The Taking of Helen.

Reincarnation.

Paris Troy, an F.B.I agent who is at the moment assigned to protecting a supermodel publicly known as just 'Helen' in a witness protection program. She is currently being housed in a secret location waiting to give evidence against her estranged husband Menelaus, the head of a ruthless underworld syndicate known as Sparta.

Paris, after many months of subterfuge working undercover, had finally infiltrated Menelaus's inner circle by posing as a representative of another syndicate wanting to broker a deal with them. Paris was the inside man while his brother Hector was his outside contact.

Helen had always hinted at wanting to disassociate herself from her husband and his organization. But her husband's security measures were almost always too tight to crack. She felt more like a prisoner or just another one of her husband's many trophies and nothing more. Her status as a supermodel was more for his ego than hers. Like the many high-performance brand names on the many cars that he had bought for himself.

This meeting gave Paris a chance to liberate Helen and whisk her away to a safe house. Menelaus became furious when the news reached him. It wasn't just the audacity of what they did nor the being made a fool of for trusting in them that bothered him the most. It was how he would be seen by his elder brother and lifetime hero Agamemnon. Menelaus had always lived in the shadow of his older brother doing anything to try to impress and win his brother's respect.

This action was a big slap in the face for him. Menelaus considered how his brother might perceive him now once he gets the news? An easily fooled patsy blinded by his own greed, He can't even keep his own wife safe? What kind of man is that?

Menelaus had all the men from his organization involved in setting up the bogus transaction executed as well as the man in charge of security.

“You put on a pretty good act to make it look like a rival syndicate was abducting you.” Paris laughed.

“I'm just glad that you didn't drop me.” Helen smiled back.

Paris knew that getting Sparta to invest all their time chasing up rival syndicates, would buy them the time that they needed to prepare Helen, for a hearing to secure arrest warrants for both the brothers. The brother's influence in transnational organized crime had been deemed to have become a national threat to the economic security of the country. So the F.B.I stepped in with the aim of eliminating this threat.

“She was kidnapped.” Menelaus told Agamemnon.

“I still don't trust the situation. She's seen too much and knows too much. Enough to not only send you to death row, but me as well if the police or the FBI get to her first.”

“She won't talk if she has been taken against her own will?”

“Let me introduce you to someone. I believe that you recently had promoted to be your new head of security.”

Agamemnon walked across his office to open a door and a face familiar to Menelaus entered the room.

“Patroclus? What is this all about?” Menelaus asked.

“Tell Menelaus what you told me.”

“I was assigned to be on the security detail for your wife at various times. It soon became obvious to many of us on her security watch that she wasn't happy living with you and was looking for a way out. It was no secret. She even unsuccessfully tried to seduce security guards to get them to help her.”

“So what are you saying?”

“You might have been set up Brother?” Agamemnon answered him, “set up by your own wife. She may not have been unsuccessful all the time? After all, she is a supermodel.”

“So what do you think we should do Aga?”

“Find her and get her back...Alive. I have a few questions for her”

Menelaus understood that may not be a good thing for Helen. But he had long learnt not to argue with his brother. It was his brother's organization that had ruthlessly taken over the Sparta syndicate and passed it to him to take over its control. This was after he had, in turn aided his elder brother in capturing control of some of the larger syndicates some years earlier.

“Did you get any information as to who this other syndicate is, out of the men who set up the meeting before you had them taken care of? Where did they come from?”

“All they said was that these men were from an out-of-town syndicate on the east coast looking to open up a regular supply route with a new distributor. The merchandise was good. Their credentials checked out so there was no reason to doubt them.”

“Then what is their interest with Helen?” Agamemnon wondered.

“I expect some kind of deal forged with blackmail or ransom?” Menelaus answered his brother, “which is why I have people out there looking for her at this very moment.”

“Your hunt for your wife may spark some minor aggression from rival syndicates?”

“Okay so there will be some collateral damage,” he replied.

“If I may make a suggestion?” Patroclus asked.

“What is it?” Menelaus answered.

“I have a good friend who knows how to deal with uncooperative members from other syndicates he is quick and efficient at his job. I can bring him in if you want a specialist to deal with those that might give you any trouble?”

“Well, who is this man? Tell us more about him.” Menelaus inquired.

