PART FOUR - MIDNIGHT TERROR

Late that night, Annie and Severin- both in their Red uniforms to present a strong image of solidarity- silently approached the small, dark cottage that Jessie and James Morgan called home. Annie had to admit- Michael had done well for his parents. Though the cottage was small and not very close to Headquarters, it held a quaint, nice aura around it, almost like the home of which she held the vaguest memories- the home she herself had grown up in.

This cottage had the same small, homely feel to it, and the back side of it opened to a path that led directly to the forest that separated the large expanse of Viridian City and the quiet suburban feel of Pallet Town. In her mind's eye, Annie could almost see that little girl again, that young, carefree soul who played in the yard happily for hours from morning to lunch, then again until the sweet voice of her mother called her in once more for dinner… at least, until the day when her mother had been silenced, never to call her name again… Then, Auntie Raven had come in her black Team Rocket dress, and whisked her away to a new world, a new life…

"Annie?" Severin's voice reeled her back to the present. She was older and stronger now, here to erase the mistakes of the past, here to finish the job she had started 26 years ago. She nodded to Severin, and the two silently crept up the path and through the unlocked door. The entry led into the living room, where a table holding the leftovers of a pasta dinner sat. Annie looked the small table, and noticed the two candlesticks that had been blown out hours before. She scoffed softly at the notion of Jessie and James' idea of romance.

Annie looked to the doorway in the back corner of the room, and heard a quite snoring from inside. With a silent, fluid motion, she and Severin drew their weapons of choice- Annie, her gun, and Severin, his long, razor-sharp knife. The two Reds nodded to each other and slipped through the doorway.

A soft light from a lamp on the dresser illuminated the room. Jessie and James lay beside each other under the blankets, sleeping peacefully and completely unaware of the nightmare about to consume them.

Without a word, Annie slipped to James’ side of the bed, and Severin to Jessie’s side. Annie nodded to Severin, and climbed onto the bed, straddling James.

In his sleep, James smiled. “Mmmm… Jessie…” He murmured as his hands reached for Annie’s hips.

With an evil smile, Annie drew her free hand back and slapped James hard across the face. Confused and in pain, James’ eyes blinked open, and he screamed in fear when they focused. His enemy had returned, just as he had secretly feared she would for years.

Annie smiled nastily as she held her gun close to James’ face. “Hello, James. Am I real… or just a bad dream?” she asked viciously.

“Jessie! Help!” James called as he turned to look at his beloved wife, only to find her pinned down in the bed by Severin, his hand clamped over her mouth, and his knife glinting in the soft light at her throat as Jessie’s eyes flashed with fear and anger.

“I’m afraid Mrs. Morgan is unavailable.” Severin grinned. “Please try again later.”

“Oh, that’s right… I’m real!” Annie laughed darkly. “So good to see you again, James. It’s been far too long, wouldn’t you agree?”

“No.” James whimpered. “How did you get here?”

Annie smirked. “I found a friend. A real friend. An intelligent friend who knew the truth. Now I’m here to finish the job I started 26 years ago. You do remember where we left off, don’t you, James?”

James looked at Annie with pleading eyes. “Look, Annie, fine. You’ve won. You have me. Go ahead and kill me if you want, but I beg you, don’t hurt Jessie. She’s not the one you want.” He said desperately.

“Oh, no, no, no. I can’t let her go. After all, she’s the one who saved you last time.” Annie said coolly.

“Annie, please!” James screamed.

“Hey… what’s goin’ on?” came a groggy voice from under the bed. Meowth crawled out from under the bed sleepily, his eyes going wide as he recognized Annie immediately. “Agh! It’s dat Annie chick!” he yelped in surprise.

Annie’s mind flashed back to the last time she had seen this Pokemon… and the fury swipes it had used on her. “You.” She snarled. “In the corner, or they die now!”

Meowth nervously backed into the corner as he watched Annie hold the gun to James’ face and Severin hold the knife to Jessie’s throat.

Annie laughed. “Come on, Severin. We’ve got a job to do.”

“Right.” Severin replied, taking his hand off Jessie’s mouth and handing the bag he had carried in over to Annie.

“You bastard!” Jessie snarled. “What do you two think you’re doing?!”

“You talk too much.” Severin growled, pressing his knife closer to Jessie’s throat, breaking the skin in a small spot as James watched in horror.

“NO!” Annie screamed. “Don’t kill her! If you kill her…” Annie paused for a second. “…she’ll miss the party.” Annie finished darkly. Severin looked at Jessie, then at Annie, and smiled as he nodded.

“What are you talking about? What party?” James asked.

“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough, Jimmy boy.” Annie taunted. “Let’s just say it’ll be a killer.” She said with a crooked grin. With that, Annie climbed off the bed, keeping her gun trained on James’ head. “Now. The living room. All three of you.” She ordered.

