Champions of Atlanta

There are those critical moments in time where a character sees a glimmer that he is far more than he seems.

Convergence

August, 1982

02:17. August, 1982. An abandoned building not far from the Soviet Embassy in a large city in Czechoslovakia.

Sam lights a cigarette and offers the pack to Stephen.

"No thanks. I don't smoke."

"Hope Carl gets those things hooked up soon", says Sam. "I don't like hanging around this close to the Russkies. I've better things to do than get caught setting up plastique."

"Well, even if they did catch you they'd probably throw you back, shorty", Stephen says with a laugh.

"Hey! People have died for less, you stingy bastard!" Sam replies good-naturedly. "Two lousy bucks, that's all. Two lousy bucks and I know I'd have been able to come back and win the pot at that card game."

Stephen snickers. He'd only known Sam for a few days and already liked him, even though Sam loved to gamble. That made him a risky agent to be on assignment at times but he had other traits that made him extremely successful. Some say he was extremely lucky.

"Think I'll go check on Carl. Keep an eye out, Stephen."

Stephen walks over to an old oak tree and leans against it. In the distance he hears Sam walk up to the building and go inside.

Beautiful summer nights. A little cooler than back home. He thinks of his Grandfather who fought in World War II and was active with the French resistance. "I wonder if he leaned against a tree, looked at the stars and thought of home just as I'm doing now?"

There is a bright flash followed immediately by a shockwave as the bottom of the building is blown apart. The rest topples down like a punch drunk fighter going to pieces, thankfully in a direction away from him.

The shockwave hurls Stephen through the air and into a ravine. His left arm breaks as he attempts to cushion his fall.

For an eternity he lays there, trying to gather his wits and ignore the pain. Finally, he crawls up to the lip of the ravine and looks back at the remains of the building. Swirling fire and smoke, rubble, and dust is all that remains. It will take the fire fighters some time to put out this blaze.

"Must get out of here!", Stephen mutters under his breath. "Must not find me. Gotta find safehouse!"

He shakily gets to his feet and staggers out of the ravine, heading through the tall grass towards some small buildings. In the distance he hears sirens. Nearby, a car drives up and four men get out. They start to fan out as if they are looking for something or someone.

Stephen ducks and holds his left arm to keep it from moving, knowing that he dare not cry out. The men purposely start to move in his direction seeking to block any avenue of escape.

"Damn! They saw me!", Stephen mentally curses. "Definitely not from our side!", his thoughts race. "Must get out of here!"

He crouches down and starts moving away from his pursuers but he realizes that it is only a matter of time before he is caught.

He decides to run as fast as possible for the nearest shelter. He breaks into a run towards the buildings he had seen earlier.

Surprisingly, he makes it without being caught. He risks a look back. The men are still milling about the spot where he was, looking for him.

"What happened?", he thinks. "Surely they'd have seen me and chased me down!"

He looks at his hand and can't see it. Shocked, he staggers back into a beam of light coming from a window above him and his hand reappears.

Disbelieving and then dismissing what he saw he quickly and quietly makes his way to the safe house.