Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Red Lined ❯ Prologue to Revenge ( Chapter 1 )

Prologue to Revenge

It was a humid night in New Orleans with the mosquitoes buzzing and the distant sounds of Bourbon Street bar music blasting in the distance. At 4117 Perrier Street a red Acura NSX pulled up to the curb in front of the hundred year old mansion in the garden district. A blond haired man got out and walked up the steps to the front door. He knocked and waited for the butler to get the door. The bald headed man in a creased black suit opened the door. "Good evening, sir. The meeting is just about to get underway." He said in a dull monotone voice. "Up the stairs; first door on the right. They have been expecting you for awhile now."

The blond headed up the stairs without a word. He was not happy being brought into this situation. He straightened his blue shirt as he knocked on the door directly past the stairs. He stifled the sigh that tried to escape his lips as the door opened. "Ah. Officer. So glad you could join us. Please take a seat. We were just about to start." A man said with a head of brown hair that seemed to closely resemble a wig rather than real hair. He was dressed in a charcoal gray suit and black loafers. He turned and hobbled with a cane back to the large mahogany table in the room and sat down placing his cane next to the chair. The blond officer sat in the last available chair as the other members watched impassively from their seats.

The brown haired man looked over the men and women that sat at the table. There were politicians, police, newspaper owners and TV station owners. They had quite a crowd with his oil ownership. They would do quite nicely. "You are all here because you want to overthrow the current ruler of our world. We have been able to attain some information on the first target that would be best to go after at this time." He paused for a moment to flip open a folder in front of him. "Target's name is Daniel Maxwell and he owns the salvage yard on Saro Lane outside city limits. He is known as The Rat on the streets. Has his nose in many places on the underground. The salvage yard is a front for his chop shop and car stealing operation and he is the information provider for the current boss." He closed the file and passed it around as he folded his hands and laid them on the table.

"Catalonia has informed me of their desire to take over the New Orleans area boosting. They have the manpower and resources to accomplish this. It would also aid in the eventual destruction of the Winner family. Car boosting is a large portion of their income. Darlian has informed me of his families' connections to the information world. He owns the fastest growing station news in the state and has ties internationally.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have everything we need to win against the Winner family, but it will not be a quick take-over. We must slowly eat away at their soft belly leaving them weak without resources and allies. Only then will we ascend to our rightful roles.

"If you are not here for the long haul that it will take to attain our goals, you may wish to leave now." He looked around at the faces of all eleven other persons seated. He saw their iron clad resolve and smiled. "Very well. Now what shall we do about Daniel Maxwell?"

~_~

The salvage yard was closing for the night. Daniel walked out of the warehouse at the far end of the yard with his son. They were both dressed in dark clothes for their side job. Daniel was a striking man in his early forties with deep-set brown eyes and very dark brown hair that was slowly thinning. His son was quite a bit different. He had bright violet eyes and chestnut hair to the middle of his back, which he wore in a braid to keep out of his face and out of his work. "You know, you really should cut your hair. It's going to get in the way with work one day." He said tugging on his son's braid.

"It will if you keep pulling on it. Gee dad, can't you leave it alone? I want to grow it out." Duo answered snatching his hair away from his father's hands with a smile. "So what's on the shopping list for tonight?" he asked tucking his wavy braid down the back of his shirt.

"Nothing hard to boost that's for sure. We have some imports, but there are only three and four Americans." Daniel replied as he took out a grimy folded sheet of paper and handed it to his son. He patted the boy on the head as he walked off.

Duo stopped as he read over the seven cars listed. "I need to run back inside. For one of these cars I don't have the right tools." He said turning back to the warehouse with quick steps.

"That's fine. I'll go get the car running." Daniel replied over his shoulder. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it as he headed for the gate. The cars were parked outside the gate so they didn't get stripped for parts by the salvage yard. Having his Honda shredded once tended to change the parking rules a bit.

