Loved it all, except for Carlito landing a hit on Rhett. The sound of the crunching of bones and imagining a broken nose marring a beautiful face sent chills down my spine.
The Bureau of National Defense and Government [M/M] [conclusion 5/11/23]
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KidnappedCowboy
- Centennial Club
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BNDG Strikes back!
Loved it all, except for Carlito landing a hit on Rhett. The sound of the crunching of bones and imagining a broken nose marring a beautiful face sent chills down my spine.
Loved it all, except for Carlito landing a hit on Rhett. The sound of the crunching of bones and imagining a broken nose marring a beautiful face sent chills down my spine.
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Guardianbound
- Centennial Club
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- Joined: 2 years ago
Would love to know the final tally on all the Sonny and Carlito encounters. This lover/rival dynamic is so interesting. Hopefully the both of them will get some alone time after they deal with chuy
Absolutely amazing! And I LOVE that the hypnosis came back in a completely unexpected way! I knew it couldn't just have been a forgotten thing, not with Carlito!
And I gotta say, I think there's something even hotter about Williams now, although I really wouldn't mind seeing him helpless again
And I gotta say, I think there's something even hotter about Williams now, although I really wouldn't mind seeing him helpless again
I'm going on vacation next week, so I decided to post the conclusion a bit ahead of schedule. Thanks to everyone who read and commented!
CONCLUSION – An Act of Mercy
The elevator moved painfully slowly up from the sub-basement. Malik stood in the center of the group, Carlito draped over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. Although his skills were impressive compared to regular men, he was the worst fighter of the team. And since only he, Sonny, and Williams were large and strong enough to carry Carlito without getting weighed down, responsibility for carting their hostage around fell on his shoulders. He didn’t mind overmuch. He always thought he was better suited in the back office than in the field. Maybe after all this was over he could get that spot in data analysis that he had been gunning for. Maybe work in administration under Adamson. But he was getting ahead of himself. They still had to get out, and that required navigating the well-traveled first floor of the CUFF compound.
As for Carlito, he had assumed an almost Zen-Like trance. He slowed his breathing, taking deep breaths at long regular intervals. Williams knew why. The Lucchesi Method, a secret restraint technique gleaned from a notorious mobster and known only to BNDG, was agonizing if the victim moved even a hair. The complicated and intricate rope network would respond to movement by tightening in various places all at once. Too much struggling and the victim could suffocate. It was only used on the most dangerous and wily of captives, and Carlito knew it. So he played the obedient and compliant prisoner and kept still. But all present knew he was simply biding his time and lying in wait for any opportunity to escape.
To make sure his focus was interrupted, the agents would occasionally wiggle one of Carlito’s arms or legs, causing the ropes to react. He would grunt in discomfort, but simple petty torture wasn’t their aim. The goal was to break his concentration and focus periodically. Carlito was also a master tactician, and letting his mind go into computation mode unchecked could lead to him formulating some sort of plan to hamper their progress. So the answer was to distract his mind. And what better way to do that than cause his restrictive roping to pull and squeeze his anatomy at the worst time? Rhett had also taken precautions and cut off the bottoms of Carlito’s pajama pants to use as a gag. The CUFF agent had whined about how expensive they were and how they were ruining designer clothes, but Rhett didn’t care about fashion. No one knew the extent of the influence Carlito had over Sonny, and the last thing anyone wanted was some sort of triggered code word or subharmonic frequency messing with their companion’s mind.
The group feverishly tried to work on some sort of plan. They had considered posing as prisoners again, escorted by Sonny around the compound. No one would question the boss’ paramour walking around with high-profile captives. But with Carlito in tow, that would be impossible. And they couldn’t just leave him, bound and squirming, in the detention wing. He was too valuable a prisoner to BNDG and needed to be extracted. That would deal a major blow to CUFF. No subterfuge options seemed viable, though, so the group decided to just go up and make a break for it. They had each seen enough of the compound previously to get an idea of the layout and where they needed to go if they combined notes, but they were still flying largely blind. They needed to find the garage. And quick.
As the elevator door opened, the group, now armed with the prison guards’ weapons, readied for an ambush, but, thankfully, the hallway was deserted. Using spec ops stealth tactics, the group moved down the hallway en masse, keeping tight together and watching all sides at once. Those stealth tactics were mostly for reducing the sound of their approach instead of making them less visible. Anyone who saw them would know something was up, especially with them toting around the trussed and gagged CUFF leader. All five agents were barechested and barefoot. Sonny had been taken captive in that state, but the others had plastic prison slides on their feet, and those would have made too much noise, clacking against the polished floor. Abandoning their shoes would make them vulnerable to caltrops or debris, but the reduced noise from their passage made it worth the risk. Williams gave Carlito’s bound shoulder a twist, eliciting a tortured grunt from their captive, before moving on.
“We’ll have to go easy on that now,” Williams thought. “Even though he’s gagged, someone could hear him howling and come to investigate. Better keep that to a minimum.”
The group moved down the hall, past several closed doors. About halfway down, however, Pahn held his hand up in the signal for “halt.” He had been looking in the windows as they passed each room, and something in this one piqued his interest. He motioned for the others to peek in, as well. Inside the room were two men in lab coats sitting at some sort of work table. Their heads were down and they were hard at work fiddling with various gadgets and doodads with their backs to the door. Sonny’s eyes widened as he recognized what they were working on. Spread out on the table were the contents of his mission bag. It had been taken from him when he was captured in the hotel what seemed like an eternity ago. He thought it had been left behind when he was abducted, but now he saw the two CUFF scientists examining his gear, trying to reverse engineer the tech.
Everyone looked at Williams. As the most veteran agent, he had assumed field leadership and this was his call. Going in would box them into a confined space and delay their escape, but getting their hands on that gear would be a tremendous advantage if they were spotted. Not to mention how important it was to keep that tech out of CUFF’s hands. Meeting his team’s gaze, Williams gave a slow nod.
Malik stepped back slightly. He wouldn’t be much help in a fight carrying Carlito, so he made sure to get out of the way. Using his master infiltrator skills, Rhett silently opened the door to the lab. The scientists were concentrating on their work, but they would surely be alerted by noise and summon assistance. He gingerly pushed the door open, hoping that the hinges were oiled enough to not creak. Thankfully they were. The four agents slipped in and fanned out behind the scientists. Malik stayed in the hall in case Carlito decided to make noise. When everyone was in position, Williams deferred to Sonny and nodded.
The takedown was swift and precise. Rhett and Pahn both slinked up behind the two scientists and pressed their stolen guns into their backs. The researchers, unaccustomed to violence, were dumbfounded and surrendered without any struggle. Williams strode into view on the other side of the table. “Good evening, gentlemen,” he said softly. “Or is it afternoon? Hard to tell when you’re locked in an underground execution chamber.”
“Look,” one of the scientists said, “we had nothing to do with that. We’re just lab workers.”
Sonny peered over their shoulders at the half-dismantled mechanism on the table. “And what are you working on?” he asked.
The two looked at each other, then decided lying would be a very bad idea and said “We’ve been trying to hack the com system. To be able to listen in on BNDG communications and possibly get a trace on some of their bases.”
“And how much progress have you made?” Williams asked.
