Wish You Were Here

Chapter 18:

Whistles were being made. By the wind gracing the cracks of the broken old cabin. It was about eleven or so in the morning and everything was still a bit new and exciting. The leaves were always so much greener in the sweet summer morning. Grass blades were blowing whichever way the wind was, and right then, it was gently touching the Ranger's Station.

It was silent since the young Ranger had walked into the room. Bakura smacked himself in the face and sighed, "Damn it, he followed me…"

Grandpa pointed at Sweet, "You are very unpleasant to be around. I think you should leave."

Bakura and Marik glared at the old man, "Yeah, Gramps, like that's really going to make him leave us alone. You're gonna have to try harder than that."

Ranger Sweet ignored their comments and looked over at the man who claimed to be his father, "Oh, just great. How the hell did you escape?"

"Claude, you address me as your father. And, for your information, these young heroes saved me from under you desk! You little ingrate!" He turned to the yamis, "Thank you so much, children."

"Ah, shucks…" Yami blushed, "You're welcome, Mr. Sweet."

"No, no, please call me Papa."

"Uh… um, Papa. O-Okay." Yami was slightly disturbed at this.

Sweet was fuming mad, "You mean to tell me that you little Yummies released my dad after I was this close to finishing my mission and becoming a part of S.W.A.T?"

"You're a nut and a half, Claude." 'Papa' glared at his son, "Why in the world would you believe that S.W.A.T would let you be a member? The very most they'd do for you would probably involve a straight-jacket and a little trip with men in white suits."

"See? That's what I'm talking about! You just don't get it! I'll have you know that I wrote them a letter with all my credentials on it. Recommendations and-"

"Who in their right mind would recommend you?" Bakura mumbled.

"GAAHHH! Insolence! Disrespect! I won't stand for it!" He waved around his gun and shot about ten holes through the roof and the walls. He'd missed only a small space in front of the desk, and that's where everyone was huddled up, trying to hide behind each other.

"Now," He continued, "As I was saying… Recommendations and now… this!" Sweet raced over to the frightened bunch and removed Grandpa from the lot, "The missing link between man and ape! When they see what I have captured, they're sure to see my worth and welcome me with open arms!"

Bakura and Marik looked at each other, "I swear, it just doesn't stop…!"

Yami blinked and looked at Grandpa, "… Wait a minute. He's human. He may have dirt on him, but…! He doesn't look like any animal! He's my hikari's Grandfather!"

"Yeah, sure." Sweet nodded sarcastically, "He's a human… Okay, okay, I believe you. But I'm still turning him in. Maybe they can dissect him and find a cure for the common cold."

"You're crazy!" Grandpa shouted and tried to free himself from the Ranger's tight grip, "Let me go! I don't wanna be dissected!"

'Papa' growled and walked over to Claude, "Listen here, young man! What have I told you over and over again? You do NOT try to sell the elderly to government operations, that's against the Mountain Ranger's code."

"Too late, Dad! I'm already prepared!" Sweet walked over to a strange-looking box that was covered with a white sheet. He threw off the cover and revealed a steal cage, that was about the size of a large gopher. Sweet shoved the old man into it and slammed the door shut. "There we go."

"W-What have you done?" Yami cried.

"Just secured my future." He replied calmly. Then he turned around, "Excuse me, a have to make a call."

Yami sighed and looked around. Sweet was standing in the middle of the room and, with the gun in his hand, it seemed to risky to just try and make a run for it. So, the Pharaoh turned to his fellow yamis and hurried them into a huddle.

"Okay guys," He whispered, "We need to get Grandpa and get out of here. I can cell phone Yugi and the others but one of you have to create a distraction so I'm not noticed."

Bakura was looked at first, but he just raised an eyebrow and dismissed the very thought. "Yeah, right."

Marik twisted his mouth, "Aw, I know where this is going. Fine, fine… I'll try and do something, but I'm not guaranteeing any miracles."

"Great, I only need a few minutes." Yami nodded, "Let's get to work."

Just as they all turned around, they found Ranger Sweet starring at them with the evil eye and tapping his foot, "What was that all about? What were you three doing?"

"Uh, nothing…" Marik sighed, "Hey, can we leave?"

