The Codetalkers (The Rebelutionaries Series: Book 2)

Chapter 22

  Courage is grace under pressure.

  -Ernest Hemingway

  Zac took in his surroundings as he slowly complied. The table was set for morning tea - plates, cups and cutlery. Two wrist strap guns were piled in the centre of the table, alongside three military issue weapons. Near, yet too far to be of help to anyone. Not that anyone was in a position to use a handgun anyway. Zac could now see that John and Ryan were handcuffed to each other. And his father and Dave had their wrists bound in front of them with cable ties. So did the man in the Navy uniform. Zac couldn’t see the only other person’s wrists - a Naval Lieutenant standing near the Navy Commander - but the nervous expression on the woman’s face suggested she was a prisoner too. Zac’s heart went out to her.

  Zac quickly took stock of what they did have between them. He didn’t have a gun, but he still had his tool-belt. And at the moment he still had two free arms and legs. And everyone still had free legs to kick opponents if they came within reach. John and Ryan still had one free arm each. And while conventional weapons were out of reach, John and Ryan could still use a number of potential weapons. He could also communicate with his father in Yupik. The trouble was working out how to communicate with the others, so they could all act in unison.

  Zac positioned himself near the table and casually pulled a couple of dinner plates closer. He made direct eye contact with Ryan and started humming softly as he drummed out a beat on the table.

  Ryan’s eyes widened slightly. Zac broke off eye contact with Ryan and redirected his attention to John. He picked up the dinner plate and hummed softly again. John inched closer to the table. Finally, without more than a casual glance at Kiviuq, Zac started singing in Yupik.

  “Kick ‘em high... Kick ‘em low!”

  “What are you doing?” demanded Luan.

  “Sorry. They’ve been playing Just Jack and Space Jam all morning on the radio. Can’t get it out of my head... All together now!”

  Simultaneously an assortment of crockery and cutlery sailed forcefully through the air towards Luan and Tarapaca and struck them. The multi-directional attack caught both men by surprise.

  “Strike!” yelled Ryan euphorically.

  “Nap time!” added Kiviuq, as he and Dave dealt out several potent follow-up kicks until they were knocked out.

  Zac snipped through the cable ties around his father and Dave’s wrists.

  “Handy things tool-belts...” he grinned, tossing a roll of duct tape in his father’s direction.

  Kiviuq chuckled as he and Dave set about binding up Luan and Tarapaca’s unconscious limbs with duct tape and builders string. Zac cut the handcuffs that joined John and Ryan with a pair of pliers. John moved towards the Commander with the intention of freeing him. As he did, he felt something cold press against the back of his skull.

  “No one make another move or he’s dead.”

  Zac looked up and his eyes widened in terror. The slender woman dressed in the Navy uniform was holding a gun to John’s head.