“Very little,” one scientist said. “The tech is on a par with our own and there’s a lot of rerouting and redundant systems. We’re close to a fix, though…”
Hearing this, Sonny unplugged the laptop next to them on the table. The stream of data being complied blanked and cleared. “Well, no more of that,” he said, grabbing the dismantled parts and stuffing them in a familiar briefcase nearby. He unhooked the laptop and took it, as well. “Just to be safe. Well, lookee here!” He peered into the briefcase and saw his mission gear still intact. Inside were a spare handgun, a case of tranq darts, some general antidote pills, and a case with five white balls, about the size of ping-pong balls. He held one up.
“Those were next on the agenda,” one scientist said. “We’ve been interested in finding the chemical mixture used to create those. It seems to be organic in nature, but once the shell is broken it’s highly volatile and reacts to oxygen almost immediately. We had a few mishaps with the initial experimentation. The boss wants…” Carlito grunted through his gag from his position over Malik’s shoulder just inside the doorway. “Oh! Boss! I didn’t see you there!” Seeing their leader now captured and trussed served to darken the scientists’ mood even farther. Sonny knew they were clearly trying to stall them with tech babble long enough for a team to notice they had escaped and come to round them up.
“Fascinating,” he said. “Now if you two would kindly stop reaching for the guns taped to the underside of the table and stand up over here.” Both scientists immediately froze, each with one hand near the edge of the research table. They looked at each other, abashed, and slid back. Rhett slipped past them and retrieved two tranquilizer pistols, taped exactly where Sonny said they were. “Nice try, gentlemen. But not today.”
Williams and Pahn immediately collected the scientists while Rhett inspected the guns and Malik kept a watchful eye on the door. The two scientists were made to sit on the floor, back-to-back. Each man’s arms were pulled back behind him and around in front of the man sitting flush against him. Like a reverse back-to-back hug. Williams secured their wrists with cable cuffs taken from the K.O.’ed cell guards down below. The two were squeezed together tightly and their arms were stretched to near-uselessness. Sonny slipped the five mysterious white balls into his pants pocket and took the briefcase, along with any other gizmos that seemed interesting. CUFF wasn’t the only team with scientists looking to reverse-engineer enemy tech.
While Sonny worked, Williams took some stretchy black electrical tape from a supply cabinet and proceeded to envelop the captive scientists’ torsos in it. Around and around, over both chests with each long loop. Starting at their collarbones, he crept the tape slowly and methodically down their chests. Past their solar plexi and ribs and trapping their arms beneath it. When the tape roll was finally spent, the two scientists were cocooned in shiny black tape down to their waists. Grabbing another roll, Williams secured their ankles and knees. When he was finished, the two scientists resembled an inverted T, their backs flush together and their bound legs sticking straight out in front of them. Before he began to wrap the last of the tape around the captured scientists’ mouths, he said “You two seem like decent guys. Maybe you should consider a different line of work? Maybe Buenos Aires University or something academic? A word of advice: stay out of spy stuff. You’re lucky it was us who found you. Most other agents wouldn’t be kind enough to just leave you tied up on the floor.” The two scientists nodded gravely, thinking of any contacts they might have in the private sector.
Just then a klaxon sounded. All five agents snapped their faces towards the door. “Shit,” Sonny said. “Someone must have gone down to the basement and saw we’re gone. The whole place will be on alert. Carlito grinned beneath his silken gag. The shift change would have definitely happened by now and the replacement guards surely found their comrades locked in the cells instead of the prisoners.
“You haven’t won yet, Americanos,” he thought. “Chuy is out there and if he realizes you’ve taken me hostage, Hell itself won’t be able to hold him back.” Realizing their time was short, the agents dashed out of the room.
---
Stealth wasn’t required anymore. By now, men would be manning the cameras and tracking their moves, so the BNDG team moved with haste. The group raced down the labyrinthine hallways, following Malik’s navigation, in the general direction that the garage would likely be. Carlito, who up until now had been slightly worried (although he would never let it show) relaxed greatly. These five were good, but not good enough to stop Chuy. He would be free in no time.
The team did encounter guard squads from time to time as they moved, but Williams and Sonny laid down cover fire while Pahn picked them off one by one with tranq darts using his trained sniper’s eye. After the third such squad was downed, Rhett remarked “We must be getting close. The security teams are popping up more frequently now.”
“Let’s hope,” Pahn said as he popped the last standing guard with a dart in the leg. The man tottered and slumped down on top of his sleeping comrades. Pahn quickly restocked his ammo and the group hurried on, reloading as they went. Finally, after dropping a double-size team, they came to a thick set of twin doors. The smell of exhaust and a chill wind came from beyond them.
“This is it,” Malik said. “The garage.”
Williams nodded. “When we get in, first thing we do is take down any hostiles in the room,” he said. “After that, find a transport vehicle large enough for the six of us. A truck or jeep. Pahn and I will provide cover in case someone rushes in while Rhett and Sonny hotwire the vehicle. Malik, you get Carlito in the transport and then try to figure out where we are and how to get to a safe place to radio for an extraction. I think the com those scientists had is still functional enough to get a message out.” The squad nodded as they were given their assignments. At the count of three, Sonny kicked in the door and the group rushed in…
…Straight into the sights of an armed response team. CUFF had long ago figured out the garage was their destination and had an elite squad waiting to ambush them. Bullets flew instantly. Williams was struck in the arm and the side. The Sonny grabbed him and pulled him down behind the jeep the team had managed to take cover behind at the last instant.
“I’m hit!” Williams said.
“Shit, it looks bad!” Rhett moaned.
“I’ll handle this,” Malik said. He dropped Carlito to the floor and began to apply first aid to Williams’ wounds. Sonny’s briefcase had field medical supplies created by BNDG’s tech department. They would be good enough to close the wounds and stem the bleeding, but they weren’t a permanent fix. Williams needed a medic. And soon.
Sonny looked around frantically, trying to find anything useful in the environment to help take down their attackers. Finally, he spied something on the wall he could use. He signaled to Rhett and Pahn to cover him and dove out from behind the jeep.
Bullets riddled the floor, falling just short of their target, as he tumbled and rolled across the open garage space. Pahn and Rhett managed to land a few tranq shots and drop one or two of the guards, which caused them to split their attention between them and Sonny. That was all the distraction he needed. Sonny reached up and slapped a red button on the wall before diving for cover behind another jeep. An ominous clanking sound was heard from above. The defense squad barely had time to look before the crane, rushing down its track embedded in the ceiling, smashed a heavy steel palette directly into the middle of their formation. The men went down with a sickening crunch.
Pahn and Rhett blanched when they heard it, but the moans and groans from the fallen defenders calmed them somewhat. “They’ll be OK,” Sonny said, standing up. “A few broken ribs and some nasty concussions, but they’ll pull through. Now we have to get Williams out of here!”
Malik hoisted Williams into the back of the nearby jeep and sat down beside him, applying pressure to his wounds. Rhett got to work on starting the vehicle while Pahn watched for more intruders. As Sonny scanned the room, he realized they had all forgotten something… Carlito! He looked down at where Malik had deposited the prisoner when Williams was shot and saw nothing. In almost a panic, he surveyed the room and saw Carlito halfway to the door, inching along his belly like a worm. In addition to the harm it would do his pride, the action must have been causing Carlito absolute agony while bound with the Lucchesi Method like he was. Sonny felt sympathetic pains ripple through him. But he fought them back. With wide strides, he ran across the room and stopped Carlito just before he managed to push the door open. He scooped the captive CUFF leader into his arms and said “Nice try, amigo. But you’re not getting away from me that easy.”
