MIA Part 1
Disclaimer, I didn't mean to steal them but they followed the trail of
chocolate kisses that I left *grins* but I didn't take no money for
them at all.
Okay that said this is in the Danville universe. anyone who wants to
can take a pot shot at me ... this has some non concentual things in
it and graphic depictions of violence at times. It will explore some
things that might not be nice
This is not a series, it will be completed in a couple more sections.
Hit delete now if this bothers You.
Thank you Claire and Joey for betaing and looking this over.
Feedback is always welcome
The jungle was never cool. Not even in after a rain that drenched
the area to the point that a new stream cut a course down the small
hill. The colors of the foliage became more brilliant but still the heat
was present, oppressive, it caused the air to shimmer at points.
Each flower was brilliant, each leaf was crystal clear and defined
after the wash from the down pouring of rain that came cascading
down.
Everything in the jungle had that fresh washed look. It was a
beautiful sight. Or it would have been were it not for the handcuffs
that held Assistant Director Walter Skinner to the metal frame of the
bed springs. His body was bare, not even a scrap of cloth to cover
him. He was drenched in sweat and water. His body bore the marks
of a severe beating. His glasses gone, broken he thought, but he
was not sure. His thoughts at this time didn't go much beyond what
pain the next moment would bring.
A noise captured his attention. He looked up and saw his captor reenter the small hut. Only one room, made of bamboo, it housed little more than the upright bedsprings to which he was fastened, a table and single chair, and a truck battery. It was the last item that had caused Skinner so much pain, attached to the battery was a pair of jumper cables.
Skinner's captor was a Captain Sung, he seemed to take particular delight in the torture of the former marine. He had been there every moment that Skinner had been beaten. He seemed to delight in the pain that was inflicted on the AD. He didn't speak a word. He merely nodded to soldier at the door and stood back.
A dipper of water was thrown on Skinners bare chest, part of it splashed on his face as the rest dripped down his body. He didn't catch the droplets of water that landed on his lips, past experience told him the water was
tainted and, after a severe bout of cramps and the embarrassment of soiling himself, he wouldn't take that kind of risk again. Skinner clenched his teeth together and tried to steel himself for what was to come next. He
closed his eyes and was not disappointed when the metal touched his body. The next moment he writhed in pain as the electricity coursed though him. it was a pain worse than any he had ever known. It ripped though ever part of his body at the same time.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, but was actually only a few seconds the metal was removed and the torture stopped. The pain that filled him lingered. It reminded him of when he last burned his hand. Even after he had pulled his hand away from the pot, the burn and pain still continued. He let out a half sob as he tried to maintain control of himself. But it was a losing battle. The pain that filled him just continued. The metal touched his body again and again he tensed and bit down hard as he clenched his teeth. His body jerked and twitched as the electricity flowed though him again. From the corner of his mind, he heard Cpt. Sung as he started to
laugh.
Fox Mulder was not the best person in the world at following orders. In fact, he pretty much sucked at that particular little thing. His 'Dad' the assistant Director of the FBI Walter S. Skinner had tried to instill obedience in his son, mostly though his butt. But it was a lesson that was taking a long time to stick. Fox had been ordered to stay home, he had been grounded by his father a week before. Not just grounded but placed under house arrest. Fox paced the back and forth in his room as he remembered the discussion the week before.
"WHY can't I come with you? You need me on this one. No offense Dad but you have been driving a desk for a long time. You might be a bit out of shape."
"I'm in good enough shape to kick your butt when it needs it." Walter snapped back. "Fox, I appreciate that you want to come with me. but I am not going to be gone that long. And you have to testify at the Tgona trial in
three days. You have to be here for that. I'm sorry son, the answer is no."
"You can't stop me," Fox said irritably as he got to his feet. "I am an adult. I can do what I want! Your my boss not my keeper!"
"Excuse me?" Walter stood up, his hands on his hips as he glared at the younger man. "Exactly what family do you think you're in?"
Fox had the good sense to look sheepish. "Look Dad, Sir." He started but Walter cut him off.
"NO! That's final. You will remain here, and testify at the Tgona trial as expected and I don't want to hear another word about it." The older man sighed slowly and placed a hand on each of Fox's shoulders. "Son, listen to me. I have to do this, You know that. I have to go and find out if Jake is still there, if he is, alive. I am going to be going through official channels, but my presence there may make a difference. You have to stay here or that child killer is going to get off. And neither of us could live with that. I know you don't want to stay. But you have to, we both have to."
Fox sighed deeply and nodded. Walter was right of course, but that didn't make it any easier.
"I know what you want to do Fox and I commend you for it but I can not allow you to do it. so, for your own good, other than when your testimony is needed, you're grounded. Agents will be posted around the house. They will think its for security but you will not leave this house until I get back."
