Strike Force Five Part 13
Settling the Score
Wufei, Trowa and Quatre stood at the forest's edge gazing across a grassy clearing. On the opposite side, midway from the explosive rigged fuel depot, a man in a crimson uniform with knee-high black boots and a hip-length black cape was talking to two soldiers. Seeing how the men stood stiffly at attention it was easy to tell who was in charge. Judging by the Officer's exaggerated hand motions and tense body language it was obvious that he was not pleased and was taking his displeasure out on the underlings.
Trowa was about to suggest that they end the haggard soldier's tongue lashing by setting off the first explosions when Quatre suddenly went pale and Wufei had to grab him as his legs turned rubbery beneath him.
"Quatre what's wrong?" Trowa asked anxiously as Wufei eased him down to sit on the grass. Quatre didn't respond.
There was an angst-ridden energy flowing between him and Quatre that took Trowa by surprise. "Quatre." he repeated kneeling at eye level with Quatre whose widened azure sight was locked on the OZ troopers. "Quatre talk to me."
Please...no." Quatre murmured so lowly that Trowa and Wufei could barely make out the words.
Trowa put his hand under Quatre's chin redirecting his eyes to his face. "Tell me what's wrong." he ordered with a gentle shake.
"Father...mother...no."
"Quatre tell me what I need to do."
"Kill him."
"Who?"
"The murderer." Quatre whispered shifting his sight and breaking his empathetic trance.
Trowa did not need any further inquiry as to the meaning of his lover's words. He knew as surly as Quatre did the identity of the Officer. "Khushrenada." Trowa hoarsely hissed out the vile name.
Wufei sucked in a startled breath, "Are you certain?"
Trowa drew his pistol, "Yes I am certain." he confirmed. "I am going to end this nightmare now. Quatre you stay here with Wufei."
Quatre's eyes, misted with tears, locked on his lover. "No Trowa it is too dangerous. I cannot bear to lose you." he pleaded grabbing a fitful of Trowa's jacket.
With firm persuasion Trowa untangled his lover's fingers. "You will not lose me I promise." then he sealed the promise with a kiss. Turning to Wufei Trowa reaffirmed another promise. "Remember your oath to keep Quatre safe." he reminded his comrade.
"On my honor as a warrior I pledge my protection." Wufei swore wrapping his arms around Quatre to keep him in place.
"No. Trowa...please." Quatre whispered but he knew that his beseeching would do no good. He knew that Trowa could no more let Khushrenada go than they could stop loving each other.
This time, though, love was a stronger force than revenge. For his lover's sake, for his own sake, Trowa had to extract justice and he had to do it alone. "I love you." he whispered kissing Quatre once more before he stood up.
Quatre's misty eyes followed Trowa's standing. "I will always...love you." he choked out the eternal pledge before burying his tear stained face in Wufei shoulder.
Trowa leaned over stroking his life partner's silky hair, tucking stray strands behind his ears. A bow to Wufei in respect for his promised protection. "Whatever happens don't let Quatre go."
Wufei nodded his head. "Do what needs to be done and return to your soul mate."
Trowa, holding his pistol at the ready straightened his shoulders, set his jaw and prepare for a confrontation that would forever exorcise Quatre's demons.
With love borne fortitude the lone extractor of retribution strode out into the clearing. He could feel his lover's strong intuitive connection but he didn't dare look back for fear that the ever-widening separation would be too much to bear. His sole concentration had to be on Khushrenada or he would surely fail in his promise to return to his soul mate.
"Excuse me." Trowa called loudly leveling his weapon at the OZ trio.
Khushrenada's head rotated in the loud voice's direction. The startled soldiers hesitated a moment then a pair of pistols were brought to bear on the brash stranger. The Colonel cut his eyes first at his men then ever so slowly came about to fully face Trowa.
Offering a disdainful smirk Khushrenada took on a well-practiced swaggering attitude. "Well who do we have here?" he wondered as a thin-lipped sneer pulled at his mouth. The cocky grin stretched into a smile as he calculated the two to one odds. "It appears that we have a counterbalance, as standoff one might call it." he announced. "What do you propose we do about it?"
"You can order your men to drop their weapons." Trowa answered the Colonel's mocking inquiry.
"First tell me who you are then I will decide if you are worth not having my men empty their clips into your sorry soul." Khushrenada taunted taking a step towards the lone man who dared to oppose his authority.
"Who I am is not important." Trowa declared. He couldn't resist some taunting of his own. "Why don't you tell me your name so I can give you the same consideration."
