the stairs.
“Jeb, come down here,” she shouted.
“Why?”
“We want you further away from Cynthia. The army is about to attempt to disarm the vest.”
“Be right down,” he said.
“Good, hurry,” she said.
He hobbled down the stairs, carrying his .270. They joined the others outside.
Three men with bomb protection armor and helmets with large face shields walked up to Cynthia. Two of the men grabbed her arms, as she squirmed and cried from her wounded hand. The third man ripped the top of her dress down to reveal the vest. He looked at the front and the back, and then gave a thumbs up to Major Darcy, who was sitting in the lead Humvee. He undid the straps and carefully pulled the vest off. He set it about ten yards away from the two men who were holding Cynthia, and then trotted over to one of the Humvees. He picked up a folding metal box and carried it over. He put the vest into the box, and then reached in and attached a couple of wires. He took the box to the far end of the parking lot, unreeling the wire as he walked away. When he was about 50 yards away, he stopped and squatted. He pulled a device out of his pocket and hooked the wires to that. Then he twisted the knob on the top. There was a loud explosion, and the box flew about fifteen feet in the air and came back down. The bomb tech took off his helmet and walked over to where the other two men were holding Cynthia.
“We need to search her,” he said. The two men continued to hold her arms as the tech patted her down. Then he made the thumbs-up sign. He pulled her dress back up as best he could, then grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her. He applied a large zip tie, and then walked her over to the lead Humvee. Major Darcy got on the radio and called Major Hobbs.
“Alright, Major Hobbs, you can open the gates now.”
“Thanks, Major Darcy, will do.” He put down the radio mic and looked over at Hilda. He pointed to the gate. She nodded, and went over to open it. Then the Humvees started to drive through, and they all parked up and down the road in front of the clubhouse.
“Great to see you, Darcy,” Major Hobbs said, extending his hand in greeting.
“Likewise, Hobbs. Things have been a little hairy around here, from what I’ve heard.”
“Yes. Let’s go into the clubhouse and I’ll brief you on what I know so far. Then I’ll take off with the prisoner. The General wants to talk to me.”
Outside, the group was milling around, talking.
“That was a powerful explosion,” Jeb said to Frank as he walked up.
“Sure was,” Frank said. “Nice job on taking out that detonator.”
“Thanks. What’s going to happen now?”
“Major Hobbs has to go to headquarters to brief the CO. He’s taking Cynthia with him.”
“I take it all these troops are here to hunt down the bad guys?”
“Yep,” Frank said. “They weren’t that interested until they heard that there were Islamists with the militia up here.”
“What ever happened to the Sheriff?” asked Jeb.
Frank got a sick look on his face.
“Forgot he was back there with the deputy. Hope everything is alright back there….you know he heard the rifle shot and the explosion. Why hasn’t he called?” Frank pulled out his phone and dialed.
“Sheriff?”
“Yes, Frank. What the hell is going on up there?”
“Cynthia came up to the gate. She had a suicide bomber vest on. It was under her dress, but we could see it. She raised her hands, getting ready to push the button on the detonator when Jeb shot it.”
“So that was the rifle shot. I take it the vest got detonated?”
“Yes, the bomb tech in the platoon put it into one of those blast containers and blew it up.”
“Platoon, huh? They’re finally listening to us, I take it. Anything else I need to know?”
“Well, yeah, quite a bit, but maybe it better wait until you two get back down here.”
“Is there anybody else available to take over back here? If not, we can hang out for a while. I’ve had
“Jeb, come down here,” she shouted.
“Why?”
“We want you further away from Cynthia. The army is about to attempt to disarm the vest.”
“Be right down,” he said.
“Good, hurry,” she said.
He hobbled down the stairs, carrying his .270. They joined the others outside.
Three men with bomb protection armor and helmets with large face shields walked up to Cynthia. Two of the men grabbed her arms, as she squirmed and cried from her wounded hand. The third man ripped the top of her dress down to reveal the vest. He looked at the front and the back, and then gave a thumbs up to Major Darcy, who was sitting in the lead Humvee. He undid the straps and carefully pulled the vest off. He set it about ten yards away from the two men who were holding Cynthia, and then trotted over to one of the Humvees. He picked up a folding metal box and carried it over. He put the vest into the box, and then reached in and attached a couple of wires. He took the box to the far end of the parking lot, unreeling the wire as he walked away. When he was about 50 yards away, he stopped and squatted. He pulled a device out of his pocket and hooked the wires to that. Then he twisted the knob on the top. There was a loud explosion, and the box flew about fifteen feet in the air and came back down. The bomb tech took off his helmet and walked over to where the other two men were holding Cynthia.
“We need to search her,” he said. The two men continued to hold her arms as the tech patted her down. Then he made the thumbs-up sign. He pulled her dress back up as best he could, then grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her. He applied a large zip tie, and then walked her over to the lead Humvee. Major Darcy got on the radio and called Major Hobbs.
“Alright, Major Hobbs, you can open the gates now.”
“Thanks, Major Darcy, will do.” He put down the radio mic and looked over at Hilda. He pointed to the gate. She nodded, and went over to open it. Then the Humvees started to drive through, and they all parked up and down the road in front of the clubhouse.
“Great to see you, Darcy,” Major Hobbs said, extending his hand in greeting.
“Likewise, Hobbs. Things have been a little hairy around here, from what I’ve heard.”
“Yes. Let’s go into the clubhouse and I’ll brief you on what I know so far. Then I’ll take off with the prisoner. The General wants to talk to me.”
Outside, the group was milling around, talking.
“That was a powerful explosion,” Jeb said to Frank as he walked up.
“Sure was,” Frank said. “Nice job on taking out that detonator.”
“Thanks. What’s going to happen now?”
“Major Hobbs has to go to headquarters to brief the CO. He’s taking Cynthia with him.”
“I take it all these troops are here to hunt down the bad guys?”
“Yep,” Frank said. “They weren’t that interested until they heard that there were Islamists with the militia up here.”
“What ever happened to the Sheriff?” asked Jeb.
Frank got a sick look on his face.
“Forgot he was back there with the deputy. Hope everything is alright back there….you know he heard the rifle shot and the explosion. Why hasn’t he called?” Frank pulled out his phone and dialed.
“Sheriff?”
“Yes, Frank. What the hell is going on up there?”
“Cynthia came up to the gate. She had a suicide bomber vest on. It was under her dress, but we could see it. She raised her hands, getting ready to push the button on the detonator when Jeb shot it.”
“So that was the rifle shot. I take it the vest got detonated?”
“Yes, the bomb tech in the platoon put it into one of those blast containers and blew it up.”
“Platoon, huh? They’re finally listening to us, I take it. Anything else I need to know?”
“Well, yeah, quite a bit, but maybe it better wait until you two get back down here.”
“Is there anybody else available to take over back here? If not, we can hang out for a while. I’ve had
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