Vendetta

Well well well here we go yet again.

I need to break away from the shackles of a routine life whose grip is becoming stronger by the day. The only way i could think of is to start writing a blog.

For sometime I was into reading all sorts of murder mysteries and thrillers. So from what little I have read I could gather that these novels become best sellers because as a reader we can relate to the lead character of the novel. Some aspect of the character would be familiar and we instantly develop a camaraderie towards him or her. When I look at a novel there are two things that interest me (People!!!! the views expressed here are strictly my own. At no point do I want to force something upon you that you will not take. You take it or leave it Your choice. Everybody has a right to his or her opinion and I respect that fact.may be not the opinion ;)) One is Suspense element and the next is Fear element.

All of us relate to fear. Cos thats how we have been brought up. Right from a very young age. I remember my mom telling me when she was feeding me food." Arun..... eat now or that one eyed monster would come" and i would just gobble away.
Well many of us would have had the same experience.

So to start away I am actually planning to start on a suspense note or say a thriller of sorts. Will do my best to retain your interest till the very end. For those of whom the blog was interesting.. well good that you enjoyed. For those of you to whom it was dull a drab a waste of time.. well as I have told before everyone is entitled to his or her opinions.....:)


Johnny Vasquez is now breathing heavily. He is unable to place his location in the dark. His command is giving away orders and that is audible to him in just a muffle on his walkie talkie. He is hurt and is bleeding. "Alpha one to J, Alpha one to J........ Come in J". The battery charge indicator has turned from the brilliant fluorescent green to deep red. Well is it not destiny's way of saying "your time's up" So it seemed to Johnny.

His back pack is lying next to him. The only thing he can think of is the mission. His own personal vendetta was now going to be left incomplete. His vow to Jenna is going to remain incomplete. "Oh Jenna please forgive me...".

He can hear footsteps nearby. All he can do is hope and pray his camouflage paint doesn't give him away. He can hear the distant barking of dogs.
"C'mon Johny you can do it" He says to himself. "Pick up your droopy butt and move".
He gives it a try. To get up. But the ball and socket joint on his elbow feels as if it is trying to lift a 500 pounder. It gives way and Johny drops to his back and groans.
He has a great physique for a forty year old. Thanks to all the physical exercise his job demands.
His only complaint." I couldn't let jenna know what i have been doing all along. And can never let her know in the future as well."

Thats when it happened. At that instant he was transported back to the day when he was entering his college campus as a freshman. He could see a young Johnny Vasquez. Dressed in light blue jean and a polo T shirt. The look of nervousness was largely writ all over his face. He was taking the course in Pschycology. He went into the admin office to get info about the course , the class room and the building. Thats when he turned to leave for the door , His head hit something hard. All the papers in his hand flew away to glory. His glasses landed a good two feet from him. Lucky for him they did not break. He managed to get hold of them and he turned around to find a set of two beautiful hands frantically working at picking all the papers strewn aside. He had to lift his head and see. The blinding light of the room hit his eye and he quivered. Then shutting of the light with a hand he saw the person to whom the hands belonged.
A petite girl, wearing a beige turtle neck over a jean. She was being extremely apologetic, but all he could muster was" Its ok." His mind was racing, the veins in his head pounding. He took the papers from her.

That was how Jenna entered Johnny's life.

"Whizzzzzzzzzzz" flew a bullet past his ear. That brought him back to senses. The snipers trying their best. The soldiers on foot sweeping all the area. But all Johnny could do was lie on his back and writhe in pain. He was angry with himself for this precarious position of his.
" How did Manny's men know I would pay them a visit. Who is the mole in the agency." His mind frantically searching for answers any clue anything that happened in the last 24 hours that would make sense to him.
But blank like the line on a CRT terminal that would read a patients heart rate when he is dead.
"Jenna my sweet jenna why us? " Thats the question that kept coming to him time and again.