Carlito raised his eyebrow at the implications of that statement, but didn’t have the time to consider them before he was carried over to the jeep and dropped into the back near Williams. Right against the rear bumper. The coughing sputter of the igniting engine rang through the garage as Rhett was successful in hotwiring the ignition. Sonny clapped him on the shoulder in congratulations as he and Pahn hopped into the jeep. Rhett threw the gears in reverse and gunned it for the exit, but had to slam on the brakes as the shutter door of the garage slammed down with lightning speed. All looked in shock as they saw Chuy, his meaty hand on the door control.
“Oh shit,” Pahn said as Chuy began to move towards the jeep. He made no sound, but his eyes burned with fury.
“Let me handle this,” Sonny said, standing up. “This is a long time coming.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Malik said. “He’ll kill you.”
Sonny frowned. “I’ll manage,” he said. “We can’t ram through the door, it’s reinforced steel. Rhett! While I keep Chuy busy, you sneak around and open the door. As soon as it’s clear, we all rush back to the jeep and you gun it, Pahn!”
“But what if you’re…?” Pahn said.
“Then leave me,” Sonny said. “Getting Williams to a doctor and getting the info on the arms deal back to BNDG is the most important thing. We don’t have time to argue!” Sonny lept from the jeep into the path of the still-advancing Chuy. Rhett, like a shadow, slipped out the far side and crept along the wall, staying out of sight.
Sonny wound up and socked Chuy right in the jaw with a powerhouse right, but the titanic islander no-selled it and cracked his neck like nothing happened. Then he returned the blow. Sonny was lifted off the ground and sailed back a few feet. The punch would have K.O.’ed anyone with lesser stamina, but Sonny was not an average man. He stumbled to his feet, but was groggy and sluggish. That hit nearly cleaned his clock! He watched Rhett out of the corner of his eye, making his way around the perimeter of the room. Sonny sidestepped a few times, moving his position to keep Rhett out of Chuy’s sight. Then the two began to fight in earnest, but it was no contest from the start. Every time Sonny landed a blow, Chuy seemed to feel nothing and shake it off. Every time he grappled and secured a hold on the big man, it was broken and he was tossed aside effortlessly. Sonny could dance around and dodge, but that wouldn’t help them win. He had to take a big risk. They’d all be dead if he didn’t.
The burly agent zipped in front of Chuy and launched a powerhouse kick at the bigger man’s midsection, but Chuy simply swatted it away before it connected. Taking advantage of Sonny’s unbalance from the deflected blow, Chuy grabbed him in a crippling bearhug, lifting him off the ground and squeezing the very life out of him. Sonny had never felt anything like it. It was like a boulder pressing down on his chest. He couldn’t breathe. He looked down at Chuy’s contorted face and saw no mercy. No hesitation. Chuy wasn’t trying to incapacitate him. He was trying to break his back and end him permanently! Sonny winced and howled as the mammoth pressure tightened even further. The pain in his ribs and back was almost unbearable. And he was starting to black out. Lack of oxygen had started to darken his vision and dull his awareness. He had mere seconds before it was lights out for good. With him out of the way, Chuy would then make short work of the others. And Sonny couldn’t let that happen. He had only one play left.
Summoning every last ounce of strength he had, Sonny reached into his pocket and grabbed one of the white balls from the lab. He held it in his fingers at his side. Chuy gave another squeeze and Sonny convulsed. The ball fell from his fingers and hit the ground right between Chuy’s size 16 feet. The membrane smashed instantly and the ball’s contents made contact with the air. The white chemical inside began to rapidly swell, encasing Chuy’s feet in an expanding prison of foam, which began to harden almost immediately.
Chuy let out a grunt of surprise and his hold on Sonny relaxed. He looked down to see what the gooey sensation on his legs was and Sonny took the opportunity to land a solid knee to Chuy’s balls. The giant man howled and dropped Sonny. He reached to grab Sonny again, but the BNDG agent still had enough energy in him to leap back, out of harm’s way. Chuy’s face was red with fury as he tried to lift his feet from the floor. The foam held firm, but it wouldn’t be able to hold out forever. Sonny reached into his pocket and grabbed the other four balls.
Before Chuy could gather enough power to try yanking his foot free again, Sonny let loose and hurled the balls at him in quick succession. One hit Chuy’s knees. Another hit his waist. The third hit his ribs and the fourth landed square in the chest. Contact with Chuy’s rock-hard body was more than enough to break the shells. A look of shock erupted on Chuy’s face as the white foam began to expand out from several places on his body. It swelled and grew, spreading out over every available piece of surface area. Bonding to the other masses as it made contact and adhering together into a continuous cocoon. Chuy still had enough strength to squirm as the oozing goo enveloped him from shoulders to feet, leaving nothing exposed, but that was it. As the substance fully hardened in the open air of the garage, Chuy knew it was over. He was gummed up in a position where he couldn’t gather his strength. His limbs were encased in the goo at odd angles, and his posture was slightly bent from when he wound up to dislodge his feet. He was off-balance and if not adhered to the floor by the congealing foam, he would have toppled over.
Sonny watched the last of the foam harden into a solid shell and panted, leaning over and supporting himself on a workbench. He tried to admire his handiwork, but the pain radiating all over his body prevented him from celebrating just yet. Williams wasn’t the only one who would need to see a doctor, he thought. Just then he heard the rattling of the garage door opening as Rhett pulled his hand away from the button. With freedom so close, Sonny felt a renewed vigor and bounded for the jeep. He and Rhett made it in at the same moment. Sonny sat down on the bench above Carlito, who was still bound and gagged on the floor of the jeep’s back section. Carlito was writing and grunting in fury and desperation, unheeding of the agony the Lucchesi Method must have been causing him. With his champion incapacitated, there was no one left to prevent BNDG from taking him. The reinforcements wouldn’t arrive in time.
Time seemed to stand still as Sonny looked down at his captive foe, bound and helpless at his feet. He felt a tinge of indecision and regret. Almost pity. This was a dangerous man. One that deserved to be in an international supermax prison. After all that Carlito had done, it would be a service to the world to bring him in and lock him up forever. But somewhere deep inside of him, Sonny felt a surge of emotions and memories welling up.
He remembered their first fight back in the hotel room when he acquired the ledger as a rookie agent. The attraction. The raw sexual tension. The spark that flew between them. Even then, he knew they had something, even if he didn’t yet understand how deep it was. He thought of their other meetings over the last few years. Some where he came out on top, others Carlito. Each had experienced the rope skills of the other many times over. It was a game to both of them. Almost a drug. And Sonny was as addicted to it as Carlito was. They were a pair. A unit. A Yin and Yang locked in an eternal battle that neither could win. But the battle itself was everything. The connection. It gave him purpose. It was the whole reason for his existence. If Carlito could just be turned…
“No,” Sonny thought. “That’s impossible. He might betray CUFF, but he would never join us. His loyalty is fickle and he could never be on the side of the angels. It just wasn’t in his nature. It would be like trying to make a hippopotamus fly. It simply wasn’t possible. He needed to be put in prison. But could Sonny really do it? Could he really put Carlito away for good? If he did, then what would he do with himself afterwards? He would continue to serve BDNG, that was clear, but would he even care anymore? With his nemesis gone, would he just be an empty shell going through the motions until he expired? Some philosophers say that something is defined by its opposite and can’t truly exist without it. Was that true? Sonny didn’t know. Such things were beyond him. He looked down at Carlito, who seemed to sense the interplay of thoughts and turmoil in his mind. The captive CUFF agent had ceased his flailing and squirming and looked up at him with almost pleading eyes.
