Way back when in J school they cautioned about getting too close to the story. Shit, she thought, I’m smack dab in the middle of it. Any closer and I’d be an obituary. She wasn’t terribly worried, mainly just annoyed that no one wanted to talk to her. What she could learn if the guard would let her go anywhere outside this little corner of the convention hall. What her editor would pay if she could get an exclusive from “the heart of the beast.”
She gazed with lust as General Cooper intensely conferred with a bunch of his officers only a few yards away. What she wouldn’t give to get in the middle of that! She even tried flirting with the guard, but he was far too focused on his hatred of Eliot to be interested in her. She pondered screaming “rape” when a tall, dark sergeant marched up to their glaring sentry.
“Private, can’t you see these detainees are hungry? Go get these civilians a couple of MRE’s. I’ll watch ‘em.” He unslung his M249.
The PFC looked him over skeptically. “I’m sorry, Sergeant. Major Gorgas ordered me to stay here until he personally said otherwise. I can’t abandon my post.” His words were respectful, but his tone implied, “Fetch your own shit.”
It was pretty obvious the sergeant wasn’t used to disobedience.
“Private, I don’t give a rat’s ass what some fucking officer told you! You’re in my headquarters; these prisoners are my responsibility. So get your ass in gear!” This buck sergeant, fairly old for an E-5, had an impressively refined command voice.
Every instinct in the poor kid told him to obey, but a strand of discipline held him in place. “Uh, I can’t. My orders…” a stray idea crossed his mind and gave him a little more confidence. “Um, what unit are you with, Sergeant? What do you do around here?”
If he thought this strange NCO was angry before, he wasn’t ready for this white-hot rage. The sergeant jumped right in his face. Curiously, he yelled just loud enough to scare the kid but not draw attention from the command staff on the other side of the large room.
“Boy, if you have to ask, you don’t belong here! Now, I gave you an order. Are we going to have a problem?”
The private’s endurance lasted two more seconds. Fuck it. “Hooah, Sergeant.” He left quickly, muttering under his breath about how the left hand never knows what the right hand is doing. He was sick and tired of always being in the wrong no matter what he did.
The moment the guardsman stepped outside, this curious fellow whipped out a blade and rushed up to the now terrified congressman. He cut the plastic cuffs, searched both faces, and spoke to the strongest one.
“Alright lady, take this dude and get out of here, right now. There’s a sentry outside the entrance, so stop when he yells or you’ll be shot in the back. The important thing is not to come back in here, no matter what you hear. Clear?”
Jessica had never seen such calm, yet focused intensity. She neither argued nor questioned. Just nodded and pushed the congressman towards the door. As soon as they were moving, Brown turned and strolled towards the center of the hall. No more time to waste. People were already throwing curious glances at him.
In normal circumstances he never could have pulled off this stunt. The two dead guardsmen in the trunk of his Humvee outside would have been missed much sooner. Even as swamped as these command staffers were, they should’ve known he wasn’t kosher. Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve. Too late for all that now.
Major Gorgas caught Brown’s strange movements out the corner of his eye. He didn’t understand any of it, but he didn’t waste time trying to.
“Frag out!” he screamed.
Gorgas dropped the map in his hand and yanked the general to the ground with him. A second later, both grenades detonated. He peeked around the old desk to see this stranger in a friendly uniform take a knee and blaze away with a SAW. No real tactics involved. Just stand in the middle of the room with an automatic weapon and kill everything that moves.
General Cooper was not thankful for the lifesaving. He drew his sidearm with a war whoop and popped straight up to engage this crazy fuck. He collapsed almost immediately without firing a shot, three holes in his gut and a trio of larger exit holes out his back. Gorgas yanked off his own ACU top and did the best he could to stop the bleeding.
Someone from somewhere chucked a flash bang grenade at the killer in the middle of the room. It might’ve seemed clever at the time, but it dazed those firing back more than it distracted him. The only effect was to allow the attacker a chance to slip away. Brown had shoved earplugs in before even tossing the grenades, which was probably unnecessary. His murderous focus couldn’t be thrown off by some non-lethal toy.
When the defenders could focus again, the enemy was gone. Like a killer dream. In just 20 seconds, a dozen officers and key staffers were either killed or seriously wounded. What the hell just happened? Someone noticed the side door still swinging. An only slightly wounded master sergeant lead a scratch squad of men out the door after him.
And straight into a bigger fight. That same grinning asshole stood in the turret of an up-armored Humvee and rocked a .50 cal. The master sergeant shoved his guys back under cover when the barrel swung their way. Half-inch slugs ripped easily through the brick wall inches above his head. After a short burst, Brown swiveled back to his main target, the other Humvees around him.
He systematically shredded several occupied trucks whose gunners were a little too slow on the uptake. He hadn’t planned to make a last stand in the parking lot, but what are you going to do? How long did he have before they flanked him? Despite the big gun in his hands, he could only shoot one target at once. Any second they’d figure that out and hit him in the back. All he could do was make it costly.
It didn’t surprise him when he heard the truck’s doors open below. What a shame the guardsmen were so quick. Time for the big finale.
He stuck his thumb in the pin of his last grenade, which was already taped around a canister of homemade napalm. Just as he prepared to yank it out, he looked down to face his enemy for the last time. A mound of blonde hair stuck between his legs and smiled.
Jessica ignored the obvious erection next to her face. It was already there before she climbed into the driver’s seat. “So, you ready to get out of here, or are you having too much fun?”
She barked at the sobbing congressman to buckle up while she tried to figure out this military vehicle. The steering was simple enough, and even an automatic, but where were the fucking keys? How do you start this damn thing?
Luckily, the diesel’s glow plugs were still warm. The engine roared to life when she randomly flipped switches and got to the big green knob on the left of the steering wheel. She had no time to celebrate. Several something’s slammed the window next to her. Two big cracks appeared in the armored glass. More rounds hammered the outside of the truck all over. “Go! Go!” was the congressman’s advice. For once, she agreed with him.
Jessica peeled away as fast as the heavy truck could accelerate. She sideswiped another Humvee on the way out and nearly ran someone over, but they got clear. The suppressive fire from the gunner’s hatch above stopped only when they were nearly a mile distant.
The stranger dropped down, shook his head at the guy in back and clapped the woman on the shoulder.
“Damn fine job! But take this next left; we want to go south.” It pissed her off how her nipples crinkled at his touch, but she couldn’t stop. When he slipped a loaded pistol belt around her waist and buckled it, steamy breath behind her ear, she was positively…well, excited. She was a modern, responsible, professional woman. There was nothing sexy about killing and nearly getting killed. Why couldn’t Mother Nature join the 21st century?