Now he slowly slipped into the realm of subconscious.
" Excuse me Johnny" Startled by the sudden intruder in the deserted department library Johnny looks up from the book he has been pouring over for the past 4 hours."Hey its me Jenna, Remember we are both in the same pschycology class" For johnny Pschycology was the core subject , for jenna an elective. "I was wondering if you can help me out with my thesis work." Her doe eyes were so captivating that Johnny was lost in them for a brief moment catching only the whiff of the last sentence."oh ..hmm can you come again what was that" " Well I was wondering if you can help me with my thesis Johnny. It would be great if you can give me your inputs on the subject" " Well , lemme see what best i can do. I would not disappoint a damsel in distress would I" A glint of naughtiness in his eyes.
"Well thanks to the thesis Jenna, I have found a great friend in you." " Oh the pleasure is all mine johnny."

"Look who is there. I see something moving. Get down here you lazy morons" came the voice of the chief of Manny's personal guards, Mr. Keith Robertson. Among his men he was known as "King". Footsteps running towards where Johnny was lying. The vibrations of the ground caused by the boots of the men in black uniforms holding their Kevlars with safety off woke up Johnny from his sweet slumber once again.
He knew he had to act soon lest he wanted to be found and killed by Manny's men.

Ok thats enough says Johny to himself. "C'mon get up you lazy mutt. Get up and get out of here." He gets up just in time to see the "King " and his men moving towards him. He looks around in search of anything that would make him invisible to king's men. Just then he turns around to to see that he is on the edge of a small slope that lead to the rivulet that flew around manny's mansion. He pushed himself and slided into the rivulet Just in time to avoid the search light beam of King's men. He had to stay still. Not a movement, not a breath not even a blink of the eye. King's men with their night vision goggles out were now closing in on johnny's location. As an act of GOD the current in the rivulet began to strengthen. All Johnny had to do was to hold on to the drifting piece of wood. Well he did just that. Clung onto to that piece of wood like his life depended on it.

Now all he could remember was the light beams passing all over him and missing him by inches. Johnny again slips into his unconscious.

The beautiful decorated church. The day that Johnny would wed Jenna. The day all his dreams would come true. The priest reading out the marital vows and Johnny looking into the love filled eyes of jenna. " Do you Johnny Vasquez take this women Jenna to be your lawfully wedded wife and would soothe her, comfort her and look after her for the rest of your life"
" I do"
" and now you my lady, Do you Jenna take this man Johnny Vasquez to be your lawfully wedded husband and take care of him love him and comfort him for the rest of your life"
"I do"
"Well with the powers of the church vested in me I now pronounce you man and wife, You may kiss the bride"
That was when it happened. A moment of magic sheer magic. Johnny looked into Jenna's eyes. Held her in his arms. Closed his eyes and was about to kiss her when he felt moisture in his left hand .
Then he realizes the commotion in the church. Women wailing and children running here and there. Jenna's dad is now unconscious. Jenna collapses in Johnny's arms. Her smile still alive on her silken face. The tear of happiness in her eyes that is about to fall but isn't.
Her beautiful wedding gown which made her look like an angel is now crimson red with her blood. Little did Johnny realize that the bullet which hit Jenna's heart pierced through his arm taking away a chunk of flesh. Blood oozed out of his arm. Oblivious to the bleeding Johnny's trained eyes are frantically searching for the person responsible for this mayhem.
Thats when he notices the Gucci shoes walking away from the church. The shoes with M embossed in gold on them. He quickly recollects the shoes and the person to whom they belong.
Manny the resident drug lord of his province.
His anger knows no bounds. All he thinks of is going and ripping Manny apart.
But no... says his conscious.
He stays out.
The next day ,on the very podium where they exchanged their marital vows, Jenny now lay lifeless. Grief and sorrow gripped him. Depression beckoned him. But he was a warrior. A soldier.
He knew now that his battle was not with enemies across the border but with the ones within.
Why had manny resorted to killing him. or rather his better half. This was the question that plagued him.

He began the quest of finding answers. It had taken him 12 long years but to no avail.

