Chapter 5 - The Hostage
The teacher’s eyes were wide with absolute terror as she stared at David through the settling dust.
A digital timer on her explosive vest was silently counting down from sixty seconds.
David instantly recognized the intricate wiring, knowing it was designed to detonate if the wearer moved even slightly.
The mercenaries in the next room began to systematically clear the debris, moving closer to the hole in the wall.
David motioned for Julian to keep the children absolutely silent under the heavy lab tables.
He silently crept toward the bound teacher, inspecting the complex web of red and blue wires covering her chest.
She whispered frantically, begging David to leave her behind and save the students before it was too late.
David refused, pulling a small multi-tool from his pocket that he always carried for emergencies.
He analyzed the circuit board, tracing the power source to a secondary detonator hidden beneath the main plate.
The mercenaries’ flashlights swept across the wall, their voices echoing loudly as they ordered each other to spread out.
David knew that if he cut the wrong wire, the explosion would bring the entire ceiling down on the children.
Sweat dripped into his eyes as the digital timer ticked down to twenty seconds.
He clamped his tool onto a thick green wire, praying his memory of old bomb schematics was correct.
He squeezed the handles, severing the connection in one swift motion.
The red numbers on the timer instantly froze at exactly nine seconds.
The teacher let out a massive, shaking breath of relief, tears streaming down her pale cheeks.
David quickly sliced through her plastic restraints, freeing her arms and legs.
But as she stood up, a heavy boot kicked the remaining drywall completely out of the frame.
The leader of the mercenaries stepped into the chemistry lab, an assault rifle leveled squarely at David’s chest.
The man wore a black tactical mask, but his eyes crinkled in a cruel, triumphant smile.
He slowly reached up and pulled the mask off his face.
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David froze in complete shock.
The man leading the hit squad was the school’s friendly, silver-haired principal.
