Too Far
He’d not meant for it to go this far. He’d not even considered doing what he did. But the man had been dogging him with his lights and honking for almost an hour now.
The lieutenant couldn’t understand why the man couldn’t be patient.
Backed into a wall, he reached into the duffle bag on his passenger seat.
Not A Quiet Night
It was supposed to be a quiet night. The drive had started so well, with the dry wind blowing peacefully and the stereo playing some of his favorite music.
Then, out of nowhere, the bright flashing headlights and constant honking broke the peace.
The lieutenant thought it would only be for a moment, unaware it would force him to do something he’d swore never to do.
A Quiet Life
Forty-eight-year-old Navy Seal Lieutenant Sammy Hendrix had always led a quiet life. Spending most of his time at the base or on the ships his team was usually stationed on, he rarely locked horns with anyone unnecessarily.
Among the things he loved the most was spending time with his team, whether on missions or their base.
But what he adored more was the time he usually spent with his wife and son, and he would usually drive home to see them whenever he could.
Accosted On The Road
When Lieutenant Hendrix was accosted by the unruly driver, he’d been on his way to see his family. After spending five months away from home, he finally got a chance to head home.
With his ingress point onto American soil, Hendrix was looking at a 3-hour drive standing between him and his loved ones.
Although he was already fatigued from his mission and the flight back, he couldn’t wait to embark on the journey that would culminate with his wife and son in his arms.
Time Away
Hendrix had always spent considerable amounts of time away from his family. As a Navy Seal, he and his wife had come to terms with the fact that he’d usually be away from time to time.
Sometimes, he’d be away for mere days; other times, he’d go away for a year. There was usually not knowing how things would pan out with his missions.
As such, the two usually jumped at any opportunity to be together as a family.
A Tough Choice
Being away from home was a tough choice. Who would willingly give up sleeping and waking up to the one who held their heart? Who would willingly accept being away from their son, even if it was for a mere second?
But Hendrix knew it was a necessary sacrifice. He loved his job and enjoyed everything it entailed.
But since his family was his everything, he’d worked hard to find the perfect balance between them and his work.
Balance
Lieutenant Hendrix enlisted in the Navy immediately after graduating from school and has been steadily advancing his career ever since.
He’d done everything to embody the profile of a dedicated military professional, and his career highlights mirrored this commitment.
But while he epitomized the ideal soldier when at his duty station, he rarely let it affect his family life.
Over Two Decades
With over two decades under his belt as a Navy Seal, Hendrix had a great sense of discipline. He was sharp as a knife and strict to the point.
Over the years, he’d learned many invaluable lessons through his training and numerous experiences while on the field.
Among these was how to control his temper. In twenty years, Hendrix had never lost his cool. But that was about to change.
Tuesday Afternoon
It was late afternoon on Tuesday, and Hendrix couldn’t wait for the hour hand to strike six. He only had a few minutes left before he’d get on the road, headed to the people dearest to him.
It had been a few months since he saw his family, and he’d already called ahead to tell his wife, Jenny, that he was on the way home. His son, Chase, was about to have a son that night, meaning Hendrix would soon be a granddad.
He expected the drive home to be peaceful. But it would be the exact opposite.
Six O’Clock
The clock hit six, and Hendrix hopped into his car, eager to get the show on the road. Although tired, he was pumped to spend some time on the road.
He’d always loved being behind the wheel, and no amount of fatigue would ever change that.
But tonight, he’d hate the journey home.
Getting Started
Excited, Hendrix pulled into the main road. He’d stalked up on snacks and caffeinated drinks on the road and was feeling pretty pumped up for the journey.
As he lumbered along the road, he was sure the drinks and food would keep him entertained.
He should have known the city had something else in store for him.
The Toll Of Being On The Field
The lieutenant wasn’t on the road for more than an hour before the toll of being on the field earlier got to him. He’d been sipping on an energy drink and was tempted to down it in one swig and open another can.
But that would be ill-advised. Instead, he cleared his mind and gripped the wheel tighter. He’d drive faster – as fast as the road rules allowed.
It would be better to get home before his body shuts down.
The Cityscape
Lieutenant Hendrix kept his head straight, barring the fatigue from taking over. The evening swallowed horizon before him was slowly morphing into a distant cityscape shrouded in darkness and twinkling lights.
Hendrix let out a long, slow exhale. He hadn’t expected to make it to the city so soon. He knew how bad traffic got at this time of the night.
But he couldn’t have guessed how unfortunate he’d be for simply being here at this time.
Traffic
Hendrix had caught the city traffic at its worst. The roads feeding into the city were lined with thick columns of vehicles, each honking, their rear lights flashing red.
The time was inching toward 8 PM, with about an hour between Hendrix and his family. As someone who was barely on the road for long periods of time, Hendrix loathed traffic.
There was something about how everyone was always on edge that ground his gears. He was rarely in the mood to deal with it all.
A Standstill
The lieutenant leaned into his seat as cars came to his sides. A long line of vehicles rose before him, stretching into the cityscape that stood ready to welcome him. The freeway was already at a near standstill, with the cars barely moving an inch as the minutes passed.
