167

"Take this out to Thomas, will you?" Ante said, handing Bjorn a big plate of rice and curry as he approached his colleagues, seated at the table in the kitchen. "And here's a bottle of beer to go with it."
"Beer?" Bjorn asked, looking over at Frank. "You're fine with that?"
Frank nodded. "Sure. One bottle of this stuff won't make any difference."

Bjorn nodded, took the plate in one hand and the bottle in the other, and headed out of the kitchen. He didn't mind being the courier. In fact, being part of this thoughtful little gesture was something he welcomed. It made Thomas happy, and that again made Bjorn happy.

The sunset was breathtaking. The sky practically glowing to the north west, and Bjorn was again struck by the raw beauty of the place. "I'm blessed," he thought to himself as he headed down to the glass cage. "What a strange series of coincidences life is, and what pleasant surprises it has in store from time to time."

Bjorn found Thomas leaning back in his chair, with his eyes fixed on the horizon, oblivious to his immediate surroundings. This had Bjorn worry for a second that Thomas had completely forgotten about his duties. But when Bjorn knocked gently on the door with the beer bottle, he saw to his relief that this was all it took to have Thomas snap out of his daydream.

Thomas opened the door, letting Bjorn into the office. "So you're out sneaking up on people are you?" He asked with a smile. "Are you training your ninja skills?"
"No, no! I'm here with your dinner, as you can see."
"And a very welcoming sight it is, indeed."
"Prawn curry and Asian beer. Not bad aye?"
"Not bad at all."

Bjorn handed the plate and bottle over to Thomas, who put it on the ledge by the window. Then, on leaving the office, Bjorn suggested Thomas be a little careful about falling asleep.

"Hey, I wasn't sleeping," Thomas protested. "I was just relaxing."
"Well, you didn't see me sneaking up on you, did you?"
"No. But I'm looking for cars, not people."
"So if some ninja comes up here from the village, you won't know it before you're dead?"
"Nope, and neither will you. In fact, if anyone decides to attack this place, the one in the glass cage will be dead before he knows it, regardless."
"You think so?" Bjorn asked with a sting of angst hitting him.
"I know it for sure, and so do you," Thomas continued. "Haven't you read the news lately?"
"The news?"
"Just last week, there were two armed cops assassinated in broad daylight in New York. And those loonies in Paris the other day... The cops didn't stand a chance... And neither do we. And everybody knows it. It is rapidly becoming common knowledge that people like us can be assassinated without much risk, regardless of how well we are armed."

Thomas patted the automatic pistol resting on his belly to illustrate his point, and Bjorn knew that Thomas was entirely right. The one sitting in the glass cage was essentially a sitting duck. If someone for some reason wanted to attack the checkpoint, the guard on duty would not survive.