Free Powerless (Book 1): Powerless by Niall McCreanor Page B

mission was simple; get in, identify the presence of the schoolgirls and radio for back up. The village had only one road in or out with a well-built wooden bridge over the village stream making it difficult for unseen entry. With nightfall’s cover Tom waded his way up the stream using the water to cover his scent from the guard dogs until he got to the bridge, where two guards stood with their ever-ready dogs.
    In complete silence and darkness Tom rigged the bridge with explosives making pursuit of escaping prisoners and soldiers impossible. The expected time on the mission was ten minutes so Tom set the timer for 15, allowing five minutes to locate the kids and radio back up.
    Having placed the final explosive, Tom waded further up stream, found cover and pulled himself out of the stream and began to search the village. Working his way through all the buildings, he hid in shadows, hunting for any signs of the girls or bus. Finding his way round the village Tom discovered a barn hidden to the rear of what appeared to him to be the village church.
    Peering in the window, Tom came across the bus the girls were taken from hidden under a tarp. Snatching the radio from his bag, he turned on the radio to break silence and call it in. First Class Sergeant McKay, who was Tom’s sergeant and had come through the academy with him, was to lead the extraction team once Tom confirmed the presence of the hostages. Tom radioed in that he had discovered the bus and continued to search. As he moved to the next building to his horror he spied the extraction team moving in too early, way too early. Tom got back in the radio calling in his mission abort code but he was too late. The extraction team had breached the village. Tom knew the only possibility now to save the hostages was to hope that while the terrorists were busy with the extraction team he could move freely from building to building.
    Dashing over and back across the village, he scanned every building as he darted by, trying to locate the captives. One building caught Tom’s attention. The guards on the door did not budge despite all hell breaking loose around them. Flanking from the side, Tom pulled out his gun and shot one in the foot. He collapsed to the ground, crying out as the other guard made ready his weapon, but it was too late. Leaping through the air with full force, Tom struck his knee squarely in the guard’s chest. Landing on top of his crumpled body Tom placed the gun to his head, gripped the trigger and released a round. Tom spun around and fired once more at the other guard still clenching his foot.
    Gun cocked, Tom hit the door shoulder first, busting open all locks and most of the door frame as he entered the building.
    Nothing, there was nothing in the room. No girls, nothing. Stunned, Tom turned to make his escape when he heard a rustle from inside the building. Spinning around and pointing his gun into the obviously empty room, Tom knew he wasn’t alone. Searching and finding nothing except a sporadic sound of whimpering, he put down his gun and spoke out.
    “I am here to get you out,” still nothing was revealed. Speaking softly. “Trust me!”
    From behind a projected masking, one child stepped out, then another and another. Tom found himself in a room of scared girls and constructed a plan in his head to get them out while shielding them from the battle outside. “Put the masking back up, conceal us all.” A child stepped forward and threw the masking cloak up in the air, covering all the girls along with Tom. He moved to the back of the room and throwing his fist straight at the wall on the poorly constructed building, he blew a hole in it large enough for a child to slip through.
    Approaching the opening, a small child went to pass through. Taking her hand, Tom bent down on his knees and calmly said, “No, we are going out the front door, and straight over the bridge.” Turning to the child with masking capabilities, Tom asked, “What’s