Mission 5: Payback part 13

Continued from last week...

“What do you mean, ‘you’ve been tricked’?” Jason asked, glaring at Ryan. “These are your friends, right? Don’t you recognize your own friends?”
“No, these are not our friends,” Ryan shot back. “They’re wearing masks to disguise themselves as our friends.”
“Masks?” Jason asked, bewildered.
“It’s an IMF thing,” Ryan explained.
“What is IMF?” Jason asked.
“Oh, forget it!” Ryan shook his head.
“Silence!” cried the one who was impersonating Tim. “Or I will shoot all of you!”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Ryan held his hands out then he slowly lowered them to his side. “I’m not getting my gun, I’m slowly reaching for… these.” He snatched his shades from his belt and slipped them on. “Okay, now I’m ready, do your worst.”
“You are pathetic,” the Jordan impersonator muttered.
“A lot of people have said that,” Ryan said, holding his finger in the air in a very prophetic and cool manner. “But all of them are dead now. Turns out they were more pathetic.”
“No,” Sarah, or the one who was pretending to be Sarah, spat. “You are just lucky, but you will not be this time.”
“Or they’ve just been unlucky, but I’ll let you think about that for awhile. God knows you militants don’t have the best brains in the world.”
“Ryan, we’re prisoners here, I don’t think it’s such a good idea to insult our captors,” Emmy said in a worried voice.
“So you’re stupid too,” Jason muttered.
“A lot of people have said that too,” Ryan admitted.
“Shut up!” the fake Sarah screamed. Just then, a shot rang out. Sarah clutched her neck and fell to the ground without making a sound. The other two imperial agents ducked behind the helicopter, the one that was impersonating Jordan screamed and grabbed at his leg.
“Come on, let’s go!” Ryan yelled, tugging at Emmy’s hand and pulling her away from the gunfight.
“Who is that?” Emmy yelled above the gunfire. Then suddenly, it all stopped. The echoes of gunshots faded into the woods and all was silent.
“Ryan!” someone called. “Emmy!”
“That’s Tim!” Ryan said, he started to make his way out of the brush, but Jason grabbed his arm.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, positive,” Ryan assured him. Ryan turned around and nearly ran right smack into Tim. “Hey buddy,” Ryan grinned. “Where ya been?”
Tim laughed and shook his head. “You always were the cavalier one.”
Ryan shrugged. “Yeah sure, whatever that means.”
Tim slapped him on the back. “It’s good to have you back, Cruise.” Then he turned back towards the helicopter, “guys, I found him.”
“So what’s new?” Ryan asked.
“Oh nothing, we just had to practically escape from the Rebel base to come and rescue you though.”
“Really? It was Cathy wasn’t it? I knew she never got over our little bungle at the mall.”
“That was pretty bad,” Tim pointed out.
“Well, we got away just fine, thanks to our buddy Jason Scorn here.”
“Who?”
“Jason Scorn,” Ryan repeated. “And he’s got a plan that you need to hear.”
“What plan?” Tim asked.
“One that involves getting the emperor, for good.”

After a whole round of hugs, exclamations, and heartfelt words, (which will not be recorded here mainly because it would be really boring to read them and even more so to write them) from Sarah, and Jordan, mostly Sarah, the group entered the helicopter.
“So,” Tim ventured, as they prepared to take off. “What’s the plan?”
“Well it’s really very simple,” Ryan explained. “You see we just walk in and shoot the emperor right in the face, just like that.”
Tim stared at him. “Just like that,” he repeated.
Ryan nodded. “Just like that.”
“Are you nuts?”
Ryan heaved a long sigh. “You know, people keep asking me that and I keep telling ‘em, yeah I am okay! Can we move on?”
“You seriously agree with that plan?” Tim asked.
“Yeah, what’s not to like? It’s simple and to the point. We get in, we get out, the emperor’s dead, just what we want, right?”
“I shouldn’t be surprised,” Tim shook his head. “You always did have a knack for making things seem simpler than they are.”
“And you have one for making them seem harder than they really are,” Ryan pointed out. “Look, it’s a great plan, I wish I would have thought of it myself.”
“What’s to think of?” Tim shouted.
“Shhh, not so loud,” Ryan shushed him, motioning towards the others. “Jason and I don’t want them to know yet until we have you on board.”
“Jason and you, huh? You’re both crazy.”
“Yes, that we are,” Ryan grinned and clapped Jason on the shoulder, who just glared at him. “We’re like two peas in a pod, blood brothers--”
“Dumb and Dumber,” Tim interrupted.
“Well, I wasn’t gonna use that one, but you could.” Ryan laughed. “Jason’s like me without the spice, you know?”
Tim just gave him a blank look. “No, I don’t.”
“I’m more fun, duh.”
“What the heck is with you, man?” Tim asked.
“I gave him a shot of adrenaline before we left the terrorist’ den, must still be working,” Jason said. “About the plan, he’s leaving out a few important details, like how we’ll get in, and how we’ll get out.”
“I figured he was,” Tim glared at Ryan, who just shrugged.
“This adrenaline stuff’s like a caffeine high,” Ryan laughed.
“Someone shut him up,” Jason mumbled.
“Don’t worry,” Tim said. “You learn to ignore him. So tell me, what’s the plan?”
Jason cracked a small smile; the first time Tim had seen him smile since they’d first found him. “It’s good, I think you’ll like it.”