Just when the turmoil in his mind was brewing stronger he felt something hard hit his chest knocking the wind out of him. He just had enough energy in him to open his eyes and look at the surroundings . "Ah" he knew this place . Seemed so familiar. He was now walking through his journey of life in his mind trying to place location where he now lay. thats when it occurred to him.. St George's Hospital. " Yes... Yes . You have done it Johnny." But he still lay in a puddle that had transported him from Manny's place to where he lay. The rivulet went past the hospital where it eventually joined the ocean. Had the current been stronger I would have been fish feed thought Johnny. A branch that hit the wood johnny was afloat was the only obstruction between him and the ocean. He gathered enough strength to pull himself ashore.

Again Johnny slipped into unconsciousness. " Jenna.... My Love..Time is ripe and Manny will fall. He will fall hard and take all his muck with him down under. God give me strength. Let my will prevail."

As he muttered these words, he felt the earth around him move. He was being carried. He could hear voices. " Come in Operator Come in.. We have a vic down here ....Come in..... god damn these operators. why don't they sit that butt of theirs on their seat. Come in operator come in. we don't have got much time damn it. what the hell...... OK joey lets just do it our selves. On the count of three Hoist him up and we will carry him to the hospital.One.... Two and three .." His body was being hoisted up and he began to feel the shudder of being transported to the hospital on foot.
Again receding into the beautiful realm of unconscious. it was beautiful cos thats where he could see her.. His Jenna Be with her Live with her .. He saw her in a garden of tulips. In a beautiful scarlet frock. Her hair tied in a bun and the sparkle in her eyes making him go crazy. He just stood there and saw her jump and laugh and dance to the tunes of the cool summer breeze which naughtily undoes the bun. Now her auburn hair caressing her face and her long nimble fingers trying to over power her dancing tresses. which she efficiently ties back into a bun. Her voice so serene. her gaze so warm. He was just prepared to remain in this realm of uncertainty. Just to see his jenna. To be with her live with her. He felt being trudged along into a place further deep, as if he was free falling down a sky scrapper. He could sense all darkness around him. he was loosing his sense of hearing. It was growing more silent. It was growing dark. He again muttered his prayers. "God deliver me to light. Give me strength I must live. I must survive." As if an answer to his prayers he began hearing voices.

He recognized one voice.It was the voice he had heard before. " Thank God Joey we have done it. The vic is out of danger now. Hence forth it is convalescing time for him. God speed then." May be this joey person doesn't speak at all cos johnny did not hear his voice then neither did he hear now.

He had lost track of time. He did not know which part of the day it was when he woke up. It was a herculean task for him to open his eye lids which he eventually did. The light coming through the window was so blinding that he immediately shut his eyes close. He again tried to pry them open and his pupil were getting used to the brightness. So his gaze changed from a squint to ordinary. As he lay in his bed johnny began to embark on his journey yet again... the journey of his mind.

