The End of the Beginning

“We need something that will thin the guardsmen out across the base, something that will scatter them,” explained William. “We need to become needles in a haystack.” “There a couple of things we can do,” Jake said.

“Like an explosion,” suggested William, snapping his thumb.

“Uggh,” grumbled Nancy. “I never got why an explosion was a distraction. People run away from explosions, they don’t go towards them. We need something that attracts security. We need a distraction that keeps them on their toes and always running around.” William thought for a moment. “How about - ”

“Got it!” Nancy yelled. She scrambled her fingers over her glass tablets rubber keyboard and pulled up some base schematics. “I got just the thing! We can - ” Someone pounded on the door. Everyone froze. The blinds were closed so they couldn’t see who was outside through the window. No one announced themselves. Another pound came.

William tiptoed over to the closed blinds to try and see who it was. He crouched down on the floor. He slipped his fingers between two blinds and slid one over an inch. Looking up through the slit he had made, he saw two fully armed ISAF guardsmen in tactical gear. Both were holding Tasers. One was standing behind the other. The one in front pounded on the door for a third time. He did it so hard the window rattled.

“It’s ISAF,” William whispered. “Two guards.”

“Why aren’t they announcing themselves?” Nancy whispered to Jake.

“We have to open the door,” said Jake. “Follow my lead.”

“No wait, stop,” demanded Nancy but Jake was already at the door. He unlocked the door and turned the nob cautiously. William stood up and tried to look as causal as possible. Nancy did the same.

“Gentlemen,” said Jake nonchalantly, “there a reason you aren’t announcing yourselves. That’s not protocol, you know that.” Neither guardsmen batted and eye. Jake cleared his throat and made himself as big as he could in the doorway, which wasn’t hard given his size. “Can I help you men with something?” “Chief Hernandez wants to know why you aren’t at your post,” said the first guardsman nearest the doorway.

“I was just about to head there,” answered Jake, level faced. “I wanted to ensure my girlfriend Nancy was okay, especially after that video message.” “Not anymore your not. We are here to take Rescue Officer Lewis and Captain Emerson in for questioning, as well as yourself Sheroff,” said the second guardsman.

“Gentlemen,” Jake chuckled, “may I ask why?”

“Because the chief ordered it, that’s why,” said the second guardsman harshly. “Now, come with us, all of you.”

“Gentlemen please, we’re all friends here,” said Jake. “The real enemy is out there, isn’t it? Are you sure you want to take us in?”

“Let’s go Sheroff,” demanded the first guardsman.

Jake twisted his head, cracking his neck. “Okay.”

The first guardsman began to reach out for Jakes shoulder. Jake grabbed the man’s arm with both his hands, placing one on the guardsman’s wrist, the other at his bicep. He pulled his arm through the doorway and then banged it against the doorframe at the man’s elbow. Jake pushed against the man’s arm until it broke over the doorframe. The guardsman screamed in pain. Jake threw the man behind him into the room. William knelt down over the fallen guardsman and punched him in the face, knocking him out.

While this was happening the second guardsman pulled up his Taser to a firing position. In a panic the guardsman fired it at Jake but only one of its two prongs hit his body, the other one embedding itself in the doorframe. The charge couldn’t be completed so it had no effect on the giant. Jake ripped the prong out of his body and punched the man’s uniform collar, causing it’s built in floatation device to inflate around his neck. Stunned, the guardsman didn’t have time see Jake’s fist land against his temple.

The guardsman took the impact and brushed it off. He swung at Jake’s abdomen but Jake dodged the swing. He grabbed the guardsman by his tactical vest and threw him against the walkway railing then put his full body weight behind his fist and again rammed it into the guardsman’s temple, this time knocking the guardsman out cold.

Jake ran back into the room. “You guys okay?” he asked.

Both William and Nancy nodded. Both had their mouths wide open at the sight of what they had just seen.

“Good. We need to go. Captain, help me get these two inside. We’ll put them under the beds. Turn their radios off. Take all their clothing, everything they have, and put it on. Leave all your own electronics here; that includes glass tags. I know a place we can go to get ready. They drove here in an ISAF patrol car. We’ll use that to get to where we need to go. Sound good?” “Uh-huh,” said Nancy and William, still shell-shocked at Jake’s fighting skills.

“Come on, stop starring,” ordered Jake. “Terra Nova isn’t going to wait on us. Let’s go start kicking some ass!”