Break: An Urban Hero's Journey

by Wes Grant

  Jack laughed and said, “So all this is for me, eh? Just a trap to get me? Well, that’s too bad for the ambassador now, isn’t it?” The general said, “What do you mean? You’ve been caught. We got you before you took the shot.” Jack said, “Well, General, if you did your research on me, then you’d know I always get me target.” Just then the car that the ambassador got in exploded and instantly killed everyone in the car and injured a few pedestrians. Jack slowly looked over his shoulder at the smoke down below and said, “I’m betting he wished he’d stayed in bed today.”

  The General gritted his teeth and said, “You son of a…” He was then interrupted by Jack as he said, “Now, now, now, General, you can’t be mad at the rat if he still eats the cheese in the trap. Shoulda planned a better trap.”

  The general told the men, “Take him into custody and make sure this piece of crap is secured and can’t move a muscle. He’s a very dangerous man and must not be taken lightly.”

  The men handcuffed Jack and put him in the van. While in the van, Jack was sitting handcuffed with the guards still aiming their guns directly at him.

  Jack closed his eyes, leaned his head back against the van, and said, “You mates need to relax. I’m not going anywhere. I needed a little vacation away from the job anyways.” He opened his eyes a crack and peeked to the side and saw the men still had their guns aimed directly at his head. He closed his eyes again and said, “Suit yourself.”

  NEXT SCENE

  Jack was being transported to secret maximum prison in Fish River Canyon located in South Namibia. The prison is actually located in the canyon a quarter of a mile from the edge of the canyon. This prison holds the most dangerous criminals in the world, and there were only two ways to get in. One is by helicopter, and the other is by the extention drawbridge. Other than that, it’s a 550-meter drop. To give you a better understanding of how deep it is, compare it to the Empire State Building, which is only 381 meters tall. No criminal has ever escaped from the prison. This place makes Alcatraz look like a daycare center.

  Jack was being transported in an armored truck. He was chained up from head to toe. The truck came to a stop at the cliff of the canyon facing toward the prison. The guards called it in and gave confirmation before the two drawbridges began to extend toward one another to and from the prison. Once the drawbridge was connected and secured, they proceeded across and entered the prison.

  When the truck stopped, Jack got out, looked around, and said, “I love what you’ve done with the place, it has a certain feng shui.”

  The guard said shut up and pushed Jack toward the entrance door. As he walked through the building he could hear the whisper of the prisoners talking about him. Whispers of if it’s really him and could they roll with him if he started a crew.

  The next day when lunch time came around, Jack was sitting at a table by himself. Two men sat across from Jack while he ate. One o f the men said, “Hey, you’re Jack Dingo, right?” Jack bit his piece of chicken and just looked at the man.

  The man then said, “Yeah, yeah, you’re him. I hear you’re the best at what you do.” Jack continued to be silent. The man then said, “My name is Vincent Pittelli, and I’ve got a job for you.”

  Jack put down his piece of chicken and, without looking at the man, said in his Aussie accent, “What’s the job?” Pittelli said, “A man named Juan Gonzolles. He’s trying to run this place, and he’s the only one standing in my way of running this whole joint.”

  Jack said, “How much we talking?”

  Pittelli said, “My protection, along with a few perks.”

  Jack began to chuckle; it then turned into laughing, then into a psychotic laugh. Pittelli then asked, “What’s so funny?”

  Jack stopped laughing then said in a calm voice, “I’ll pass.”

  Pittelli said, “What do you mean you pass? You won’t do it? It would be in your best interest to help us out.”

  Jack said, “I won’t kill someone because you’re too much of a pansy to do it yourself.”

  The other man at the table got up in anger and said, “You dare talk to Mr. Pittelli that way!”

  Jack looked a Pittelli and said calmly in his Aussie accent, “Tell your li’l pooch to sit, or I’m gonna have to put him down.” Pittelli raised his hand and motioned for the man to stop. He then got up from the table and said to Jack, “Think about it, it would be in your best health and interest to accept my offer . . . Oh, and make the decision quick, it does have an expiration date along with you.” He then began to walk away from the table. The other man followed while giving dirty looks at Jack.