The Colonel tried not to show any outward reaction but Trowa could tell that the barbarous jab had hit its mark. "I am afraid that I have been remiss in my etiquette but this primitive environment is quite hard on one's social graces." the Officer replied with more than a hint of sarcasm. "Forgive me for not taking the time for a proper introduction. I am Colonel Treize Khushrenada." he announced with an arrogant bow.
"Khushrenada." Trowa repeated, "You are the bastard who is insanely bold enough to discount my resolve."
"Insanely bold." Khushrenada grinned, "I like that description. Is that flattery I hear?"
Trowa's reply came back in kind, "I should be the one who is flattered," he mocked bowing in a flourish of false humility, "because I have been given the opportunity to bring you to justice."
"Justice for what?" the Colonel wondered his curiosity sparked by his challenger's own brand of boldness.
"For ordering the sabotage of the plane carrying the Winner family."
Khushrenada displayed a puzzled frown. "That was so long ago. Why would you care what happened...." A strange expression alternating between confusion and clarity flickered across his face. "unless you are the heir I failed to eliminate." he finished the interrupted statement.
Trowa centered his emerald sight on the object of his contempt. "I am not the heir but the one who will avenge his parent's deaths at your hands."
"So the Winner's whelp is still alive. Unfortunately that fact has put an end to my deliberation concerning your immediate termination." the Colonel announced nodding his head towards the soldiers and their already targeted weapons.
Trowa showed no sign that the his possible impending death mattered, "I can easily kill you before your men have a chance to shoot." he pointed out the reality of their situation.
"And my men could as easily kill you." Khushrenada replied putting an opposite spin on the odds.
"My life for yours seems like a fair trade." Trowa bluffed never lessening his acidic glare of hatred.
The OZ assassin's face had an unreadable look that made Trowa wonder what was going on in the murdering bastard's mind. But whatever thought processes were being muddled around in Khushrenada's warped brain would not change the outcome. This hour Treize Khushrenada was going to pay for his crimes against humanity one way or the other.
"Would you like to yield or die?" Trowa dictated the terms of capitulation.
"I am glad to see that you still have some humor about you." the Colonel declared, "You're going to need it to get you through."
Now Trowa fought to hold back the puzzlement creeping into his face. *Through what?* he asked himself wondering from what black hole Khushrenada had pulled his statement.
*********
Quatre had stopped struggling against Wufei's firm but gentle hold. Now both men sat in the damp grass watching helplessly as Trowa confronted Treize Khushrenada.
Quatre's breathing was ragged, his face pale. Wufei brushed back hair from his comrade's puffy eyes. "Trowa knows what he is doing." he whispered trying to reassure Quatre that everything would be all right even though he had not own doubts. Suddenly Quatre's lax body tensed and the fighting began again.
*********
"DROP YOU PISTOL NOW!" a phantom voice loudly exclaimed.
The unanticipated notification was submitted by an OZ soldier who had suddenly materialized from the forest's gloomy fringes. The stern order was further backed up by an effectual SR42 that was centered at the base of Trowa's skull.
"I think you are the one who will yield." Khushrenada ordered stepping up beside the surprised stranger and holding out his hand to receive Trowa's surrendered pistol.
Trowa's locked his burning sight with the Colonel's less than lucid eyes as he slapped the pistol into his outstretched palm.
"Now that wasn't so hard was it?" Khushrenada sneered painfully jabbing the pistol's barrel into Trowa's chest. "It is a shame that you were so easily overcome. I would have liked more of a challenge, more sport for the hunt but I suppose it is just as well. I have a busy schedule and a prolonged execution would use up too much of my valuable time."
"This isn't over Khushrenada." Trowa growled never lessening his lancing stare.
The Colonel tilted his head and the unreadable expression returned. "Perhaps if I had a strong enough incentive I could be persuaded to spare your life." His free hand reached around to cup Trowa's trim buttocks. "I am sure you can think of a way to convince me." he whispered huskily as his fingers curved between Trowa's legs and squeezed.
"Are you a virgin?" Khushrenada's continued tightening his fingers over Trowa's crotch. Trowa remained mute, his steely glare fixed in place.
"Of course not, the Winner brat is your lover." Khushrenada realized, as the reason for Trowa's revenge became clear. "That is why you have dared to face me." He leaned closer until Trowa could feel his hot breath hiss against his cheek, "Where is your whore?"
Trowa's hands curled into angry-clenched fists at his sides but he stared straight ahead not giving the lecherous Colonel the slightest reaction. Even though something maddening boiled in Trowa's gut, something that wanted to wrap around Khushrenada's throat and choke the last of his lunacy from his lustful body, he did not give into the taunting.