James cautiously climbed out of bed, holding his hands in mid-air as he did so. He didn’t say a word as he watched Severin guard Jessie with that knife, only prayed that she would stay quiet so she might live through this night of hell…

Jessie stood up and followed James and Annie, the bastard still behind her with his arm wrapped around her, holding the knife mere millimeters from the soft flesh of her neck. She despised this situation… one wrong move and James was a dead man for sure. Perhaps, however, perhaps if she played along, Annie would get careless. After all, it had happened before…

Meowth followed his two companions into the living room, silently begging for the chance to make a move like he had last time, but knowing it was probably impossible considering Annie now had a partner who seemed just as deadly as she did - if not more so.

When the group entered the living room, Annie produced a pair of handcuffs from the bag and locked James’ hands behind his back, just as her hands had been bound so many times at The Resort. She then tossed a pair to Severin and he did the same to Jessie, forcing her into submission as Annie pressed her gun into James’ head. Silently, Jessie cursed the whole predicament as she realized that she had lost her chance to help.

Annie gestured to the couch. “Sit.” She ordered. Jessie, James and Meowth obeyed. “Severin! Get the chairs!” Annie said curtly. Severin walked to the dinner table to get the two chairs as Annie kept her gun trained on her three captives.

Jessie glared at her. “You bitch.” She snarled. “It’s been 26 years. I’m gonna tell you now what I told you then. Give it up!”

Annie scowled at her. “Shut up. I’ve been through 26 years of hell because of you three, and now you’re gonna pay for every last second of it… every torture I endured, every morning I woke up in that cell, every time I had to put on hand and leg cuffs and take orders from a lowly grunt… all of it!"

Severin came over with the chairs. “Guard them.” Annie said, motioning at James and Meowth.

“Right.” Severin said with a smile. Oh, everything was coming together perfectly... Soon Masterson would be tying her own noose and paving his way to the top all at once…

Annie walked to Jessie and smiled perversely as she reached behind Jessie’s head and grabbed her by her long her long red hair. Annie yanked her to her feet and pulled her roughly to the chair as Jessie howled with pain. Without a word, Annie shoved Jessie down into the chair and used an entire roll of duct tape to secure her in place. Through the whole ordeal, Jessie watched Annie angrily and helplessly, knowing Severin wouldn’t hesitate to kill James or Meowth if she resisted. With a flourish, Annie pulled the last piece of tape from the roll and slapped it across Jessie’s mouth, sealing it shut and halting all but the slightest of muffled screams and groans from her.

Before long, Annie had done the same to James, and they sat side-by-side, husband and wife immobilized, silent, and helpless. Annie smiled wickedly at her captives as Severin guarded Meowth on the couch. “Now the party can really begin.” She said darkly.

James’ eyes went wide with fear and Annie’s calm manner while Jessie’s narrowed to furious slits. Annie turned to Severin and Meowth. “You. Cat. Come here.”

Meowth sat there stubbornly. “Not a chance, lady.” He snapped.

Annie glared at him and pressed her gun into Jessie’s forehead. “I said now!” she screamed. Jessie squeezed her eyes shut, certain she was about to die.

Meowth gulped. Annie was even more nuts than last time. “OK, OK, OK!” he said quickly as he stood up and walked to Annie’s side.

Annie pulled her gun away. “Better.” She said in the tone of a Kindergarten teacher. Jessie opened her eyes again in time to watch Annie reach down and grab Meowth by the charm on his forehead. She pulled the Pokemon up until he was level with her face.

“Aaack! Dat hurts, you freak!” Meowth yelled.

“Good.” Annie snarled. “Now shut up and listen if you want them to live. I’ve got a job for you to do.”

“Huh?” Meowth asked weakly.

“You’re going to Team headquarters and getting someone for me.” Annie replied.

“Who?” Meowth asked, filled with dread that he already knew the answer.

Annie’s face broke into a wide grin. “Red Rocket Michael Morgan.” She said simply.

Now both Jessie and James’ eyes went wide with terror. They shook their heads “no!” as they mumbled through the duct tape in a muffled, terrified protest.

Severin walked behind them, holstered his knife, and grabbed their heads to hold them still.

"Tell Mikey to come alone. No partner, no weapon. Tell him that if I see even the slightest hint of a partner or a weapon, I’ll splatter Mommy and Daddy’s brains all over the place!” Annie said forcefully. “Understand?”

“Ye- Yeah.” Meowth stammered weakly.

“Good. Be back with Michael in 45 minutes-“ Annie paused and pointed her gun at Jessie and James- “or they die.” She finished. With that, Annie hurled Meowth to the ground. “Now get going!!!” she yelled.

Meowth shakily rose to his feet. “right.” He said softly as he ran out the door. He hated this. He was leading the only son of his two best friends in the world into a locked-down death trap… and there was nothing he could do about it.

The Vendetta Part Five: Endgame