Those eyes. Those eyes that burned deep inside Sonny’s very soul to the core of his being.
The jeep surged forward and raced across the garage. When it passed over the threshold, it bounced slightly, jostling over the track that the garage door rested in when closed. As the jeep landed, Carlito tumbled out of the back of the jeep and fell to the ground, just inside the rapidly closing garage door. Pahn slammed on the brakes.
“Drive!” Sonny shouted.
“We can’t leave Carlito!” Pahn said.
“Forget Carlito!” Sonny bellowed. “There isn’t time!” And he was right. The door between the garage and the main compound burst open and several assault teams flooded in. Bullets began flying in their direction as the assault teams advanced, some stopping to try and free Chuy and others taking cover to fire barrages at the escapees.
“Shit!” Pahn said. He slammed the steering wheel in frustration and floored the gas. Sonny gave one last look at Carlito, lying bound and gagged on the garage floor, before the door slammed shut and the jeep disappeared over the crest of a hill.
EPILOGUE
Three weeks later, Williams was cleared to leave the hospital. The bullets had damaged a few organs, but he got treatment in time. Sonny was there to pick him up after discharge.
“How you feeling, old man?” he joked as he embraced his mentor. He gave a teasing look at the cane that Williams would need to use from now on.
“Like shit, to be honest,” Williams joked. He gingerly sat down in the passenger seat of Sonny’s car. “The doctors say that I’ll recover. Mostly. But I know my limits. It’s time to retire. Long past, actually.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Sonny said, genuinely meaning it.
“It’s OK,” Williams chuckled as the car started moving. “It gives me more time to spend with the grandkids. I’ll do fine. My pension is enough to see me through and then some. But it’s you guys I’m worried about.”
“Worried?” Sonny said. “Why?”
Williams chuckled. “Well, with me retiring, that means Major Flannery is now in charge of training and development. People called me a hardass but I’m Julie Fucking Andrews compared to that guy. You’ve got your work cut out for you.”
Sonny laughed. “I can’t wait.”
“Well, you’ll have to,” Williams said. “At least for a bit. He’s away for some kind of school thing for his son. I forget which one. Bastard’s got like 12 of ‘em. So my retirement isn’t immediate. You still got me for another week or two.”
Sonny smiled and said “Glad to hear it, gramps. We’ll have a big party for you. That is, if you can manage to stay up past 8:00.”
“Watch your mouth, smartass,” Williams laughed. “Even wounded I can still kick your punk ass. But enough dickwaving for now. Adamson came to visit me yesterday to discuss your next assignment.” Sonny’s brow raised at that. Williams opened a folder and showed the three glossy mugshots inside. “It seems there’s a criminal gang out there that’s been giving the FBI fits over the past few years. They’re looking to take them off the streets for good. But Adamson has other plans for them. He thinks their skills might be useful. One of ‘em, that Thor-looking muthafucka whose name I can’t quite remember, might even be a match for Chuy. What’s your opinion on that?”
Sonny looked at the three familiar faces in the photos and said “I think it sounds just fine.”
---
Half a world away, in the office of a mountaintop chalet, Carlito stood at attention in front of an ornate mahogany desk that looked like it cost more than most people’s houses. He was actually sweating. And he wasn’t one to sweat. Ever. But the man seated across from him in the high-backed leather chair could make even him nervous. The man was thick and strong, around 50 or so, with a jaw that could cut glass and a neatly trimmed beard. Eyes that could make the most steel-willed of men avert his gaze. He held a wine glass in his hand, and all 10 of his fingers were adorned with a priceless ring. The fabric of his obscenely expensive suit swished as he took a slow, calculating drink.
The man ignored Carlito’s presence for a while, letting the mood bubble and simmer. His presence alone was enough to cow even the insouciant Argentine. When he felt the tension had reached an appropriate level, he finally spoke. His voice was a deep baritone, almost a basso, and he spoke with an accent that was impossible to place. Carlito didn’t know if that was by design or his natural voice, but when that voice showed displeasure, it could shake mountains.
“Your failure in the Borogravian arms deal mission as been noted,” the boss said. “BNDG managed to get there first and secure the shipment. I am very displeased with you.” No mention was made of the ransom Carlito had collected for the prince, but since CUFF had gotten their cut of the profits, Carlito didn’t expect any. That part went his way, at least.
Carlito didn’t dare look down, even though the hair on his neck was standing up. “I am sorry, sir,” he squeaked. “I underestimated…”
“I am not interested in excuses,” the boss said, putting down his empty glass. “Whatever the reason, it is done. We need to move past our failures. Dwelling on them gets us nowhere. As long as we don’t repeat them. Am I understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now,” the boss said. “On to new business. Our intelligence agents have reported that Agent Williams is retiring. The transition to his successor will be smooth, but there will still be some inevitable disorganization that I want us to exploit. And in that period, there are two of their agents that I want acquired. We need to have high-ranking men on the inside at BNDG on our payroll to report on their movements and act as sleepers should we need sabotage. I want them both brought here for thorough reprogramming.”
Carlito nodded as the boss slid a folder across the table to him. He carefully picked it up.
“Even with your previous failure, I still think you are the best man for the job,” the boss said. “But do not disappoint me. I will not be so forgiving if you fail me again.”
“Understood, sir,” Carlito bowed low. Sensing he was dismissed, he turned and quickly left the room, waiting until he had passed the boss’ bodyguards and made it far down the hall before opening the folder and looking at the photos inside. Staring back at him were the faces of Adamson… and Sonny.
“Well well well,” he thought. “Now this is an assignment I can undertake with enthusiasm. Enjoy your break, mi amor. We will soon meet again.”
THE END… FOR NOW
CONCLUSION – An Act of Mercy
The elevator moved painfully slowly up from the sub-basement. Malik stood in the center of the group, Carlito draped over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. Although his skills were impressive compared to regular men, he was the worst fighter of the team. And since only he, Sonny, and Williams were large and strong enough to carry Carlito without getting weighed down, responsibility for carting their hostage around fell on his shoulders. He didn’t mind overmuch. He always thought he was better suited in the back office than in the field. Maybe after all this was over he could get that spot in data analysis that he had been gunning for. Maybe work in administration under Adamson. But he was getting ahead of himself. They still had to get out, and that required navigating the well-traveled first floor of the CUFF compound.
