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Rick raised the disruptor and aimed it at the hood of the car. There was a dull thud, and then… nothing. The sedan continued following them.

“What’s going on?” asked TJ.

“Fuck all,” snapped Rick.

Suddenly, the sedan’s wipers activated along with the hazard lights. It looked almost as if the vehicle was in a panic, waving the automotive equivalent of arms, blinking, and when the horn suddenly sounded, screaming.

Then, the vehicle rapidly slowed, and everything stopped as it coasted to a halt. “Holy crap,” said Rick. “I think we killed it.”

Ernie slowed the vehicle, conducted a U-turn, and parked alongside as the doors opened. “Dude, you shut us down with that gadget,” announced the excited SEAL who emerged from the driver’s seat. “All the hairs on my arms stood on end, and then it died.”

“That’s the EMP,” said Rick as he climbed out of the trunk.

“EMP? Bro, did you fry our balls?” asked the passenger. “I might want kids sometime.”

“You better wrap ‘em in foil like Rick,” said Ernie.

Both men laughed as the team gathered around them. “How did that go from your end?” asked TJ.

The driver shrugged. “Felt like a glitch. The electronics went a bit wild, and then we lost all power. The car went into limp mode and then died completely. If it weren’t for the hairs on my arm, I wouldn’t have known we’d been hit.”

“I’d call that a win,” said Rick.

“If you shoot a little lower, would the engine shield the cabin from the EMP?” asked Mike.

“Worth a try,” said Rick.

“Will the vehicle restart so that we can run it again?” asked TJ.

“We can reset the ECM,” said the driver. “Give us a couple of minutes.”

TJ gave a thumbs up. “Let’s do it.” He gathered the team around the SUV's bonnet. “While the guys get that car up, let’s talk through some of the tactics around the take-down. Clearly, this tool has application in a discrete role. We can nail a car and grab a guy off the street. What we need to consider is how we make the grab itself.”

“We could have a second team trailing. They could do it,” said Mike.

“Yeah, that would simplify things,” agreed Ernie.

“But what if we don’t have that option. What if it’s just the four of us? How do we contain the driver and potentially a passenger or two? What if one of them squirts?” TJ asked, using the term for a target that runs.

“Well, that would have been Axe’s job,” added Rick.

“Axe isn’t here,” said TJ.

“No way Rick’s going to catch them,” said Ernie.

“Neither are you. With those short-ass legs,” Rick shot back.

“Potentially, we could deploy a non-lethal system. Maybe a 40mm bean bag?” added Mike.

“We could. But that takes a gun out of the fight, if it all goes bad.” TJ paused, allowing the team to reach their own conclusions. “Guys, I know it’s something we’ve avoided talking about, but Talisman Saber made it clear, and this only drives home the point a little harder. We need to bring in a dog to replace Axe. His absence has left a gaping hole in our capability.”

“Yeah, I agree.” Mike’s expression was pained. “I’ll start putting the feelers out.”

“Hey brother, eventually it happens to all of us. It won’t be too long before this old dog is retired, and they’ll bring in a new team leader to replace me.”

“That’s crap,” snapped Rick. “You’ve got plenty of years left in you.”

“We’re not going to work for some newbie,” added Ernie.