“His name is Achilles. People say that he is bulletproof, many have tried but no one can succeed in bringing him down.”

“Well, I'd like to meet this person,” Agamemnon replied, with a smile.

“Menelaus, I think that we could use a man like that don't you?”

After a bit of thought, Agamemnon addressed Patroclus, “How soon can we see your man on the job?”

“As soon as I call him.”

“Very good. Do it.”

A few days later Hector knocked on the door of his superior Special Agent in Charge Priam.

“You wanted to see me?”

“Ah yes, Hector come in, sit down.”

After tidying some papers that he had been looking through on his desk he continued, "Operation 'snatch and grab' seems to be moving along as planned?”

“Yes, it is.” Hector agreed.

“I had just finished speaking with the head of our office down on the east coast. It seems that Agamemnon's men have been stirring some trouble down those ways and things are turning into an all-out war?”

“We gave the impression that was who was behind the deal that went bad for them when we executed that phase of the operation.”

“I see.”

“The idea as you know was to get the target suspects to place their energies as far away from our witness as possible so that we could concentrate our efforts on securing an arrest warrant for them.”

“It seems that our witness is a very valuable commodity to them? I think that we may have underestimated exactly how valuable?”

“What would you like me to do to help out?”

“Use whatever connections you have up these ways to find out where those men have been staying down at the east coast, numbers, weapons, and who's running the show down there. Even if it means you going down personally to check things out.”

“This is a beautiful place,” Helen said as she breathed in the cool mountain air that came wafting over the wildflower-covered hills framed by dark green forest, across the deep blue lake towards them.

“Yes, I must admit that this is one of the nicer safe houses available to us,” Paris replied.

“How long do you think that I will be living like this?”

“It's hard to say exactly when we will be able to secure a conviction? Once they are put where they belong your life will become a whole lot safer.”

“My life as a model will be virtually over when this is all over I take it?

“Unfortunately that would be the most prudent thing for you to do if you wish to stay below their radar. Men like that can still have some pull on their members on the outside.”

“So I could be looking behind my back for the rest of my life?” The full repercussions of her actions were starting to dawn on her.

“Not if they get sentenced to the full extent of the law.”

“You mean, a death sentence?”

“Dead men don't sit around fuming and planning ways to get back at you.” Paris smiled.

“Which is why it is imperative that you give our agents as much as you know that could secure that kind of sentence.” he added.

The inside of the east coast syndicate headquarters looked as though a tornado had come through after Achilles and his men had been through clearing it of all potential obstacles. Blood ran from motionless bodies that were strewn on the floor and over tables.

“Now I am going to ask you only one time,” Patroclus growled as he held his pistol to the head of a wounded syndicate boss.

“Who from your organization was behind that bogus deal that you set us up with? The merchandise that they used as bait came from here.”

“I don't know? It must have gone down behind my back?”

“Someone sponsored the credentials those men brought with them?”

“I tell you, I don't know anything about it?”

BANG!...Patroclus let the dead man drop to the floor.

“Then you're useless to me.”

He looked around the room. “You men, grab these computers they are coming with us. Do it quickly before the cops show up.”

Then indicating to Achilles they both left leaving the men to finish the task that they were given.

Paris brought himself and Helen a cup of coffee each to enjoy on the wooden deck of the safe house.

“I was wondering what I might change my name to? After all, the name that I have now is too well known.”

“The face that launched a thousand fashion and beauty products, can't come up with a name just as beautiful?” Paris laughed.

“Well, I had been toying with a name that I once came across.” Helen giggled.

“Tell me. What is it?” Paris smiled.

“It came from a perfume line that I once promoted and the scent itself was divine.”

“Well? Let's hear it?” Paris chuckled.

“I'm a little shy now.”

“Aw come on, you've got to tell me now? I'm interested.”

“Okay, it's...Aphrodite.” then Helen put her hands up to her face and looked at Paris between her fingers. “That's a great name. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”

Helen blushed, “thank you.”

“I like it.” Paris grinned.

“Achilles? Yes, I do know of an Achilles.” Hector replied to his informant who was on the other end of the call that he had just answered.

“I am not familiar with this Patroclus character though, but I will look into it. If he's involved with that lot we are bound to have him on file. Okay, keep me posted.”

