A Trip to the Library
A simple trip but you should consider bringing backup.
Buck was home on sick leave from college recovering from a buckshot wound to his nether regions after inadvertently wandering outside the protected school zone one recent evening. His friends kidded him that the pellet had his name on it. He had to admit he was a little buzzed that night, but the 20 year old was feeling much better and looking forward to his 21st birthday next month so he could go to the corner saloon and get his first legal drink.
Getting ready to meet with his best friends, he changed his bandages and slipped on his bulletproof vest. "Actually it’s a ballistic vest. Nothing is truly bulletproof," his dad had warned him. "You show me a vest and I’ll show you a bullet that can penetrate it." Buck then put on his favorite cowboy shirt and titanium-lined cowboy hat.
You can never be too careful, he thought.
Throwing open the front door, Buck dove out and somersaulted behind the bushes as shots rang out. He spotted the old man two doors down through an opening in the bushes, aimed his custom tactical rifle and fired. The bullet glanced off the senior citizen’s vintage World War II helmet and he scurried back indoors.
That man’s got issues, thought Buck. He’s carrying on a feud with the world and nobody is winning.
Buck then hopped into his personally modified Jeep with reinforced body panels and roof, and bulletproof glass - "Actually it’s bullet resistant," his dad again advised him - and he peeled out of the driveway.
He drove a couple blocks and whipped into another home’s driveway. His friend James ran from that house to the vehicle while another friend, Jesse, stood in the doorway and sprayed the house across the street with his Uzi.
"Pesky neighbor," said James matter of factly as he entered the vehicle. Jesse continued to shoot while he ran and jumped into the Jeep. Buck then zipped away.
Cruising down Main Street they encountered only a few other vehicles. Most were armored food delivery or package delivery trucks making their rounds. Those guys have the best armor, mused Buck. They even get high tensile strength bullet resistant jump suits. The best stuff.
As he approached a traffic light Buck uttered his classic line, "The Buck stops here."
"Are you ever going to stop saying that?" said James.
After the light turned green and Buck stepped on the gas, a Hummer going in the opposite direction suddenly sped up and made a left turn right in front of them, causing Buck to jam on the brakes. One of the passengers in the Hummer then opened and leaned out a side window and took a shot at them, putting another dent in the Jeep’s right fender. James opened and leaned out his side window and raked the back of the Hummer with his AK-47, watching the bullets bounce off the vehicle’s improvised armor as it drove away.
"Idiots," James yelled after them. "We didn’t cut you off. You cut us off."
The three friends were heading downtown to the main library. When they got near the building, they came up a side street, wheeled into the back entrance, and parked next to the dumpster. Kneeling next to the Jeep, they checked the street and the roofs of all the surrounding buildings before scooting around the side of the building towards the front.
Jesse led the way and as soon as he stepped out front, shots rang out from behind Rodin’s "The Thinker" statue located on a pedestal before the library doors.
"A sniper hiding behind the Rodin," Jesse called out to the others as he jumped back alongside the building.
"Makes you think, doesn’t it?" said Buck.
"Yeah, maybe the guy doesn’t like readers," said James.
Jesse just glared at them. "James, you go around to the other side," Jesse said. "Buck and I will keep him busy here."
Jesse and Buck took turns firing at the statue and the sniper fired back. James then opened fire from the other side of the library, and all three friends started to riddle the statue with bullets. With bullets flying at him from two angles, the sniper raised a white handkerchief sticking out of his rifle barrel.
"Go on, get out of here," Jesse yelled.
The sniper ran across the street as fast as he could. The trio bounced a few bullets off the pavement to make sure he kept running.
Buck, James, and Jesse then entered the library, checked their weapons with the security guard, and walked through the metal detector.
What happens outside, thought Buck, stays outside.
Buck then looked up his favorite history book, It’s All in the Past, second edition, revised and updated, checked out the hard copy (he really didn’t like electronic readers), and the guys carefully made their way back to the Jeep to head home.
"Thanks for coming along and covering me," said Buck.
"No problem," said James. "You’d do the same for us."
