PROLOGUE
The Neutralizer was not a policeman, US Marshal, agent or government employee of any kind. He was a highly decorated Special Forces soldier who had seen action in the Balkans, Somalia, Angola and various Middle Eastern countries. He was fully qualified as a class 10 sniper, small and automatic arms expert and specialist in close quarters and hand-to-hand combat. The Neutralizer’s career was mentored and closely watched by a Mr. James Evans of US Justice Department. Jim was now the “Big Fed” running the Justice department and had personally supervised the construction of the “Farm” which was a super secret anti-terrorist surveillance and eradication compound tucked somewhere in the Allegheny Mountains.
It was Evans who recruited Ralph Arata a.k.a. the Neutralizer to “contract” for the Farm. It was Arata that the Big Fed assigned special missions to when the US President had no other choices!
PREVIOUSLY
Sir William, former British SAS gone rogue, masterminded a plot employing pirate satellite signals to create havoc with US nuclear power generators causing the Yankee Nuclear to nearly meltdown. The catastrophe was avoided but Sir William was after bigger fish and potential for worldwide disaster was so great that the Neutralizer was called for his special services. Sir William’s trail had led Arata to Novisad, Serbia where Sir William had been somehow able to track his moves and capture him. The Neutralizer escaped and chased Sir William to a small Serbian town…Ruma. Again, Sir William was one step ahead!
THE STORY CONTINUES………..
The Neutralizer’s race-prepared Mk III MGB rocketed to Ruma and a remote police station where Sir William’s pirate Satellite signal was tracked by the “Farm’s” computer genius, Reinout Vogt. Reinout had the signal ID’d and it read clearly on Arata’s GPS system. Only a few miles from Ruma the hailstorm began with 2 Harley Fat Boys gunning the MGB with AK 47’s. The supes sonic 30 caliber rounds nailed the “B” left and right but the 28mm Kevlar compounded amour (developed and applied by the Farm’s automotive expert, Tom “the Doctor” Josefek) held as the soldier ran the numbers for counterattack thru his head. The Neutralizer swung the B’s steering wheel hard left, stamped hard on the brake pedal and pulled the parking brake driving the sports car into a fast 180…..now facing the on-coming motorcycles. They both screamed by at over 100 mph and one biker looking to avoid the MG steered off the road into a field and immediately stopping the bike in its tracks and throwing it’s riders into the turf – they didn’t move!
The soldier racked the slid of the H&K MP-5 sub-gun, hit the accelerator and tracked after the other Harley. It took the B’s supercharged V-6 Cosworth engine seconds to bring the Harley in sight and the Neutralizer let the MP -5 continue the battle spraying a steady stream of 40 caliber full metal jacket destruction. The 2 riders were history with the sub-gun placing lead from buttock to neck.
The Neutralizer raced on to Ruma and a date with Sir William. ………..It was dusk. A soft summer wind rustling through groves of pine was the only noise. All was quite. All was at peace. A clear picture of the small Ruma Police Department building was scanned for activity through a 60 power Bausch & Lomb infrared optical site. The Remington-Walker MK-7 sniper rifle was held secure by the Neutralizer as he sat in his “nest” among the pine that surrounded the station. Ruma normally had 8 full time police but none were present. Had they been bribed, held captive or just gone? The soldier continued his soft probe sweeping the gun site left and right and back again. First nothing and then a wisp of smoke as Arata discovered one of Sir William’s hard men sitting high in a “blind” casually smoking. Big mistake! The smoke gave the soldier direction on the right flank and as he tracked back left he quickly located 3 additional bad guys, one perched in a thicket to the left of the police station and 2 more left flank 20 yards from the building – classic defensive pincer movement. The soldier cranked the bolt of the MK-7 which smoothly aligned projectile to barrel rest. A 30mm hollow point that would enter a man clean in the front but leave a nasty hole upon exit. The twin guards were highest threat and close together! Arata squeezed the MK-7’s trigger slowly and the sound suppressed barrel, still very effective at this range, let go of the bulletin a “puff”. A quick second bolt throw and second shot and both of the twins were down. The Neutralizer scanned right to the thicket and slid the bolt once more taking that

hard man out. The MK-7 swung to the right flank and the guard in the “blind” tumbled to the ground.
