Winter Jackets

Chapter 11 - The Army and The First Task

And so, with no visible tears, Jack left his home, his family, his own sister, to serve the country. After working in the Red Cross for almost two years, there was an incident. This incident was the reason he came home three years after he was supposed to.

One day, while checking on his patients, a member of the opposing army somehow snuck into the tent, and was about to shoot down... well, it could have been everyone, or someone in particular, but no one knew. Because, on an impulse, Jack grabbed some rope he found lying around, and threw a rock somewhere behind the enemy to distract him.

Then, he snuck up on the enemy and, with one strike of larger rock, lying around from banging tent pegs into the soil, the enemy crumpled to the ground and Jack immediately tied him to a chair, with a blindfold around his eyes and a gag in his mouth.

The enemy was taken, by three soldiers, to the same official who had given Jack a job, and was questioned mercilessly.

Jack, on the other hand, was given one of the best rewards one could get - or, at least, the best according to extremely patriotic/violent people: a chance to join the army.

He accepted, though only after consulting fifteen people, his parents included (they unwillingly agreed, but still wanted him to stay). But he still had to determine what position he would be in, and he decided, after quite a few tests and trials, to be an enemy spy, just like the one who got him into the army.

A/N: I'm being nice, and putting up the next chapter as a part of this one! Enjoy!

*The First Task*

For his first task (after a few months of training in ropes, guns, and distractions), Jack had to go to the medical tent of the enemy and keep watch, while his partner stole the guns of every patient. This was only a practise mission, although it was the enemy's medical tent, because he did not have much to do, only watch duty.

It started of well: Jack and his partner, Reid, left at one-thirty in the afternoon, for everyone would have just finished lunch and would be ready to sleep. Their planning was also a crucial part of the task.

So they left, hiding behind trees, crates and anything they could find. They reached at 1:28 (because of their good planning) and Jack took his place behind a large crate in front of the tent, and Reid went in.

The tent was simply a large canvas sheet draped over some wooden sticks, so that it had two openings. The pair had known this beforehand, and made their plans based on that.

After watching Reid go in safely, Jack got to work. The first guard that came, who was alone and clearly on duty, Jack, being on the left of the soldier, used the same diversion technique as he had done with the enemy spy: he threw a rock somewhere to the right of the soldier, and when he looked to the right, Jack picked up a larger rock and, with perfect aim, hit the soldier's head, therefore knocking him out. Jack tied him up and stuffed him in a crate, which he hid out of sight, but not before taking the enemy's uniform. Then, dressed in the enemy's clothes, he assumed the role of the soldier he had just knocked out.

This allowed him to look into the tent and watch Reid. and when he did, he saw Reid being held to gunpoint, and the owner of the gun facing Jack.

The enemy raised his gun and pulled the trigger,

and Jack fell to the ground.