Nation sauntered into the Detention Unit, drawing heavily on a smoke stick, followed somewhat belatedly by the bruised and battered Hillier.
"Man, that was cool", Nation observed for the twelfth time since leaving the female billeting area. "Do you realize how lucky you are?"
Hillier brought a meaty hand up to dab at his aching, and thus far, still bleeding nose. "Shut up", he wheezed, sharp pain flaring in his rib cage with every breath. "I think I got a punctured
lung."
"Awesome", Nation replied, replaying the scene in his mind. "That must have been when that red-headed hottie came back out and hit you with a chair." He turned quickly, a grand idea springing
to his mind. "We should go back there tonight!"
Hillier moaned as he leaned heavily against the wall, struggling to stay conscious. "I think I need a med...a med...", unable to continue, he slumped to the floor, clutching at his side.
"Shhh", Nation hissed, his attention captured by a sound Hillier, in his agony, didn't hear.
A steady thumping sound came from around the corner, and Nation, ignorant to Liz's capture, surmised they'd found their escapee. "They always return to the scene of the crime", he whispered meaningfully
to his barely conscious counterpart.
He crept forward, drawing his shock baton from its holster. Keeping his eyes locked on the corner, he motioned for Hillier to follow, then raised the baton over his head with both hands and raced around the
corner. The form on the floor rolled toward him, and he took several swings with the weapon, discharging paralyzing electric current each time it connected.
Belatedly, Nation noted that his opponent had stopped moving, and on further examination, had been bound and gagged. Nation also surmised that this was not Lightnin' Liz, as the suspect was shirtless, and
lacking a couple of distinguishing features.
He looked up to see Hillier crawling ponderously toward him. "Stop fooling around, man", Nation remarked. "Go call for a corpsman. This guy needs medical attention!!"
