Into Wonderland
IT services in San Francisco had taken a bizarre turn. Mark stared into darkness through which he knew he must go. The whole country, maybe even the world was counting on him. He patted his pocket— there was a toolkit which folded open from the middle. It was about the size of a small tablet. There were a number of gadgets he had brought back from Washington after his briefing from President Trump and those in the NSA and CIA whom the POTUS felt trustworthy.
Mark took one last breath then walked into the darkness of the passage. A quick grinding sound indicated the trap door had closed behind him. He flinched when it ground to its resting position. He turned around to find it securely closed, and there was no way to re-open it.
“Welp,” Mark swallowed, “Here we go…”
No Turning Back
Mark could see a pinprick of light what seemed like miles away in the inky blackness. He walked quietly as possible, creeping along, every sense on full alert. The light was not miles away, just a few hundred yards— still, further than he might have expected. It came spilling in from another corridor that branched off to the left. Mark turned and realized he had made a huge mistake.
Bad Guys
Not five feet away were two men with guns, uniforms, and surprised expressions. Guards, on duty, were patrolling the passageways. The men beheld Mark, Mark beheld the men, and before he could decide what to do, one of them threw a blow that caught him in the face. Adrenaline coursed through Mark’s veins. He was no warrior, just a man who regularly provided IT services in San Francisco, but he had fear on his side, and he knew he was right. This combination can take out the most highly trained assassin if properly employed.
Before his body could fall to the ground, Mark’s own limbs began flailing out, and he managed to sidestep a blow and catch the other guard square in the nose, prompting the man to raise his gun, whereupon Mark tackled the other guard into him. They tussled for a moment and Mark rolled free, then jumped in the air and kicked with his legs. One foot managed to perform a rough roundhouse kick that caught one of the guards in the face and knocked a tooth down the passageway and a head into thick stone walls with a fleshy THOCK!
Out of the corner of his eye, Mark saw the other guard going for his semi-automatic. He turned fast as he could and lunged, arms extended. The whole thing took less than a second, but Mark plowed into the guard, knocking the gun away. He found the weapon of the one he had knocked into the wall, swung it around, and shot his assailant dead.
Newfound Strength
“How’s that for aggressive IT services in San Francisco,” Mark breathed, then began ripping clothes from the dead guard and tying the unconscious one up. “Teach you to mess with OneClick Solutions Group,” he muttered. Hey, maybe he could get away with one-liners! But he was breathing hard, and abruptly it hit him. “I… nearly died.” Mark blinked. He wiped sweat from his head then turned toward the light— another hallway, and the maze went on.