"Heh! Yeah, right. Now that you've discovered my father, I can't just let you Waltz right out of here."

"Waltz… Hmm?" Marik coughed, "Actually, I'm more of a Tango-man, myself."

"Really?" Sweet seemed a little interested, "Y-You know how to Tango? I had a training-video on how to Tango, but it wasn't very good. I watch people on TV too, but… I've been really wanting to learn…"

"Ah, well you're lucky you ran into me! I'm Lord of the Dance. Look, it's simple, all you do is…"

His voice trailed off as he took Ranger Sweet's hands and led him around the floor, going slowly at first, because the Ranger was a beginner, but then speeding up as Sweet got a feel for the dance.

"Wow…" Sweet whispered, "This is really easy. You're a great teacher… Much better than my How To Tango Video!"

Marik grinned, "Well, you know how it is."

As Marik dipped Sweet again, he noticed Bakura and Yami starring at him with the most peculiar expressions on their faces. Kind of like a deer caught in headlights. Marik mouthed to them, 'What the hell are you doing, Yami? The Tango can only be so long before it gets boring! Make your call!'

Yami snapped out of it and hid behind the desk with his cell phone. As it rung, Yami thought, 'Marik's really good at distractions…'

Ring-Ring-Ring!

"H-Hello? Yami, is that y-you?" It sounded like a jumbled up Yugi.

"Yugi." Yami whispered, "What's happening to you? It sounds as if you're on a roller coaster. Well, anyways-"

"Sorry, Yami, h-hold on…" Yugi moved the phone away from his ear a called to Malik, "C'mon, Ma-Malik! Can't y-you drive any smoother…!"

It was another minute before Yugi was back on the phone, "Y-Yami, I-I can't t-talk right now…! We're go . . . . going. . . . and I can't. . . . no service…"

Yami began to panic, "Yugi! I can't hear you very well…!"

"In a. . . . Malik says. . . minutes. . . you, Yami!"

The line went dead. Bleep-Bleep-Bleep… Yami put the cell phone back around his neck and came back from behind the desk. When he emerged, he found Marik leaning against the desk alongside Bakura.

"Guys…" Yami began as he touched Bakura's shoulder.

They both frowned at him, "Yami, I wouldn't move, if I was you."

Yami tilted his head in question. They pointed to the floor and Yami noticed that 'Papa' was laying on the ground, motionless. He studied him closer and then looked over at the chair across the room. A bunch of tranquilizer darts were on it.

"W-Where's Ranger Sweet…?" Yami almost couldn't get the sentence out. "W-Where'd he go?"

Marik nodded in Yami's direction, "That's why I said not to move."

Yami's eyes widened as he shakily and slowly turned around. When he did, he noticed that Ranger Sweet was right up on him, breathing heavily.

"GGAAHH!" Yami jumped up and into Marik's arms. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR DAD?"

Sweet tapped his gun and grinned evilly, "He was talking too much."

"Oh my Ra! You shot your dad! You killed Papa!"

"Relax…" He patted Yami's hair in what he thought was a calming manner, "These are safety bullets. They don't kill people. Just a mild paralyze."

"Just?" Yami yelled and jumped off of Marik, "Okay, this has gone far enough, Claude! No more! That's the end! I demand that you let my Grandpa out of his cage and let me and my friends go! Right this moment!"

The gun was then pointed right at Yami's nose, "Care to say that again?" Sweet's voice was a bit more harsh.

"Um… please?"

"Smooth…" Marik and Bakura echoed each other, "Real smooth, Yami."

"Shut up, you two! I don't see any bright ideas coming from your heads!"

"I say we play dead." Bakura said. Everyone, including Ranger Sweet, starred at him. Bakura blushed briefly then pouted.

"Alright, this has gone far enough." Sweet cocked his gun, "Mr. Motou said by any means necessary and if you won't come quietly, I'll just have to make you quiet!" His gun was aimed right for Yami's head, but just as he was firing, Marik smacked the Ranger's hand and his gun went off in the other direction.

BAM!

"HOLY (BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!)!" Marik shouted at the top of his lungs. When the bullet redirected after Marik's intervention, he was shot in the shin. At fist the pain really didn't register, but that was only a millisecond, then it felt like hell was having a party in his right shin.

