.

  “It’s not nothing. Do I need to call my man back? He likes you. Says you sing wonderfully.”

  “No.”

  “Suite yourself.” I buckle myself in getting ready for the landing.

  “I have to piss.” Braxton informs me.

  “Hold it.”

  “Man, I really have to go.”

  “Hold it.” I repeat.

  “If I piss on myself…”

  “You will do nothing and if you piss on yourself. I’ll cut your balls off.” This man already stinks from vomit. I don’t want to smell piss too.

  “Please man!”

  “Do I need to shut you up?” Meaning that I will knock his ass out.

  “NO!” He yells.

  I chuckle to myself. “Then pipe down.”

  “Where you taking me?” He asks.

  I unbuckle walking over to where he is sitting. Rearing back I punch him in the face. He is asking too many questions. I just woke up from a fucking nightmare again. I still feel too damn raw from the dream. I’m in no fucking mood to hear his blabbering. Sitting back down and buckling myself in, I look out over the land as we come in for landing.

  Once we land I pull a black hood and a gage out of my backpack. Placing the gage in his mouth and t
he hood over his head. Checking the ties are still in place on his hands. I lift him up and over my shoulder. The Pilot opens the door and lowers the steps. Descending down the step I head toward the waiting car. Vegas opens the trunk and I lower Braxton inside.

  “How’s the leg?” Vegas asks me.

  “Sore as hell.”

  “You should let Dr. Bailey look at it. He’s here. We all are.”

  Which means Tango has everyone on high alert just in case we have to move quickly. “Maggie here as well?”

  “Yes. Don’t worry the little girl is doing fine.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Man you okay?”

  “Yeah just tired.” The dreams are coming more frequently now.

  When I do sleep, I have nightmares. I use to have them once or twice a week. Now it seems every time I close my eyes I see the little girl and it scares the shit out of me. We make it to the base in no time. I’m glade for that. All I want to do is take a damn shower and eat some good food. We pull in the parking garage of the building. Vegas pops the trunk and I lift Braxton out. He is still out cold. I take him to the holding cell. Throwing him down on the floor.

  “Who’s on watch?” I ask Vegas.

  “Marco.”

  “What time is Tango and Lazarus due to arrive?”

  “Tomorrow. Go get some rest we have this guy. Looks as if Lazarus was having fun again.”

  “He always does.” I say walking to my apartment.

  This building has three floors that go down in the ground. The top floor looks to be nothing more than an abandoned building. I get on the elevator going to the bottom where my apartment is. I have everything I need here. Even though I have a house in Colorado, I still keep things here for when I’m on missions. Maggie and the little girl are also on the same floor. I want to shower and get settled in before I go in search of them. Unlocking the door I walk going straight to the small bedroom. Dumping the contents of my backpack on the bed I rummage through the contents. Picking up my wet cloths and dumping them in the pile of dirty clothes.

  Pulling out clean fresh smelling clothes, I step in the shower. The water is hot and it feels good until it hits the wound on my leg. Gritting my teeth I wash around the wound noticing that some of the stitches have come undone. It looks angry and swollen. I will have Dr. Bailey take a look at it. Rushing through my shower, I dress in sweats and a t-shirt. Putting my running shoes on I head out in search of Maggie.