Chapter 7 - The Countdown
The concrete stairwell shook violently as Elias and Marcus raced toward the prison's roof.
Dust and rubble rained down on their shoulders but they did not slow their desperate pace.
They kicked open the heavy metal door leading to the roof and were immediately blinded by the searchlights of a hovering helicopter.
Julian Cross was walking casually toward the chopper while holding a sleek silver briefcase.
Four heavily armed mercenaries stood between Julian and the stairwell to protect his escape.
"I will handle the guards," Marcus shouted over the deafening roar of the helicopter blades.
"You disarm the bomb inside the control shack!"
Marcus raised his riot shield and charged directly into the line of heavy automatic fire.
The bullets sparked brightly off the reinforced glass as the giant smashed into the first mercenary.
Elias sprinted toward the small metal control shack near the edge of the helipad.
He kicked the door open and found a massive brick of C4 wired to a complex digital timer.
The red numbers were counting down ruthlessly and read exactly forty-five seconds.
Elias dropped to his knees and quickly analyzed the chaotic bundle of colored wires.
This was a signature explosive trap designed by Julian back when Elias had trained him in the military.
"Red is the decoy, blue is the trigger, yellow is the ground," Elias muttered to himself as he pulled a small pocket knife.
Outside the shack Marcus threw his shattered shield aside and lifted a mercenary completely over his head.
He tossed the screaming guard directly into the other two and knocked them all heavily to the concrete.
Julian realized his men were defeated and pulled a silver pistol from his jacket.
He aimed the gun directly at Marcus's unprotected back as the giant celebrated his victory.
"Watch out!" Elias screamed from the doorway of the shack.
Marcus spun around just as Julian pulled the trigger without any hesitation.
The bullet struck Marcus in the shoulder and spun the massive man around before he collapsed.
Julian laughed and turned to board the waiting helicopter.
Elias looked at the timer which now displayed exactly ten seconds.
He had to make an impossible choice between saving his unlikely friend or stopping the bomb.
Elias grabbed the yellow and green wires together and sliced through both of them simultaneously.
The digital timer instantly froze at exactly three seconds.
Elias let out a massive breath and stepped out of the shack with his rifle raised.
But Julian was already inside the helicopter and the skids were leaving the concrete pad.
May you like
Elias ran and leaped off the edge of the roof just as the chopper banked away into the night sky.
He managed to grab the cold metal landing gear with one hand as he dangled hundreds of feet in the air.
