Chapter 3 Sweet Revenge?

I was fully aware that SYNE was pulling out all of the stops in the hunt for Marks and his cohorts. In my more sane moments I realized that the attack on me or on any member of SYNE by the Order or one of its members was not something that would be tolerated. There is a very delicate balance of power between the Order and SYNE and Marks actions had skewed that balance. Such a hostile action could not be ignored. SYNE really did activate all available personnel and equipment. I knew this in my lucid moments. I even provided a description of Marks and each of his men for the SYNE operatives. I refused to obey the Chief’s order when he told me to stay out of the manhunt because I was too emotionally involved.

Disobeying a direct order is not something I would usually do in my normal state of mind; but I was neither lucid nor sane at the time. I don’t remember a lot of the weeks that followed as we tried to track down Marks. I became a man possessed by the demon of revenge. My days were spent searching for the men who had taken my family from me. I didn’t eat and I didn’t sleep unless I passed out at my computer desk because fatigue finally took its toll. That was only about every 72 hours or so. I know Cor and Llew were worried about me but I didn’t care. I only cared about my self appointed mission. I think Cor and Llew may have forced me to partake of nourishment every once in a while, but I don’t really remember what it was or how often. I subsisted on energy drinks and juice.

I suppose you could say I am a bit of a technological nerd. Part of my job is to design and test equipment that can be used to enhance our capabilities. At the time that all of this was happening I had some equipment on hand at my place that was beyond anything that SYNE had available. It was still in an experimental stage and I put it through its paces. During the day I was using the equipment with all the skill at my disposal.

In the evenings I would go out and haunt the various bars and other likely places where it might be possible to pick up some clues concerning the whereabouts of my quarry. I don’t know how long I continued at that pace but I was finally successful even though SYNE had not yet been. Steven Marks was a man who knew how to hide his tracks on every level. It was probably a miracle that I finally tracked him down. I called Corwin and Llewellyn and requested their help in executing my plan. I knew where Marks was, but the only way I could find out what defenses he had in place was to physically go there and scout out the location. I remember telling Corwin that he definitely was not to bring anyone but Llew. I was certain the three of us could handle anything that came up and we wouldn’t be hampered by too many people on the site. Cor reluctantly agreed to my request. That was the only way he was going to get the information from me. He contacted Llew and they went with me to the town in which Marks was living. We all checked into a hotel there and I told Corwin and Llew to stay there while I scouted. I’m not sure if they obeyed my order or not, but it they didn’t, I didn’t catch them following me.

I took a taxi to the neighborhood in which Marks lived. It was so normal that it made me nauseous. There was a tree-lined street with a park just around the corner. Children played and dogs barked. I approached the house where I knew Marks lived, although he used a different name in his public life. In the yard I saw a young woman and a small girl playing in the shade of a huge oak tree. The woman was pushing the little girl in a swing and I waved and smiled. I talked with them for a little while and confirmed that it was indeed Steven Mark’s house and this was his wife and child. I was surprised to find out that such a man actually had a family; obviously this woman and her little girl had no idea what kind of man he was. I told myself that I would be doing them a favor by removing that man from their life. Surely a man such as Steven Marks would eventually abuse and use his family harshly. This is what I told myself.

I even managed to get myself invited into the house for a glass of iced tea and this gave me a chance to look over the layout and find out where all the rooms were located. Women and children always find me charming so I had no problem being invited in and given the grand tour. I used the excuse that I was looking for a house in the area and was curious what the layouts of the homes were. Of course she was more than happy to help out a potential neighbor and I was such a nice young man.

That night I visited the street again. The atmosphere around Marks house was completely different. I could tell he was at home because there were several barriers activated around his house that were designed for keeping people with psionic talents out. In the daytime I guess he figured there was nothing to be concerned about, but the night was different. I knew how to bypass his barriers though. There is a way through any barrier if that person is determined enough, and I was obsessed. It might take some planning but I was reasonably certain I could find a way to breach his defenses.