"Zoom................." A Sukhoi went past him. Scanning the perimeter for any infiltrators was the pilot in the cockpit. His gaze going around the lush fields where there had been reports of infiltration. He swerved sharply to his left and Johnny watched the sukhoi leave the area.. Not sure how long it would be before it came back on its reconnoitering mission Johnny in his camouflage gear looked around for his team. He was the leader of "SPEC-TAC" (Special Tactical) team which often undertook covert operations in the neighboring states to flush out miscreants, trouble makers and war lords. It was just yesterday that he and Jenna decided they would tie the knot. He had been making countless battles within himself. To decide whether to go ahead and marry Jenna. He had no doubt loved her more than his life.... But he was not sure about his life. As a member of the SPEC TAC team you were just not sure of anything. The only minute that belonged to you was the one in which u took your breath. The next minute you might not be able to do that. Such were the uncertainties looming large over his head. Yet he decided to take the plunge. To get hitched. He and jenna had numerous talks on this and finally out came the solitaire from his palm and down he went on his knee." Jenna My love " he said with great pride. " Will you marry me". No sooner than the last of his words came out of his mouth Jenna's eyes were the first to respond. Out came that tear. The tear of joy. A tear that symbolized the end of a long wait. " I will" she said as johnny adorned her nimble ring finger with the solitaire. It gleamed brightly and Johnny embraced Jenna forgetting they were in the middle of that uptown mall. Suddenly there was a huge applause from all around them. the entire mall had viewed the events unfold and they were happy for the newly engaged.
" Ka booooom" thats when one of his crew accidentally tripped over a land mine which was hidden in the fields.
" Five may be less boys. Thats the time we have got , to drag our asses of this field" Johnny had taken the lead and was just about to enter a blanket of trees when one of his team was spotted by the Sukhoi. The pilot deftly began shooting his automatic maxim machine gun. Just a tap on that tiny button on his console and 500 bullets would be disposed from the planes hull and that too in just under a minute. He ploughed the field with his bullets injuring one and killing two of Johny's men.
His mission today mission" Man eater" was to nab a drug lord Manny Gomez, whose story had been one of rags to riches in recent times. Manny's reach had been far and wide. He had people in the government working for him. You name a department and manny had his man or rather men in them. He was a small time thug who hit the lime light when he ripped the Government of billions of dollars by stealing all the confiscated heroine from right under their noses.
He then began his foray into the drug world. So from a one time petty thief to a drug lord manny had come a long way. He had one thing in him which was both his strength and weakness.
He never trusted people. " He can sniff the rat in you" was how one of his dying men working with the FBI put it, lying on his death bed. He was now closing in on a major drug deal and thats when Johnny's team received a tip off. They had to nab him alive. Well ... those were the orders Johnny's team had got from the FBI.

He was ready to collar the perp. He and what was left of his team were outside Manny's mansion. Manny had his own security and they were armed with all the latest available guns that would make even the SPEC TAC seethe in envy. Now discussing their plan and giving specific orders to his team Johnny propped himself up against the huge wall that surrounded the mansion.

" Fire in the hole ...." as one of his men shouted Johnny ducked for cover. Boom the explosion shattered the glass windows of the mansion. Manny's army that was guarding that part of the wall was blown away. Seared pieces of human flesh was thrown all over the lawn of the mansion. Just as reinforcements arrived Johnny;s men blew up all the napalm bombs that they had set around the perimeter. More chaos more confusion and more death. Amidst this mayhem johnny noticed one man dressed in a printed armani dress and white chinos with a cigar in his mouth watching over from the balcony of his mansion. "Manny Gomez there over there on the balcony " snipers take him down take him nows the chance"

Johnny wished he had the powers to kill manny. it was more a personal vendetta for him. His jenna was dead and the reason was standing right there. a click of his trigger and he would dispose off manny Gomez. But there was protocol that he had to abide by.

Now johnny's men were out numbered by manny's guards.
Suddenly they began to fall. One after another. First his sniper then his plotter then his left wing command then right wing. " Oh no its an ambush we have been set up" Johnny barked into his microphone. But there was no response from the other end all johnny could hear was the static. Thats when a bullet catches johnny in the thigh fair and square. The sun was returning to its abode and the moon was rising from his. As the night fell death loomed large over the lawns of manny's mansion.

" We have been tricked.. J to command J to command"
Johnny Vasquez is now breathing heavily. He is unable to place his location in the dark. His command is giving away orders and that is audible to him in just a muffle on his walkie talkie. He is hurt and is bleeding. "Alpha one to J, Alpha one to J........ Come in J". The battery charge indicator has turned from the brilliant fluorescent green to deep red. Well is it not destiny's way of saying "your time's up" So it seemed to Johnny.

" Its time for your medication Sir" A voice broke his sojourn and he was pleased to get out of it.
He opened his eyes to find a middle aged Caucasian lady with the tray of medicines in one had and a glass of water in another. She had a pleasant demeanor. Johnny stifled yawn and he quickly gulped his daily dose of tablets and the water. She went about her daily ablutions. Gave johnny a bath dressed him up and dressed his wounds then left.

