Note: I know that Pipeline is a part of Badlands territory. I felt like placing it in California's Central Valley because it might fit the plot a little more. Plus, as a California native myself, I couldn't resist.

Finally, this chapter contains some strong adult content (Rated M). So readers are warned.


SHORT STORY

Pauling's Punishment (Part Three)


Fernando and his men did travel further up north in the Central Valley. They had known their way around the lower half of the flat agricultural region because they had worked in the farms at least twice in their lifetime. Several years ago, they left their home country and tried to find work in California. The men got what they wished, except for Fernando. Even if he remembered everything there was to know about the Central Valley, he regretted his decision to stay here just a little longer.

Once they drove past the city of Kingsburg, which was situated between Bakersfield and Fresno, Fernando and his men exited Route 99 and took a thin one-lane road that led them deeper into the valley. They drove past fields filled with fruit trees and short grass. Fernando, who led his four friends to their previous workplace, parked on the side of the road, right next to an immense orchard of fruit trees. His friends park right next to him.

Fernando examined the orchard. He had collected oranges, peaches, and plums in this area a long time ago. Almost everything looked the same. It seemed that nothing had changed for many years. He told two of his friends to grab Miss Pauling, who had now become fully awake. The two men pulled her out of Fernando's automobile and grabbed her by the arms.

She yelled, "I wouldn't do this if I were you! They'll find you, and they will kill you. And I'm not being blasé about it. They'll tear you apart piece by piece! I've seen how both teams fight."

The men turned on their flashlights and pointed them at the orchard. Miss Pauling set her eyes on Fernando, who wore blue jeans, a black t-shirt, a brown vest, and white gloves. With his cold stare, he commanded his friends to bring her into the center of the orchard. They would basically be unseen because of the endless array of small trees, though their parked vehicles would give anyone a little suspicion. But Fernando didn't care about that. He wanted to get this over with, give Rolf Marcussen a little taste of long-awaited vengeance.

As soon as they stopped at the center of the orchard, Fernando tied both of Miss Pauling's hands to the thin trunk of a tall fruit tree, despite her constant struggles. She stood facing the trunk of the tree. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Fernando, his son, and his four companions staring right at her.

She shouted, "You won't get away with this! I know plenty of people who won't hesitate in hunting you down."

Fernando and his men kept calm. They circled around her. Fernando pointed his flashlight straight at Miss Pauling's face. She squint her eyes for a few seconds.

Fernando stated, "We are not afraid, Miss Pauling."

"Well, you should be. You don't know the kind of people that I work with."

"But I know the kind of people your husband worked with."

Miss Pauling grew impatient. "He's my ex-husband now. If you want to take out your frustrations, do it on him, not me."

"That is exactly what I am doing. Tell me something. Did you ever know about Marcussen's occupation?"

"Of course, I knew. Did you really think he would leave me out of his workplace?"

Fernando narrowed his eyes. "Judging by your tone of voice, I can see that you don't care about the people that suffered because of Marcussen's unjust activities."

"I stopped caring when the divorce was finalized."

"Why did you even marry him? He must be at least twenty years older than you."

"It didn't matter at the time."

Fernando gave a deep sigh. "You don't seem to know what my family has gone through."

"I can only imagine."

"Your ex-husband took my wife away from me and my son."

He pointed at the thin young man who wore black pants and a white t-shirt. Fernando continued, "Do you know who she was, Miss Pauling? Her name was Esmeralda. She was one of the greatest women to have ever lived. And all of a sudden, Mr. Marcussen stole her away from me and sent her to Europe. She became a slave, Miss Pauling. Marcussen and members of his organization detained women and children and had turned them all into slaves. I should know. My wife became one of them."

"I think you should spend your time finding where she is now instead wasting your time trying to ruin my own life."

Fernando continued to frown. "I already found her. I had to travel all the way to West Germany. But I couldn't get to her in time. I found her alone in an abandoned warehouse, bound and gagged. I don't know how long she was dead before I got to her."

"I'm really sorry about that."

"I don't think you are, and I don't think Marcussen will care about it, either."

Fernando handed the flashlight to his eighteen-year-old son, Renaldo. The two of them said a few words in their native tongue.

Miss Pauling began to feel a little more anxious. "What are you going to do?"

Fernando pulled out his revolver from the holster and replied, "I don't think you know how much my son and I suffered with the loss of Esmeralda. I will show you what it means to lose the sanctity of human innocence."

"Please don't tell me you're going to chop me up into little pieces."

"I can assure you that I will not kill you. But I will not keep you away from harm."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Pauling, but your ex-husband forced me to do this."

Fernando said something to his four companions. They nodded and left the area, each in different directions.

Fernando added, "My friends will look out for certain trespassers, while I let my son occupy himself with his gift."

Miss Pauling took deeper breaths. "I'm assuming that the gift you're talking about is the gun you're holding."

Fernando shook his head. "No, my dear Miss Pauling, the gift is you."


Weatherman tried to calm himself down as he, Engineer, Sniper, Outlaw, Femme Fatale, Spy, and Bodyguard took the same one-lane road that Fernando and his men had used. With the use of the Ford Broncos, they took their time in reaching their destination. With the crescent moon revealing itself in the clear night sky, the entire valley didn't appear very clear because of the partial darkness.

In one of the automobiles, Weatherman sat in the passenger seat, while Engineer took the wheel.

Weatherman concentrated on the road in front of him as he asked, "How much time do we have before we get there?"

