Eight hours later I was re-qualified and exhausted; they had put me through extra exams on my fitness and stamina, ability to weight carry and transfer and even manoeuvre through various environments. Next came the written exams and evaluations and in the afternoon my water and first aid exams which I knew I had aced. My final exam was just finished – swim under full current and waves for rescue and then manoeuvre in wet gear and tag a target. I was lying on the swimming pools surface beside the ladder and trying to get my breath back in order – I had been told that I had 98% pass rate and was re-qualified for another year. I waved them off and collapsed back into my recovery mode. A door opened to my side and I grinned at Ed who came in with warm towels and was dressed for a swim himself.
"Hey Ed – how's your day going?" I asked trying to breathe through the burning in my chest.
"It's quiet and we're bored stupid – how did everything go with the examiners?" he replied.
"98% - I'm your rookie again!" I said holding up my thumb.
All of a sudden six other people ran out the room and picked me up by my arms and legs, they threw me in the water and jumped in after me with screams of delight – and cold due to the examiners cooling the water right down to simulate the sea. I spun underwater and grinned as I pushed off from the bottom and jumped on their backs laughing.
"Funny guys – twenty laps now!" I said pulling myself out the water.
They all groaned and headed off to start their laps; it gave me good looks at strengths and weaknesses they had for the course next week and I was laughing as Sam tried to do his best; I knew he could swim, but he just needed to work on his method and flow through the water instead of fighting it. Ed and Jules finished first and second with Spike and Wordy next – Sam and Parker finished last due to Parker needing to help Sam after he got toe cramp.
"Oh jeez guys seriously! Your all freaking cops I know but apart from these two and the boss being a hero – we need to work on it!" I replied laughing.
They grabbed my ankles and dragged me back into the water and splashed me stupid – I was laughing so hard that I was holding onto anyone near me to keep afloat. I swam across to Spike and climbed onto his back as we messed about in the pool for a while and started to do dares on the springboards and diving levels – Jules surprised the hell out of us and then Parker bombed us all and limped off with a massive wedgie – we were all laughing so hard at that part due to the pain across his face.
We broke up about twenty minutes after that and went our separate ways to get cleaned up, Jules was still laughing about the boss and I had just had my shower and was pulling on my jeans when my phone went – without even thinking about I looked at the screen and stopped dead in my tracks. It was us in the pool. I pulled on my shoes and top and ran out the room and climbed up to the windows access from the second level diving board, the view had come from outside which told me there was a perch up in the woods that looked directly to where we were messing about. I heard the doors open from below and Jules shouted up to me after seeing the image on the phone; something caught my eye and I looked down over my heart and saw a blinking red dot of a laser tag.
"Jules – don't come any closer to me!" I shouted as I stabilized my footing.
"What's wrong Mac?" she demanded.
"I think I just got pulled into a trap and I am currently in some kind of laser sight that's blinking over my heart. Go back down the ladder and keep back from this whole deck." I said calmly.
"Stay still alright – I'm going to get the guys and were going to get you out of it alright!" she said pulling out her phone.
I heard the phone ring and then a single sentence.
"Winnie – Rodeo."
'Rodeo' was the SRU distress call for a threat to life inside the building, it had never been used officially and it was subtly that the SOP for this kind of call started taking shape. All doors closed automatically and only the correct pin would open them, lights dimmed and vents to the outside opened fully to increase air supply. The blast of fresh air hit me like a wave since I was right beside the main vent in the area; I controlled my breathing and tried to keep the shivering to the minimum possible. I heard Jules climb the ladder again and I stopped myself from turning around to stop her.
"Jules I am not joking – I don't know what this is but it's not a sniper sight – get away from this area and keep everyone back unless they are fully geared up!"
"I'm staying back and just checking that you will be alright while I let everyone know what's going on here alright – sniper breathing and think good thoughts!" she replied.
I stuck my thumb up again in the age old saying of 'ok that I can do!'
She climbed back down the stairs and I heard the doors being opened by the code and her footsteps running down the corridor, she would report directly to Winnie and inform every one of what was going on and they would split up into checking for subjects and the others checking on me. Ed would take Sam and Jules and Spike, Wordy and Parker would stay with me below to make sure I had company while this went on.
Jules ran to the desk where everyone was standing and they all looked mystified to what was going on; even wondering if this was part of my evaluations to see how I deal with stress.
"Jules what's going on?" Ed demanded.
"We were getting changed and Mac got a message, next thing I know is she is running back to the pool and had climbed the ladders to the second platform; I followed seconds later and she backed me off with a warning."
"What warning?" Spike demanded.
"She has a laser tag on her chest and it's blinking," she replied.
Jules showed the video to them all and she could see Spike was running through his head about what he needed and what it could be; he knew it could possibly be a target bomb with a proximity trigger – but how did it get there?
"Boss, I need to get up there and find out what is going on – this is obviously a target specific job and they watched us in the pool."
"You're too close to this Spike…" Ed started.
"I know…I know I am but its procedure for the teams on call to respond and report in to the inside contact if possible; I'm needed now as a possible bomb expert which means I need to check outside first and then go up and check the area. If it's clear, then we can get closer and I'll step back!"