  When they got a good distance from Jack, he called out to them, making them turn around. Then thinking he had reconsidered their offer, they stopped to listen.

  Jackthen said, “Hey, what’s the lunch specials on Thursday? Hopefully it’s better than this crap.” Pittelli knowing Jack was mocking them, turned back around and left with the other man. Jack shrugged his shoulders and continued to eat his meal.

  Later that day while Jack was resting in his cell arms behind his head on his bed, four men stopped outside of his cell. Jack looked over to them.

  The man in charge introduced himself and said, “Hey ese, I’m Juan Gonzolles, but you can just call me J. I hear you had a little problem with Senior Pittelli at lunch, and I’m here to offer a little help or protection from him and his men. He’s a very bad man, senior. The type you don’t want to piss off without backup. Just say the word and the three of my men are your shadow.”

  Jack began to laugh again. He then got out of his bed and walked toward the men outside of his cell. He leaned against the bars with his arms over his head and said, “Let me get this straight, You’re offering your gracious help, and all I have to do iswhat? . . . Let me guess, take out Mr. Pittelli. Am I right?”

  J replied, “Hey, if something was to happen to Senior Pittelli by your hands, I’m not saying you wouldn’t be greatly rewarded.”

  Jack walked up to the bars in the front of his cell and leaned onthem. He smiled, sniffed the air twice then said to J, “I’ve got a question . . . Is everybody in this place a weak scared little pansy, or are you two just the main ones? ’Cause I gotta tell ya, with so many pansy in here I’m starting to think I’m in a bloody flower shop. So in case there’s any confusion, I’ll spell it out for ya, this lover’s quarrel you two got going on, has nothing to do with me. I’ve survived this long on my own, and I don’t need protection from two wankers too scared to do things on their own.” He then turned around, walked back to his bed and layed down with his arms crossed behind his head.

  J stepped back and smiled. He said, “Ok Ese, good luck on surviving the rock on your own. This a one time deal.” Jack yelled out, “Wait!”

  J and his men came back to the cell entrance.

  Jack still laying on his back turned his head towards the men, pointed up at the ceiling and said, “Could ya do me a solid and tell the guards to have this light changed. It keeps flickering.”

  Feeling he was being made to look a fool, the smile left his face. He smiled and said, “That’s a good one Ese. You a funny guy. Too bad funny don’t keep you alive in here.” He pointed at Jack as he and his men walked away from the cell.

  The next day J and Pittelli were having a secret meeting in the weight room. They were both pissed at how Jack had disrespected the both of them. They agreed on a plan to kill Jack to show everybody never to disrespect them. If they left him alive he may gather a following that might even rival their own. So it was agreed, he had to die.

  Later that night, a riot broke out and Jack was captured. There were men holding each of his arms. J and Pittelli walked out in front of Jack.

  Jack said, “I had a feeling this had something to do with you two.It seems I’ve created a love connection. That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.”

  They both said, “Shut up.” Then they each pulled out a knife.

  J said, “You still think we’re pansies?” Jack l
aughed out loud and yelled, “You’re both still pansies, you’re just pansies with knives now.” J replied, “That’s it, I say we shank The Crocodile Hunter.” Jack yelled out, “Hey! That man is a national treasure.” They both went to stab him at the same time.

  Jack’s adrenaline spiked, and he screamed out, “ COME ON, GIVE ME YA BEST SHOT!” At that moment his skin turned gray. When J and Pittelli went to stab him in the stomach, the blades broke on impact and cut their hands.

  They both backed up and held their wounded hands as they both asked, “What . . . what the hell are you?” Jack, in shock that he was still alive, looked at his stomach and saw the stab holes in his shirt. He knew they had stabbed him but for some reason there was no blood, no cut, no wound. He looked over to his left arm and saw that it was gray like concrete. He then looked over to his right arm and saw that it was the same. He then looked forward at J and Pittelli and said in his Aussie accent, “Looks like today’s my lucky day, mates.” He pulled his arms forward away from the two men holding them then quickly swung his arms back bashing to two men in the face. The two me were killed instantly from the impact caving their face in. He pulled his blood soaked arms out of their faces and looked at his hands. He looked at his hands in disbelief then plucked the back of his left fist. It made a clack sound. His skin felt as if it was made of smooth rock.

