xXx
Victor rode his skybike aimlessly over the Peruvian landscape. He harbored no illusions why he was there, he'd been sent fishing just like other agents before him, ones that had come a little too close to the edge for comfort. Those who'd started enjoying the harder aspects of their jobs, in spite of the regulations.
It surprised him how little he cared. There was a certain freedom in not feeling anything anymore - he hadn't had a trace of guilt or fear, only rage, since the day Anita was condemned to that damned bed, kept alive by machines.
Victor gunned the skybike into a higher gear, sidestepping one of the mountains of Peru's great ranges. A thin bracelet circled his wrist, a lock of Anita's hair, braided and secured with a purple string - a reminder of the person he'd never leave behind no matter where he was.
He'd been doing clandestine undercover work, hanging out with some of the good Doctor's minor Expendables throughout the country, those she kept on the side, just in case. In a way, he identified with them - they'd been sent fishing as well, except by T.H.E.M. He listened to their stories, shared a few beers before taking them to the back and letting their pals find them later, a broken bone or three supplied free of charge.
He'd ditched his U.Z.Z. uniform weeks before, trading it for something less conspicuous - jeans and black t-shirt, a worn army jacket covering him at night or during cooler weather. He kept the belt, worn backwards as not to attract suspicion and the bracelet, always the bracelet. One of the goons had hooked his ugly finger around it once, asking what it was. Victor had answered with a kick to the gut, sending the idiot flying and stopping all other questions in their tracks.
His new 'friends' admired him more afterward. They had a weird code of honor about things like that - unlike his bosses at U.Z.Z. who spoke about justice out of both sides of their mouths but when it came down to it, little had changed. Anita was still dying, he was sent away and they no longer had to think about such minor inconveniences like two dedicated agents who'd traded their lives for U.Z.Z.'s ideals.
Out of sight, out of mind, right guys? Landing the skybike on the outskirts of a dusty village, Victor pulled out a flask and swished a bit of scotch around his mouth before spitting it out into the bushes. The sour smell of liquor on his breath created a sense of underestimation that Victor found useful, especially if there were any suspicious T.H.E.M. agents in the area.
The local pub was usually where they could be found. At least what might amount to a pub in this faraway place - a few stools and a table where beers and scotch were served, without ice or water. Sometimes there were indigenous alcohols, made of local plants but Victor steered clear of those - he'd heard about their mind-altering after effects. He wanted to stay sharp, if he could take a few enemy agents out of commission, that was all the high he needed.
"Hola, amigo. What's up?" A tall Scandinavian with a deep scar on his forehead greeted Victor from the other side of the table. "Good to see you."
Obviously not a native, Victor thought, nodding in response. "Take a seat," he offered. He ordered two drinks, a beer for himself to sip and a scotch for the other man. "No offense, but I don't know if we've met before."
"Strangers in a strange land together, my friend," the tall blond replied, taking the drink and saluting Victor with it. "I've heard about you. Nico still hasn't recovered from the run-in he had with you last week."
"I don't keep track of their names. I'm sure Nico got no less than he deserved." Victor sipped at the beer.
The blond laughed. "It's funny because it's true. I'm Suter." He held out his hand which Victor shook reluctantly. "You know, people are starting to wonder exactly who you are. You're making quite a reputation for yourself."
Victor's fingers clenched more tightly around the beer bottle. "Really?" he said, his voice masked with disinterest. "That's not my intention. I just don't like being messed with."
"So I understand. Say ... my boss has been looking around for some new blood. They want to spice things up a bit," Suter said, leaning in with a confidential gleam in his eye. "The pay is good. Real good."
With a shrug, Victor took another slug of beer. "I work alone."
"She also says that you don't have to worry about the past ... she's willing to compromise. If you are." Suter paused meaningfully. "Agent Volt."
Damn it. Damn it to hell, Victor thought, reaching for his gun. A strong hand stopped him. Victor glanced around and saw the place was suddenly filled with T.H.E.M. agents, all of them armed and none of them looking amused.
"Don't be foolish, Volt," Suter continued. "This is an honest offer. You're free to accept it or turn it down as you will but you should at least listen."
