The Good Deed ~COMPLETE~

Chapter 44: Ticking Away

I left Brandy standing at the doorway, and hurried to Sue. “Oh my God, baby.” I caressed her face and wiped away her tears with my thumbs. “You okay?” It was a stupid question, but what do say to someone that has a bomb strapped to their back?

Sue sniffled, and nodded. She looked absolutely terrified.

I kissed her quivering lips. “Don't worry, we'll figure a way out of this.” I looked to my mother, “Mom? Are you okay?”

My mother was scared too, but she held herself together better than Sue. She nodded as well. “I'm fine. Just get us out of here.”

I turned back to Brandy who was now inside the room. “Do you have any ideas? How can we get them free?”

Brandy's look of concern was obvious. She shook her head. “Joe...I, I was a cop...but, I don't have any training for this type of situation. In the department, we had bomb specialists to deal with these kinds of things. Sorry, Joe.”

“Mark? What about you? Do you ever mess with stuff like this in the Army?”

“Not exactly like this, but we were taught how to dismantle land minds. I'm not comfortable touching that thing Joe.”

I felt let down, but I couldn't let that stop me from trying. I examined the explosive carefully. It was cylindrical in shape with a metal casing. It looked kind of like a beer keg; one that you may see at a frat party. On the top, sat a briefcase. It was Jacob's. The one he kept the secret computer chip in. I hadn't noticed when Jacob had taken the stage, that he wasn't accompanied by the briefcase. I was curious as to why it was in that room, sitting on a bomb and not on his wrist. As I stared at the case in wonder, I saw that the latches were still locked. I wanted badly to pick up the case, but I was scared to touch it. What if it was somehow connected to the bomb? I couldn't risk setting it off. I needed someone that knew anything about explosives. But who?

Even though she had mentioned she wasn't experienced, Brandy stepped over to us and risked her life to help. “ Let me take a look.” She knelt down and peeked behind Sue. She gently stuck her hand behind Sue's back to feel around. She warned, “Don't move, okay.”

Sue just nodded and closed her eyes. I held her hand with a firm grip.

Brandy continued feeling around, then, “There's a square box of some kind. It's smooth on the surface.”

Mandy spoke up, “I have the same thing behind me.”

Then my mother, “Me too.”

Sue added, “That guy, Jacob or whatever...he said to keep our backs against it. He said it would explode if we tried to get up.”

Brandy carefully removed her hand and stood. “It's some kind of sensor...maybe heat or pressure...could even be a light sensitive.”

Suddenly we were all shocked by a deep male voice. “It could be all three.” Harvey stood at the door.

I was relieved to see him. “Harvey...what's going on upstairs?”

“Cops, everywhere. They're searching the entire building as we speak. But don't worry, they won't find us down here.”

“But we need them. We need their help. We need the bomb squad.”

“I'm sorry Joe, but that's not gonna happen.” Harvey held up a gun, pointing it right at me.

The women could all be heard gasping in fright.

I was too shocked to gasp. “Whoa? What the Hell?” I felt betrayed...I was betrayed. Guns make me nervous, especially when they're being pointed at me. “What are you doing? Put the-put the gun down, Harvey.”