Mission: Betrayal part 4

... continued from part 3...

Kayla paced the floor of the IMF hideout anxiously, glancing at her watch. It was 0800 now; Michelle was late.
“I don’t like this,” Kayla said to herself.
“Don’t like what?” Ryan asked. He and all the rest of the IMF agents, including Sarah, were waiting in the IMF hideout as well.
“Michelle being late like this, it’s not like her.”
“Your right,” Ryan nodded. “What do you want to do?”
Kayla thought about this for a moment. “Why don’t we just wait a little longer? She could be caught in traffic.”
“Okay,” Ryan agreed. He flopped down on the couch next to Laz and grabbed a TV remote and flicked the power button. The huge flat screen TV on the wall lit up. “Glad we got this HD TV,” Ryan said, flipping it to the news
“You’re just gonna watch TV at a time like this?” Laz said.
“Sure,” Ryan shrugged. “Why not?”
“Okay, cool.” Laz sat back and watched the news with him.
“Are they always like this?” Sarah asked, looking at Christophear.
Christophear, who was pretending that he wasn’t watching the TV, shrugged, “Yeah, pretty much. You get used to it after a while.”
Jordan nodded his agreement, making no attempt to hide the fact that he was watching as well. “Turn it to sports,” he suggested.
“No,” Zach argued. “Let’s turn it to the gun channel.”
“Oh please, not the gun channel,” Emmy groaned, finally speaking up. She was unusually quiet this morning.
Ryan was just about to turn the channel when he stopped. There was a story about a girl who was found dead in her home on, and the picture of the house they were showing looked just like Michelle’s!
“Wait, isn’t that Michelle’s house?” Ryan asked, bewildered.
“Oh my Gosh, it is!” Kayla exclaimed as she looked at the TV. “Turn it up.”
“Will do, would you like it in surround?” Ryan replied.
“Just turn it up!” Kayla yelled. Ryan turned up the volume.
“A young woman was found dead in her house today by her next door neighbor,” the news anchor informed them. “Police are not yet revealing all the details, but it appears that a woman by the name of Michelle Roland was murdered late last night.”
There was a collective gasp among the IMF agents.
“…Police have not released any of the suspects yet, but promise that they are searching for the murderer as we speak.”
“No!” Kayla screamed. “This can’t be happening!”
“We have to do something!” Sarah pleaded Ryan. “You’re the only one that can stop this.”
Ryan was staring at the screen, still in shock from losing yet another agent. “What makes you so sure of that?”
“Because I’ve studied you Ryan Cruise. You’re unstoppable. Anybody who tries to kill you seemingly succeeds, but in the end, they lose. And it’s all because of you, Ryan. Don’t you see? You were born to stop this!”
Ryan frowned. “And I thought I was born because my parents wanted me to be. Not because I was meant to stop this supposed betrayal by the Emperor.”
“Hey, what about me?” Laz protested.
“Why you, Laz,” Sarah said, walking over to him. “You are what makes Ryan so successful. Every Superman needs his Robin, and you are his Robin.”
Ryan turned toward her and raised his eyebrows. “I’m pretty sure that it’s Batman and Robin, not Superman and Robin.”
Jordan frowned as well. “His Robin? That just sounds weird.”
Sarah threw up her hands. “Sorry, I don’t read comics and I’m not that good at motivational speeches, okay. But we’ve got to do something.”
“Well I like it,” Laz said, folding his arms. “At least it’s better than, dopey sidekick.”
“Like what?” Emmy spoke up again. “What could we possibly do?”
“We can fight back! Teach the emperor who’s boss! Show him what we can do!” Sarah was starting to get dramatic now.
Ryan looked at Laz and Jordan. “That wasn’t so bad.”
Jordan shrugged. “I think she borrowed a little on that speech, though.”
Laz nodded, looking smart. “Yeah, she definitely borrowed on that one.”
Sarah slammed her fist on a nearby table, disgusted. “Don’t you guys ever take anything seriously?”
Ryan, Laz, and Jordan looked at each other, and then looked back at Sarah. “No.”
Sarah sighed and walked away towards the corner of the room.
“Uh-oh,” Ryan said. “We have an upset woman on our hands. Who wants to comfort her?”
Jordan and Laz both turned the other way.
“Oh come on, guys!” Ryan rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine. I’ll go.”
“Thanks,” Jordan and Laz said, simultaneously.
Ryan walked over towards Sarah. “Sarah,” he said, softly. She didn’t look up, but kept her head down, sniffing every now and then. “Hey Sarah, I tell you what. We’ll check this out, okay?”
Sarah brightened and looked up. “Really?”
“Yeah,” Ryan nodded. “Really.”
Sarah sighed happily. “Oh Ryan, you don’t know how happy this makes me feel!” She looked him in the eyes. “I can’t stand to lose another one of our IMF agents.”
