Chapter 34

The phone started beeping and this time Jake actually answered it, “what do you want Jamie?”

“I got to admit Jake,” his brother replied, “this is a lot more fun than those games we used to play as a kid. I almost got your ass too.”

Unfortunately, Jake realized, his brother was telling the truth again. Jake was now starting to realize that the only time his brother ever told him the truth was when that something happened to be bad. It kind of made Jake wish that Jamie would just keep on lying to him.

As Jake did his best to keep one step ahead on the game of program and counter program, he was also half watching the little video feed on his phone. Jake was sure that was Norm who was kneeling with the human bomb, down there. Jake had no idea what the guy was trying to do. Jake could not make out that kind of detail. All that he really knew was that he was putting even money on both the bomber, and Norm, blowing up at any second now.

The other bet that Jake was sure of, was on him being filled full holes, by German assault rifles, any minute now. Of course, there was the hope that the cops might reach him first. They too had entered the building. They were horrible cops and, just maybe, that meant they were horrible shots. It was something to hope for at any rate.

Jamie could almost have picked the thought right out of Jake’s mind too. He commented, “you know, you still got time to get out of there Jake.”

“Don’t think so Jamie,” Jake told him as he realized his brother was about to override the command file. “Sides that, it’s too late now.”

“Don’t say that Jake,” Jamie actually sounded genuinely wounded. “I wouldn’t let the damn Krauts kill my brother. I’m not that big of an ass hole. I got you a way out.”

“If I let you have control,” Jake replied, “right Jamie?”

“There is that,” Jamie told him, “but I almost got it now anyway.”

Jake tried one last card, “that bomb is never going to make it now Jamie. You might as well extract.”

Jamie chuckled in return, “you’re assuming I even care Jake. Gotya!”

Jake lost control but, still had his video feed. He saw the cross hairs line up on the back of Norman’s head. Jake yelled into the phone, “you do this Jamie and I swear to god I am will hunt you down and kill you.”

Jake heard the crack of a single round.

Down on the ground, Norman yelled out, “Maria!”

This time he actually heard the German girl reply, “I am right here! Do not loose your…” Her headless body fell right beside Norman. Tammy screamed in a panic but Norm did not have that luxury. He felt like it though. The timer was rapidly counting down now. He had far less time than he originally thought. The little red numbers did not tick down like a clock. The closer they got too zero, the faster they moved. The reality was that Norm had no idea how much time he had left.

Tammy managed to stop shaking and panting long enough to say, “Norman? I don’t think…”

“Shut up,” Norm told her as he found the paper clips in he dirt next to what used to be a young kid named Maria. He began stripping the wires that ran between the remote detonator and the main circuit board.

Cal yelled out, “Norm! The snipers back in business in case you didn’t notice!”

Norm did not bother answering. He was too busy trying to make his shaky hands do very delicate work on a woman that was not so steady herself. He used the clips to connect his own detonator to the lead and ground wires. Then he folded his knife over the wires just above his improvised break. He looked Tammy in the eye and said, “this is ether going to work or we’re going to blow up. You ready?”

“Do I get a vote,” Tammy told him.

The big and distant gun barked again. This time it sounded almost like a constant ripping explosion. Cal had dropped to the ground as soon as he heard it. When he looked back up, realizing that he was not taking fire, he had expected to see Norm and Tammy gone. They were not only still there but, Norm was pulling the vest off the woman. He dropped to the ground and then pulled Tammy to her feet.

Cal got back up as they ran past. He followed and asked as he did, “what did you do?”

Norm did not bother answering until they were safely out of the line of fire. After he caught his breath he said, “the electronics were set up for multiple detonators. I just replaced one of them with my own and then used that to turn it off.”

Cal scratched his head and said, “you can do that?”

After catching his breath, Norm straightened up, shrugged, and said, “I guess so. Never know till you try.”

Tammy heard that and fainted.

On top of the building, Jake got control again. This time he was not going to fight a battle of software. He elevated the barrel as high as he could and then pushed the fire button. He held it down until the ripping sound of high caliber automatic fire came to an end. Jake hit the fire button a few more times just to make sure but, nothing happened.

Now Jake got to his feet and began heading for one of the two fire doors. He told Jamie as he ran, “there, take control of that!”

There was no answer. Jake called for his brother again, “Jamie?” Jake looked down at the phone and saw that the call had been disconnected. It made him wonder why. Had Jamie been on a roof over that gun when Jake fired it that last time? Did he just give up and run? Jake was not sure but, right now, was not the time to worry.

When he got into the stairwell he could hear pounding feet from somewhere down below. Jake laughed at his luck, “thank god even Germans know not to take elevators in an emergency.” Jake ran down two floors and left the stairwell. He could have probably hidden out here and slipped out later but, he had one last piece of business to finish. He listened at the door until he heard some feet running by with English speaking owners.

Jake darted back out into the stairwell and slipped in behind a group of city officers who were now almost at their destination. Predictably, the cops stopped once on the roof and began to catch their breath. Jake was glad to see that the Germans had done the same thing. The grenadiers might have been younger and in better shape but they were also carrying a lot more weight than the cops so things about evened out.

Before another inevitable wave of troops and police flooded the roof, Jake used his advantage, of not actually being out of breath, to speak, “I’m Chief Agent Jake Barton, Colonial Law Enforcement!” He held his badge up high for everyone to see. Then he pointed to the weapon scope he had just left only minutes before. “I think that’s our culprit right there.”

Jake nodded for one German and one cop to follow him over to the scope. Once gain Jake had the advantage because he was the only guy there who could speak both German and English. He stopped over the scope, looked around, and then told each man in their own language, “he got away some how. We’ll search this building from top to bottom.” Then he reached down, picked up the scope, and handed it to the German, “I think the Three Twenty First has the facilities Captain. You might want to test that for DNA, maybe even finger prints.”

The German captain developed a sour look and said, “it might have been worth a try, Chief Agent whatever your name is,” the guy did not sound happy. “Only you just contaminated the evidence you moron!”

Jake looked confused and then he said, “oh, sorry about that. Well in that case you guys search the building. I’m going home.”