The Neutralizer was on the move before the final hardman hit the turf. The Remington dropped to the ground and the MP-5 swung forward in full auto. The Neutralizer was in full combat mode with Sir William’s satellite as primary target and Sir William himself as target of opportunity. Wearing special headgear fashioned with optics that allowed the soldier to see the transponder signal emanating a satellite GPS tracker that Reinout had custom built into it. The soldier rushed the front door of the Ruma Police Station and as he lifted his booted foot to kick the door down it open and 2 more of Sir William’s commandos spilled out, their AKs up and ready. Arata, a half step ahead stitched both in a classic figure 8 burst. Two more down and the soldier was thru the door and running down the hall with the satellite GPS tracker pointing the way.
As the Neutralizer rounded a corner a parade of parabellum death drove him back. He had quick-counted 4 more of Sir William’s men at the end of the hall………the soldier was trapped. Arata had to think fast. A sacrifice was needed and had to be made! The Neutralizer drew his remote control for the “Mongrel”, the soldiers race-prepared MGB. The remote starter was a special little option the Farm’s automotive expert, Tom “The Doctor” Josefek had built into it. Arata needed backup and fast and the Mongrel was it! Arata shifted the headgear optics to REMOTE and a quarter mile away the throaty exhaust of the “B” came to life. Using the optics and a small joy stick from his military webbing the Neutralizer raced the B forward and thru the wooden framed wall that hid his attackers! Screams and a loud bang occurred and the soldier ran the length of the hall and turned the corner and saw 4 post mortems staring blankly. The “B” had taken a beating with its armored body racked with damage from both weapons and wall. “Tom will not like this”, the soldier thought!
With head gear back to GPS the satellite transponder sounded only several feet away. Arata moved forward to what appeared to be a small break room and there it was. No Sir William but 2 more of his hard men, both holding weapons on 8 tied hostages…the station’s police! “Drop the hardware tough guy”, came from one the hard men! The soldier did so and placed his hands laced behind his head. Sir William’s men relaxed…..just enough for the soldier to move into action. Both hands came from behind his head in an instant, each holding a small 4 inch Tanto throwing knife – a nano second later both hard men were down……for good!
The police, grateful to their American savior quickly cleared the room as the Neutralizer knelt by the transponder. “Arata to Vogt, Arata to Vogt, come in Vogt”. Reinout voice was reassuring in saying “…are you well”? “Then simply give me the IP address on the base of transponder my friend.” The soldier quickly replied. Moments later, the transponder ceased to function. “How did you do that” the soldier asked? “My little secret and its classified my fiend”, Reinout replied.
“Is Sir William there”? Reinout asked. “That’s a negative”, the soldier said. “Take the car to the extraction point – we want you back ASAP”!
30 minutes later a bruised and battered MGB struggled into shaded wooded area only 12 miles west of Ruma. The Sykorski Air Commander Z40 transport helicopter was re-directed and hovered over the damaged vehicle and driver. The MG was riddled stem to stern with bullet holes and 3 days in constant battle and without sleep had taken its toll on the Neutralizer.
Tom “The Doctor” Josefek descended on the helicopter”s retrieval platform to pick up soldier and car. The Doctor’s gazed upon the disheveled soldier and said, “Hey there son, what did you do to my baby”? Arata looked up at the Josefek and said, Hey Tom, after all you ARE the Doctor”? “You can fix anything…….at least mechanical”? Josefek stared at the Neutralizer and smiled…….”cars are easy…people are a little more difficult”….”I think you need get back to the FARM and a visit with the mission controller there”!!!
Susan Simpson, the brilliant and gorgeous mission controller for the Farm was also the soldier’s single romance…only caught at those fleeting times of R&R at the Farm! The soldier only semi-conscious now absorbed the Doctor’s words and let them swim in his mind.
“Ah, yes, Susan…you are my reason for living, you are my strength, my joy….my love”!
“Oh Ralph, that is nicest thing you have ever said to me”! I blinked my eyes and there was Susan, my wife next to me. Whoops, another dream, another situation, and another thing to explain to my dear wife Susan! But then she put her arm around me and kissed me….and then I thought ………time to be the Neutralizer tonight!

-- Ralph Arata