The third day dawned and my plans were set. Corwin and Llewellyn would take out the guards around the perimeters of the house and I would take out anyone at the door or between Marks room and the door. We succeeded remarkably well. By midnight of the third day I was in Marks room and had a knife to his throat. He had tried to take me out with a pistol, but failed miserably. My reflexes were much faster than his. I blindfolded him and had Corwin come in and tie his hands and feet to the bedposts. After he was secure I sent Corwin back downstairs to stand guard with Llew. Sometimes I wonder why Cory and Llew obey me so easily…I’m not always right and this time…

After Marks was secured I searched his room and located the photos he had used to identify me and several files he had collected on various SYNE operatives. He also had a lot of secure information on The Order. I don’t think he trusted computers very much because he had everything in manila file folders and hidden about his room. I am very good at finding hidden things. I don’t think he bargained on that. I had all the files in a stack by the door and I returned to Marks bed where he was bound. I began to cut away the buttons of his pajamas and in the process made sure I pricked him deeply with each slice of my knife. The fear in his eyes was addictive. I wanted to inflict more and more harm to him as the time went on. He had tortured me slowly so I told myself that it was okay if I killed him slowly.

I played with him for about half an hour dredging up all the ugly things I could while he lay there waiting for me to finish my game and then finish him off. I was almost to that point when the door opened and a young boy stood there with his sister and mother standing behind him. The horror in the woman’s eyes brought me up short. What was I doing? I wasn’t any better than Marks with this behavior.

The young man looked at me with solemn eyes. I think he was about thirteen or so. “Mister, I’m not sure what my dad did to you and why you want to kill him. I don’t like him much myself and it wouldn’t bother me to never have see him again, but mister won’t you reconsider? You see, Mom and Carly here both love him a lot and I don’t really want to see them saddened by his death.”

I looked at him and sanity slowly returned to my mental state. I wiped the knife off with the bottom sheet and covered Marks bleeding body with the top sheet. “I’m sorry, but you see…” I stopped. I had been planning on telling them how this man had been responsible for the death of my family but I considered the request of the boy. “I do have my reasons for this, but I am no better than him if I don’t stop right now. I will allow Steven here to live…the relief flared in his eyes. However; the four of you are going to be the guests of my organization for a while. I gave Llew the go ahead to call in our SYNE troops. I guess I wasn’t as clever as I though I was because they were there within five minutes of my realizing that what I was doing was all wrong. I don’t know what happened to Marks and his family after that. I do know the boy joined my team and is working undercover right now. He was an intelligent lad and nothing like his father. Eventually, maybe he’ll come to stay with us here.

I think what I really learned from this time is that revenge is much worse on the person seeking it than it is on the one who is the victim. I’m glad I learned this lesson before I took a father and husband away from a wife and daughter who did love him. I suppose they still do. I still don’t understand that but that is just the way love is sometimes.

Random stopped talking and Kumi wandered back into the room dragging her teddy bear. “Uncle Rand I’m thirsty. Can I have a drink”

“May I have a drink…” Rand corrected her automatically. Then he smiled and scooped the little girl up into his arms. “Let’s go get that drink now Kumi and then I’ll put you back to bed. Hey guys thanks for listening to my story, it really does help to talk about that time of my life. Maybe it won’t haunt me so much in the future.” He waved at them over his shoulder as he carried Kumi into the kitchen and then to bed.

Corwin spoke to the silent room as Random left. “I don’t believe he would have actually killed Marks. Why would he blindfold him so he couldn’t see my face if he was intent on leaving nothing but a corpse. I think I know Rand better than that. He did make a mess of Marks, but I don’t think he would have terminated him even if the family had not interrupted.”

Lev and Shima glance at Corwin and realized he honestly believed in his assessment of Random. They both wondered what had happened to generate such a loyalty toward the russet haired man. Perhaps someday, there would be more stories and they would learn more about their gentle, but strong willed host.

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