Victor weighed the odds, then relaxed his guard. If this were a trap it would have sprung already, if it weren't he might be able to gain some useful information or, at the very least, have a good laugh. Maybe.
Suter turned all business. "Dr. Doctor knows why you've been sent here. And she knows that they have no plans to bring you back into full commission nor are they making any real effort to cure your partner. That's the way U.Z.Z. works, they chalk up agents like you to collateral damage and go on their merry way. It's how they run their business."
"And T.H.E.M buys them flowers and candy?" Victor mocked. "Please."
"We don't punish operatives for over enthusiasm," Suter countered. "If you're working for us, you'd be free. An independent entity, bound by a common cause - ambition. And if you tell me you're too holy for self-interest, take a look at where you are right now and why. I'm pretty sure Tiddly Wink Poofnose didn't tell you to go punching your way through the countryside."
Victor almost laughed. "Be that as it may, Tiddly Wink Poofnose is still my boss. Why should I trade him in for a lousier model?"
"Because she can cure your partner," Suter replied, his lips curving into a shark's grin. "She's willing to do what they won't."
The world spun on its axis and Victor had to catch his breath. "Liar," he growled, his hands curling into fists. "They'd never let Anita rot if there was any other way."
"If there was any other 'legal' way, yes, you're right. But what my boss is offering you is something they don't want to deal with even if it's to save one of their own." Suter leaned back in the rickety chair. "Have you ever heard of nanotechnology, Volt?"
"Yes. Something about tiny computers, injected in the body. I don't know," Victor said, his heart sinking. He felt beaten all of a sudden, the will to fight drained completely away. "The world leader outlawed it years ago. Felt it had too much potential for abuse."
"Yet it's still a powerful medicinal weapon against the kind of injuries your partner has suffered. Imagine it, your pretty partner -- don't be offended, Volt, she is lovely -- waking up, alive and well, able to walk and see the world again. She'll have a smile on her face, spend her days laughing in the sunlight. You can do this, just by doing what you're doing right now - working on the far edge of our dark world. Such a small price to pay for the well-being of someone you care for. You do care for her, don't you, Volt?"
"Yes." There was a desperate edge to Victor's voice he couldn't hide. Anita ... whole again. Happy and safe and he could do this for her. There was a tiny voice in his head, screaming at him not to do it, Anita's voice maybe, but he brutally tamped it down. "How do I know you won't hurt her? That this isn't just a plan to get rid of her."
Suter laughed, not unkindly. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but as of this moment, Anita Knight no longer exists. We're offering to bring her back at our own expense, if you'd join us. If we didn't want to deal with her, we'd leave things as they are." He leaned in, that same wily expression on his face. "We're taking a gamble, yes, but we're hoping that she might leave the secret agent business to enjoy a normal life. Not uncommon after a life-threatening injury, you know."
Victor brightened at his words, carried away by the pretty picture Suter painted with his words. "She could be happy," he breathed. "Couldn't she?"
Suter nodded and waved forward the server who was waiting with two glasses and bottle of expensive champagne, so very out of place in the Peruvian highlands. "So what do you say, Volt? You, riding around the world free as a bird, Anita Knight as healthy as ever, both of you far away from those fools at U.Z.Z. who care about nothing but their own agenda ... what more could you ask for?"
The familiar feeling of doubt came roaring back to Victor full force, but it was overshadowed by a breathtaking hope. Anita ... his beautiful Anita ... well again. She wouldn't have to know either, he could stay on the underside of this business and as much as he'd miss her, it was a sacrifice he'd make, if only they could fix her.
He'd give anything - his life, his soul - for her. What was joining T.H.E.M. compared to that?
Suter poured two glasses of champagne, handing one to Victor. "Do we have a deal?"
Victor stared at the glass in his hand. Saw Anita's reflection looking back at him in waves of gold and nodded. "We have a deal."
"Then welcome to T.H.E.M., Victor Volt."
xXx
tbc ....
Dun, dun, dun! This can't be good. *hee* Reviews are much appreciated, thank you for reading!