Chapter 3

Jase arrived for the GED test a few minutes early and found that he was the only one taking the test that day. He was told to take a seat at any desk, and the proctor would start the test. He was given a test booklet and was happy to find that most of the test was multiple choice. Three hours were budgeted for the test, but Jase finished it within 45 minutes.

Jase turned in his test booklet and asked when the results would be available and when he would get his certificate. He was told that the results would be back within a week, and he would get his certificate by mail within a week after that if he passed the test. Jase thanked the proctor and left on his motor scooter.

Jase had told them at school that he was taking the GED and would not be back. The teachers and staff were sure that Jase would have a hard time with the test, since he was only a sophomore, and they expected to see him back at school with his tail between his legs very soon. Jase had known as soon as he opened the test booklet that he could answer every question correctly, but he deliberately missed a few answers just so that nobody would think that he had cheated.

Seven was waiting for Jase when he got back home. Something had come up, and the Galactic PD needed his official services immediately. In order to keep from screwing up the time-line, they couldn't go into the past and make changes. Therefore, they had to act on certain things before specific dates if they were going to act at all. On the other hand, there was no reason why they couldn't look into the future, so that they could be forewarned of impending disaster.

Just such a situation was developing in Colombia, SA, at a cocaine factory deep in the jungle. Seven told Jase that a cocaine lord was about to order the assassination of several judges who had displeased him. One of these judges was destined to be president of Colombia and lead the effort to clean up the drug traffic. Therefore, Jase needed to kill the drug lord before he could give the assassination orders. Jase had 2 hours to act.

There were no rules preventing Jase from traveling in time as long as he didn't have any major effects on history while he was doing it. Therefore, Jase was popped back in time 3 days. He was given the necessary paperwork, including a passport, and instructions about where to find a weapon and where to find his target.

Jase caught a plane to Bogotá, went through customs, and met the driver who was hired to take him around the city and to the drug lord's safe house. Of course, the driver was just that, a driver, and had no idea why Jase was really in the country. Jase's cover story was that he was a rich American who was looking for new faces/bodies for a series of porn movies he was producing. The driver even tried to get Jase to consider him for a part in one of the porn movies!

The driver took Jase to several places where he could look over potential new talent, and one of these places was where Jase was able to pick up a German sniper rifle in mint condition. The driver never suspected a thing; by this time he was bored to death.

On the appointed day, Jase was driven to a small town near the drug lord's safe house. Jase told the driver that he had some personal business to attend to, and he should pick Jase up in four hours. The driver was dubious, but agreed when he received a big tip from Jase.

Once the driver had left, Jase moved off into the jungle. With his augmentation, Jase was able to cover the 15 miles to the safe house in less than an hour. The drug lord was very rigid with his habits, and he always came out into his garden for a drink at 3:15 every afternoon. Jase was able to set up about a thousand yards from the garden and wait for the target to show up.

Right on schedule, the man sat down with his back to Jase. Jase planned to take two shots at his target, firing the second before the first made contact. One shot was aimed at the man's head, the second at his back between the shoulder blades. Jase was high up in a tree, so there were no intervening leaves, etc. to deflect the shot or interfere with aiming.

The rifle was semi-automatic and the bullet was 13mm in diameter. Jase carefully lined up his sight picture and squeezed the trigger. With his augmented strength, the recoil didn't phase him, and Jase was able to get off a second shot as soon as the mechanism had completed its automatic cycling.

Jase waited to see both bullets strike the target. The way blood and brains flew about the landscape, Jase had no doubt that the man was dead. He left the gun in the tree where it would be hard to find and jumped to the ground. He was sitting quietly in the town square when the driver returned.

The driver took Jase back to Bogotá and Jase caught the plane home the next day. The papers and TV were full of the successful assassination, but Jase was never connected with it. A little adroit time traveling had returned Jase home the moment after he had left.

That evening at supper, Jase was quizzed about the GED test. He said that he was sure that he had passed, and he would have his certificate within two weeks. When he got it, he would return to school for one last time to bid everyone goodbye and clean out his locker.

After his siblings had gone to bed, Judy looked at Jase and said, "You went on an assignment, today, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. How could you tell?"

"A mother can see things no one else can. You look changed, somehow, though I can't put my finger on it. What did you do?"

"You remember the TV report about the assassinated drug lord in Colombia? Well, that was mine."

"Oh... my... God! You killed a man, and you can sit there so cool and calm? What did those ETs do to you?"

"Mom, you don't have any idea how evil he was. I felt like I was killing a very dangerous animal, not a man. He was one of the main suppliers of drugs to kids in the USA. I am proud of what I did!"

Judy came to Jase and sat on his lap. She hugged him and said, "I'm proud of you, too, honey. I was just afraid of what this might do to you."

"Don't worry about me, Mom. I went into this whole thing with my eyes wide open. I knew what I was doing from the first; the ETs never tried to con me. I know that when they want me to assassinate someone, it's for the good of the human race. If I ever doubt that, I won't do it!"

"Oh, honey, you've grown up so fast on me! It's hard to believe that you're the same Jase I knew a month ago."

"I'm not the same Jase. Physically, I'm only a little older, but mentally and emotionally, I'm very old. Knowing everything there is to know about the human race will do that to you!"

"I know, Jase, but you don't look that much different. Most of the time, when I look at you, you are still my little boy. It will take me some time to get used to the changes in you."

Ann said, "What are you talking about, Jase? You do look different. What happened to you?" Judy and Jase had not seen Ann come in; she had gotten thirsty and was in the kitchen for a drink of water.

Judy thought for a moment and said, "You better tell her the whole thing, Jase. You don't want her talking to her friends about you. We better clue in Jeff, too. Either one could slip and get you into a lot of hot water."