this is for jeremiah and and anon@anon. this will NOT be in my book, since this is not part of the story i'm wanting to tell, but just to let them know i've already thought of their sub-plots, thanx but no thanx!

SubChapter 5a

It was 0135 hours, and as Mike-1 approached the sentry post from behind, he snorted to himself in disgust. He could see them clearly playing cards and drinking from bottles, probably home-brew beer. The lamp on the table would have destroyed their night vision for the first critical few seconds. Quietly he rose to his feet about ten yards from them and checked to see if his assault rifle was on-safe.

As he did so, both men rose to their feet and turned to face him. The older one addressed him.

Hey, Mike-1, took you long enough to cross that last hundred yards. My names Jerry, and how you react in the next few seconds will determine whether you live or die. You can die where you stand right now, or you can point that -16 at the ground and listen to your mistakes.

Mike-1 heard a hammer being pulled back to his right, and turned his head slightly to see a dark-clothed man holding what appeared to be a large-caliber semi-automatic pistol pointed straight at Mike-1s head. Mike-1 was unable to determine the actual make and model, however, due to the rather large can-style silencer attached to the barrel.

Mike-1 grudgingly lowered the barrel, certain his team in the shadows could salvage the mission. Hed learn what he could, then blow away these bumpkins when the opportunity presented itself.

Jerry smiled and continued.

I dont know what you think youve stumbled into, but youre wrong. Weve had you and your team made from five miles out. Youre not the only ones out here with night vision and comm skills. Speaking of night vision, weve been playing cards with our eyes closed for the last ten minutes, just to dope you out. Worked, didnt it?

Mike-1 began to get angry, but he was damned if hed let these guys see it.

This time Jerry smiled to himself. Everything theyd drilled so far had been working. He and Ralph had positioned themselves so that one, he couldnt shoot them both without shifting his stance significantly and, two, their faces were in shadow, and the intruders face was well-lighted from the lantern. Mike-1s eyes had narrowed and his lips had tightened almost imperceptibly, and Jerry knew he had gotten to him.

Didnt you wonder when I addressed you as Mike-1? Weve been monitoring your comm chatter for quite a while now. Weve already got your frequencies and call signs, weve got somebody inside your operations.

This last was pure bluff. Their security scanners had picked up this teams communications while still at a distance, but Jerry wanted to spread discord into this bogey's operations when, or if, he was sent back with his tail between his legs.

Jerry got serious.

Now, listen to the rules. Youre dark-of-the-night entry tactics are considered unfriendly. Anything less than absolute strict obedience to whatever I say next will be considered an act of war and will be dealt with accordingly. Understand? Good!

You have walked into a free zone protected by a team calling itself Mamas Boys, for reasons you are unlikely to ever know. Your team of three men and yourself are under arrest. On my command you will lay down your weapons and come forward with your hands behind your heads. Your weapons and comm gear will be confiscated, your id will be logged as your frequencies and call signs have been already, and you will be turned out of town, never to return upon pain of death. Consider this counting coup, and be glad we dont use the time-honored method of the indigenous peoples here.

Jerry grinned again.

Depending on how much trouble you give me and my men, there is a small chance you will be stripped of everything but your boots before you start your long walk home.

He got serious.

Now pay attention. Your exact orders are: Comm your men and tell them, in clear, to lay down their weapons at arms length, get to their feet, put their arms behind their necks and walk slowly to this spot. They are all under observation at this moment.

Youre bluffing. Mike-1 said in a brusque manner.

Without raising his voice from a conversational tone, Jerry said 10. Have we still got everyone covered?

A double-click came from the commset at Jerrys waist.

Call my bluff, if you dare, Jerry said evenly.

Mike-1 took about ten seconds to think about it, then pressed his own transmit button.

Mike-1 to Mike. Lay down your weapons at arms length, get to your feet, put your hands behind your necks and walk to my location. He paused. Authentication X-Ray.

There was about five seconds of silence.

Crack! Crack!

Crack!

Well, looks like either your men dont follow orders too well, or you dont, Jerry said grimly. Want to take roll call?

The rage that had been building up in Mike-1 over-rode his sense, and he barely had his weapon halfway up when the .45 slug slapped him in the side of the head and ended his life.

Jerry shook his head, and spoke into his vox headset.

Report.

2. Target dead.

3. Target dead.

6. Target dead.

10. Target dead, all bogeys accounted for, good work guys, Jerry said into his own set. 7, bring up four body-bags, and notify burial detail in the morning.

These guys think they know it all, Jerry said, mostly to himself. We may look like farmboys, but apparently theyve never heard of protective coloration.

Jerry looked again at the fallen rogue in front of him, and smiled wryly.

The Guard rules, he said softly.

His commset double-clicked.

-- Cowardly Lion (cl0001@hotmail.com), November 15, 1999

Answers

coolies,this will,however,upset the touchy-feelies.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), November 15, 1999.

The makings for a great saga in the Y2K possibilities...I would like to read more.

-- Greg (skipy1@prodigy.net), November 15, 1999.

hey, I like it. It has that rough reality that could only develop in a scenario along the lines of a 7-10 on the Infomagic scale. To heck with cutesy tales of society being all snuggily and warm hearted when the going gets tough. We can't even be that way now... why should we assume that it would ever be any better after y2k?

-- (anon@anon.com), November 15, 1999.

this is getting curiouser and curiouser, as alice said. or was it the dormouse? anyway, i was going to respond to anon@anon, when his/her post disappeared. oh well, if it shows up again i'll respond.

to the others: this is only a side entry to my real story. i only wrote this because of the critics response to chapter five. the previous chapters can be found at:

Chapter 1: http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch- msg.tcl?msg_id=0013xS

Chapter 2: http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch- msg.tcl?msg_id=0015Ms

Chapter 3: http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch- msg.tcl?msg_id=0019Bg

Chapter 4: http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch- msg.tcl?msg_id=001J7L

Chapter 5: http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch- msg.tcl?msg_id=001gZW

i hope to have either chap 6 or 7 explain *why* this town works as well as it does. it's not all sweetness and light, but thought and work as well. i do think it's doable, however.

-- Cowardly Lion (cl0001@hotmail.com), November 15, 1999.

Can't locate your referenced chapters 1-5 on TB2000. Can they be found elsewhere?

-- Dennis Word (dennisword@yahoo.com), November 15, 1999.

sorry, dennis, when i just now checked the references i found chap 2 and 3, but not 1, 4 and 5. i have no idea how this forum works, so i can't say where they might be.

unfortunately, the only other place they're found is on my disk, and i'm not on-line. if someone else wants to put them on-line, i'm open to suggestions.

-- Cowardly Lion (cl0001@hotmail.com), November 16, 1999.