Chapter 9 - The Impossible Choice
The mercenary leaned back into my chokehold, perfectly relaxed despite the danger.
"Go ahead, break my neck," he whispered, his finger resting lightly on the trigger.
"The moment my muscles relax, this button pops up, and everyone turns into ash."
I maintained my grip, my mind racing through every possible tactical scenario.
If I killed him, the bomb detonated; if I let him go, he would just press the button anyway.
I needed to sever the connection between the switch and the main explosive charge.
I glanced over his shoulder, tracing the thick red wire leading down to the main pillar.
"Victor is trapped in the vault; your mission is already a complete failure," I told him, trying to buy time.
"Victor always has a way out, and he pays me to follow orders, not to think," the mercenary replied coldly.
He began to slowly apply pressure to the button, testing my resolve.
I realized I only had one desperate option left to save the guests.
With my free hand, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small, high-voltage taser.
I did not aim it at the mercenary's body.
Instead, I jammed the prongs directly into the thick red wire connecting the detonator to the explosives.
I pulled the trigger, sending fifty thousand volts of electricity surging through the copper line.
The intense electrical shock fried the circuit board of the detonator in his hand instantly.
The device sparked violently, burning the mercenary's palm and forcing him to drop it.
He roared in pain and spun around, throwing a heavy punch aimed straight at my jaw.
I ducked under his sweeping arm and delivered a punishing strike to his solar plexus.
As he doubled over, I grabbed him by the collar and hurled him over the balcony railing.
He crashed violently onto a banquet table below, shattering the wood and knocking himself out completely.
The guests screamed in terror, but I quickly raised my hands to calm them.
"The explosives are disabled, everyone stay perfectly calm!" I shouted over the balcony.
Suddenly, the heavy double doors of the ballroom burst open with a deafening crash.
Victor Hale stood in the doorway, dragging a badly bleeding Daniel by the collar.
He had managed to force his way out of the vault, and he looked absolutely unhinged.
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Victor raised his heavy revolver, pointing it directly at Daniel's head for everyone to see.
"The game is officially over, Maya!" Victor screamed, his eyes burning with pure madness.
