Chapter 19: The Final Countdown
The digital timer on the screen ticked down with merciless speed: 00:45... 00:44... 00:43...
"Get the building evacuated, now!" Julian roared, slamming his hand onto the master alarm console and activating the emergency broadcast system across all seventy floors.
"Marcus is already on it,"
Elena said, her fingers flying across her laptop keyboard as she tried to intercept the van’s remote detonation frequency. "He’s clearing the lower levels, but we don't have time to clear the surrounding block before that charge blows!"
Julian didn't hesitate. He grabbed his heavy leather jacket from the back of the chair, grabbing a tactical signal jammer from the corporate security locker. "Stay here with Maya. I'm going down there."
"Julian, no! It's suicide!" Elena protested, grabbing his arm.
Julian turned, looking into her eyes with a fierce, unwavering intensity. "We survived the wedding, the poison, the vault, and the salt flats. I'm not letting some ghost from the past take away the future we're supposed to build."
Before she could stop him, Julian turned and sprinted toward the private elevator, punching the descent button.
The elevator dropped like a stone, the G-force pressing against his chest as he plummeted seventy floors to the ground lobby in seconds.
Ding.
The doors slid open. The lobby was empty, echoing with the blaring wail of the emergency klaxons and flashing red strobe lights. Through the reinforced glass doors, the black delivery van sat idling silently in the fog, its digital dashboard clock glowing menacingly: 00:15... 00:14...
Julian swiped his master security pass, overriding the main glass doors and forcing them open. He sprinted across the wet pavement, the rain biting at his face, and threw himself against the driver’s side window of the van.
It was locked.
Inside, taped directly to the steering wheel alongside the C4 explosive charge, was a small, handwritten note scrawled in messy ink:
“Checkmate, Julian. Choose wisely: the company or your life.”
The timer hit 00:03... 00:02... 00:01...
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Julian jammed the tactical signal jammer directly against the window glass, holding down the override trigger with every ounce of his strength.
BZZZZZZT!
