a Knock on the Door - Frogman's Lilypad

"It's brilliant and hilarious, and I love it. Also a huge fan of the ME series."

"Mass Effect?" he said. "Awesome games... Can't wait for three."

She smiled.

"I might be able to get advanced copies."

"Hell yeah..." He said. "Like I need another time suck... but its worth it."

She chuckled.

"Oh, you have no idea how much of your time I can fill."

Shauna stifled the laugh behind her hand and bit her knuckle hard after that comment.

Jim blinked then grinned, stifling the initial comment that came to mind.

"Ooo.... I bet you could but its not what I think about all the time, despite being a sailor..." A very pregnant pause. "I play other computer games too and have responsibility as do you." Wicked grin.


"Anyways... A shooter night or whatever is fine. Since we are here shooting shit, it can be story time if ye like."

She smiled.

"I love story time."

"Good this time you start." Shauna said with a grin.

"What would you like to hear about?" He said as he got up to go fetch the wine bottle.

She frowned.

"Hmmmmmmmm.....Stories from the Mortal days."

Laughter.... came from the kitchen and hall as he came back into the den with the bottle and a second one. "Mortal days..." he said. "Ok...."


Jim filled her glass up, topped off Shauna's and his own before sitting.

"How much do you know about the Seals?" He asked.

She chuckled.

"I've seen GI Jane."

"Heh.... good movie. Not likely to happen but in the current mortal political climate, ya never know..." He said. "Well... we do more than go swimming in the ocean and snoop enemy beaches...

We are the President's go-to guys for quiet ops... find out shit, perhaps breaking it and getting out. Good as hostage rescue too....


Well... its 1999 and I've been seconded out to the ICTY to go bring in one of the butchers of the bosnian wars... real bad guy too. Well, me and the team I was part of- pretty much every major Nato Spec Ops was in on this- were scheduled to jump on the darkest night of the decade. which meant it was a perfect time for an insert.

Favorable winds, dark as Sin night, perfect Canopies… Nope, everything was going right; which meant Mr Murphy was looking for something to fuck up on one of us.


He picked me.

I cut loose my gear bag so it would land before me and give me a few seconds warning if there was water below me.... and I heard it it a person I could not see in the dark.

She listened with rapt attention.

Shauna chuckled. She'd heard this one before.

I landed and immediately tucked as I released the chute from my harness. Hearing the low shouts and what sounded like a fucking herd told me it was about to get very excting.... Of course I had trouble getting my USP out… or at least my damn knife. They are the only things you carry on you during a drop unless you expect trouble on landing. We didn't so we weren't packing heavy.

I managed to get my blade loose as I saw the outline of a Kalashnikov-wielding son in the dark. None of us were using Russian gear this trip- mostly MP5's, Sterlings and M-4's so it wasn't one of us.

Having nothing else to do, I did something completely Spetznaz or hollywood, where they got it from. I threw my knife at him in desperation and with five tons of prayer in milliseconds time. He dropped and it bought me time to get the pistol out.

But as I tossed, it became real apparent I was in a bigger world of hurt as this guy's buddies were nearby.

But not long for the world as a bit of Arabic was called out into the night- Abdul, the lone Turk on the team was trying to mess them up with a distraction just before I heard the El-Tee's SD5 tapping out a song. A few screams and gurgles plus the quiet rip of a Sterling took a toll. Jim said as he sipped his wine.

She smiled and gave a nod, sipping at her wine.

Shauna looked a little queasy for a moment but nodded.

I got to my gear bag, pistol out and hoping no more surprises were in store. It was real puckerfactor time too... I got my gun out, and listened to the now very quiet clearing.

After we all checked in, the LT appeared like the Phantom of his call-sign. "I believe this is yours, Jim." He sez as he handed me my knife. Then Irish, the reformed IRA man with the SAS guys on the team commented "Bloody nice throw Mate... Right between the eyes." Almost as if he was commenting on a Darts game."


Jim shook his head.

Even the El-Tee said it was a good throw... Raz, as we moved out, I couldn't stop thinking about that throw. I mean, back then I sucked at darts… and throwing knives I am not even close to being as good as my Dart game was… but I managed to hit and kill the guy. Right handed too… and I'm left handed. Adrenalin and fear can do amazing things to accuracy... but that was ridiculous.

If I was a superstitious sort, I might have worried about that kill… but I wasn't and I didn't."


A chuckle. "Silly me."

She chuckled.

"So who was it?"

who was it was a nobody..." He said. "But there is a rule of warfare that essentially says if things are going too well, there is gonna be a reckoning somewhere. And usually when you really don't want it to happen.

And everything possible about this mission from that point was shitty. Weather cold and rainy, the hide site comprimised by a pair of young lovers being where they shouldn't... Beefed security on the target AND heavy armor on site.

We managed to get in, get the fucker and fight our way out by being outside the box creative but the run to the LZ was rough. when we couldn't shake pursuit, it was cross country and hope we cold get to the border..." Jim said. "And that was very much in doubt too.

Two days of running and three stolen vehicles later, we got to a railroad track and a bridge over the border river.... just as we crossed the border, the French showed up."

She frowned.

"Out gunned us too..." He said. "We were bloody, tired and low on bullets when they showed up... and a near firefight happened before they identified themselves as our Evac. They relieved us of our cargo when they evacced us, saying they would ensure he was delivered.

We found out a week later that they took credit for snatching the package and delivering him to the Hague, cutting us out of the loop completely."


Jim shook his head. "Yeah... there is politics out there too. and I had a history with their team leader which made what happened even worse. But revenge is a dish serves cold and I got even with Jacqueline du'Bois six months later but that's another story...