"What are you guys going to do for the holiday tomorrow?" asked Jesse. "Want to head to the riverfront for the fireworks?"
"It’s nice that we have a truce for national holidays," said Buck.
"I second that," said James. "It’s the civilized thing to do."
Getting ready to meet with his best friends, he changed his bandages and slipped on his bulletproof vest. "Actually it’s a ballistic vest. Nothing is truly bulletproof," his dad had warned him. "You show me a vest and I’ll show you a bullet that can penetrate it." Buck then put on his favorite cowboy shirt and titanium-lined cowboy hat.
You can never be too careful, he thought.
Throwing open the front door, Buck dove out and somersaulted behind the bushes as shots rang out. He spotted the old man two doors down through an opening in the bushes, aimed his custom tactical rifle and fired. The bullet glanced off the senior citizen’s vintage World War II helmet and he scurried back indoors.
That man’s got issues, thought Buck. He’s carrying on a feud with the world and nobody is winning.
Buck then hopped into his personally modified Jeep with reinforced body panels and roof, and bulletproof glass - "Actually it’s bullet resistant," his dad again advised him - and he peeled out of the driveway.
He drove a couple blocks and whipped into another home’s driveway. His friend James ran from that house to the vehicle while another friend, Jesse, stood in the doorway and sprayed the house across the street with his Uzi.
"Pesky neighbor," said James matter of factly as he entered the vehicle. Jesse continued to shoot while he ran and jumped into the Jeep. Buck then zipped away.
Cruising down Main Street they encountered only a few other vehicles. Most were armored food delivery or package delivery trucks making their rounds. Those guys have the best armor, mused Buck. They even get high tensile strength bullet resistant jump suits. The best stuff.
As he approached a traffic light Buck uttered his classic line, "The Buck stops here."
"Are you ever going to stop saying that?" said James.
After the light turned green and Buck stepped on the gas, a Hummer going in the opposite direction suddenly sped up and made a left turn right in front of them, causing Buck to jam on the brakes. One of the passengers in the Hummer then opened and leaned out a side window and took a shot at them, putting another dent in the Jeep’s right fender. James opened and leaned out his side window and raked the back of the Hummer with his AK-47, watching the bullets bounce off the vehicle’s improvised armor as it drove away.
"Idiots," James yelled after them. "We didn’t cut you off. You cut us off."
The three friends were heading downtown to the main library. When they got near the building, they came up a side street, wheeled into the back entrance, and parked next to the dumpster. Kneeling next to the Jeep, they checked the street and the roofs of all the surrounding buildings before scooting around the side of the building towards the front.
Jesse led the way and as soon as he stepped out front, shots rang out from behind Rodin’s "The Thinker" statue located on a pedestal before the library doors.
"A sniper hiding behind the Rodin," Jesse called out to the others as he jumped back alongside the building.
"Makes you think, doesn’t it?" said Buck.
"Yeah, maybe the guy doesn’t like readers," said James.
Jesse just glared at them. "James, you go around to the other side," Jesse said. "Buck and I will keep him busy here."
Jesse and Buck took turns firing at the statue and the sniper fired back. James then opened fire from the other side of the library, and all three friends started to riddle the statue with bullets. With bullets flying at him from two angles, the sniper raised a white handkerchief sticking out of his rifle barrel.
"Go on, get out of here," Jesse yelled.
The sniper ran across the street as fast as he could. The trio bounced a few bullets off the pavement to make sure he kept running.
Buck, James, and Jesse then entered the library, checked their weapons with the security guard, and walked through the metal detector.
What happens outside, thought Buck, stays outside.
Buck then looked up his favorite history book, It’s All in the Past, second edition, revised and updated, checked out the hard copy (he really didn’t like electronic readers), and the guys carefully made their way back to the Jeep to head home.
"Thanks for coming along and covering me," said Buck.
"No problem," said James. "You’d do the same for us."
"What are you guys going to do for the holiday tomorrow?" asked Jesse. "Want to head to the riverfront for the fireworks?"
"It’s nice that we have a truce for national holidays," said Buck.
"I second that," said James. "It’s the civilized thing to do."
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