As for Carlito, he had assumed an almost Zen-Like trance. He slowed his breathing, taking deep breaths at long regular intervals. Williams knew why. The Lucchesi Method, a secret restraint technique gleaned from a notorious mobster and known only to BNDG, was agonizing if the victim moved even a hair. The complicated and intricate rope network would respond to movement by tightening in various places all at once. Too much struggling and the victim could suffocate. It was only used on the most dangerous and wily of captives, and Carlito knew it. So he played the obedient and compliant prisoner and kept still. But all present knew he was simply biding his time and lying in wait for any opportunity to escape.
To make sure his focus was interrupted, the agents would occasionally wiggle one of Carlito’s arms or legs, causing the ropes to react. He would grunt in discomfort, but simple petty torture wasn’t their aim. The goal was to break his concentration and focus periodically. Carlito was also a master tactician, and letting his mind go into computation mode unchecked could lead to him formulating some sort of plan to hamper their progress. So the answer was to distract his mind. And what better way to do that than cause his restrictive roping to pull and squeeze his anatomy at the worst time? Rhett had also taken precautions and cut off the bottoms of Carlito’s pajama pants to use as a gag. The CUFF agent had whined about how expensive they were and how they were ruining designer clothes, but Rhett didn’t care about fashion. No one knew the extent of the influence Carlito had over Sonny, and the last thing anyone wanted was some sort of triggered code word or subharmonic frequency messing with their companion’s mind.
The group feverishly tried to work on some sort of plan. They had considered posing as prisoners again, escorted by Sonny around the compound. No one would question the boss’ paramour walking around with high-profile captives. But with Carlito in tow, that would be impossible. And they couldn’t just leave him, bound and squirming, in the detention wing. He was too valuable a prisoner to BNDG and needed to be extracted. That would deal a major blow to CUFF. No subterfuge options seemed viable, though, so the group decided to just go up and make a break for it. They had each seen enough of the compound previously to get an idea of the layout and where they needed to go if they combined notes, but they were still flying largely blind. They needed to find the garage. And quick.
As the elevator door opened, the group, now armed with the prison guards’ weapons, readied for an ambush, but, thankfully, the hallway was deserted. Using spec ops stealth tactics, the group moved down the hallway en masse, keeping tight together and watching all sides at once. Those stealth tactics were mostly for reducing the sound of their approach instead of making them less visible. Anyone who saw them would know something was up, especially with them toting around the trussed and gagged CUFF leader. All five agents were barechested and barefoot. Sonny had been taken captive in that state, but the others had plastic prison slides on their feet, and those would have made too much noise, clacking against the polished floor. Abandoning their shoes would make them vulnerable to caltrops or debris, but the reduced noise from their passage made it worth the risk. Williams gave Carlito’s bound shoulder a twist, eliciting a tortured grunt from their captive, before moving on.
“We’ll have to go easy on that now,” Williams thought. “Even though he’s gagged, someone could hear him howling and come to investigate. Better keep that to a minimum.”
The group moved down the hall, past several closed doors. About halfway down, however, Pahn held his hand up in the signal for “halt.” He had been looking in the windows as they passed each room, and something in this one piqued his interest. He motioned for the others to peek in, as well. Inside the room were two men in lab coats sitting at some sort of work table. Their heads were down and they were hard at work fiddling with various gadgets and doodads with their backs to the door. Sonny’s eyes widened as he recognized what they were working on. Spread out on the table were the contents of his mission bag. It had been taken from him when he was captured in the hotel what seemed like an eternity ago. He thought it had been left behind when he was abducted, but now he saw the two CUFF scientists examining his gear, trying to reverse engineer the tech.
Everyone looked at Williams. As the most veteran agent, he had assumed field leadership and this was his call. Going in would box them into a confined space and delay their escape, but getting their hands on that gear would be a tremendous advantage if they were spotted. Not to mention how important it was to keep that tech out of CUFF’s hands. Meeting his team’s gaze, Williams gave a slow nod.
Malik stepped back slightly. He wouldn’t be much help in a fight carrying Carlito, so he made sure to get out of the way. Using his master infiltrator skills, Rhett silently opened the door to the lab. The scientists were concentrating on their work, but they would surely be alerted by noise and summon assistance. He gingerly pushed the door open, hoping that the hinges were oiled enough to not creak. Thankfully they were. The four agents slipped in and fanned out behind the scientists. Malik stayed in the hall in case Carlito decided to make noise. When everyone was in position, Williams deferred to Sonny and nodded.
The takedown was swift and precise. Rhett and Pahn both slinked up behind the two scientists and pressed their stolen guns into their backs. The researchers, unaccustomed to violence, were dumbfounded and surrendered without any struggle. Williams strode into view on the other side of the table. “Good evening, gentlemen,” he said softly. “Or is it afternoon? Hard to tell when you’re locked in an underground execution chamber.”
“Look,” one of the scientists said, “we had nothing to do with that. We’re just lab workers.”
Sonny peered over their shoulders at the half-dismantled mechanism on the table. “And what are you working on?” he asked.
The two looked at each other, then decided lying would be a very bad idea and said “We’ve been trying to hack the com system. To be able to listen in on BNDG communications and possibly get a trace on some of their bases.”
“And how much progress have you made?” Williams asked.
“Very little,” one scientist said. “The tech is on a par with our own and there’s a lot of rerouting and redundant systems. We’re close to a fix, though…”
Hearing this, Sonny unplugged the laptop next to them on the table. The stream of data being complied blanked and cleared. “Well, no more of that,” he said, grabbing the dismantled parts and stuffing them in a familiar briefcase nearby. He unhooked the laptop and took it, as well. “Just to be safe. Well, lookee here!” He peered into the briefcase and saw his mission gear still intact. Inside were a spare handgun, a case of tranq darts, some general antidote pills, and a case with five white balls, about the size of ping-pong balls. He held one up.
“Those were next on the agenda,” one scientist said. “We’ve been interested in finding the chemical mixture used to create those. It seems to be organic in nature, but once the shell is broken it’s highly volatile and reacts to oxygen almost immediately. We had a few mishaps with the initial experimentation. The boss wants…” Carlito grunted through his gag from his position over Malik’s shoulder just inside the doorway. “Oh! Boss! I didn’t see you there!” Seeing their leader now captured and trussed served to darken the scientists’ mood even farther. Sonny knew they were clearly trying to stall them with tech babble long enough for a team to notice they had escaped and come to round them up.
“Fascinating,” he said. “Now if you two would kindly stop reaching for the guns taped to the underside of the table and stand up over here.” Both scientists immediately froze, each with one hand near the edge of the research table. They looked at each other, abashed, and slid back. Rhett slipped past them and retrieved two tranquilizer pistols, taped exactly where Sonny said they were. “Nice try, gentlemen. But not today.”
Williams and Pahn immediately collected the scientists while Rhett inspected the guns and Malik kept a watchful eye on the door. The two scientists were made to sit on the floor, back-to-back. Each man’s arms were pulled back behind him and around in front of the man sitting flush against him. Like a reverse back-to-back hug. Williams secured their wrists with cable cuffs taken from the K.O.’ed cell guards down below. The two were squeezed together tightly and their arms were stretched to near-uselessness. Sonny slipped the five mysterious white balls into his pants pocket and took the briefcase, along with any other gizmos that seemed interesting. CUFF wasn’t the only team with scientists looking to reverse-engineer enemy tech.