Fox's head had snapped up at this but one look at Walter's face stopped anything he had to say. Walter waited another moment then sat back down on the chair. "Take down your jeans Son, and lets deal with that little display of disrespect."
Fox winced but did as he was told. He had hoped that would have escaped his father's notice, but he actually didn't expect it would. He unbuckled his belt and took his pants down to mid thigh. Then, after a moments hesitation, he knelt and allowed himself to be pulled over the strong thighs. One finger slipped into the back of his gray cotton boxers, then they too were pulled down. Fox clenched his cheeks in anticipation. He wasn't disappointed as the large hand crashed down on his rump. "What is this spanking for?" came the traditional question.
"For mouthing off to OOWW you." Fox replied as another half dozen swats peppered his bottom. "For being disrespectful."
Walter held the squirming man as he moved his hand around on the hapless bottom, making sure he covered ever inch of it in an effort to drive the lesson home and hopefully hold his son for a few days until he could get back. "We have talked SMACK about respect SMACK before Fox, SMACK SMACK I don't expect to have to repeat this lesson. SMACK SMACK You know better SMACK than to speak to me in that manner, SMACK SMACK SMACK I don't talk to
you like that. SMACK SMACK and I DO NOT expect it back!" SMACK SMACK SMACK
"I promise, please Dad, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Fox sobbed as his bottom was painted a new shade of crimson. He knew the spanking was warranted but that didn't stop the burn in his bottom.
Walter soothed his son gently, rubbing his back for a moment as he cried out more than just the pain of the spanking. He cried out the helplessness he felt. Then Walter slid him off his knees and pulled him into a heartfelt hug. Fox didn't resist at all, but found the familiar shoulder and just sobbed out his shame and remorse.
When the tears had stopped, Walter pushed Fox back to look into his face. "I meant what I said Fox, you are under house arrest until I get back. I do not want you trying to follow me. I am trusting you to obey me Son."
Fox nodded. "I will Dad."
Walter ruffled the too long hair and smiled. "Good, I'll call Joe and see if he can come and stay with you," he held up a hand at the protest that started to erupt. "I know you said you would obey, and I believe you, but
I also know how you are when you get your teeth into something. I don't want a momentary lapse in judgment to buy you any more trouble. Joe can keep you company and ensure that. It's that or I can have him here to stand in for me while you are on a punishment tour. Is that necessary Fox?"
"No, Sir, it's not necessary. There should be a couple good games on this week I think." Fox gave in, he knew he was just not going to win this one.
Joe had come over and stayed with Fox for the week, he kept the younger man on track for the trial and kept him from worrying to much, but now, it was 3 days past the deadline when Walter said he would be back and even Joe was worried.
Joe called Andy to see if he knew anything. It didn't take long for the men to all decide something needed to be done. They met at the McLean house a while later.
"The official word is there is no official word." Fox said as they sat down. "Dad took a week off for vacation and that is all that is known there."
I checked a few contacts I have in the White House," Andy said, carefully avoiding any mention of how he checked them. "Nothing. There is no record of any negotiation for the release or exchange of MIAs or POWs from anywhere in Vietnam. The official word there is still that there are no MIAs or POWs left in Vietnam period."
"Something is very wrong, I feel it." Fox said, "I went though Dad's office. Don't give me flack about privacy, I had to know." Neither man said a word. "I didn't find much. Dad is careful if nothing else. But I did find
this outline of on the blotter. I shaded it out and super imposed it on a map a couple of maps and came up with this." He held up a map of Laos with a line drawn though it. "I think he went in to free his friend. Not to negotiate a return. If I am right, then I need to get there and get him out, fast."
"Hold it there Fox, I don't disagree that he needs to be gotten out. But you are not going there alone. If at all." Joe interrupted sternly, again Fox could see the uncanny resemblance of his Dad in his Uncle.
"You can't go with me if that is what your thinking. You have a family." Fox started.
"So do you Fox." Andy interjected. "Fox, you are not going alone. Joe and I may not have been in the military but then neither have you. We are going with you. End of discussion."
Fox looked at the two men he thought of as uncles, and friends and nodded. "Yes Sir." He said with only a trace of sarcasm. Secretly he was glad his uncles had said they were going with him, though he didn't want to risk
them either. "I placed a call to the Gunmen the other day and let them on what is going on. They have rounded up everything we need to go find Dad. I also called a few of Dad's ex military friends. And one who is still with the military. They don't want us to go either, but they have all agreed to do this. we rendezvous in Ho Chi Minh City and then go from there. I don't have much of a plan. And if we get caught. We will not come back. I
don't think you should both go. If Gran and Gram lost all of three of you, I ." Fox let the last of it trail off.
