His Watchful Eye

Chapter 37- Explosion

     As he sat on the cool, hard floor, the soft, rhythmic beeping of the explosive device lulled Colin into a light slumber. Blood loss from his gunshot wound left him without the strength to hold his head up or form cohesive thoughts. Though his body was battered and broken, his mind played one last cruel trick on him in the form of a dream. Somehow it felt like a hazy reality, but surely he was too exhausted to try and sort it all out.

As the dream played out before him, the gentle lullaby of the steady beeping was replaced with a long, shrill squeal. Looking down, he saw the numbers on the timer slowly ticking down. The whole world felt like it was moving in slow motion. Fifty-seven seconds.

Detecting a rustling sound on the other side of the sliding door, he tried to turn his head to face the portal. Intense pain in his jaw forced him to hold his current position. Fifty seconds.

The garage door quickly slid open, and the setting sun warmed his skin. Blinking the cobwebs from his vision, he saw a familiar face leaning over him. Eyes brimming with kindness looked on him with apology and concern. "Conner wouldn't want this....he saved me, and he would want me to save you." The compassionate voice remarked. Forty-two seconds.

Hearing the cutting of the straps securing the incendiary device to his chest, a sense of freedom overwhelmed him as his bonds fell to the ground. If only this was reality and not a dream. Thirty-one seconds.

Strong hands grabbed him under his arms and dragged him in the direction of the open door. Sharp pain rocketed through his chest, but he fought the urge to cry out. His legs bounced against the uneven gravel walkway he was being hauled over.

His momentum ceased, and Charlie knelt beside him. "There's no more time." Tears glistened in the man's eyes. "I'm sorry for everything David did...please forgive me for not stopping him. Take care of Georgia."

With no more time for conversation, Charlie shielded him with his own body. A loud crash and wave of blistering heat emanated from the now vacant storage facility. The force of the blast rattled his bones and sent him headlong into the throes of unconsciousness.

*****

After reaching the safe zone Macklin prepared, Georgia gave Henry a kiss before turning back in the direction of the building she knew Colin occupied. Running as fast as her legs would take her, she prayed she could save him in time. A strong hand grabbed her by the arm and pulled her backward.

"Georgia! There isn't time for this!" Laribee's deep, pleading voice broke through her frenzied mind.

"Carter...I have to try to save him!" Tears streamed down her face.

"Henry needs his mother to live. In a few seconds the bomb will explode and then he will have two dead parents. You need to be there for him."

He was right of course, and Colin had told her the same thing less than an hour before. Resigned, she nodded her head and allowed him to lead her back in the opposite direction. They were only fifty feet from the unit housing the bomb, so they ran to be as far from the impending blast as possible. Seconds ticked by in her mind, and it seemed like each second was the longest of her life. Please, God, don't let the bomb go off. Let it be a dud.

Her breath hitched in her throat, and for a moment she believed her prayer had been answered. Stopping dead in her tracks, she took hold of Laribee's arm. "It didn't go off!"

"Keep moving Georgia!" He pulled hard on her arm forcing her to move onward.

Suddenly, a loud, shattering blast filled the air. A strong wave of heat thrust her forward and onto the gravel. Laribee fell on top of her trying his best to shield her from the severity of the blast. The ground shook, and falling debris rained from the sky. Her breath came in short, shallow gasps. A shower of glass shards left small cuts on her cheek and arms.

When the worst of the charge was over, Laribee stood and helped her to her feet. Surveying the damage to the building Colin was in, her heart sank and tears fell unimpeded from her eyes. There was no possible way he could have lived through the explosion.

"Let's get you back to Henry." Carter placed his hand on her shoulder and guided her back to the safe zone. The children cried and shook with fear, and Macklin worked tirelessly to give each of the nineteen children and Henry the reassurance they desperately craved.

Falling to her knees, Georgia wrapped her arms around Henry. He melted into her arms and clung tightly to her neck. His small body convulsed with sobs.

"Mommy's here, Henry. That man can't hurt you anymore." As she rubbed his back, she allowed herself to cry tears of her own. The tears shed were the result of mixed emotions. Of course, grief overcame her when she remembered Colin. He was gone forever, and her love for him had nowhere to go except to be expelled in tears from her eyes. 

Tears of joy and relief also presided on her cheeks. She held Henry close and thanked God he was alive. Though shaken, he didn't appear to be physically hurt. Time alone would tell the emotional effect the abduction had on him.

Several moments passed, and Georgia prayed for strength as she faced the days ahead. "Lord, You know everything my little boy endured, and You know what he needs most right now. Please give me the wisdom to know how to help him. Please give me strength not to dwell on what I don't have and focus on the wonderful blessing You gave me when You brought Henry back to me."

"I love you, Mommy." His trembling words brought time to a standstill, and she held him tighter.

"I love you too, Henry." Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply. God had given her a good reason to keep living, and for Henry's sake, she needed to live life to the fullest just as she promised Colin. Strength from a supernatural source coursed through her as she determined not to let the events of the day no matter how tragic keep her from the joy she would find in her Saviour. If she let herself fall apart, Traeger would win, and she was more determined than ever to come out the winner.