CHAPTER 88
THE DIRECTOR WAS NO LONGER answering the radio and, in theory, he was the highest authority below Andrew Summers, but if he opened the door, and the Director was doing something important in there, he would be taken away immediately.
— What are you going to do, Cliff?
— There are times when we just have to do it, which no one else has the courage to do.
Cliff checked the door and it was closed. He drew his pistol, hit the lock three times, and the door opened.
— We do not have much time.
He looked at his watch and the timer was ticking, five minutes to go.
Cliff did a visual scan of the dark room and realized that everything was out of order, saw a red light glow in the darkness of the Headmaster's office.
It was the bomb.
CLIFF FINALLY FOUND the bomb and above it was a digital timer, only two and a half minutes left.
— What can we do, Cliff?
— Good question...
Cliff came close and, as much as he had studied the various electronic systems that a bomb had, this one seemed to be a different case.
— Alpha 1, I'm facing the bomb and we have just over a minute to defuse it.
He stood in front of the bomb so the experts could guide him.
— Cliff, you have to get out of there, it's a new system, anything we do will blow it up.
That was everything Cliff wouldn't want to hear, and worse, it was impossible to leave that place at that moment.
— Have you managed to evacuate the building yet?
— Positive.
One minute on the stopwatch.
Cliff sat in front of the pump and made a call to his wife, but she didn't answer.
Thirty seconds to go.
His wife returns the call.
"What happened, honey?"
— I just wanted to say that I love you.
Twenty seconds.
"Did something happen?
— No… I just wanted to hear your voice a little, never forget how much I love you.
ten seconds.
"I love you, daddy..." — shouted the daughter into the phone.
At least the last thing I'll ever hear is my angel's voice...
— Me too, honey, take good care of mom...
Cliff turned off his cell phone and followed his last moments of life with his eyes...
— It was nice meeting you, partner...
Renan nodded sadly.
Five...
Four...
Three...
Two...
One...
The bomb gave a strange beep and the last thing I could have imagined in my life happened...