While Sonny worked, Williams took some stretchy black electrical tape from a supply cabinet and proceeded to envelop the captive scientists’ torsos in it. Around and around, over both chests with each long loop. Starting at their collarbones, he crept the tape slowly and methodically down their chests. Past their solar plexi and ribs and trapping their arms beneath it. When the tape roll was finally spent, the two scientists were cocooned in shiny black tape down to their waists. Grabbing another roll, Williams secured their ankles and knees. When he was finished, the two scientists resembled an inverted T, their backs flush together and their bound legs sticking straight out in front of them. Before he began to wrap the last of the tape around the captured scientists’ mouths, he said “You two seem like decent guys. Maybe you should consider a different line of work? Maybe Buenos Aires University or something academic? A word of advice: stay out of spy stuff. You’re lucky it was us who found you. Most other agents wouldn’t be kind enough to just leave you tied up on the floor.” The two scientists nodded gravely, thinking of any contacts they might have in the private sector.
Just then a klaxon sounded. All five agents snapped their faces towards the door. “Shit,” Sonny said. “Someone must have gone down to the basement and saw we’re gone. The whole place will be on alert. Carlito grinned beneath his silken gag. The shift change would have definitely happened by now and the replacement guards surely found their comrades locked in the cells instead of the prisoners.
“You haven’t won yet, Americanos,” he thought. “Chuy is out there and if he realizes you’ve taken me hostage, Hell itself won’t be able to hold him back.” Realizing their time was short, the agents dashed out of the room.
---
Stealth wasn’t required anymore. By now, men would be manning the cameras and tracking their moves, so the BNDG team moved with haste. The group raced down the labyrinthine hallways, following Malik’s navigation, in the general direction that the garage would likely be. Carlito, who up until now had been slightly worried (although he would never let it show) relaxed greatly. These five were good, but not good enough to stop Chuy. He would be free in no time.
The team did encounter guard squads from time to time as they moved, but Williams and Sonny laid down cover fire while Pahn picked them off one by one with tranq darts using his trained sniper’s eye. After the third such squad was downed, Rhett remarked “We must be getting close. The security teams are popping up more frequently now.”
“Let’s hope,” Pahn said as he popped the last standing guard with a dart in the leg. The man tottered and slumped down on top of his sleeping comrades. Pahn quickly restocked his ammo and the group hurried on, reloading as they went. Finally, after dropping a double-size team, they came to a thick set of twin doors. The smell of exhaust and a chill wind came from beyond them.
“This is it,” Malik said. “The garage.”
Williams nodded. “When we get in, first thing we do is take down any hostiles in the room,” he said. “After that, find a transport vehicle large enough for the six of us. A truck or jeep. Pahn and I will provide cover in case someone rushes in while Rhett and Sonny hotwire the vehicle. Malik, you get Carlito in the transport and then try to figure out where we are and how to get to a safe place to radio for an extraction. I think the com those scientists had is still functional enough to get a message out.” The squad nodded as they were given their assignments. At the count of three, Sonny kicked in the door and the group rushed in…
…Straight into the sights of an armed response team. CUFF had long ago figured out the garage was their destination and had an elite squad waiting to ambush them. Bullets flew instantly. Williams was struck in the arm and the side. The Sonny grabbed him and pulled him down behind the jeep the team had managed to take cover behind at the last instant.
“I’m hit!” Williams said.
“Shit, it looks bad!” Rhett moaned.
“I’ll handle this,” Malik said. He dropped Carlito to the floor and began to apply first aid to Williams’ wounds. Sonny’s briefcase had field medical supplies created by BNDG’s tech department. They would be good enough to close the wounds and stem the bleeding, but they weren’t a permanent fix. Williams needed a medic. And soon.
Sonny looked around frantically, trying to find anything useful in the environment to help take down their attackers. Finally, he spied something on the wall he could use. He signaled to Rhett and Pahn to cover him and dove out from behind the jeep.
Bullets riddled the floor, falling just short of their target, as he tumbled and rolled across the open garage space. Pahn and Rhett managed to land a few tranq shots and drop one or two of the guards, which caused them to split their attention between them and Sonny. That was all the distraction he needed. Sonny reached up and slapped a red button on the wall before diving for cover behind another jeep. An ominous clanking sound was heard from above. The defense squad barely had time to look before the crane, rushing down its track embedded in the ceiling, smashed a heavy steel palette directly into the middle of their formation. The men went down with a sickening crunch.
Pahn and Rhett blanched when they heard it, but the moans and groans from the fallen defenders calmed them somewhat. “They’ll be OK,” Sonny said, standing up. “A few broken ribs and some nasty concussions, but they’ll pull through. Now we have to get Williams out of here!”
Malik hoisted Williams into the back of the nearby jeep and sat down beside him, applying pressure to his wounds. Rhett got to work on starting the vehicle while Pahn watched for more intruders. As Sonny scanned the room, he realized they had all forgotten something… Carlito! He looked down at where Malik had deposited the prisoner when Williams was shot and saw nothing. In almost a panic, he surveyed the room and saw Carlito halfway to the door, inching along his belly like a worm. In addition to the harm it would do his pride, the action must have been causing Carlito absolute agony while bound with the Lucchesi Method like he was. Sonny felt sympathetic pains ripple through him. But he fought them back. With wide strides, he ran across the room and stopped Carlito just before he managed to push the door open. He scooped the captive CUFF leader into his arms and said “Nice try, amigo. But you’re not getting away from me that easy.”
Carlito raised his eyebrow at the implications of that statement, but didn’t have the time to consider them before he was carried over to the jeep and dropped into the back near Williams. Right against the rear bumper. The coughing sputter of the igniting engine rang through the garage as Rhett was successful in hotwiring the ignition. Sonny clapped him on the shoulder in congratulations as he and Pahn hopped into the jeep. Rhett threw the gears in reverse and gunned it for the exit, but had to slam on the brakes as the shutter door of the garage slammed down with lightning speed. All looked in shock as they saw Chuy, his meaty hand on the door control.
“Oh shit,” Pahn said as Chuy began to move towards the jeep. He made no sound, but his eyes burned with fury.
“Let me handle this,” Sonny said, standing up. “This is a long time coming.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Malik said. “He’ll kill you.”
Sonny frowned. “I’ll manage,” he said. “We can’t ram through the door, it’s reinforced steel. Rhett! While I keep Chuy busy, you sneak around and open the door. As soon as it’s clear, we all rush back to the jeep and you gun it, Pahn!”
“But what if you’re…?” Pahn said.
“Then leave me,” Sonny said. “Getting Williams to a doctor and getting the info on the arms deal back to BNDG is the most important thing. We don’t have time to argue!” Sonny lept from the jeep into the path of the still-advancing Chuy. Rhett, like a shadow, slipped out the far side and crept along the wall, staying out of sight.
Sonny wound up and socked Chuy right in the jaw with a powerhouse right, but the titanic islander no-selled it and cracked his neck like nothing happened. Then he returned the blow. Sonny was lifted off the ground and sailed back a few feet. The punch would have K.O.’ed anyone with lesser stamina, but Sonny was not an average man. He stumbled to his feet, but was groggy and sluggish. That hit nearly cleaned his clock! He watched Rhett out of the corner of his eye, making his way around the perimeter of the room. Sonny sidestepped a few times, moving his position to keep Rhett out of Chuy’s sight. Then the two began to fight in earnest, but it was no contest from the start. Every time Sonny landed a blow, Chuy seemed to feel nothing and shake it off. Every time he grappled and secured a hold on the big man, it was broken and he was tossed aside effortlessly. Sonny could dance around and dodge, but that wouldn’t help them win. He had to take a big risk. They’d all be dead if he didn’t.
