The Good Deed ~COMPLETE~

Chapter 45: BOOM!

I think we were all losing hope just standing around watching the time count down. Mark returned to Mandy and I checked on Sue and my mother. Brandy and Albert talked among themselves, trying to come up with a plan. I couldn't hear their conversation and I wanted to stay with Sue, but I also felt it was my responsibility to help with the life saving rescue plan.

I joined them. “So what do you guys think? Any clue on how we can get out of here in one piece?”

Albert had an idea. “We need something warm that we can wrap around the sensors.”

“Like what?”

That was as far as Albert's ideas went. He shook his head. “I don't know. A towel or something.”

We didn't have any towels, unfortunately. I can't remember a more stressful time in my life. This bomb was going to explode and nobody had any useful suggestions on how we could escape. I checked the time again...8:20, 8:19, 8:18...

I needed their help, but I couldn't be selfish and ask Brandy or Albert to risk their lives any longer. “Look you guys. No matter what happens, I'm not leaving them. I really appreciate you sticking around to help, but I don't expect you to stay.”

Brandy was honest with me. “Joe, I'll stick by you as long as I can, but if it comes down to it...if we get to under two minutes...I'm sorry Joe, but I'm outta here.”

I understood and found it respectable that she would even stay for that long.

Albert still hadn't lost hope. “Stop talkin' like that. We'll figure something out...I won't let you die.”

Albert turned out to be a true friend. It's a shame that we met under the circumstances we had. A flood of emotions came over me. Fear and panic were obvious, but I also felt...loved. These two people, they were virtually strangers to me and my family, but they were still there in that room, trying to help save us.

It probably wasn't the right time to be thinking about it, but my curiosity doesn't follow the rules when it comes to priorities. I looked back to Albert, “Hey? When you and Mark were fighting...I heard a gun shot...you didn't shoot Mark and there weren't any new bullet holes in the room...Where's the bullet?”

Albert chuckled to himself. “Your brother was down...unconscious. I knew our time was about up and I couldn't bring myself to kill him. I shot myself...in the ass. It hurt like a son-of-a-bitch.” Albert turned to show the hole in his pants and the bloody stain that ran down the back of his leg.

I was nearly speechless. Knowing he had given himself a wound was a shocking discovery. “You did that for Mark?”

“Yeah...” Albert looked at my brother, “...he's not such a bad guy...and he's got one Hell of a right hook.” They smiled to each other.

Suddenly Brandy's attention was grabbed. “Shh!” She raised her hand at us. She whispered, “Did you hear that?”

I hadn't heard anything. “What?” I whispered back.

She took a step toward the door, “In the hall. I heard something.” She questioned Albert, “You sure Harvey's dead?”

“Positive. I put two in his chest.”

Brandy and I looked to each other, both of us thinking, 'Oh shit...Harvey was wearing a vest.'

I warned Albert, “He had a vest on.”

Albert shook his head in disbelief, “I don't think so...I saw a lot of blood.”

Again Brandy and I gave each other the, 'Oh shit' look. Just as I was about to tell Albert about the blood packets that Harvey had attached to the vest...