A month had passed. Johnny was now into physio. He was regaining his strength. Little by little.
He used to have one constant visitor every day. Robert Alvarez. His SPEC TAC chief and his bosom buddy. he would visit johnny every day and help him with his physio. he wanted his leader back in shape.as the SPEC TAC had one unfinished business Project " MAN EATER".
Never in its illustrious history spanning over 10 years had the spec tac failed on a covert op. It was a blemish that Robert Alvarez was keen to wipe away. So he knew if that was to happen he had to have his leader in prime form. Johnny was getting back to shape. Slowly but steadily he was showing improvement in health. and his wounds were now just scars. Scars not jus physical but mental . Scars which Johnny wanted to wipe away both from his body and his memory.
The doctors at the hospital were very happy with the way things were progressing. The man who had saved johnny. Will. his name was very happy at his progress, Finally johnny heard Joey speak, And those few words of Joey were still etched in Johnny's mind. " Battle lost but not war. You have fallen once only to rise again and risen you have for your enemies to fall." As he said these words Johnny could see the admiration Joey had for him and how he wanted Johnny to kick manny's ass.
Back at the head quarters, It had taken exactly 4 months and 6 days for Johnny to get back to where he belonged and for johnny to do what he is good at.
In this four months the Mole had been flushed out of Spec Tac. It was one of the unassumingly invisible secretory of Robert. She, they had found out was Manny's wife. Now now that goes to say how efficient manny was in placing his pieces in strategic places. She was disposed off in the only possible way one would dispose of a mole. A shot in the head from a glock. A 0.8 mm shot that pierced through he scheming brain taking with it chunks of Grey matter. Manny had been shocked by this. He vowed that this time the revenge would be even more catastrophic.
Johnny now back, had began to plan SPEC TAC's next move.

Target: Keith Robertson AKA King
That was the slide on the projector in the auditorium that held the current team of spec tac.

" Now guys, Manny's key man is this chap on the screen. Keith Robertson aka King. Our last operation went phunk because of his brain. Manny is all brawn and little brain. King is our man. He needs to be taken down first. Now I need info on his whereabouts. His ids, social security numbers, family, friends, where he goes for golf and what is his favourite TV show. get going. IF king falls hard manny falls harder and thats when we strike and strike hard. So get those asses moving and get me some info."

It had been two days since the meeting and a huge file lay in Johnny's hands. "KING" embossed on its cover. Inside was information. Information that johnny wanted. So now things started to fall into place. the pieces of the Jigsaw were begining to make sense.

"Every man has his vice and so does our perp KING" said johnny addressing his team. Team of efficient and able men. Men who would die for him die with him .
" Like any other voyeur KING takes pleasure in enjoying beauty and visits this famous strippers joint every friday night. Thats where we will hole him out and thats were he will perish"
He laid down the details of the plan. and checked his watch. 12 PM said his watch and the day, Friday. WEll he had another 6 hours before he set his plan rolling. He had made the phone calls and pulled a few strings. The bouncers at the club would be Johnny's men. The people entering the club posing as customers would be his men. the waiters at the club would be his men. well practically the club would be Johnny's hunting ground for the evening where he would lay his hands on his prized catch "King".

" How are you doing Phil" said King as he entered not looking at the bouncer. When he did look and not finding Phil."hey wheres Phil, i don't see him nowhere" "Phil is ill Mr. King. He sure has told us what you would want " said the bouncer winking. This put king at ease who for a minute felt something was wrong. Then he was ushered into the dim lit club. Music blaring from the bose speakers. He looked around for his famous spot. His chair. " The king's throne" he thought.
" ah,,,, there it is. But who has moved it to that corner. Phil i miss you my man. this joint is not the same with out you" muttered johnny. Just as he sat down on his chair He felt a pin break in the seat. " Oh no" he thought. " I have set the bomb running and the pressure switch is now activated" he was correct in deed. Johny's men had rigged a bomb into kings chair.

