The Reluctant Warrior

"Hang on, baby," I whispered to no one, "I'll be there shortly."

~~~~~~

The row of trees nearest to the house allowed me cover not only to stash my larger weapons, but also work as a base from which I would begin a series of attacks on the outside guard.

I used my blowgun to take out the guards, as each dart had been dipped in an age-old recipe that had been passed down from generation-to-generation, a nefarious poison which, if used in the right dosage, temporarily paralyzes the enemy as opposed to killing him.

Once that task had been handled, I was told to wait for the signal to move to the rally point for extraction. However, when I heard the sound of gunfire, I also heard Rick's voice in my earpiece groaning, "Home Plate, This is Viper Two...I'm hit, repeat, I'm hit."

"This is Home Plate," Mom replied, "Abort, Viper...I say again, Abort to rally point for extraction."

"Negative," Dad said, "We're too far into it to stop now, we can still do this."

"I see four men approaching from your four o'clock," Mom heatedly replied, "They will be at your ten-twenty in less than three minutes."

"Viper One, this is Viper Three," I replied, into my mouthpiece while strapping on my sword and bow, "I'll take care of it, stay on track and I'll catch Viper Two on the way back, Viper Three, out."

"Damn that boy," I heard Mom say, "He's as crazy as his father."

~~~~~~

After moving to the location Mom had relayed to Dad, I saw four figures approaching from the far end of the pasture I was on the edge of. I backed away so as to be able to move in behind them.

Once I was in position I crept near them until I was only a few yards away. Then reaching into my web gear, I pulled loose a flash grenade and threw it a yard or two ahead of them, closing me eyes so as not to be blinded.

As soon as I heard the explosion of the flash, I opened my eyes seconds later and dispatched the four men, knocking each of them unconscious before I made my way back to the house, which was supposed to have been secure by this time.

~~~~~~

I could hear the chopper moving in ahead of me, and right as I broke the tree line that surrounded the house, my heart stopped at what I was witnessing not fifty yards from me.

Leboux had his hands on Carly's shoulders, holding her directly in front of him, hiding behind her with a pistol held to her head. Dad stood approximately ten feet away with his weapon drawn and aimed at Leboux.

"Let her and you won't be harmed," Dad commanded, the chopper now directly above them with its floodlight trained on them.

Suddenly I saw movement in the trees about thirty yards away from me, and as I drew my focus away from Carly, I saw a sniper moving into place to take Dad out. I took off at a dead run, withdrawing my sword, and the moment I was on him, he saw me too later, and then his head was gone and on the ground, his eyes watching his own lifeless body wither to the ground beside his. Suddenly I heard two shots, and turning my head, saw Leboux's body on the ground, wounded, and Carly in Dad's arms.

~~~~~~

"Thanks for taking out that sniper, kid," Dad smiled, once we were all back at my house, the sun barely peeking over the horizon, "I owe ya one."

"That's a good thing," I chuckled, "But I ain't gonna do you like you did Rick, I'm gonna hold you to it the next time you piss me off."

~~~~~~

Our performance of "Spartacus" went off without a hitch. Charles Leboux had been under investigation long before he ever took Carly hostage, and between charges of racketeering, money laundering, not to mention attempted murder, as well as kidnapping, and leave us not forget, statutory rape; he was given ninety years with no possibility of parole.

Carly and I were married the summer after I graduated college, and I immediately went to work with Dad, in which I am now an equal partner in Duquesne & Son Security Services. Mom teases us, because we do a lot of skip traces, and dignitary visits, and calls us mercenaries. If that isn't a case of the pot calling the kettle black, then I don't know what is.

THE END