The Target (Complete) - Watty Awards 2014

Chapter 15 - Ties That Bond

My decision was made and I was on the move. I was expecting a million obstacles, or at least a dozen ninjas. But nothing happened. No gun fire. No trip wires. Nothing. Just me and a few fidgety stairs. Manuel took away my favorite gun, but I had a few more goodies in my arsenal.

I arrived at the access door, leading to the roof. Something just didn't feel right. Like, it was too easy. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to analyze the whole scene. An innocent life was at stake. I ignore all the danger signs and proceeded with caution.

I slowly slid open the door and peeked my head through the slender hole. I could see Lily, still tied to the chair. She was out in the open, with no one around her. I'd remembered, the masked man trying to operate the camera in the video. However, he was no where to be found. This smells like a trap. I have to keep an eye out for him, if I want to get us both out of here alive.

I creeped across the rooftop as quickly as possible. I managed to get over to Lily with no effort at all. Her head had fallen forward and she wasn't moving. I checked for a pulse. It was slightly slow and very faint, but she was still alive. For now. I tilted her head back and removed the white cloth that gagged her mouth closed. Her face was bloody and bruised.

What have they done to you, I thought.

I sighed, examining the bomb. It was still ticking on her chest. It was one messy setup. Wires and trip circuits surrounded the device. Confusing enough to set this roof on fire, no pun intended. We would literally reach heaven, in a matter of minutes. There was no way to get it off her without it blowing up in my face. To make it even worst, one wrong move and I could end both of their lives. I was screwed.

Just then, Lily started to awaken. Her head swayed back and forth, as she tried to force her eyes open.

"Hey Lily," I said, soft enough not to scare her. "I need you to wake up for me, okay. Stay awake."

She tried to speak, but it came out like a silent mumble. I leaned in closer, to understand what she was saying.

"...They said you wouldn't come..." her voice was cutting off, while she fought to catch her breath.

"Of course, I would. You're my sister." I replied.

"...They...They're gonna kill us..."

"No, they won't. I won't let them. I'm going to get us out of here, " I announced, as I untied one of her arms.

The timer was still counting down.

8:13...

8:12...

8:11...

8:10...

I reached for her other hand and that's when I heard someone behind me. I leaned away from a plummeting metal pipe. I was being attacked. The masked man showed his ugly mug and wasn't playing fair. I tumbled backwards to avoid being hit. He was swinging like a madman, not exactly aiming but trying to hit anything that moved. He was rather large and there was no way I was going to get a hit off him. I lead him away from Lily. Hopefully, she was conscious enough to untie herself and take cover. I continued to run and duck from his ever moving weapon. I finally found shelter behind a few crates, while I thought of my next move. I dug into my pocket for something that could possibly stop him...or at least, immobilize him for the moment. That bomb was still ticking and we need to get away from him.

I found the perfect item, just in time. He found my hiding spot, by completely crushing the crate into itty bitty small wooden chips. I barely jumped out of the way. The pipe made contact with my leg, injuring my ankle. I couldn't run anymore. His eyes pierced through his mask as he held the pipe high over my head. Before he dropped the metal cylinder for the last time, I lunged a small flashlight into his leg. I know what you're thinking. A flashlight, really? But this flashlight is very special. At the bottom of it were two electrodes. He froze and jolted as 100 volts of electricity entered his body. The metal pipe worked like a lightening rod, increasing the voltage and shocking the hell out of him. I rolled from under him and watched his heavy body collapse backwards. He was officially down. The flashlight was black, smoky, and the bulb was blown. All the energy in it was gone and it was safe to touch the body. I crawled over to the man and checked for a pulse. There wasn't one. I removed his masked and felt my heart drop.

George? He's one of the security guys for the boys. He was our driver from the concert, during the accident. He probably caused the crash. He works for Miguel? Who else was involved in this conspiracy? I was truly frustrated. I checked his pockets. The other remote wasn't there. Damn, he must have hid it somewhere up here. I don't have time to search for it. I still had to get Lily. I looked over at her. She just finished untying her legs. I stumbled to my feet and hobbled over to her. She was about to stand up, but I forced her to stay seated. I didn't want to take the risk that she was sitting on a pressure plate. Luckily, there wasn't one. Manuel was slacking. The clock was still ticking down. Less than 2 minutes left.

"Please get this thing off me," she cried.

"I'm definitely going to try," I replied. " But you have to stay calm."

She nodded, crying. I re-examined the device. There were wires attached to the bomb and others that weren't attached to anything at all. Like, they were there to confuse me and throw me off my game. Either way, it was working. I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself. I remembered how I first met Zayn, how nervous I was. I don't get nervous, but there was something about him. Our first kiss. It sent sparks up my spine. The night we spent together. How amazing it was. I opened my eyes and everything was clearer. There were only two major wires: a black one and a white one. Not even the normal red and blue. One needed to be cut, but which one.

"Do you know what you're doing," Lily asked.

I smiled, "Of course."

"I'm going to die, aren't I?"

"Not if I can help it," I sighed. "Now be quiet. I need to concentrate."

"Just leave. Run while you can."

"I'm not leaving you. Just let me think."

She started crying, again. I couldn't think about her tears right now. The final countdown begun. About thirty seconds left to make a lively decision. No time to strip the casing from either wire. I had to think. I had to choose. Black or white. White or black. Why would Manuel choose this colors? Think Delilah, think. What did I miss?

I pulled out my pocket knife, running it back and forth. Black. White. Black. White...

Ten seconds left. Pick one. Just pick one. Finally, I chose. I decided to cut....the white one. The clock stopped. The countdown stopped. The bomb stopped. Only two seconds remained. Lily exhaled a sigh of relief. So did I.

"How did you know to cut that one," Lily wondered.

I chuckled. It was Manuel's biggest obsession with me. The only reason he would pick those ridiculous colors. It was Dirty Dancing. He would always be in black like Patrick Swayze. I would be in white like Jennifer Grey.

"No one puts baby in a corner," I whispered.

I looked up at Lily and smiled. She leaned forward and smiled back. That was close, too close. But it wasn't over. Aaron was still in danger. So was Zayn. I had no idea if they were even alive but I was determined to find them. I needed to save them. Lily slowly rose to her feet. We were still alive, for now. She held out her hand to help me off he ground. I reached for hers but never made it. Instead, my face met...her fist. I fell back to the ground once again. Bruised and dazed, my eyes burned a hole through her soul. Her true self was coming through. She smiled grimly. She easily removed the bombed vest and tossed it to the ground.

"You're better than I thought," she hissed. "...And I freaking hate that damn movie."

******************************************

What the actual hell? I knew something was up with that damn Lily chick. Just kill her and get that over with. Do you really think Delilah has it in her to kill her own sister? Especially, her own identical sister. This is definitely gonna be one interesting showdown.

-Imm1025

******************************************