He was sweating profusely. Not knowing what to do he was frantically searching for someone who would help him. " Ok Boys we have got our man lets get it over with" that was Johnny's voice looming over the music. " Yes where's the music " thought king. The place was all quiet and king saw he was surrounded by men in their army suits and masks with glocks in their hands. Suddenly they moved aside and in came johnny. " Ah you,,, So you are not dead after all." barked king. " No baby not yet. I hate to disappoint you and that warlord boss of yours. But i am alive and kicking. Ok now we need some piece of information from you King" " Oh ya the only information you will get from me is.... this " out flew the spittle from King directed towards johnny. Wiping it off his face" Now see here baby, I don't like being treated like this show some respect you scumbag."

Even after 6 hours of investigation nothing comes out of King. He is as tight lipped as a person can be. because he knows , though he is in the good books of his boss. If he leaks out some information he is as good as dead. Then Johny steps in. " Ok boys leave us alone for a moment and u can take off from where u left." The officers in the room left leaving King and Johnny alone.
They knew this one session with johnny was all that king needed give them wat they want.

"Ok wise ass, I have got two options with me now. I either put this bullet into that thick skull of yours and go after that boss of yours myself or you save me the trouble of having to kill you by letting us know what we want. Its not much that we ask of you given to the kind of shit you are in now." So he got his glock ready. Safety off. and did not use his official ration of bullets. But had a blank instead. " Dont mistake me, this blank is capable of doing enough damage when fired from a point blank range. King was getting back to his bearings now. He knew he had to hole out his boss if he had to survive this ordeal.
He told Johnny all he wanted to know.

It was Sunday and the sun seemed to have popped up from its slumber early than usual. The cemetery next to the st. Francis church wore that deserted look which would seem ominous enough fopr any passer by during the wee hours of the night. Jenna's tombstone was visible from the entrance. Today the tombstone adjacent to Jenna's did not hold the body it was made to hold but in turn held the SPEC TAC team, The tomb stone and the burial ground were ornately decorated. and advantage was it held about 5 adults.

First of the cars started pouring in. It was the first death anniversary of Manny's father. Very soon manny would share the same date as his father. All the major warlords were invited.
it was a pompous affair for manny.
Johny went over to jenna's tombstone paid his respects and now switched on to the "Network"" Come in unit 2 come in unit 2 where the hell are u.
" base to unit two to base to unit 2. All entries and exit secured and watch out for Mr. Manny, His body guards are not the run of the mill guards they are all specially trained and report only to manny. Even king had no contol on them,

So as planned Johnny;s mend would penetrate the inner circle and he would take care of manny.
" Jenna my love I m here today because of you, I keep standing and staring at you , I live with u in my dreams. Today manny will fall and will fall hard."

Just as one of Johnny's men closed in on the location he was blown to pieces by a pipe bomb. This alerted Manny. he was about to leave when king's gun shot missed Johnny by millimeters.It had found the safety of his boss's heart." "you traitor shouted Manny. Not knowing what hit him and his beautiful off white shirt from Hugo boss was now stained in blood. Every breathe that manny took the bullet inched closer to his heart. "

Now manny realized what he had done to Jenna and Johny in particular.
For johnny the vendetta couldn't have come in a more better way than this. Illustrating Manny's pain and anguish and shock that was writ largely on his face.

" WE now present the medal of honour to Mr Johnny leader of the spec tac. For doing what he had done. At the outset though it may appear brash, it is what a person when faced with adversities and who is responsible would do" said his commander in chief
and just then a huge applause breaks in the stands.
Johnny looked at the skies and seemed to see a silhouette of Jenna in the clouds.
A tear falls on his medal.
" I love you Jenna" whispered johnny to himself.



Well folks thats how it ends and thats how i have perceived it to end.
Thank you and kudos for coming this far. Well now its comments time. I lookl forward for your valuable suggestions and opinions that would drive me further to dish out many more such blogs. or should i say mini novels[;)]