  Jack looked up at J and Pittelli, smiled, and said, “Looks like it’s my turn to have fun now, isn’t it?”

  J and Pittelli backed up slowly to their men and told them to get Jack.

  Jack yelled out, “Now where’re you going, the parties just starting.” J’s and Pittelli’s men start rushing toward Jack. Jack ran straight at them. He punched one with his left arm and hooked one with the right arm. He kneed one in the gut then back-fisted him out of the way. He saw J and Pittelli getting away and started getting angry. He yelled, “GET OUT OF MY BLOODY WAY!” and started forcing his way through the men. He knocked them out of his way with ease, but to them it felt like someone was hitting them with a solid aluminum bat. Jack ran through the men and jumped over them landing on his feet. He saw J and Pittelli at the end of the hall trying to escape.

  Jack yelled out, “Ay, you’re not losing me that easy.” J and Pittelli heard his voice and turned around. Jack landed on them with his palms over their faces and slammed their heads to the ground. To them, it felt like someone had their face in a vice grip. Jack lifted them up by the face; they both clung on to his arms with their hands, trying to struggle kicking at him to release themselves but it’s no use. His body was as hard as a rock, and nothing they did could hurt him.

  He said to them, “Now let’s have some real fun.” Then he began to run holding them up in front of him by their faces. He used their backs as shields as he ran through the crowd. You see the guards outside the prison with their guns all aimed at the front door. Jack busted out the front door still holding J’s and Pittelli’s now-motionless body.

  A guar d over the speaker system yelled, “Drop the hostages and keep your hands up!” Jack raised his hands lifting J and Pittelli and dropped them. Their faces were covered with blood from the pressure on their heads in Jack’s grip.

  The guard then said, “Put your hands behind your head and kneel down!”

  Jack said, “I’m afraid I can’t do that, mate.” The guard said in a more aggressive tone, “I repeat, put your hands behind your head and kneel to the ground or we will be forced to shoot! You are not leaving the premises!”

  Jack said, “The food’s great and all, but sorry, mate, I’m not staying here.” He then dropped his hands. The guard yelled, “FIRE!” and all the guards opened fire. Jack put his arms in front of his face to protect himself. Bullets struck him all over. They tore his prison uniform to shreds. Bullets ricocheted in all directions off his body kicking up dust from the ground. The dust made a cloud that the guards could not see through. After a while, the guard on the speaker yelled for them to stop.

  When the shooting stopped and the dust began to clear Jack put down his arms and looked at his clothes shot to shreds. He then began to laugh uncontrollably, not believing he actually survived that. Jack said to himself, “Knife is one thing but coming out of an arsenal of bullets without a scratch is a bloody miracle.” This wasn’t luck, this was something special.

  Jack then yelled in his Aussie accent, “ YOU CAN’T HURT ME, I’M BULLETPROOF!” He then sprinted toward the wall. They opened fire again, but it didn’t slow him down a bit. He jumped and stabbed his fingers in the wall and began to climb his way to the top. When he got to the top, he looked over the edge and said to himself, “Jack, you are one crazy son of a…” at that moment a sniper shot him in the head. He dropped to his knees. The guards high fived one another. Jack then yelled, “OUUUUUUCH! That bloody hurt.

  The guard on the speaker yelled, “Jack, give up, you have nowhere else to run.” Jack stood up, turned around, and said, “Sorry, mates, but it’s just not working out. I mean, it’s not you, it’s me. I just need some space right now.”

  The guard yelled, “Shut up, and give up now!” Jack replied, “See, and that’s the reason why this wouldn’t work out between us. You’re just too bossy. But it doesn’t matter anymore . . . It’s been real fun, mates, but I gotta go . . . Oh, and for future reference, the name’s Bulletproof Jack.” He then fell backward off the wall into the dark abyss of the canyon.