He left he gate to the yard slightly opening knowing his son would close and lock it once he grabbed the tools he needed for the job they were to do tonight. He walked over to his blue civic and unlocked the doors. As he began to slide into the seat he saw a Bentley pull into the parking lot. What was an expensive car doing at his yard? Even his employers drove more mundane vehicles to visit him. Not that they came here very often anyways, but still.

He stood up as the car pulled over to him and shut off. Two men got out of the Bentley and walked over to him. As they neared him Daniel realized who they were and his mouth thinned into an emotionless line on his face. "Are you Daniel Maxwell?" One of the men asked. He had a heavy southern accent that was part of the old crowd New Orleans.

"I am and what can I do for you gentlemen this evening? Need a part for your Bentley?" Daniel replied observing them carefully. The back of his mind was praying for Duo to not come out here and stay in the yard. His face however, remained as blank and as neutral as he could make it.

"No, Mr. Maxwell. We're here to see you. We'd like to talk with you for a bit." The other man said with a distinct southern twang that was more Texas than Louisiana.

"Really? What would you like to talk about?" Daniel responded crossing his arms in front of him. Please son, don't come out. I have a really bad feeling about this.

"Is there anywhere more private we can discuss matters?" The first man asked. Daniel decided to call the dark haired man, Orleans, and his buddy, was Texas. Orleans glanced around the darkened parking lot. Obviously he didn't want to be seen out here.

"This is private enough for anything you wish to discuss. Spill it or I'm leaving." Daniel answered allowing annoyance and anger to enter his expression and body posture.

Orleans and Texas exchanged a glance and with a shrug looked back at Daniel. "Fine Mr. Maxwell, we wish for you to end your employment with Winners and work for a new organization. A better organization." Texas responded reluctantly.

"And what makes you think its time for a better organization? Your employers? The city's running fine with the Winner family. A new organization would cause problems in city workings." Daniel responded carefully. He noticed the antsy movements the two thugs were beginning to make.

"Well Mr. Maxwell, our employer realizes this and wants to make as smooth a transition as possible. That's why he wants you to work for us" Orleans replied as his hand made a slow move toward the opening of his suit jacket.

"To help with the transition that goes with new management." Texas added quickly. He thought that they were winning Daniel over to their side. He was wrong.

"I'm not interested in new management. I believe the Winners' are doing fine and I would know if they weren't. So if you please, leave." Daniel said with a frown. This conversation was taking far too long and he needed them gone before his son got here. He didn't want him mixed up in this mess.

Speaking of his long haired son, Duo was perched on a pile of junk watching what was going on over the salvage yard fence. With his dark clothes he blended in nicely so long as he didn't move and the wind didn't blow. Maybe he should think about cutting his hair….. As long as the two men and his father didn't notice life would be good. He was pretty certain that his father wasn't happy with the two men, thugs by the look of them really. Unfortunately he had no idea how or what to do to help him.

In the darkness Duo watched the conversation go from polite to pushy with the two thugs pushing his father around. It made him angry as he watched his father being impassive. Why would they push around an innocent car thief? They didn't even carry weapons around! His father finally had enough with pushing and took one of thugs hand off him. He began talking angrily but a gust of wind blew Duo's ability to hear it away. He felt his hair tickle his face and quickly grabbed his braid and shoving it down the back of his jacket.

While he argued with one of the men the other was pulling something from his jacket. It was dark, but Duo was able to make out the gleam of metal as the thug aimed the gun at his father. Shit! He had to do something!

As his mind went into overdrive on possible helping solutions his father noticed the gun and went white as a sheet. He threw the thug he was arguing with away as the other thug aimed. Daniel tried to get out of the way as the thug shot at him. He mistimed and fell as the bullet tore through his thigh. He felt the blood gush out of his wound. He knew the bullet had ripped through his femoral artery. He was a dead man if he didn't get medical attention immediately. Not like that was going to happen though with these thugs around.