Hector knew Achilles alright, not only is he a suspected hitman. He is married to a relative of his, Briseis Troy. Hector also knew Achilles well enough to know that as an ex-soldier from the elite forces that he is a well-trained killer. It is from this group of disillusioned returned vets that Achilles had drawn his own small army of men, selling themselves as heavy security to whichever syndicate paid the most. Hector was soon to learn that Patroclus also came from this group of men, in fact, he had been Achilles brother in arms as soldiers.

It was later that evening when Hector heard back from his informant.

“They managed to hack into some computers that they had taken from a syndicate headquarters on the coast and have now moved the focus of their operations back up this way.”

“So they are starting to connect the dots?” Hector thought out aloud.

“Yes, now they are looking for the go-between, the next man on the ladder. I don't think that they have figured out your involvement in things yet?”

“Good we must keep it that way for as long as possible.”

Hector knew that the 'go-between' that they were now searching for was his brother Paris whilst he was working undercover using a fictitious identity. The longer that they could keep them at bay the safer Helen and now his brother will be.

“Sir. We have just received some intel that the Dorian syndicate is going to be hit tonight.”

“Thank you, agent. I'll get onto it right now.”

Hector knew that this was the small mostly independent branch of Agamemnon's organization that his brother had been working undercover in gathering information and gaining trust from those around him.

What started out as a stakeout, soon escalated into a shoot-out between themselves and Agamemnon's men led by Achilles with Patroclus at his side. Achilles managed to hold the enforcement agencies at bay whilst Patroclus and a group of men raided the Dorian headquarters for computers, files, anything that may hold the key to the identity of the go-between or Helen's whereabouts. It was also Achilles who made it possible for them to vacate the place once they had what they were looking for.

“The mans a damned killing machine,” a wounded agent groaned as he was being loaded into the back of an ambulance. Hector knew that the headquarters had closed-circuit cameras which would have recorded their information onto one of the now stolen computers. It is highly likely that his brother's picture will be among those captured. He looked around the room strewn with the bodies of the Dorian syndicate members.

“Looks like the brothers don't trust anyone anymore? Not even their own?” Hector thought to himself.

Paris got word to bring his witness in to testify in front of a judge. The F.B.I office had its guards doubled and its security stepped up.

Agamemnon was in a serious mood when he explained to his brother, “through a thorough check of our old files matching faces and identities from a computer taken from the Dorian syndicate and a matter of elimination, we have come up with this man. Do you know who he is?”

The screen showed a not too clear but distinguishable picture of Paris.

“No, I can not say that I do?” Menelaus answered.

“Your head of security Patroclus recognized him as one of those involved in the kidnapping of your wife.”

“We had a rat running around?”

“Not only that, after some further checking around we revealed that he is actually an FBI agent.”

“What? Worse than a rat.”

Then Agamemnon called, “Send Achilles in here.”

“You wanted to see me?”

“Do you recognize this man?”

“Should I?”

“You know that with everything that's gone down lately it is only right that we do some background checks on some of the people employed in this organization? That includes you. Is it just a coincident that his real name is the same as your wife's maiden name? Troy?”

“Sounds coincidental to me?”

“We can't and won't take any chances until this thing is sorted out. So I will be keeping your wife here with me till all this blows over. Just to make sure you remember whose side you're fighting on.”

Menelaus in his eagerness to get his own wife back organized a raid on the F.B.I office itself.

“If she is not in there, there is bound to be something in there that will lead us to where she is.”

Menelaus turned to Patroclus. “Is your man ready for tonight?”

“He refuses to take part in any more operations until your brother returns his wife.”

“That's Agamemnon's decision to make not mine.”

“It will make our task a lot more difficult if the FBI agents see that Achilles is not with us?”

“Go and talk to him, we need him. Probably tonight more than any other. Do your best to get him here.”

No amount of coaxing by his good friend could make Achilles change his mind.

“If the FBI see that you're with us, our fight is already half won. They know how good you are so are less likely to take too many risks.”

But still, Achilles refused.

“You don't even have to fight? Just be there, that will be enough.”

Achilles got up and threw his trademark leather jacket to Patroclus.

“If just being seen is enough, you do it.”