Hendrix let out an exasperated sigh. A patient man, he knew he only needed to relax and let things play out.
He had no clue that someone already had their eyes on him.
Controlling His Anger
For years, the lieutenant had worked on getting his anger under control. He’d more than perfected it. As someone who loved being behind the wheel, Hendrix had developed a few driving habits, each of which made the experience more enjoyable.
Among these was how he usually kept distance between himself and other cars.
While most cars usually kept 2 ft from each other, the lieutenant chose to keep more space as he rarely enjoyed pressing and releasing the accelerator.
70 Feet Away
His habit usually had him keeping upwards of 70 feet away from the cars in front of him. He’d always done this and never had any problems because of it.
He’d long seen it as a necessary step while driving.
But tonight, his actions would lead to a huge problem that would inevitably thrust him down a dark path.
Avoid It At All Costs
This was a situation Hendrix wanted to avoid. But there is only so much a person can do when faced with something such as this.
The traffic was moving slower than ever. Lieutenant Hendrix let out another sigh, this time leaning forward as he felt his eyelids were getting heavy.
He couldn’t be sleepy now.
Awake
Lieutenant Hendrix had not slept for more than 36 hours before making this trip. He’d thought about taking some hours at the base to get some shut-eye but couldn’t afford it.
He’d also considered boarding a bus or taking a flight, but the time stamps on those choices weren’t favorable.
His son was about to be born, and he wouldn’t miss it for anything in the world.
Stay Strong
Fatigue rushed through his system, and his head lolled momentarily. The caffeine high that had kept him lucid all this while was finally wearing off.
Hendrix stuck his head out the window to see how long he still had on the road.
All he needed to do was clear the city, and he’d be home free. “Stay strong,” he whispered, not knowing what was about to happen.
Another Energy Drink
Lieutenant Hendrix opened another energy drink, this time pairing it with a protein bar. He needed to stay laser-focused if he was to make it to his grandson’s birth.
He was in the middle of enjoying his snack when things started to go south. The truck behind him started flashing its lights.
The road ahead was still moving slowly, which made the lieutenant wonder what the driver behind him wanted.
A Flash Of Light
It was the flash of his lights that first got the Lieutenant’s attention. But then came the constant honking.
Lieutenant Hendrix looked back once more and realized that the man must be annoyed with the amount of space he was leaving between himself and the other car.
But Hendrix was all about safety, and he wasn’t going to let some motorist bully him into changing his mind or habits.
Relax
Lieutenant Hendrix was known for his patience, and he would use that trick to get through this situation.
He rested his head against his headrest again and continued his slow crawl down the road.
That was when the guy in the truck behind him decided to take things to a new level, which didn’t sit too well with the Lieutenant.
Full Blast
The man put his headlights on full blast, flooding Hendrix’s vehicle with a blinding light. The truck’s normal lights had already been hurting his eyes due to their height, but this was extreme.
Lieutenant Hendrix shielded his eyes as he looked back again, his irritation reaching new heights.
He would not let this man break him.
It Gets Worse
The more the Lieutenant ignored the bothersome individual trailing him, the more aggravating his behavior grew. The constant honking became an exasperating, unending noise that relentlessly assaulted the Lieutenant’s ears.
The driver incessantly alternated between high-beam and low-beam headlights.
Nonetheless, the Lieutenant maintained his composure as he had before.
His Patience Is Wearing Thin
Although Hendrix hated to admit it, his patience was wearing thin. It was only a matter of time before he finally snapped. He wanted to get himself out of the situation, but he had nowhere else to go. He just had to push through it.
He tried to block the man out, but the honking and flashing just kept getting worse.
It became so bad that Lieutenant Hendrix couldn’t ignore him if he wanted to.
Stop Him
If he wanted to leave this jam with his sanity intact, he either had to get out of the way or stop this man’s irritating behavior. The Lieutenant looked around his car to see if he had anything he could use to show the man how annoying his behavior was.
He didn’t have much on him, though. He had only taken his backpack, which had some essential Seal gear.
As he saw the bag, he wondered… No, he thought to himself.
Inside The Bag
Hendrix reached into the bag. What he brought out was a 14,000-lumen searchlight. That might not make sense to many people, but the Lieutenant knew how powerful it was.
The Seals use it when they have to go on search and rescue missions or when they’re diving.
That light was brighter than the sun on a hot, clear day. It would teach the man a lesson but could cause an accident along the way.
Calming Breaths
Lieutenant Hendrix took a couple of calming breaths, but as the man honked again, his grip on the steering wheel tightened. He tried to talk himself down, but it was already too late.
The constant blinding light and honking were just too much for him to handle, and he couldn’t take it anymore. This had to stop.
The Lieutenant snapped, and he was shouting at no one in particular before he knew it. The man had finally managed to push him to his limits, and he would soon regret it.
Putting A Stop To It
Lieutenant Hendrix reached out and grabbed the flashlight. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he was consumed by rage and didn’t see any other way out.
With one swift move, he flipped the switch and pointed the bright light right at the driver behind him.
He didn’t see much, but a few seconds later, the driver changed lanes and left him alone.