"Four of us Fox, there are four of us. And I don't think Dad would want one of us to be in trouble without the others going to find him." Joe said firmly. "and no I am not going to call him to test that. I do think you should stay here Andy, you have the youngest kids and frankly your abilities would be better served here, in case we don't make it back. so no one forgets."
Andy looked at his older brother and his nephew. He knew Joe was right. He shouldn't go, they did need someone here but he was not about to be left behind. He shook his head and opened his mouth to speak. Then the lights
went out. Joe gripped his hand. "Damn he has a hard head."
Together Joe and Fox got Andy on the sofa and Fox took out an envelope, it contained a duplicate of everything they had and everything they knew. Just in case. Fox set it on Andy's chest. "He's going to be pissed when he
wakes up."
"Yep." Joe nodded, "Let's go."
Once in the city that had been Saigon, they met up with Walter's marine buddies. Fox and Joe already knew Chuck Talbot, Jim Harley, Dave Pearsall, and Fox had met marine Captain Frank Palmeri a few years before when he was held in his jail. "None of you should be here." Frank said "Leave this with the military and let us handle it though official channels."
"With all due respect to the military, they are the reason Dad is in this mess in the first place, they wouldn't listen when he got the word about his friend Jake, and they have disavowed any knowledge of Dad being here at all. Or that they should even look. You don't have to be here, sir, but I am not leaving without my father."
Frank tried to stare the young man down, but Fox had been glared at by the best, he just stared back until the older man stopped and shook his head. "You're all damn fools." He said. "and I'm the biggest damn fool of all.
Come on, lets go find your Dad so he can kick your butt." And the large man turned and walked off.
Their plan was simple, they would take a boat up the South China Sea to Dien Chau, then drive to Ky Son, just outside the Laos boarder. From there they would sneak across the boarder and meet up with a contact at Ban Ban,
who would take them the rest of the way. The word was that Walter was being held just outside of Xiangkhoang about 25 miles southwest of Ban Ban. Once they had Walter, they would have to hike to a place three miles out, where the truck would be waiting for them. Then they would drive towards Muang Pakxan where, if they were successful, they would have a helicopter waiting to take them out of Laos to where they could get back out of Vietnam and back to the States.
But first they needed to get to Walter. During the boat trip they checked the weapons they had brought with them and poured over the maps, each man traced the routes they would need to take plus any alternatives.
Walter gasped as the bamboo rod connected again with his abdomen and puked up what little was left in his belly. Livid bruises decorated his body, several long scratches graced his legs from where he was dragged across the ground. He shuddered again at the sight of the deepest one. It looked infected. But he didn't have time to think about that as the rod cracked across his kidneys one more time. A half cry escaped his lips before he was
able to stop it. the beating stopped then.
Walter breathed in and out in an effort to stop the black spots that threatened to take him down into the blackness again. The last time he had blacked out they attached leeches to his testicles and tied his hands behind
his back. Then they had hoisted him up by his arms and left him there for the night. He didn't want that to happen again. Walter bit hard on the inside of his mouth. The pain helped to dispel the black spots and stave off the blackness. His shoulders hurt but he was allowed to rest on the floor for a while. He could feel them swell as he rested. His eyes grew huge as he saw the guard pull out his knife and advance.
Dave and Chuck stayed with the truck and Fox while Frank and Jim went to meet the contact. They had not had any trouble when they slipped across the border, one at a time with Frank at the rear. They made it through the barbed wire and into the thicker jungle. The truck was where they had been told it would be. Fox was never so glad to see anything in his life. While the other men had at least been in the war together. Fox had not been in
the military at all. Fox ran and swam to stay in shape but he was just not used to hiking though the dense jungle folage.
Frank and Jim came back two hours later and ushered the other men into the truck. They drove to a place just outside of the village and someone else got into the truck. Fox kept a watch out while they were stopped. They drove on for a while then pulled the truck into the jungle. While Chuck and Jim covered their tracks. Fox helped Dave and Frank cover the truck. They wanted to use it later when they had Walter. "Where are we?" Fox asked softly.
"Just outside of Xiangkhoang," Frank said. "We will meet back here after we get Walter. The place we think he is being held is about 3 klicks from here."
Fox nodded, "Do we have a plan or do we just go in and take him."
"Once we get closer and see that he is there we will wait for dark and slip in. The reports say that there are only a dozen guards scattered around the area. Ta here has some friends in the area. They will come with us and we can release any other prisoners held there. Our priority is to get Walter and any other Americans out of there quickly and quietly. If something happens, we get Walter only."
Fox nodded again and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Hold on Dad." He thought.
To be continued