“In the darkness that might just work? Even that punch drunk Menelaus might probably even be fooled?” Patroclus thought out aloud. He soon realized that he was just wasting time arguing, time which was running out. Patroclus picked the jacket up and headed out the door as his friend wished him good luck.

“Hey, looks like he made it after all?” Someone spoke up as Patroclus moved into position wearing Achilles jacket.

Hector's intelligence gathering had already tipped them off that something was going to go down and where. So he set up an ambush.

Neither Menelaus's men nor Achilles' small force was willing to give up when the surrounding lawmen ordered them to surrender and to put their guns down. This only caused them to be fired upon instead. After all, they had Achilles with them they thought. In the rain of flying bullets that followed Patroclus decided to find a better vantage point. Hector spotted him and stalked him to where Patroclus thought that he had found a perfect firing spot. Hector knew how dangerous this man was so wasn't going to give him a chance to orient himself as he charged at him firing his weapon all the way. By the time Hector reached him he was dead. Hectors moment of exhilaration turned into frustration when he lifted the black face hood that all the syndicate men wore when on a raid like this.

Menelaus and his men finally retreated, firing as they went. These were not the type of men that you follow with a helicopter they do not think twice about using a ground-to-air missile to bring it down in populated areas. Achilles was already angry, but now he was furious to hear that his best friend had been shot and killed by the FBI.

“That agent called Hector cornered him and took him down.” One of Achilles' men told him.

“That agent called Hector will soon be joining him.”

“Agamemnon is planning to put the FBI office building under siege and then storm it. He has received information telling him that his sister-in-law is actually being held in the building this very moment.”

“Let him know that I'll be there.”

A loud explosion rocked the windows of his office, followed by another. Hector could see a large column of black smoke rising from a distant building in one direction and from another in the other direction. This was soon followed by a cacophony of sirens and vehicles racing to the scenes. Hector hadn't heard from his informant in a while. So wasn't prepared for the scene now brewing outside of his office window. The men inside the building began hastily arming themselves as well as barricading windows and outside doorways. Outside in the darkening day ominous-looking black vehicles were arriving with black hooded occupants jumping out and positioning themselves with guns trained on to their building.

“Those explosions must have been used to divert the police away from what's going on here?”

The speaker on his desk phone crackled to life, it was his boss Special Agent Priam.

“Hector I have Agamemnon on the phone I will patch it through so you can listen in.”

Hector listened as Agamemnon offered his boss an ultimatum. “Either send her out or we will come and get her.”

Then the phone line went dead.

“Sir, they have cut the power and phone lines! Even cell phones have no signal?”

Although the emergency generators soon kicked in. Hector knew that they were on their own.

The gunfire had already begun. Bullets from outside whizzed in through the broken windows and slammed into the ceiling.

“Kill all the lights don't give them any visible targets.” Hector commanded as he ran down the hallway.

“They are bringing a front-end loader up the street to take out the main doors!” someone yelled in the dim light.

Looking out the window Hector noticed a lone motorcycle coming down the road following behind the large tractor. Hector knew that this could only be Achilles.

“Get those grenades ready to stop that tractor before it gets up the steps to the doors!” Hector commanded the men near him, “and you men, concentrate all your fire onto that tractor.” He watched as the explosions from the grenades sent the tractor over on its side on fire at the bottom of the steps, it's fuel creating a stream of fire as it flowed away.

“They won't be able to bring any more vehicles up that way while that's laying in its way.”

Hector watched as the motor cycle turned to go back the way it came.

Two way radios were being handed around. Hector grabbed one.

“Do we have any snipers in position?”

“Affirmative. Second floor covering the east wall.”

“Affirmative. Third floor covering the north bank.”

At least four other snipers reported in, giving their positions.

“Keep an eye out for rocket launchers and stay on them. Do not let them discharge those weapons under any circumstances.”

“Everyone has full clearance to use deadly force. Shoot to kill. I repeat, shoot to kill.” Hector bellowed into the radio.

Hector was all over the place glancing out the windows and issuing orders as bullets whizzed by.

“Someone take out that flame thrower.”

“On it.”

“Target neutralized.”

“How're things going up there Hector?”

“Paris just stay with the witness and do not, I repeat do not, let her out of your sight for any reason.”

Down in a safe room in the basement of the building Paris and Helen were listening intently to events as they came over their radio.