He grimaced as the men walked up to him with twin evil smiles. He realized that this was what they were meant to do whether or not he had agreed to switching sides. He rolled to his back and stared up at the dark new moon sky. The men leered at him and started talking, but he was no longer listening to them. He shouldn't have listened to them at all.

He stared up at the sky and saw movement on the corner of his vision. It was a wisp of chestnut hair blowing in the wind. Daniel looked away as a wave of pain shook through his body as the men kicked him on either side of his body. He felt each kick shake his body with pain even as he felt his life leaving him through that one bullet hole. All for what? He was dead. Let him die in peace.

He was sorry Duo had to witness this. He never did want to bring his son down to this level. He didn't want him to be a car thief, but he did it for the dreams his son had that he would never have accomplished otherwise. He didn't care that the Winner's could have afforded it. Those dreams would have come at a price that he wasn't willing to pay with his own flesh and blood son.

Even now as the world darkened he felt at peace with himself knowing he kept his son out of the darkest pits of hell known as the mob. That peace made him feel light and free even as his vision darkened to black. Daniel died at peace with the knowledge that his son would be safe from the mob.

Duo watched silently eyes wide and voice stolen from him. He felt the tears roll down his face as he watched those two thugs yell and kick his father. He couldn't move. His body was frozen watching what was going on. On one kick from the men his father's head turned toward him and as he stared into those eyes he knew that he watched his father pass from this life. He felt his chest tighten and the tears came faster and still he was silent in the agony of what he witnessed.

Cold blooded murder.

Duo's mouth thinned into a line much like his father. He wanted to pay those men back. Staring at his father he knew he had to do something. If his father wouldn't give in, neither should he. This wasn't a random killing. Any dumb ass would see this as orchestrated. Well, maybe not. Those suits weren't Armani knock offs for one thing; those were the real deal down to the tailored fit.

Obviously they worked for someone big. But the big question was why? Why Daniel Maxwell? He worked a salvage Yard and stole cars with his son, but they weren't looking around for him so it wasn't a case of stolen car. The salvage yard wasn't anything big so that couldn't be it either. So what was his father into that he didn't know about?

As anger worked through Duo's mind his paralysis lifted. He knelt down more and watched as one of thugs took Daniel's arms and dragged him into the yard. The other thug walked around the blood that was left in a pool where Daniel laid before walking over to the Bentley and popping the trunk. He pulled out a power hose that Duo could only assume was hooked up to a water tank, a bag of sand, a bag of gravel, and a rake.

Random my ass, Duo thought. They knew what they were going to do tonight. Otherwise why would they carry things around to hide the fact that a murder took place? He needed to call the police, but to do that meant leaving this pile of junk and possibly making it known that someone just witnessed the whole thing. They would kill him too. He had to do something, but were the options? His safest bet would be to stay where he was and report them to the police. He could move and hope he wasn't seen and call the police, hide, and possibly miss the getaway. He needed that license plate to help nab the bad guys. Duo shook his head mentally, no good. Option 1 was better for cop calling.

But Duo didn't want to call the cops and let these guys get away. He had to avenge his father. Duo stayed hidden as the thug threw sand on the pool of blood and let it soak the liquid up. He then took the hose and blew the sand around the parking lot to spread the sand around. Finally he threw the bag of gravel down on the spot that Duo's dad died and raked the gravel around so it was even with the rest of the parking lot. Duo clenched his hand into a tight fist and entertained the thought of jumping down from the pile and beating the thug senseless when he heard the unmistakable sound of machinery starting up.

Duo turned toward the corner where the machines were laid out and saw that the other thug that had dragged his father off had started the compactor and incinerator. Shit! He was going to burn his father! Not if he could help it. Before making his way down the junk pile, he looked to what thug two was doing. He was on his cell phone with his back to the yard. If only I had a gun... he thought wistfully as he slowly made his way down to the ground.