Katie was busy handing out rations and supplies to lines of soldiers when she was approached by Daniel.
“Care to give a poor soldier a few supplies?” Daniel asked.
Katie nearly dropped the water canteen she was holding. “Oh no Daniel, not you too?”
Daniel gave a grim smile. “Yes Katie, they need every man they can get out there.”
“But you’re not trained for combat, Daniel. You’re a doctor, not a soldier!”
“You’d be surprised, besides, they could use a good doctor.”
“No, I won’t let you go, Daniel,” Katie shook her head.
Daniel laughed. “Katie, I’m a man, I think I can make my own decisions.”
Katie grabbed Chris, who just happened to be walking by, by the arm. “Chris!” she cried. “Tell him he can’t go!”
Chris gave Katie a bewildered look. “Why?”
“Just do it!”
“Okay, okay,” Chris turned to Daniel. “You can’t go.”
Daniel shook his head. “I’m going anyways.”
“There you go,” Chris said, shrugging. “I can’t stop him.”
“Daniel,” Katie protested. “You can’t go!”
“Katie, I’ll be fine,” Daniel assured her.
“I don’t want to lose you,” Katie said, tears coming to her eyes.
“You won’t,” Daniel promised.
Suddenly, Laz coughed from back in the corner. “I hate to break this up guys, but you’re really starting to get on my nerves. This whole romance before going off to war thing is great and all, but… its kinda worn out.”
“I have to agree with him on that, could you guys take this somewhere else please?” Chris spoke up.
Katie frowned. “Why you guys couldn’t--”
“Katie,” Danny interrupted. “Ignore them.”
Katie smiled. “Okay, I will.”
“All right,” Laz said. “I’m gone.”
“Me too,” Chris seconded. They both got up and left Daniel and Katie to be alone, shaking their heads in disgust.
Just then Kayla came running up. “Hey guys, have you seen Ryan?”
Chris and Laz shook their heads. “I haven’t seen Ryan, Sarah, or Tim in a while,” Chris said glumly.
“Where the heck is Cruise when you need him anyways?” Laz asked no one in particular. “He would have said something funny, made Katie hopping mad and ruined the mood.”
“Yeah, I wish he was here,” Chris agreed. “I wonder where he is?”

“Where are we?” Emmy asked as she peered through a borrowed set of binoculars.
“The emperor’s secret getaway,” Jason replied, pointing at the beach house/fortress hidden behind the hill. “Top surveillance at this place, but not nearly as good as at the palace.”
“Then why is he here?” Sarah asked.
“Because it’s secret,” Jason replied stoically.
“If it’s secret, then how do you know it’s here?” Emmy questioned him.
“It’s secret to most,” Jason corrected himself. “Now please, no more questions; let’s get down to business.”
“Which is?” Sarah, who had still not been fully informed of the plan, continued to grill him.
“You girls sure do ask a lot of questions,” Jason said, shaking his head.
“Don’t all girls?” Tim muttered.
“I heard that, Tim,” Emmy shot back.
“Look here’s how it goes,” Jason said, laying out the plan. “Tim, Emmy, you guys will provide the distraction, while Ryan and I infiltrate the hideout. Jordan, you wait in the helicopter as our getaway pilot.”
“Yes sir,” Jordan saluted only half-mockingly.
“What about me?” Sarah asked.
“You, Sarah,” Ryan said, grinning, “Get to wait in the helicopter and copy.”
“Copy?” Sarah gave him a confused look.
“Yeah, you know, when we talk in the radio, we say, ‘do you copy?’ and you say, ‘I copy’ got it?”
Sarah glared at him. “No way, that’s a boring job.”
“Exactly,” Ryan clapped her on the shoulder.
“Look, if you’re trying to protect me, don’t. I want to go in there with you.”
Ryan just grinned and started walking towards the beach fortress. “Trust me, I’m not trying to protect you; I’m trying to annoy you.”
Sarah stomped her foot on the ground. “Well you’re doing a real good job of it!” Then she stormed off towards the helicopter.
“What was with that?” Tim asked, a frown on his face.
“Who knows?” Emmy replied, shrugging.
Tim walked up to Ryan and grabbed him by the shoulder, spinning him around. “You really seemed to tick off that young lady back there,” he said
“Who Sarah? Don’t worry about her,” Ryan said, shrugging him off. “She’s fine, we always fight.”
“How long have you known each other?”
Ryan sighed. “It feels like years, but probably only a few weeks, and I’ve been ‘dead’ for a long period of that time.”
“I’m not sure it was wise to isolate her like that,” Tim said.
“Look,” Ryan said, pointing his finger at Tim to emphasize his words. “You just stick to what you do best, which is killing, and let someone else play psychiatrist, okay?”


Ryan peered at the emperor’s fortress from their new position. “Man, this is gonna be one for the record books!” he whispered, handing the binoculars to Jason.
“If we can pull it off,” Jason added. Then he turned lowered the binoculars and turned to Ryan. “Before we go in, I want to warn you, I’m wanted by the C.I.A., which means now you are too.”
Ryan shrugged. “Psh, I’m wanted by everybody, what difference does it make?” There was a pause, “Why does the C.I.A. want you?” he ventured.
“I don’t know,” was Jason’s simple reply.
“You don’t know? How can you not know?”
“I can’t remember,” Jason said. “I can’t remember anything, I don’t even really know who I am.”
“Some sort of assassin probably,” Ryan guessed.
“Yeah, how’d you know?”
“Well duh, who else can kill like that? I can assure that you’re not a construction worker, or the C.I.A. wouldn’t be trying to kill you.” There was another long pause. “So you can’t remember anything?”
“Yeah, I just said that.” Jason replied.
This was followed by yet another awkward halt in conversation. Then Ryan spoke up again, “Okay, so just wondering, but do you ever talk in an excited voice?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, your voice is always monotone, do you have any emotion?”
Jason looked at him. “No, not really.”
Ryan sighed. “So much for conversation.”
Just then they saw a flash of light in the trees a mile to their left. “There’s the signal,” Ryan said, relieved that the wait was over. “Let’s go.”

To be continued...