“I feel so embarrassed being the cause of all this trouble.” Helen said as she looked towards Paris, who was still engrossed with the information coming in from over the radio.

“Don't be. There wouldn't be all this trouble if Menelaus and his brother had just learned to be nice little citizens for a change?” Paris looked at her and smiled. Paris ignored the radio for a bit to ask, “What attracted you to him in the first place? If I may ask?”

“He was attracted to me. What Menelaus wants, Menelaus gets.”

“Sounds as though you didn't have a say in the matter?”

“I admit, although I didn't like him at first, there are little things about him that can be quite likable?”

“He grew on you?”

“I suppose he did?”

“Now you can't wash him off?” Paris laughed.

Helen laughed in response, “Well he's proving to be a very stubborn stain to get rid of?”

They both laughed. Paris pulled his gun for her to see," and I have just the right detergent for that kind of stain.”

The sounds of the guns firing from outside died down.

“Hector. I'm coming for you.”

Hector looked down to see Achilles standing in the light of the fires staring up at the building. In a blink, he was gone as a sniper's bullet ricocheted off the empty concrete where Achilles had just been standing. Then the shooting started up again. Hector knew that he couldn't let this man inside to wreck the same kinds of havoc that he had seen unleashed in unfortunate syndicate headquarter buildings.

Time and time again he looked down to see Achilles running up to the building's ground floor windows and unload bullets from two pistols into the rooms. Then duck to one side behind the cover of the brick wall to let the returned fire go harmlessly past before turning back into the window to unload another volley into the room. Till the returned firing stopped. Then he would do the same to the next window before dodging bullets to get back to his men so that he could load up on more ammunition. Hector soon heard the call that every agent feared, “Agent down. Agent down. On the ground floor.”

This was the first of many calls like it that started coming in as Achilles attacks took its toll.

“Do not go near the ground floor windows! Move back and barricade the inside doors to the ground floor offices.”

“Hector. Hector. What's going on?”

“Just stay with the witness Paris and don't move.”

Achilles weapons must have over heated because next time that they caught sight of him he was riding his motorbike at full speed firing a machine gun through the windows. Hector could tell that he was circling the building as he fired his machine gun.

“Use hand grenades. Whatever it takes to bring that maniac down.” Hector yelled into his radio. Hector watched the skills of the man's instincts and reflexes as he managed to dodge the blasts just before they went off.

“rescind that last order.”

Hector considered it wise not to waste any more grenades on fruitless attacks.

Hector knew that if Achilles manages to open a way into the bottom floor offices for Agamemnon's men then this could mean the beginning of the end for them. So Hector decided enough was enough and that he would go down and deal with this mad man himself. After all, he and his brother were in the elite forces themselves once. This is what made them attractive to the FBI as candidates to become front-line agents.

Hector waited for Achilles to make another pass as he leaped out of a ground floor window onto Achilles toppling him and his bike over. Both men quickly got to their feet and glared at each other.

“Didn't think you had the balls?” Achilles growled. As he tore his shirt off. Hector couldn't reply as a bullet whizzed past his ear. Achilles raised his open palm up towards his men who Hector had his back to, without taking his angry staring eyes off him. Achilles flinched to one side as he also dodged a bullet fired from the building.

“Hold your fire,” Hector yelled, then returned an angry glare back at Achilles.

“One down, one to go,” Hector growled at Achilles knowing that his anger could cloud his judgment. He could smell the alcohol on his breath.

“I'll rip your tongue out.”

Achilles lunged both hands at Hector's throat. Hector ducked and landed a punch solidly into Achilles' lower ribs. Achilles flinched back and grabbed his side before composing himself.

“Not punch proof I see?” Hector grinned, trying to keep the man's anger flowing.

“I'll make you pay for that lucky punch.”

Hector soon found himself having to quickly scramble from off the ground after Achilles did a swinging foot sweep that knocked his feet from under him. He just avoided Achilles as he dived at him. Achilles ended up sprawled on the ground behind him. In an instant, Hector dropped his body down and drove his elbow into the back of the unsuspecting man before clamouring back onto his feet.

Hector slammed a boot into Achilles' lower ribs from the side as he used his arms to raise himself. Causing Achilles to drop back down onto the ground again. Then Achilles rolled onto his back brought his knees up and jumped to his feet. Right into Hector's fist.