The burly agent zipped in front of Chuy and launched a powerhouse kick at the bigger man’s midsection, but Chuy simply swatted it away before it connected. Taking advantage of Sonny’s unbalance from the deflected blow, Chuy grabbed him in a crippling bearhug, lifting him off the ground and squeezing the very life out of him. Sonny had never felt anything like it. It was like a boulder pressing down on his chest. He couldn’t breathe. He looked down at Chuy’s contorted face and saw no mercy. No hesitation. Chuy wasn’t trying to incapacitate him. He was trying to break his back and end him permanently! Sonny winced and howled as the mammoth pressure tightened even further. The pain in his ribs and back was almost unbearable. And he was starting to black out. Lack of oxygen had started to darken his vision and dull his awareness. He had mere seconds before it was lights out for good. With him out of the way, Chuy would then make short work of the others. And Sonny couldn’t let that happen. He had only one play left.
Summoning every last ounce of strength he had, Sonny reached into his pocket and grabbed one of the white balls from the lab. He held it in his fingers at his side. Chuy gave another squeeze and Sonny convulsed. The ball fell from his fingers and hit the ground right between Chuy’s size 16 feet. The membrane smashed instantly and the ball’s contents made contact with the air. The white chemical inside began to rapidly swell, encasing Chuy’s feet in an expanding prison of foam, which began to harden almost immediately.
Chuy let out a grunt of surprise and his hold on Sonny relaxed. He looked down to see what the gooey sensation on his legs was and Sonny took the opportunity to land a solid knee to Chuy’s balls. The giant man howled and dropped Sonny. He reached to grab Sonny again, but the BNDG agent still had enough energy in him to leap back, out of harm’s way. Chuy’s face was red with fury as he tried to lift his feet from the floor. The foam held firm, but it wouldn’t be able to hold out forever. Sonny reached into his pocket and grabbed the other four balls.
Before Chuy could gather enough power to try yanking his foot free again, Sonny let loose and hurled the balls at him in quick succession. One hit Chuy’s knees. Another hit his waist. The third hit his ribs and the fourth landed square in the chest. Contact with Chuy’s rock-hard body was more than enough to break the shells. A look of shock erupted on Chuy’s face as the white foam began to expand out from several places on his body. It swelled and grew, spreading out over every available piece of surface area. Bonding to the other masses as it made contact and adhering together into a continuous cocoon. Chuy still had enough strength to squirm as the oozing goo enveloped him from shoulders to feet, leaving nothing exposed, but that was it. As the substance fully hardened in the open air of the garage, Chuy knew it was over. He was gummed up in a position where he couldn’t gather his strength. His limbs were encased in the goo at odd angles, and his posture was slightly bent from when he wound up to dislodge his feet. He was off-balance and if not adhered to the floor by the congealing foam, he would have toppled over.
Sonny watched the last of the foam harden into a solid shell and panted, leaning over and supporting himself on a workbench. He tried to admire his handiwork, but the pain radiating all over his body prevented him from celebrating just yet. Williams wasn’t the only one who would need to see a doctor, he thought. Just then he heard the rattling of the garage door opening as Rhett pulled his hand away from the button. With freedom so close, Sonny felt a renewed vigor and bounded for the jeep. He and Rhett made it in at the same moment. Sonny sat down on the bench above Carlito, who was still bound and gagged on the floor of the jeep’s back section. Carlito was writing and grunting in fury and desperation, unheeding of the agony the Lucchesi Method must have been causing him. With his champion incapacitated, there was no one left to prevent BNDG from taking him. The reinforcements wouldn’t arrive in time.
Time seemed to stand still as Sonny looked down at his captive foe, bound and helpless at his feet. He felt a tinge of indecision and regret. Almost pity. This was a dangerous man. One that deserved to be in an international supermax prison. After all that Carlito had done, it would be a service to the world to bring him in and lock him up forever. But somewhere deep inside of him, Sonny felt a surge of emotions and memories welling up.
He remembered their first fight back in the hotel room when he acquired the ledger as a rookie agent. The attraction. The raw sexual tension. The spark that flew between them. Even then, he knew they had something, even if he didn’t yet understand how deep it was. He thought of their other meetings over the last few years. Some where he came out on top, others Carlito. Each had experienced the rope skills of the other many times over. It was a game to both of them. Almost a drug. And Sonny was as addicted to it as Carlito was. They were a pair. A unit. A Yin and Yang locked in an eternal battle that neither could win. But the battle itself was everything. The connection. It gave him purpose. It was the whole reason for his existence. If Carlito could just be turned…
“No,” Sonny thought. “That’s impossible. He might betray CUFF, but he would never join us. His loyalty is fickle and he could never be on the side of the angels. It just wasn’t in his nature. It would be like trying to make a hippopotamus fly. It simply wasn’t possible. He needed to be put in prison. But could Sonny really do it? Could he really put Carlito away for good? If he did, then what would he do with himself afterwards? He would continue to serve BDNG, that was clear, but would he even care anymore? With his nemesis gone, would he just be an empty shell going through the motions until he expired? Some philosophers say that something is defined by its opposite and can’t truly exist without it. Was that true? Sonny didn’t know. Such things were beyond him. He looked down at Carlito, who seemed to sense the interplay of thoughts and turmoil in his mind. The captive CUFF agent had ceased his flailing and squirming and looked up at him with almost pleading eyes.
Those eyes. Those eyes that burned deep inside Sonny’s very soul to the core of his being.
The jeep surged forward and raced across the garage. When it passed over the threshold, it bounced slightly, jostling over the track that the garage door rested in when closed. As the jeep landed, Carlito tumbled out of the back of the jeep and fell to the ground, just inside the rapidly closing garage door. Pahn slammed on the brakes.
“Drive!” Sonny shouted.
“We can’t leave Carlito!” Pahn said.
“Forget Carlito!” Sonny bellowed. “There isn’t time!” And he was right. The door between the garage and the main compound burst open and several assault teams flooded in. Bullets began flying in their direction as the assault teams advanced, some stopping to try and free Chuy and others taking cover to fire barrages at the escapees.
“Shit!” Pahn said. He slammed the steering wheel in frustration and floored the gas. Sonny gave one last look at Carlito, lying bound and gagged on the garage floor, before the door slammed shut and the jeep disappeared over the crest of a hill.
EPILOGUE
Three weeks later, Williams was cleared to leave the hospital. The bullets had damaged a few organs, but he got treatment in time. Sonny was there to pick him up after discharge.
“How you feeling, old man?” he joked as he embraced his mentor. He gave a teasing look at the cane that Williams would need to use from now on.
“Like shit, to be honest,” Williams joked. He gingerly sat down in the passenger seat of Sonny’s car. “The doctors say that I’ll recover. Mostly. But I know my limits. It’s time to retire. Long past, actually.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Sonny said, genuinely meaning it.