"OH MY FREAKING RA!" He screamed in agony and fell to the floor moaning and groaning, holding the penetrated part of his leg.

Bakura's eyes were wide in shock, "Man, that must hurt. Glad it's not me."

Yami, on the other hand, was down on the floor with Marik crying his eyes out and shouting, "Oh, Marik! Are you okay? Speak to me! Speak to me!" He kept shaking the taller yami and Marik brain's were scrambling.

"S-Stop shaking me, y-you idiot! I'm fine!"

Sweet raised his gun again, this time at Bakura, "I swear, nothing ever goes as planned." Suddenly, just before he shot, there was a sound heard, coming from the open door. It got louder and all of a sudden, a black Mercedes burst through the door, tearing apart the front half of the cabin and virtually wreaking what was left of the door.

Grandpa screamed and so did the Ranger. Both for different reasons.

The doors flew open and out came Malik, Ryou, and Yugi. Ryou and Yugi's hair was more wild than usual, probably due to Malik's crazed driving. Going down the hill without stopping and making tight curves around trees… Yugi's car was banged up beyond belief.

"WHAT IN HEAVEN OR HELL'S NAME DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" All the hikari's screamed at once. All the angered yells were directed at Ranger Sweet and the gun in his hand that was directed at Bakura. They also noticed Marik's bleeding on the floor and Yami crying uncontrollably.

Through watery eyes, all three yamis called out to their other halves.

"Malik! Get over here!"

"Y-Yugi… Look what h-happened…"

"Ryou? What are you doing here?"

Before Sweet could do anything, Malik ran over and punched him in the face, knocking him on the floor, the gun flew out of his hand and landed over near Grandpa's small cage.

Yugi looked at him and gasped, "G-Grandpa! Y-You're al-alive!" He ran over to the cage and unlocked it, letting the old man free once again. He gingerly crawled out and fell into Yugi's small arms.

"Oh, Yugi, I'm so glad you're here…! I didn't think we were gonna make it for a second. When that Ranger started shooting and-"

"So this is what happens when you're given an assignment, Ranger Sweet." Ryou appeared next to the Ranger who was now quivering in his boots, "This is what happens when I tell you to hold onto our other halves until we arrive…?"

Sweet fumbled for an explanation, "B-But… you said by any means necessary… A-And-"

"Mmm hmm…" Ryou mused and turned to Yugi and Malik who were grinning. "I did say that. And does anyone remember what else was said?"

Malik and Yugi's millennium items began to glow but before anything was said, Ranger Sweet was running towards the large hole in the wall, screaming and crying, "Noooooo! Never seen again, nooooooo!"

Just as it seemed that Sweet might've gotten away, another vehicle pulled up, blocking his escape. A large, black truck accompanied by a few helicopters hovering over the small cabin. They all landed slowly and loads of men jumped out, wearing black outfits with a yellow word printed over everything. S.W.A.T.

Everyone in the cabin watched as some of the men came inside. One with shades made his way over to Yugi and flashed a card, "Mr. Motou, I presume?"

"Uh… yeah, what can I help you with?"

"A Claude Sweet resides on this mountain as the son of Ranger Sweet, we need to speak with him. Any of you know his whereabouts?"

Marik, Bakura and Yami pointed outside to the man who was rushing around, trying to get people to sign his stomach. The man cleared his throat and walked out. He waved his hands, a bunch of men jumped on Sweet and forced him into the truck, kicking and screaming.

Bakura and Yugi went outside as the helicopters began to take off, "Wait," Yugi asked one of the men, "What's all this for?"

"We've been receiving information from an unknown source that Mr. Sweet had been doing some shady things to try and infiltrate our organization throughout the past few months. Recently, we've confirmed that Mr. Sweet was indeed involved in a number of kidnappings and strange… 'animal sacrifices'."

"Um… okay." Bakura was even more confused.

"I suggest," He continued, "That you call an ambulance for those two." He motioned towards Marik and 'Papa' who were both bleeding. "Heavy bleeding could mean trouble. Good bye."

He disappeared into the van and, in a moment, there was not a trace of their visit left. Except, of course, the giant hole in the cabin wall.