A Set of Jacks
Chapter 3
MiniJack and MiniDaniel had stopped in a small roadside diner in Nebraska for dinner when everyone saw a brilliant display of lights in the sky. Blue globes orbited a dark disk that started to illuminate into a silver saucer. Several beams of orange light intermittently emanated vertically from the saucer to the ground before the blue globes disappeared. Suddenly, the silver saucer shot across the sky until it was no longer visible. Most of the diner customers believed the light show was just an artificial display, but a few were clearly panicked. In order to make a graceful exit, MiniJack and MiniDaniel quickly finished their dinner and headed back onto the road.
"It's me," MiniDaniel told Daniel on his cell phone. "We just witnessed quite a sight in the sky. It looks like some aliens paid Earth a visit. Expecting anyone?"
"No, and nothing showed up here," Daniel told his clone. "I'm guessing it was a hoax or a light show, depending on the intentions."
"That's what we figured as well."
MiniJack chimed in loudly so Daniel could hear. "Daniel, those lights must have consumed a lot of power. Do you think someone over there can track down any extreme energy consumption in this area?"
"It will take some effort to jump through the hoops, but I think we can get that data," Daniel told MiniDaniel, who relayed the information to MiniJack.
Soon after checking in at a hotel, Daniel called MiniDaniel and provided information about a warehouse that the two then visited. They parked far away and walked to rest of the way to avoid detection.
MiniJack and MiniDaniel crept alongside the warehouse walls until they reached a window. Through it, they saw four young adults on computers and projectors plugged into the walls of the warehouse. The building was mostly empty save for a few tall stacks of boxes.
"This wasn't a light show," MiniJack offered. "They're up to something."
"One of them must have connections to this warehouse if they know it was just vacated and that the power is still on until the end of July," MiniDaniel added. "So, what now? You've got your curiosity satisfied."
MiniJack smiled mischievously.
"Oh, come on, Jack. These are just kids trying to stir up a little trouble."
"Don't you miss this, Danny Boy?"
"No."
MiniJack sighed. "Fine, but let's at least call the police so someone knows the real story. Plus, these people might be trespassing illegally."
Around thirty minutes later, two policemen arrived. MiniJack and MiniDaniel were still there in hiding and the four young adults were there as well. MiniDaniel guessed that they were programming another hoax. MiniJack and MiniDaniel saw the four panic slightly when the policemen knocked on the door. Two hid the computers and wires while the other two answered the door. Their conversation with the police seemed confrontational, but relatively normal until the two pulled out guns and shot at the police. One officer was struck and on the ground and the other took off after accidentally dropping his gun. Because the police car was in the line of sight for the two gunmen, the remaining police officer dodged right and ran along the building and the others ran in pursuit. Knowing that all three would come their way, MiniJack and MiniDaniel crouched down hidden while the policeman ran by. As the two gunmen came close, MiniJack and MiniDaniel each tackled one. MiniJack quickly defeated his opponent and grabbed the gun before helping MiniDaniel before the latter became overwhelmed. Soon, the second gunman was down and the policeman had returned after realizing what had happened.
"Who are you?" Officer Conlet asked.
"I'm Jack Share and this is Jack Neilson. He's the one who called you all."
"Okay. More questions later. I need to get help for Officer Stevens."
"We'll see to the other two in the warehouse," MiniJack offered before Officer Conlet could say anymore. The three ran towards the police cruiser.
"Ordinarily, involving civilians to this degree is highly inappropriate, but –"
"We're already involved. Trust us, we're qualified to help," MiniJack said.
While Officer Conlet called in for medical support, MiniJack and MiniDaniel noticed that the officers' guns were missing from the floor.
"If they got this far," MiniJack said, "they might have left."
"When we were driving up here, there was a fork in the road. Maybe the other direction leads to somewhere else someone could park a car."
The two ran towards the fork while Officer Conlet tended to his partner. Soon, MiniJack and MiniDaniel saw a car approaching them from the turn they didn't take. MiniJack shot the tires, forcing the two occupants out.
"I'm telling you, that bang wasn't the tire. It was something else," one of them said. The two checked out their flat front right tire as they continued talking, permitting MiniJack and MiniDaniel to sneak up on them with weapons aimed.
"Where are the guns you took from the officers?" MiniDaniel asked.
MiniJack took a gun off one of the perpetrators and the other from the car. He and MiniDaniel walked back to the warehouse with the two.
"Shooting cops is a bit extreme for a hoax and trespassing, isn't it?" MiniJack asked the two.
"You have no idea what we're involved in," one of them claimed as they reached the warehouse.
"Great," MiniDaniel replied. "Covert stuff 'above our head' just like NID." As he finished his sentence, MiniDaniel noticed one of the crooks' pupils dilate. "Oh, really?" MiniDaniel let out an exasperated sigh.
Officer Conlet arrested the pair and read them their Miranda rights. He then came back to meet MiniJack and MiniDaniel.
"Thanks again for your help. My partner will be all right, and an ambulance will be here, shortly."
"No problem," MiniJack responded.
"So who are you two?"
"I'm Jack Share and this is Jack Neilson."
"No, I mean, getting involved in this and taking care of these four people, where did you learn all that?"
MiniDaniel started to stammer a bit, so MiniJack spoke up. "Wait, their car is going to be a problem. I popped a tire and left the car on the road. It's going to block the ambulance. We'll be right back." MiniJack grabbed MiniDaniel and ran off to the car, ignoring Officer Conlet's request for them to stop. MiniJack hopped in the car and set it in neutral while MiniJack pushed it onto the grass. Then they ran towards their own vehicle and set off back to their hotel.
"He'll be all right," MiniJack tried to assure MiniDaniel as the latter called up Daniel on his cell phone.
By the time both had gotten back to the hotel, MiniDaniel was nearly finished explaining the situation with the hoax, the possible NID connection, and where the four criminals were.
"The NID must be trying to get someone's attention," Daniel hypothesized.
"Well, we'll leave that to you all. We're going back to our vacation."
"All right. Take care."
"Bye." MiniDaniel turned to MiniJack. "They'll look into it. So, have you had your fill of your usual fun?"
"I will admit this was satisfying."
"Good." MiniDaniel smiled.
"What's that smirk?"
"Did you really think you could hide two fishing poles in my car without me noticing them?"
"Well . . . "
"I'm glad you got something out of your system. Onwards to Minnesota tomorrow."
"Yeah, onwards."
The end? I originally intended this chapter to be longer and with more intense and developed action, but i got hit by writer's block and my vacation is ending. If I come up with another idea or two, I'll update this story. I really did want the pair to have a nice adventure. In the meantime, though, I'm considering this story complete. Thanks a lot for reading. Have a great new year.