Engineer kept his eyes on the road as well. "I don't know. Maybe seven, or eight minutes."

"I hope Marcussen gave us the right directions."

"I think we can trust someone who wears a completely clean suit."

In the back seat, Bodyguard wiped his Scimitar with his cloth. He said, "Did you see how old he was? He must be as old as me."

Weatherman asked, "Why would Miss Pauling marry a guy like him?"

"I would say she was in it for the money."

"He said he was from Norway, right?"

"That's what it sounded like."

Weatherman tightened his grip on his Lightning Launcher. "I hope we get there in time to save her. I can't wait to kick some ass!"

Engineer gave a little grin. "I'm with ya on this one, buddy."

It took them only a handful of seconds to find the Guatemalans' parked vehicles on the side of the road.

Engineer pressed the brake even deeper as he uttered, "It's time for a little more action."


Fernando still had his revolver in his hand, but he pointed the barrel at the dirt floor. He pointed his flashlight at the woman who stood several feet away. He watched as his son Renaldo slowly caressed Pauling's unclothed arms with his hands. Pauling, who still had her hands tied to the tree trunk, tried to ignore the touch of an eighteen-year-old Guatemalan stranger. Renaldo stood right behind her as he closed his eyes and touched her arms. Fernando could see that the two of them shared the same height. Renaldo brought his hands up to Pauling's shoulders.

She whispered, "I think you've made your point, Fernando."

Fernando just stood still as he said, "My son is not finished. You just wait a little longer before we put you out of your misery."

Pauling opened her eyes again. She saw Renaldo in the corner of her eye, and he looked rather hesitant as he laid his fingers in her black hair. It looked as though he tried to smile but fought against it at the last second.

"Are you sure this is what your son wants?"

Fernando narrowed his eyes. "You do not want to ruin his first erotic escapade."

Renaldo pressed his lips on Pauling's neck, which brought an even deeper discomfort for Pauling.

She aggressively whispered, "You shouldn't be doing this."

Fernando replied, "Now you know what my wife had gone through."

Miss Pauling tried to shake off Renaldo's hands, but the young man now held her in his arms. He began to touch her chest. She gave a look of incredible disgust. She wanted to escape this place. She wanted to escape the lustful grasp of an eighteen-year-old man.

And it sounded like she got her wish.

A sudden burst of gunfire in the distance caused Renaldo to stop kissing Pauling's neck. Fernando turned around to hear where the speeding bullets came from.

He shouted to his son, "Stay here! And make sure no one takes her away from here."

Fernando fled to aid his friends. Renaldo stayed still as he picked up his rifle that lay on the ground. He kept a close eye on Miss Pauling as the two of them could see a burst of lightning from above. The piercing thunder followed immediately right after. Miss Pauling could only assume that Weatherman had participated in a rescue mission authorized by the Administrator.

Renaldo took a deep breath as he said with a heavy accent, "I am sorry, but I do want to make my father proud."

Miss Pauling closed her eyes. "I guess I can understand what you're doing. But you can't just force someone to do what you want."

"I do believe my mother felt the same way."

"Renaldo, you have to understand. I no longer love Rolf Marcussen. I left him a few years ago. I know I should have left him sooner...but I felt desperate. My entire family felt determined to be a part of his everlasting fortune."

"Maybe you are lucky. You live in a big mansion while my parents live in the slums. Mr. Marcussen took my mother away from us!"

"I had no authority in his organization."

Fernando suddenly reappeared as soon as the gunfire had stopped. He said something to his son in Spanish, and Renaldo shook his head in silence.

Fernando turned to Miss Pauling and was about to say something, but an arrow to the neck only made him give out a loud groan. As blood spurt out of his permanent wound, Fernando collapsed on the floor. Renaldo yelled an obscure Spanish phrase as he dropped his rifle and ran toward his father.

Sniper emerged from the endless array of fruit trees with his SMG in his hand.

"Hold it right there, you wanker!"

Renaldo quickly picked up his rifle and aimed it at the Australian. Miss Pauling could see absolute rage in the young man's eyes.

Renaldo yelled, "You killed my father!"

Sniper replied, "I had to, mate. It's my job."

"You work for Marcussen! You are an imbecile."

"Now is not the right time to call me names."

Miss Pauling, still attached to the tree, shouted, "Don't kill him, Mundy!"

Sniper looked a little puzzled. "Isn't this man dangerous?"

"He's dangerous only because he has a weapon."

Renaldo kept the barrel of his rifle pointed at Sniper. "My father is dead! My mother is dead! I have nothing left!"

Sniper lowered his SMG. "Take it easy."

Miss Pauling could see the Spy revealing himself in thin air. He had turned off his invisibility, and now he stood behind Renaldo with his Butterfly Knife in his hand.

Miss Pauling yelled, "No, don't!"

But it was too late.

Spy stabbed Renaldo in the back. Renaldo's eyes widened as he fell to his knees and dropped his rifle on the dirt. The look of bitter sadness on his face made Pauling turn away. Renaldo lay on the floor, lifeless, his eyes wide open and his mouth left agape.

Spy used his Butterfly Knife to cut the rope that bound Miss Pauling to the fruit tree. He said, "We must hurry. The police might interfere and we could be seen."

Spy and Sniper left Miss Pauling away from the orchard. The woman turned around to see both Fernando and Renaldo lying on the floor, both deceased because of their quest for vengeance.

Pauling and the seven RED mercenaries fled the orchard with their Ford Broncos. They drove at top speed as they headed back to base.

TO BE CONTINUED...