  When we next see Jack he is on a plane heading for America sitting in first-class. A flight attendant came to Jack and asked him, “Here’s your menu sir, the special today is the salmon in lemon and garlic sauce.”

  Jack interrupted her and said, “No fish love, my a bit stomach’s sensitive. Just get me a bottle of Jack, and I’m fine.” The plane began to take off and flew off in the distance.

  Elsewhere in Jersey we see the woods from above. All of a sudden there was a big boom, birds fly out, and a couple of trees begin to fall down in the distance. Meters from where the trees fell, Nick was on his knees, panting and exhausted. He looked as if he just ran a marathon. Neil and Von were a couple of yards behind him.

  Neil said, “Holy crap Nick! Where’d you learn that?!” Von replied, “Yeah, that move was bad ass.”

  Neil asked, “Is that why you brought us all the way out here?”

  Nick replied, “Yeah, I’ve been coming out here for the past month practicinga couple moves.”

  Neil replied, “That’s good, for a second I thought you were bringing us out here to kill us.” He then began to chuckle. Nick said in a serious tone, “Don’t joke like that! It’s not funny, man!” Neil replied, “Damn, well, sorry.”

  Von said, “Ease off Nick, you know he was just joking.”

  Nick replied, “I’m sorry Neil, I’ve just been dealing with some stuff.” Neil said, “Yo, what’s up with you? Ever since Von brought you home from that fight over a month ago, you’ve been acting different and youhaven’t said anything about it to us. What happened that day?”

  Von said, “Yeah, and I got a question too . . . since when is my brother a ninja?” Nick replied, “Yeah, I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you about that. He asked me not to tell you, and I had to honor his wishes. I had to keep his secret just like you guys do with mine . . . but about that day, I remember up to a certain point, but then it gets blurry. I remember getting to the power plant to fight Shrink, but it turned out it was a trap and Voltedge, Crank, Ignite, and M Wave were there to.”

  Von said, “Whoa, all of them were there? Damn, I understand why you’re a little on edge.”

  Nick replied, “Nah, at first I was holding my own, but then it got a little crazy, but your bro came in the nick of time.” Neil replied, “Oh, so once he got there, you and Dean kicked their butts right.”

  Nick replied, “That’s what I thought was going to happen, but we ended up getting our butts handed to us.”

  Neil said, “If you got your butts kicked . . . then how did you get away?” Nick replied, “That’s when it gets blurry. We were
both messed up, I mean bad. Dean was knocked out, I could barely crawl, let alone fight, and all five of them were standing there ready to kill us.”

  Von asked, “Then how’d you get away?” Nick replie d, “I grabbed this thing Dean had on him called an adrenaline booster. He used it when I fought him.” Neil interrupted and said, “You fought Dean. Please tell me you recorded it.” Nick continued and said, “No, I didn’t record it, but back to the story. I took the booster and injected in me, but it didn’t work on me the same way it did on him. For some reason, it started to change me. I felt my anger and rage rushing to the surface, then I blacked out.”

  Neil said, “What do you mean blacked out? What happened next?”

  Nick said, “Just like I said, blacked out. I injected that crap in me, and I can’t remember anything after that.”

  Neil said, “You gotta remember something.” Nick replied, “Then only thing I remember after blacking out is Dean carrying me on a grapple up the stairs. When he helped me out of there, the place looked like it was a disaster area. There was blood everywhere, and Shrink and the others looked like they were halfdead.”

  Neil asked, “Who saved you guys then?”

  Nick replied, “The crazy thing is Dean said I did. I went berserk and almost killed them and an innocent guard.” Von said, “So did you kill them?” Nick replied, “Dean said they were still alive, just in critical condition, and he said Crank got away while he was dealing with me.”

  Neil sai d, “Well, I guess it’s sort of a good thing you injected yourself ’cause it sounds like if you didn’t, you guys might be dead now. . . And besides, that stuff should be out of your system now… right?”

  Nick replied, “That’s what I thought too, but . . . I s till feel the anger and rage just beneath the surface trying to come out. Like that beast is still in there somewhere.”