“I know what you mean,” Ryan replied.
“Pack up guys, we’re going to see the emperor!” Ryan announced to the room.
“Why do we need to pack up?” Laz asked. “It’s only a few miles from here. Heck, I walked there once.”
“Figure of speech, Laz,” Ryan said in mock disapproval.
“Are all of us going?” Zach piped up.
“Yep, all of us,” Ryan said. “Even Sarah.” He looked at Sarah and she smiled at him.
“Good,” Kayla said, her grief was turning into resolve. “He better have a good answer for why Michelle is dead, or I’m gonna…” she trailed off.
Christophear nodded seriously. “This will be in the memory of Cathy and Michelle, two great agents, who never let us down when needed. They will always be remembered in our minds and they will always be with us in our hearts.”
Ryan looked at Chris. “Are you done with the sentimental speech? Good. Let’s hit the road. Everybody, to the IMF van.”
“We have a van?” Laz asked.
“We do now,” Ryan declared.
Everyone followed Ryan eagerly to the garage. The IMF agents stepped into the shiny garage. The place was spick and span. Leading Jordan to quip, “well, we know that Ryan’s never been in here for too long.”
Sitting in the middle of the garage, was the IMF van. It was Black and shiny and unmarked.
“Nice,” Sarah whistled. “It looks just like the Spider mobile.”
“Bat mobile,” Ryan corrected. He walked over to the wall where there hung a picture of some famous actor who believed in scientology or something. He removed the picture to reveal a safe inserted in the wall. He turned the dial on the safe a few times and it popped open. Everyone held his or her breath, expecting something exciting. They waited in eager anticipation; the suspense was killing them. Was it another cool gadget? Maybe some treasure that Ryan planned to share with them?
Ryan reached in the safe and pulled out what was inside; it was… the keys to the van. Everyone released his or her breath in a loud sigh, somewhat disappointed. “Who’s driving?” Ryan asked.
Jordan raised his hand. “Me.” Ryan tossed him the keys and they all hopped in.
“Shotgun,” Ryan called. Everyone climbed in the van. “Sarah, Kayla,” Ryan said, turning around to face them. “We’re gonna need some weapons if this goes south. Go over to the toolbox over there and turn it to the right. You’ll see a keypad, the password is Evan Hunter, when the door opens grab all the weapons you can carry.”
“You’re telling me the password?” Sarah asked, surprised.
“Sure,” Ryan smiled. “I trust you.”
Sarah smiled back and she and Kayla climbed out of the van.
“You really believe what she’s trying to tell us?” Jordan asked.
“No, not really,” Ryan shook his head. “That’s why I sent them out. I think Kayla’s convinced herself that the emperor’s trying to kill us. Look, Laz, Christophear, and I will go and talk things over with the emperor. I don’t want Sarah to go. You guys hold her back when we get there. If anything goes wrong, which I doubt, you’ll give us cover fire.”
“Sounds good,” Jordan said. Everyone else agreed.
“Cool,” Ryan said. “I thought that one up myself.”
Kayla and Sarah hopped in, handing everyone weapons and other equipment. Kayla started to hand Ryan his favorite rifle, but Ryan shook his head. “We’re going in unarmed.”
“Why?” Kayla said, bewildered.
“Because, they’ll take our weapons anyway.”
“He’s right,” Sarah said.
“Of course I’m right,” Ryan replied, as if surprised that anyone would ever doubt him. “I’m always right… except for when I’m wrong.”
Jordan started up the van and they drove out of the garage and towards the emperor’s palace. Little did they know what would be there to greet them.

Timothius sat, shivering in his cell, listening to the interrogator explain the emperor’s demands, wishing that he could be anywhere else.
“… So all that the emperor wants you to do,” the interrogator explained. “Is just rid the world of a few lying, unworthy people. Is that so different from what you’ve been doing all along?”
“I’ve only ever killed villains,” Timothius said defiantly. “And I’m not going to change that now.”
The interrogator smiled and held up the needle. “Then I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to try and make you.” He gave a cruel, wicked laugh. “This will be the day that you regret you were ever born.”
Tim backed away, but didn’t fail to show spirit. “I’ve had quite a few of those…”
The interrogator grabbed him and lifted him up onto the chair. Timothius tried to resist, but the chains prevented him from doing much.
“Welcome to hell,” the interrogator breathed in his ear. He stabbed the needle into Tim’s flesh, and Tim screamed in pain as he felt it hit his bone.

To be continued...