Shock and Awe

Here is a snippet from my Macbeth story. If you like it let me know. I can post more. If you don’t let me know. I don’t have to post more.

Shock and Awe. My mother favored the golden rule. My father a rousing debate. I am a little more pragmatic. Why leave things to chance? Give them an offer they can’t refuse. Success = results, or vice-versa. I am a results oriented guy.
The question remains, however; where to draw the line? Some require more “incentive” than others. Persuasion is an art form. Sometimes requiring subtlety; sometimes brute force.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
And a pinch of élan.
True peace, I think, is found in quiet violence. Like the aftermath of an explosion. If you are close enough to the initial blast, your ears ring, your eyes water, and you can even taste it. The heat and the explosive force envelop you in a warm embrace. In that brief moment, time stops and everything becomes clear. You are part of everything and nothing. And then just as quickly, your moment is gone. Reality crashes back in waves of pain and literal death. Priceless!
KABOOM!
The ground shook so suddenly and violently, I almost lost my balance. I sprinted up the remaining marble stairs and through the glass doors. Alarms and sirens were blaring now and I could see search lights blaze into life, sweeping the grounds frantically for threats. But they were too late. I was in the building. More explosions rocked the building. Screams of pain and fear could be heard through the utter darkness. I strolled through the lavish lobby, night vision goggles illuminating my way. If I had done my job well, they would not have electricity here for at least a week. Relying on my memory of the blueprints of this facility, I made my way quickly to the main stairwell and headed down. Three flights later, I reached my objective. The door into this part of the building would rival that of any safe in any major bank. But with the proper application of C-4, I had it open in mere moments. As I stepped through the smoldering hole, I saw the remains of two guards mangled by the exploding door. Stepping over the poor devils, I moved quickly down the dark corridor, checking the evenly spaced rooms on either side. A strange place to have a prison, I thought, but the Chinese never really made a lot of sense to me.
The lights came on.
It was so sudden and unexpected I was momentarily stunned. I ripped the goggles off my face, blinking through the glaring fluorescent light. They had an additional redundant generator somewhere, not on the schematics. That was unfortunate. I heard the shouts and pounding feet of soldiers behind me.
I find, the practical application of even the most careful plans, rarely goes off without a hitch. Having had merely hours to plan this particular escapade, well…