He slid a bit, but the noise wasn't loud enough to be heard over the machines and thug two had his back to the yard so he wouldn't have seen anything fall. Using other piles of junk as cover he ran over to the corner where the machinery was kept. Thug one was bent over Daniel as he picked up the limp body and heaved it into the compactor. Before throwing the switch he leaned against the machine and wiped the sweat from his brow.

Duo made himself sit quietly waiting for his chance. He had to make himself visualize something else being compacted in that compactor. Perhaps a Bentley? With two passengers? That made Duo smile. If only he could do that. From behind the last pile of junk he watched thug one lifted the lever that would bring the huge slab of metal back up. He flipped another switch and the conveyor belt moved into the compactor and clicked into place.

Closing his eyes Duo could visualize the whole process. Dump the junk in and compact it. Flip a switch and the conveyor belt moved inside the compartment to click into place while a mini bulldozer moved out of the wall and pushed the compacted material onto the waiting conveyor belt. The belt would start up and bring the material into the incinerator where it was burned creating small amounts of energy for the city power grid. He knew the process of the machines having been around them all of his fourteen years.

Opening his eyes he watched as the guy bent over the compactor to make sure the shovel pushed what was left of his father onto the belt. Duo quietly snuck out and made his way over to thug one. With one push he could topple the man in. He would break an arm or leg when he hit. Duo knew from his experience when he fell in and broke his arm. If he turned the compactor on he would break the mans body, but if the man couldn't move or was dazed he could put him on the conveyor belt and burn him as he planned on burning his father's remains.

An evil smile appeared on Duo's face as he lunged forward and pushed the thug over the side. The man screamed, but it was cut off when he hit the bottom where Duo could hear a crack as a body part broke in at least one place. More if Duo was lucky; less chance of the man being able to move. With a quick glance Duo saw the man lying prone with his leg at an odd angle. He was dazed where his head connected with concrete. Perfect…

Duo hit the switch for the compactor shovel to push the barely conscious man onto the conveyor belt. As the shovel pushed the man he groaned in pain. He probably had a concussion as well. All good in Duo's eyes. The ass could join his father and reap what he sowed. As long as vengeance was paid. Duo turned toward the open junk yard. Thug two couldn't be that stupid to not think his partner was taking too long. Unlike thug one who was making a one way trip to the incinerator he wouldn't be caught unawares.

He glanced sidelong and watched as his father's remains fell into the incinerator. Thug one groaned once more as his daze lifted, but it was too late. He would be wide awake for his trip to hell. As the heat got hotter thug one fully awoke and began screaming and futilely trying to pull himself away from the gaping hell hole of the machine. Duo's smile grew as he watched the man try to get away, lose grip, and fall into oblivion with on last high pitched scream of terror and pain before it was cut off as if sliced by a knife.

"What the Hell did you do to Ed?!" Thug two cried as he walked around the junk pile with his gun held up. Duo whipped his head around evil smile wiped off his face. So much for being aware of his surroundings.

"Just gave him a taste of what you dished out to my father!" Duo called as he ran off before thug two could aim at him. A shot rang out behind him, but it missed him…barely. Duo dodged behind a junk pile and around another one and climbed it carefully as he hid with his dark clothes. He ducked his head down and watched as thug two walked by keeping his gun pointed out in front of him. He walked by and Duo nearly chuckled. The thug didn't even think to look up at the junk piles! What an idiot.

He listened for the thug to walk far enough away before climbing down from the junk. He listened for movement and walked in the opposite direction of where he thought the thug was at. Keeping to the shadows he ran for the warehouse to call the cops. He didn't think he could play keep away long enough to subdue the thug. As he neared the warehouse Duo stopped and listened for movement. He looked around for any sign of the thug and made the mad dash into open ground for the warehouse door.

