“Hurry up Beck; the family is meeting your grandpa at Sianaras in 5 minutes.” I scrambled out of my room, slipped on my Nike’s and bolted out the door. My dad was waiting with the car.

I love going to dinner with my Grandpa because we can catch up on the latest political and sports news. Besides, Sianaras ranks as one of the top 10 restaurants in Detroit, Michigan. Our conversations are memorable because my Grandpa enjoys talking about the same things I do, even if we end up going round and round – never resolving anything. Another side of Grandpa is a mystery for me. He is always making trips to Thailand for reasons he has never told me. My Uncle Jack sometimes has private talks about this with Grandpa and won’t let me join in. I try not to bother him or say anything stupid.

.When we arrived we seated ourselves. I greet one of my favorite people in the world. Tonight we discuss terrorism and how terrible the situation is in the Middle East. For me I couldn’t stand how awful the situation was there. After dinner, I said good bye to Grandpa and we headed home.

It was Sunday morning. I stumble out of bed into the kitchen. My dad glances at me from his chair where his lip trembles a little and he rises from his chair.

“Beck, your Grandpa has been severely hurt, we are to go to the hospital and see him.” I started feeling nauseous and cold.

“Is he, he-e g-going to livvve,” I quivered. “Your Grandpa has many bandages and equipment helping him to live. Beck, it might end up shortening his life in the long run,” said Dad sadly and with a hint of doubt in his voice.

“What happened? Did somebody attack him?” Once we buckled up in the car Dad told me that there had been a man who had tried to kill Grandpa for reasons I think only he knows.

“Beck, he needs to talk to you in private.” I choked through the clot in my throat and we drove on. Once in the hospital we went to Grandpa’s room. Mom was already inside talking to Grandpa. His face showed a little sign of excitement when we walked in. Once everybody had left Grandpa started off by saying

“Beck, it was one of Brino’s helpers. Brino is leader of a secret terrorist group in Rangoon, Thailand. He attacked me last night because I know of the list. The list is a parchment with at least 30 terrorist or double crossers in our Government. They will not destroy the list because they fear they will lose track of the names and don’t want a terrorist sneaking off to help the American Government. Your Uncle Jack is imprisoned in Rangoon right now. He was caught snooping around the base. I want you to go with your cousin Dirk and track down that list, and save Uncle Jack.” Wow was all I could think about.

Of course,” I said.


“Beck all you have to do is find the base, because then you can get the army to track Brino’s men down.

The next thing I knew I was on a plane to Rangoon, Thailand. This was more then I bargained for just having turned 19 last month. Dirk was sitting next to me jabbering on about my discussion with Grandpa.

“Wow Beck, you never think anything through. You at least have to think about the situation. How are we going to fight actual terrorists?”

“I know Dirk, but can you just shut up about it, I was only trying to help Grandpa and Uncle Jack. Once we arrived we check in to a decent looking Hotel called The B & B. We went to bed early that night and decided we would go around asking villagers if they knew anything about the base.

Early the next morning we got up, had some scrambled eggs from the free breakfast and headed off toward the city. The night before we had rented some bikes so we could get around. We biked around the city asking random people if they knew anything relating to Brino and his men. We told them we were detectives from L.A., just for fun. After a day nobody had helped us except one person who had known Uncle but hadn’t seen him in a while. After another day, we still couldn’t find anyone worthy of telling us anything, we were feeling hopeless.

“I’m getting tired of this stupid city,” I mumbled to Dirk. “It’s always cloudy, I just can’t stand it. After another day of tiring questioning we set out again. We set out under dark grey clouds to a market to the North of the hotel. We arrived there and a short plump man with a bushy beard was standing at the counter. We wandered over to the counter and Dirk asked,

“Hello, we are detectives from Los Angeles and we would like to question you on the whereabouts of the terrorist base”. We can make it worth your while” I said, as I fingered the wad of bills in my pocket that Grandpa had handed me. The man’s eyebrows rose like the sun on a summer morning.

“Follow me to the back room Gentlemen.” We went to the back of the store. A damp and infested looking room stood before us. Obviously it was the man’s room because an un-made bed was to the right and a little bathroom over in the corner. “Okay, I’ve heard the base has just been converted to the DVD warehouse. Of course they’re not selling DVDs anymore but the signs still up, that’s all I know.” We said our thanks and marched out the front door.

“I’m pretty sure we passed the DVD warehouse yesterday on Land Blvd,” said Dirk. “Yea let’s start peddling then, I said.” We set off and we were there in 5 minutes. It was a rundown old warehouse with a lazy looking sign that showed little production. We scurried down through the sewer and after some twists and turns, came up in a dirty looking bathroom. I had my cell phone and was just about to call an emergency number.

“C’mon, just let me go, I know nothing of the list.” That was the voice of my Uncle Jack. “Yea we will wait it out for a few weeks and see what Brino thinks,” cackled what had to have been a guard. I heard the guard stride away and peaked out of the room. There was my uncle, in a chair all tied up, and an empty plate and a fork. He saw me and his face leapt with excitement. I had my Swiss army knife I had purchased at the hotel store. I knew what was to be done next. I pulled and chugged away at the rope binding my uncle and it came free. He got and stretched, in a rather enthusiastic way. “You did it, did Gramps send you, ohhh I hope he’s okay,” said Uncle Jack.

“Yea I think he’ll be okay, he has long term issues though,” I explained. Uncle Jack started to explain, “Okay Brino is in the armory working on supplies. He is there because there are a squad of terrorist coming very soon. We must trap him and call our army before his reinforcements arrive,” said Uncle Jack.

“I-I-I dunno you guys,” stuttered Dirk.

“Dirk, get out of the warehouse and call the army and lead them here, okay, well, then GO!” My insides squirmed as we snuck around a few rooms and a large hall. Luckily it seemed the security was down. After a few minutes we turned a corner, the armory was at the end of the hall. We ran down the pushed aside the door.

“Hey Jackson, where are the reinforcements, they should be here by now?” complained Brino. Uncle Jack took a step toward Brino, just as he stepped again, a squad of Rangoon officers swarmed into the room pointing their guns at Brino.


“Everybody put their hands in the air.” You- Brino hands on the head, lets go” shouted an American officer. Brino eventually gave us the list out of his pocket because was working with it at that instant. I looked at it and was horrified to see some familiar names from our government that were about to be banished.

“We did it, we did it for Grandpa,” I told Dean.



“Grandpa, how are you,” I shouted. I had gotten to the hospital as quick as I could after the flight from Thailand.

“A Ha ya did it my boy congrats, you not only got the list but saved Uncle Jack,” choked Grandpa. After a night of celebration I went home and fell asleep right away.

It was cloudy and raining when I woke up. My dad was right next to bed trying to keep back tears.

“Beck, your relationship with your Grandpa was so strong you were willing to do anything to help him out, how dangerous the mission… Beck, your Grandfather passed away this morning; he has left something for you.