The shot was off, grazing the guard’s leg. But it was more than what Jacked had hoped for. Spinning the gun around, he fired twice into the guard’s chest. The guard stumbled backwards and fell to the floor. Seeing the ear piece in his ear, Jack ripped it out and shoved it in his right ear. ‘It’s a pity that he had to die,’ Jack thought to himself. ‘But he should’ve minded his own business. At least something good came from his death.’ Jack fingered the ear bud in his ear. ‘Now I can keep tabs on the General and his men as I make my escape.’

‘Talking about escape, you dummy.’ Jack scolded himself. ‘You need to get going before they investigate the sound of the gun shots.’ Just then, voices squawked in the radio, inquiring about the noise in that sector. It was followed by a request for the dead guard to check in. Jack ignored it. They would know shortly that the guard was dead, and he was not going to be around when that happened. Looking around him to make sure the coast was clear, Jack quickly went back to the terminal and punched in his pin number. It was accepted this time without a hitch. Jack smiled as the whirl of the machine reached his ears. He loved it when a plan came together.