A shot rang out and Duo fell to the ground as the bullet hit him in the shoulder. Grabbing his shoulder with his opposite hand he got back to his feet and kept running. Where the hell had the thug been? He had to have run right by the guy so why hadn't he seen the thug at all?

Duo would have slapped his forehead as he realized what had happened. The thug used the junk pile like Duo had and Duo had been stupid enough to not look at the junk piles as well. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! He ran into the warehouse as a second shot hit the door jam. Too close for comfort, Duo thought as he ran for the offices. He ran to a random desk picked up the phone and dialed 911. He needed help!

After three rings the operator picked up. Duo started telling the lady to send help to the Maxwell Salvage Yard when thug two walked in and aimed at Duo again. He had enough time to tell the lady no time when she asked for his name. He dropped the phone and dodged as thug two shot again.

He rolled on the ground and got to his feet as quickly as he could manage with his damaged shoulder. He felt dizzy and knew he was losing a lot of blood, but he had to keep moving. At least help was on the way. What could he do? Where could he hide? He needed time to think and it was the one thing he didn't have time for.

Duo ran out of the warehouse and ran behind the junk piles. He needed to find a weapon of some sort to defend himself. His left arm was useless from the bullet wound and his right hand was sticky from the blood that was soaking his clothes. It was getting hard to run and hard to think, but he couldn't give in no matter how much his body wanted to. He had to live no matter what it took or cost him.

He stumbled once and nearly fell as he heard the thug two's loafers thudding on the ground. Were noises supposed to be this loud anyway? He kept moving only to stumble again. The blood loss was making him tired and darkness was fogging around the edges of his vision. He had to stop the thug now before he passed out and made a nice comatose target for the shooter.

On his third stumble Duo saw a sharp looking object on one of the piles and grabbed it. He whipped around with it and waited for the shooter. He was walking toward him slowly and calmly. He knew that Duo was dead on his feet. He could see it as the young boy blinked too much and wobbled around on his feet. Even his pasty white face gave him clues that told him he had won.

Duo knew he was beat, but that look of predatory victory was too much for him to take. As the shooter neared him he darted out and lunged with his weapon and made a slice on the man's stomach. It tore through his shirt and made a nice line that filled up with blood and fell down his stomach in thin little droplets. The cut was enough to surprise the thug, but not enough to do real damage.

Duo didn't give the man any chances as he changed from his stabbing and cutting tactic to whacking the man to get his gun tactic. The shooter was surprised that his quarry cut him but he didn't catch on that Duo was hitting him to get his weapon. He saw the boy weaken with every movement. He only had to bide his time until the boy wore himself out.

One of Duo's whacks landed on the thug's knuckles and body instinct made him drop the gun. Duo dove as quickly as the gun fell. Things seemed to go in slow motion after that. The gun fell and Duo lunged for it as the shooter dove for the gun. Duo's hand closed on the grip and slipped his finger onto the trigger. In the distance he heard the sirens of the police and the ambulance, but he was more focused on what he needed to do now and not when the cavalry would arrive.

Time sped up again as he rolled out of the way and got onto one knee as the shooter looked at him with a smile still on his face. "You gonna shoot me boy?" he asked with old town New Orleans accent. "You can barely hold that gun. You won't be able to shoot it. I can tell that you're ready to pass out from blood loss."

Duo felt darkness sucking at him, but he wasn't about to tell the thug that. He glared and held the gun as steady as he could make it. He felt the need to answer that man with the smile, but the words that came out were not of his choosing it seemed. "You're looking at the God of Death. And the only thing I want from you is to give my regards to Hell!" Duo pulled the trigger and fell back onto the ground from the ricochet.

He saw the man fall a look of complete surprise on his face. He had honestly believed that Duo wouldn't be able to do it. He had been wrong and as Duo watched blood pool around him from the chest wound, he hoped it was dead wrong. He heard the sirens get louder, but he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. He had done what he needed to do and whatever happened next he was happy that he avenged his father.