“It’s OK,” Williams chuckled as the car started moving. “It gives me more time to spend with the grandkids. I’ll do fine. My pension is enough to see me through and then some. But it’s you guys I’m worried about.”
“Worried?” Sonny said. “Why?”
Williams chuckled. “Well, with me retiring, that means Major Flannery is now in charge of training and development. People called me a hardass but I’m Julie Fucking Andrews compared to that guy. You’ve got your work cut out for you.”
Sonny laughed. “I can’t wait.”
“Well, you’ll have to,” Williams said. “At least for a bit. He’s away for some kind of school thing for his son. I forget which one. Bastard’s got like 12 of ‘em. So my retirement isn’t immediate. You still got me for another week or two.”
Sonny smiled and said “Glad to hear it, gramps. We’ll have a big party for you. That is, if you can manage to stay up past 8:00.”
“Watch your mouth, smartass,” Williams laughed. “Even wounded I can still kick your punk ass. But enough dickwaving for now. Adamson came to visit me yesterday to discuss your next assignment.” Sonny’s brow raised at that. Williams opened a folder and showed the three glossy mugshots inside. “It seems there’s a criminal gang out there that’s been giving the FBI fits over the past few years. They’re looking to take them off the streets for good. But Adamson has other plans for them. He thinks their skills might be useful. One of ‘em, that Thor-looking muthafucka whose name I can’t quite remember, might even be a match for Chuy. What’s your opinion on that?”
Sonny looked at the three familiar faces in the photos and said “I think it sounds just fine.”
---
Half a world away, in the office of a mountaintop chalet, Carlito stood at attention in front of an ornate mahogany desk that looked like it cost more than most people’s houses. He was actually sweating. And he wasn’t one to sweat. Ever. But the man seated across from him in the high-backed leather chair could make even him nervous. The man was thick and strong, around 50 or so, with a jaw that could cut glass and a neatly trimmed beard. Eyes that could make the most steel-willed of men avert his gaze. He held a wine glass in his hand, and all 10 of his fingers were adorned with a priceless ring. The fabric of his obscenely expensive suit swished as he took a slow, calculating drink.
The man ignored Carlito’s presence for a while, letting the mood bubble and simmer. His presence alone was enough to cow even the insouciant Argentine. When he felt the tension had reached an appropriate level, he finally spoke. His voice was a deep baritone, almost a basso, and he spoke with an accent that was impossible to place. Carlito didn’t know if that was by design or his natural voice, but when that voice showed displeasure, it could shake mountains.
“Your failure in the Borogravian arms deal mission as been noted,” the boss said. “BNDG managed to get there first and secure the shipment. I am very displeased with you.” No mention was made of the ransom Carlito had collected for the prince, but since CUFF had gotten their cut of the profits, Carlito didn’t expect any. That part went his way, at least.
Carlito didn’t dare look down, even though the hair on his neck was standing up. “I am sorry, sir,” he squeaked. “I underestimated…”
“I am not interested in excuses,” the boss said, putting down his empty glass. “Whatever the reason, it is done. We need to move past our failures. Dwelling on them gets us nowhere. As long as we don’t repeat them. Am I understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now,” the boss said. “On to new business. Our intelligence agents have reported that Agent Williams is retiring. The transition to his successor will be smooth, but there will still be some inevitable disorganization that I want us to exploit. And in that period, there are two of their agents that I want acquired. We need to have high-ranking men on the inside at BNDG on our payroll to report on their movements and act as sleepers should we need sabotage. I want them both brought here for thorough reprogramming.”
Carlito nodded as the boss slid a folder across the table to him. He carefully picked it up.
“Even with your previous failure, I still think you are the best man for the job,” the boss said. “But do not disappoint me. I will not be so forgiving if you fail me again.”
“Understood, sir,” Carlito bowed low. Sensing he was dismissed, he turned and quickly left the room, waiting until he had passed the boss’ bodyguards and made it far down the hall before opening the folder and looking at the photos inside. Staring back at him were the faces of Adamson… and Sonny.
“Well well well,” he thought. “Now this is an assignment I can undertake with enthusiasm. Enjoy your break, mi amor. We will soon meet again.”
THE END… FOR NOW
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Guardianbound
- Centennial Club
- Posts: 699
- Joined: 2 years ago
Thrilling conclusion?
Seems like sonny and carlito have a whole career ahead of them trying to bind one another, and somehow never quite managing to finish each other off (except in certain ways.... )
Can't wait for the next installment in your universe. Is the Thor looking guy somehow related to certain viking lord?? Wild guess
Seems like sonny and carlito have a whole career ahead of them trying to bind one another, and somehow never quite managing to finish each other off (except in certain ways....
)Can't wait for the next installment in your universe. Is the Thor looking guy somehow related to certain viking lord?? Wild guess
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DeeperThanRed
- Centennial Club
- Posts: 960
- Joined: 6 years ago
What a great finale! Despite our heroes' best efforts, Carlito is still free and planning his counter attack but Sonny still got the upper hand.
I'm really looking forward to seeing what else you have in store for this universe but in the meantime, congratulations on finishing this amazing epic, and have fun on your vocation!
I'm really looking forward to seeing what else you have in store for this universe but in the meantime, congratulations on finishing this amazing epic, and have fun on your vocation!
25-year-old bondage enthusiast who likes cute guys, underwear, and bondage, preferably together.
You can reach my list of written work here: https://www.tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?p=38808#p38808
You can reach my list of written work here: https://www.tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?p=38808#p38808
Have a wonderful vacation, o master of words! You deserve it!
As for Sonny, I can't say I'm surprised he let Carlito go. They're too alike, but at least Sonny has the self-awareness to know he's a fickle one too, and without a rival or challenge, could lose his purpose.
Can I keep Williams? I'd love to have him around as a companion. Or maybe some of those CUFF scientists would be willing to join the Company and put their skills to good use.
And I love the interweaving of your stories. It never fails to make me utterly delighted and giddy.
As for Sonny, I can't say I'm surprised he let Carlito go. They're too alike, but at least Sonny has the self-awareness to know he's a fickle one too, and without a rival or challenge, could lose his purpose.
Can I keep Williams? I'd love to have him around as a companion.
Or maybe some of those CUFF scientists would be willing to join the Company and put their skills to good use.And I love the interweaving of your stories. It never fails to make me utterly delighted and giddy.
Man, what a thrilling conclusion that immediately feeds into the setup for another whirlwind spy thriller! Fantastic work! Looking forward to more push/pull from Sonny and Carlito!
Man, this story had so many twists and turns but the ending was perfect! Definitely leaves room for another equally entertaining story (sequel) in the future!!
Ah man...it has reached the conclusion already. This is one of the the best joyride ever. Thanks Wataru for the story. Can't wait for another sequel.
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KidnappedCowboy
- Centennial Club
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A captivating conclusion from Carlito lassoed in the Lucchesi Method through the scientists tied up to a tee (as it seems) to Chuy giving a new meaning to gumshoes!!!
Will Sonny live to regret leaving Carlito?
It may be so, since Carlito has been tasked to take down and turn his inamorato and Adamson!
Can't wait for another BNDG Adventure!!!
Will Sonny live to regret leaving Carlito?
It may be so, since Carlito has been tasked to take down and turn his inamorato and Adamson!
Can't wait for another BNDG Adventure!!!