BRUNDON FIELDS AND THE MYSTERY OF THE RUBBER DUCKY PART 10

This is the end. After all the crazy things that had happened to me in the last day, it was finally going to be over. I was now experiencing the last few minutes on this earth, and I was living it out in the presence of terrorists. What a way to die.

The President of the United States stood at the base of the Lincoln Memorial, with all of the spectators sitting or standing on the steps. Cameras were positioned all around the President, and there was even a glass podium set up in front of him. It looked like he was about to make an important announcement, and this got me wondering why he was here, and why he wasn’t broadcasting this from the safety of his Oval Office.

We (meaning me, Green, Jack, and two of Green’s men) stood off to the left on the same level as the President. I had no idea what Green had up his sleeve, but I knew it wasn’t going to be good. It was no pure coincidence that we were here the same time as the President.

All of a sudden, my rubber ducky was being shoved into my hands, and Green was whispering into my ear. “Ok, little Brundon, this is your moment to shine, to show America what you are made of. You are going to walk straight ahead, walking behind the President, and I will be behind you. When you are behind the President, drop your rubber ducky right by his feet, and then continue to walk forward. I will be following you, so if you make one wrong move, or try to escape, I will shoot you in the back. Understand?”

I gulped and nodded. So this was how it was going to go down. This was Green’s brilliant plan. And I would finally find out what my rubber ducky was made of. Secretly, I hoped it turned out to be one big misunderstanding, and my rubber ducky was not special at all. I hoped that I could go back to living my normal, pathetic life, and pretend like this had all been a dream.

Green shoved me forward and I started to walk to the President. As I drew closer and closer, I began to wonder if I could do it. Could I let go of my beloved rubber ducky and place it right underneath the President? Could I endanger the life of the most important man in the whole United States? Then I remembered that Green was right behind me, with a gun that was ready to shoot me in the back if I strayed from his plan. I had no choice. I had to go through with this.

BEEP. What was that noise? BEEP. It sounded familiar. BEEP. I had heard this noise before. BEEP. The noise beeped every single time I took a step. BEEP. And then I remembered where I had heard this noise before. BEEP. My mind whirled, and suddenly, Green’s plan started to make sense.

And then the moment arrived. I was passing directly behind the President. My heart rate picked up drastically and my breaths came short and quick. I knew what I had to do, even if it meant killing the President of the United States.

I tossed my rubber ducky right at the President’s feet. It seemed to soar through the air in slow motion. I watched my ducky fly towards the President, and eventually landing right between the President’s legs. It had been a perfect throw.

I continued to walk on, trying to not look suspicious or like I had just planted an innocent looking rubber ducky at the feet of the President of the United States. I risked a look behind me and Green’s face immediately filled my vision. Man, he was closer to me than I had thought.

The last few steps seemed to drag on forever. This felt like a walk of shame and guilt. Under the face of death, I had doomed the President instead of sacrificing myself. I was a traitor.

I had reached the other side. Green stepped up beside me and patted me on the back. “Well done, boy, well done. Now it’s time to see what your rubber ducky can really do.”

I watched helplessly as the President began to speak.

“People of the United States, we are gathered here today to witness a remarkable change in our country. In light of everything that has taken place over the past few years, I am standing here to tell you that as of today, we have now reached a peace agreement with the Middle East. It is my honor and privilege to declare world wide peace!”

Thunderous applause broke out. People yelled and cheered their enthusiasm. I would’ve clapped, too, if I wasn’t standing next to a terrorist who was rebelling against this peace.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Green speaking softly into a two way radio. “Begin detonation.” Those two words confirmed my suspicions. I had been right!

In that moment, something in my brain switched on. I realized that I couldn’t just stand there and watch the President get blown to pieces. I had to do something. I had to try and save the President of the United States.

I leapt into action, running straight towards the President. I didn’t care if Green had a gun. I was going to serve my country, or die trying. I reached the President in five seconds. Two bodyguards tried to stop me, but I slipped in between them. Sometimes it helps to be super skinny.

The President looked completely shocked. I didn’t care and I didn’t think twice. I tackled him to the ground, trying to get as far away from my rubber ducky as possible.

BBBOOOMMMMMM!!!

A massive explosion erupted, and in that moment I knew that it had been my rubber ducky. The President and I were thrown backwards into the air.

We landed with a big SPLASH! Fortunately, we had crashed straight into the pond directly in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The cold water was a quick relief to the unbearably hot heat that my body had just experienced.

I let my body drift in the water, overwhelmed by what had just taken place in the last few seconds. Finally, I came back up for air, and what I saw amazed me.

Standing in the water next to me was the President of the United States. He looked at me with a confused look on his face, and then stuck out his right hand. I shook it heartily; glad to see that the President was still alive. I had done it. I had saved the President’s life!

Then I turned my attention back towards land. What I saw falling from the sky rocked my world. Confetti floated in the air, slowly making its way back to earth. I stood in shock. This is what had been in my rubber ducky the whole time? Confetti?!
The sound of laughter erupted all throughout the Lincoln Memorial. Green, Jack, and even the President were bending over in uncontrollable laughter. I hung my head in shame. I had been tricked!

“It’s all right, Brundon. Don’t be ashamed!” said the President. “This was all a test to see how well you did under trial. And I must say you performed exceptionally well.”

A test? All this time, I was being played? I couldn’t believe this.

Jack and Green came to the shore of the pond and pulled us both out of the water. They both had big grins on their faces. I looked at them in disgust.

“This was for your own good, Fields.” Jack said.

Green nodded in agreement. “I’m not really a terrorist. Like I said to you when we met outside the school, I really do work for CTU. This whole thing was just a field exercise to see if you were CTU material. And I think you proved to us that you are ready.”

The President chimed in. “How do you think we allowed you to plant the rubber ducky at my feet? If it had been a real bomb threat scenario, my Secret Service agents would have been all over me.”

I still had one question though. “What about all of the people that died?”

Green answered. “Our guns had no bullets in them. The men weren’t really dead. They were actors, faking death.”
I nodded in understanding. It all made sense! Everything that had happened to me had been a practice run to see if I was good enough. Suddenly, I raised my bowed head and smiled widely. Even though I had been tricked, I had still passed the test.
Green handed me a shiny badge that he had withdrawn from his pocket. “Brundon Fields, welcome to the Counter Terrorist Unit.”

I grabbed the badge, feeling like I was in one of my crazy dreams again. But I wasn’t. This time, it was real life.
The badge had my school picture on it, and underneath it ran my name in bold, black letters: BRUNDON FIELDS.

I didn’t know what to say. “Thank you.” I said simply.

The three men nodded. Jack ran back to the crowd, and then returned moments later with something in his hands. I gasped when I realized what it was: a brand new rubber ducky!

Jack handed it to me, and I snatched it up right away, hugging it. Then I did something that I had only done in private or when on one had been looking. Right in front of everyone, and in front of several cameras, I gave my new rubber ducky a huge, wet, slimy kiss.

At first, there was an awkward silence. And then, the applause began. They were clapping for me! After all, I had completed my mission, even though it had been a fake one.

BRING! BRING! Jack’s phone was going off.

“Hello?” he said. “Yes? Really? Ok, we will be there right away.”

Jack turned to Green and I. “That was CTU. There is a situation at the White House. We have to leave immediately.”

As we began to run back towards the parking lot where our van awaited us, I smiled. It was time for my first real field operation. I was now a part of CTU, and I would not fail. Move over Sherlock Holmes, Brundon Fields is here to stay!

THE END