But as much as Trowa wanted to extinguish the bastard's fiery depravity he knew that the dousing would have to be carefully put into motion. The madman would have to be handled with the utmost care because his rabid, quite dangerous, psychosis could erupt without warning causing the crazy Colonel to strike out with deadly results.
"There is no need to reply." Khushrenada leered giving one more painful squeeze before letting go and removing the pistol from Trowa's ribs. "When I'm finished with you I will find your paramour. I have many ways to make him show me the tricks he uses to keep you in his bed."
It took all of Trowa's willpower to keep up his defiant facade. In his mind he pictured Quatre's angelic face, the way that his soulful eyes sparkled in the early morning light as they laid in each other's arms and watched the sunrise.
Trowa had pledged to return to his soul mate but, surrounded by enemy soldiers being led by a lunatic who received great satisfaction from killing, he wonder if he had failed. Would the fates granted him one more chance to keep his promise?
"As I said before duty calls." Khushrenada proclaimed tossing Trowa's pistol to the nearest soldier. "Kill him but do it cleanly. I do hate a mess." he grinned with delirious pleasure as he began to walk away.
A dozen thoughts raced through Trowa's mind all swirling into a single sucking whirlpool. He knew that if he didn't sort on the correct answer, pull it from the watery depths, that the last saving solution would drown with him. Each weapon was trained as each protector of OZ's unquestionable supremacy was prepared to carry on their justified reprisal against the insolent rebel.
Trowa's heart hammered as he fought the urge to tremble but his eyes did not give away his fear. They gazed steadfastly ahead staring down death to the end. Faintly his inner voice surfaced above the overwhelming tidal surge and Trowa listened intently for he could not afford to misunderstand its council.
Trowa trusted his instincts, swallowed hard and found his voice. "Colonel." he called above the click of cocked weapons.
The Colonel paused in mid-stride then acting as if he might continue to walk away. Trowa heart skipped a beat; he had to make him stop. KHUSHRENADA!" he yelled this time deliberately putting a demanding tone in his voice.
Maybe a little insolence would get the Colonel's attention. All it could do was make him mad but what the hell Khushrenada was already completely over the edge so what was the worse that could happen? If he didn't stop Trowa was dead anyway.
Treize Khushrenada spun around, his cape spreading out behind him like broad ebony wings. "What?" he growled rolling his eyes at yet another delay in his busy schedule. But he did move forward a few steps encouraging Trowa to at least believe that there was hope for his survival.
"If I am so insignificant why didn't you shoot me on sight?" Trowa asked trying to keep the Colonel's attention while he struggled to tread water.
As Khushrenada studied the question his eyebrows drew together in deep consideration. "Curiosity." he stated moving forward a couple of paces, "What I could not figure was why you would dare to come into MY compound alone? What possible reason could you have? What harm did you think you could do against my mighty forces? At first I reckoned that you were either very brave or very stupid but I finally decided that you are just crazy."
Trowa's mind was still swimming against the tide, still groping for a handhold, some kink in Khushrenada's armor.
"Yes," the Colonel continued, "I decided that you were just crazy enough to think you could challenge OZ all by yourself." he ranted on with an increasingly edgy tone in his voice. "Just crazy enough."
*That's it.* Trowa's voice spoke loud and clear. *A challenge.*
Treize Khushrenada, who needed constant validation of his leadership and fighting skills, would be more than willing to accept a challenge to fight especially if he knew that his surrounding soldiers would help to assure his winning. If Trowa could get him to go one on one and if Trowa could bring him down perhaps he could turn the tide.
Trowa narrowed his green sight and leaned forward. "Would you like to find out just how crazy I am?" he asked as seriously as he could.
Khushrenada's eyebrows pulled together once more. His mouth turned downward in a contemplative frown. It seemed that forever passed away before the Colonel shifted from his thoughtful attitude. "How do you mean to show me?"
"A challenge...man to man." Trowa announced loudly so all the soldiers could hear, so they would know that Trowa had flung down the gauntlet. Now Trowa had the upper hand because Khushrenada could not deny the challenge, not one issued by a lowly rebel who could never be his equal. Yes to save face in front of his men the Colonel had to accept the dare.
"Very well." Khushrenada finally agreed as a smug smile bloomed on his lips. "In fact I shall enjoy becoming your personal executioner. Then when you are finished your pitiful lover will have no choice than to become my pet."
Without pause Trowa stepped forward putting all his focus into the last chance he had to save Quatre and his Chinese comrade. "Whenever you are ready I will gladly send you to hell." he promised putting his plan into motion.
TBC...
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