Everyone looked at him and nodded moments later after he got everyone on comms, he ran with Ed and Sam to the gear room and got some night vision scopes and weapons while Parker and Jules headed back into swimming area. I was freezing cold and I was half meditating and half doing the rosary when I heard Parker call up to me.
"Hey Mackenzie, how are you doing up there?"
"I'm good boss, any chance of closing the vents as I am freezing – making it difficult to stop shivering!" I said through my breathing.
"In a moment, just getting the guys to do some checks outside and see if they notice anything unusual in the area – if it's all clear then I'll even move a thermal blanket and hot chocolate up for you!"
I laughed and stopped suddenly as the light went from red to yellow; in an instant I knew what this way and it was going to end with me doing the high jump into a freezing cold pool full of props.
'Shit! Shit! Shit!'
"You okay there Mac – you went quiet for a moment!" Jules asked.
"It's a Propelling Charge guys, the light just went from red to yellow – if I move again then its active and I need to stand completely still," I shouted.
I heard them run up the stairs a little closer to me and I saw in the reflective glass that they were both pale while looking at me playing statue. They looked around and tried to see the tag but it was not visible in the dimmed light.
"Guys, are you trying to spot the laser tag?" I asked gently.
"Yeah, but it is impossible for me to see!" Jules replied.
I closed my eyes and took a quick breath before racking my brains for a solution to her problem, it suddenly clicked and I called back down.
"Go into the chemical locker and get six chloride tablets and a container of ammonia, you'll need to wear gloves and a mask to handle the mixture when I tell you to add them in a bowl." I replied.
"What you thinking Mac?" Parker asked.
"You need to see the laser – the chemical smoke will make it light up in the dark and you can trace it to wherever it comes from." I replied.
I heard Spike come over the comms unit and agree with what I was saying, I also heard that there was nothing outside which told me the charge was already attached to the window and would burst through the glass when activated. The one trick I had up my sleeve is that I could jump sideways and dive into the water at a moment's notice if required – I shouted on the others to get the props out the way and to leave me room to break the surface. The outer doors opened again and I heard everyone talking in the room – the echoes in the pool were ridiculous and I could hear everything they said – I whistled to them and heard Spike telling them to stand back and he was going up range.
"SPIKE STOP!" I shouted.
The footsteps stopped suddenly and he shouted up to me.
"Mac we need to find the location point!" he shouted up to me.
"Then use the chloride and ammonia, it's the safest way as if I move again then it could be party time! Trust me on this Spike – use the gas to flush out the location point and then we can decide on what to do!"
"I can find it Mac, I know what I am looking for!" he hissed.
"And if you make one wrong move then you risk setting the charge onto its last setting – it would take us both out!" I replied shivering.
"Spike, take a step back and try it her way – safer of the two options!" a voice boomed over the comms.
"Copy that!" he hissed.
Ten minutes later I looked up into the windows surface and saw him behind me on the top step of the ladder, he had his container of ammonia and the chloride pellets in his hand and he crouched low and put them at the bottom of my feet. He looked up at me and I grinned even though we read the fear in each other's eyes.
"I've got a mask for you and then I will drop the pellets in and get the lights switched off to see what we are dealing with – we'll be home in thirty minutes alright?"
I shook my head at the mask.
"You can't break the beam by putting something on me; I can hold my breath and nudge the bowl back into the water after it's done its job."
"Inhale enough of this gas and you will pass out – I am not….not again!" he whispered.
"You're not going to lose me babe, very worst thing that happens is I go for another swim and then we go home to bed!" I replied.
He looked at me and shook his head, I knew he was thinking about Lou and it bothered the hell out of me – I knew that it was going to be close and I wasn't even stepping on a landmine.
"Spike, let her do what she said and then we can have oxygen on standby,"
"Boss that's not standard SOP – she will be standing over a container of poisonous gas!"
"Spike – I survived the boss's cooking so I will survive this, give me the pellets and then get to safety and switch the lights off!" I ordered.
He looked at me and then gently passed the pellets into my hand and squeezed the other hand; I nodded and blew him a kiss. He dropped his gear and headed down the stairs as Parker shouted to me they were going to switch off the lights. It went pitch black and I crushed the pellets in my hand and dropped them into the bowl below me. I took a few deep breaths, hyperventilating myself to conserve oxygen and I watched as the gas illuminated the laser tag and the device on the window.
My heart dropped and I closed my eyes to control my movements as I took in the lethal placement of the device.
"Spike, there is no way you are going to get this device," I whispered.
"There is always a way Mac," Parker replied.
I could imagine Spike below me, reliving the incident with Lou – I could hear laboured breathing and I knew it was him.
"Guys, back out of the room!" I said suddenly.
"What's wrong?" they all demanded.
I stared down at the laser as it turned green and immediately went stock still, one move would trigger the device and I would be gone; I heard them muffle their voices, heard them talking about what to do – both of them stopping Spike from climbing the stairs to me.
"We are backing out the room Mac, but I will be on the comms for anything you need alright?" Parker ordered.
"Copy that boss!" I whispered.
I knew there was only one choice now and I was going to have to dive off the high board sideways, that on top of the explosion I knew I was probably going to be knocked unconscious into a swimming pool. This type of device is not fun to be around!
'Shit! Shit! Shit!' I thought to myself – this was going to hurt!