Diamonds and Blood

Chapter 14: All The Time In The World

Location: The Diamond Hotel, Las Vegas

Harlan takes a deep breath. He crawls to Billy's dead body, gets the ring off him, and puts it on.

Harlan grunts in pain. Harlan crawls back to the control pad. Seven minutes. Harlan painfully stands up, picks up the control pad and puts it on a table.

Harlan stands at the front of the pad, out of time and no where to go. Harlan sighs. He takes out his earpiece and turns it on. He puts on the earpiece.

Harlan: Hello Jas?

Jasmine: HARLAN! Thank god. You alright? Where's Billy?

Harlan: Billy's dead.

Jasmine: So we're all good right?

Harlan sighs.

Harlan: Not exactly.

Jasmine: What's wrong?

Harlan: The launch started.

A pause.

Jasmine: How much time do you have left?

Harlan looks at the control pad. Five minutes.

Harlan: Five minutes. I need to stop it.

Jasmine: Sure. I mean, how hard can it be? There should be a -

Harlan: No. Jasper and Billy didn't put a cancel button. What they did put- argh-

Jasmine: You alright?

Harlan falls to the ground because of his wound. His arm hits the suitcase and it falls with him also.

Harlan: I'm fine. I'm fine.

Harlan sits up and puts the control pad at the front of him.

Harlan: There is a way. Only one way to stop it.

Jasmine: Which is?

Harlan sighs.

Harlan: There is a self destruct button.

A pause. Harlan knows that Jas understands the situation.

Jasmine: Bullshit.

Harlan: I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to break my promise.

Jasmine: You have the control pad?

Harlan: Yes but-

Jasmine: THEN GET OUT OF THERE! GET OUT OF THERE AND SELF DESTRUCT THE MISSILES OUTSIDE! USE YOUR HEAD! YOU'RE AN AGENT OF T.H.E.P.A. FOR CRYING OUT-

Harlan: I can't.

Jasmine: Why?

Harlan doesn't say anything. Jas understands.

Jasmine: That bad?

Harlan looks at his hand to see the blood from his wound.

Harlan: That bad.

Harlan looks at the control pad.

Control Pad: Three minutes remaining.

Harlan takes a deep breath.

Harlan: We would have made a great pair wouldn't we?

Jas laughs.

Jasmine: Yeah, we could have. We could have.

Harlan: Harlan Brandle and Jasmine Olsen. The Doctor and the assassin. That would have been nice.

Jasmine: Yeah, it would have.

A pause.

Harlan: Jasmine, I-

Jasmine: No.

Harlan: Sorry?

Jasmine: I said no. You're saying goodbye. DON'T SAY GOODBYE GOD DAMN IT!

Harlan hears as Jas cries.

Jasmine: I can't say goodbye again. Not to you.

Harlan nods.

Harlan: How about this? I get out of this, let's go on a date?

Jasmine: A date?

Harlan: Yes, a date. Just the two of us.

Jas sniffs.

Jasmine: You got a deal.

Harlan: Where will I meet you?

Jasmine: My place. 10pm. Don't be late. And wear your best suit.

Harlan chuckles.

Harlan: I'll bring flowers. Maybe some ice cream and strawberries as well. I know how cranky you get when you don't have them.

Harlan and Jasmine laugh. Jas' laugh turns into a cry again.

Two minutes.

Jasmine: Those things, I wish I haven't-

Harlan: No no, it's fine.

Jasmine: No. I wish I haven't said them. I wish I never told you to go.

Jas sniffs.

Jasmine: I just wish we had more time.

Harlan has been holding it in him for too long. He tries not to break, but it is too much. Harlan gathers all the courage he has left to say it. But as he does, a tear falls down his face.

Harlan: You do. You have all the time in the world.

Harlan's armor has been broken. For the first time in five years, Harlan cries.

One minute.

Harlan wipes the tears off his face.

Harlan: My connection's getting choppy Jas. I'll call you later.

Jasmine: You better.

Harlan: I will. Goodb-

Jasmine: Harlan!

Harlan: Yes?

Jas tries to say it. But she can't. Harlan simply smiles.

Harlan: I know. I know.

Harlan wipes a tear off his face, and smiles.

Harlan: As I always have.

Ten seconds.

Harlan slams the self destruct button. The control pad shows the self destruct process. The missiles start exploding.

Harlan looks back at his life. His parents, his brother Jackson, the times he has fallen in love with. The many missions he's been on. The different locations, friends he has known and lost on the way. Audrey, May, Eda. Harlan remembers Jas. Harlan smiles bittersweetly at his memories with Jas. Harlan smiles, satisfied with the life he has lived, as he is eaten by the explosion.

_.-

Jasmine: Harlan? HARLAN?

Jas is standing on the American desert. She listens to her earpiece, but hears nothing but radio static.

Jas takes off her earpiece, and falls down and cries.