Reeling back holding his bleeding mouth and glancing down at the blood on his fingers Achilles growled, “I'll get you, you bastard.”

They circled each other bent towards each other, looking for an opening. Each making quick attempts to grab the other. Then Achilles stood up straight, put his hands on his hips, and exclaimed, “Fuck this.” took a step towards Hector that turned into a somersault bringing his thighs to bare around Hector's head. Then twisting his whole body which dragged Hector's head around with the momentum before, crack! They both fell to the ground. He stood up with Hector's limp body left laying there.

Achilles picked up his machine gun retrieved his bike and wheeled it over to where Hector's body lay. He then used his torn shirt to tie the sleeves around the ankles of the body, the middle of the shirt he hitched to the back of his bike. After a couple of loud angry sounding revs on the throttle, he took off spraying a shower of dirt over Hectors limp body dragging behind him whilst firing his weapon up into the air.

“Whats going on up there? Will somebody answer me?”

Most of the agents were too stunned to see their champion Hector get taken out like that. Till a female voice came over the radio to explain to Paris what had just happened to his brother.

“Send a couple of agents down to replace me. I'm coming up there.”

Helen hugged him and wished him luck before he scrambled past the two men sent down to replace him.

Achilles had done what he had come for then rode off after un-hitching Hectors body from his bike. Paris was furious to see what remained of his brothers dead body laying lifeless on the concrete path.

“Who's next?”

It was Agamemnon through a loud hailer.

“Come on, give Helen up and all this will come to an end.”

A sniper's well-aimed bullet through the side of the hailer's cone gave him his answer. Then the shooting started again.

“One way to shut that loud mouth up.” someone quipped.

But Paris had another target on his mind, “where is that maniac situated at?”

“No one knows? After he left agent Hector's body there, he just rode off?”

“Paris. There's something going on outside? They are jumping into their vehicles and making a hasty retreat?”

Things quietened down a bit before they could hear police sirens in the background. The agents all cheered and hugged each other as a row of red, white, and blue lights came racing down the street in the distance. Paris ran to get Helen and took her up to the second floor to watch as the police hitched the burnt-out tractor to vehicles to pull it out of the way so that an ambulance could back up ramps to the main doors. The agents inside pulled the barricades away to allow the medical staff in. As the doors to the ambulance opened a troop of Agamemnon's men poured out from the back of the ambulance killing everyone around. Then the ambulance was driven out of the way as more of Agamemnon's men returned and started to pour into the building.

“We have to get up to the roof,” Paris said, as he grabbed Helen's wrist and dragged her behind him. They pressed past Special Agent Priam who yelled at him, “Try and keep her safe while the rest of us hold them off. We've managed to re-establish an outside line. The real police are on their way.”

Paris pulled Helen along as they ran up the flights of stairs till they finally reached the door to the roof. Going through the door they stopped to catch their breath. Paris led the way. As they went to walk around a corner to another part of the roof, Paris stopped in his tracks. Held his hand out to stop Helen from walking any further, then turned to her with his index finger over his lips. In the distance Achilles was sitting on the edge of the building with his feet dangling over the side facing the other way staring down at what was going on below him.

Paris drew his weapon took aim and yelled, "FBI! Don't move!" In an instant Achilles rolled backward onto his feet. He glanced at Paris then started running, bullets kicking up the dirt behind him. Achilles undid his belt as he ran with Paris closing in behind him. As soon as he got close to the edge of the building Achilles jumped and swung his belt over the dead power line and used it to slide down towards the roof of a lower building. Paris took aim at Achilles back as he ran. But just as he pulled the trigger he tripped causing his shot to go way too low. But the bullet hit Achilles in the heel, the impact sending his body up in the air causing him to let go of one side of the belt. Then Paris saw him plummet head first towards the ground far below. Paris picked himself up to go look over the edge. He could see a pool of blood growing around Achilles lifeless body.

A tear appeared to see his brother's body laying close by. His brother's head facing towards the body of Achilles, with a look that seemed to say, “Got ya.”

Paris watched as the brave men and women of his department drove their antagonists backward into the arms of the surrounding police. Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon were soon taken into custody. They were now in enough trouble to get themselves sent down to walk the longest mile without Helen's testimony.