Chapter 1
My heart rate was rising, the voices grew more urgent reminding me that two-thousand lives will be lost if I don’t disable the bomb in the next sixty seconds. I wiped the sweat from my face and responded as calmly as I could. “I know, Sergeant, I’m trying to go as fast as I can.”
I steadied my hands and carefully studied the layout of the wires again. It was a complicated setup that had a contingency in place for every possible disarming of the bomb. The area to work in was so small, that only hands would be able to do it and although I didn’t exactly have small hands, they were steady due to playing the guitar. At least, that’s what my team told me. Ok, focus, Jodi. I snuck a quick glance at the robot that would have been used. “Dammit,” I hissed. My best option was to cut the green and yellow wires simultaneously, which should stop the countdown and disconnect the backup power without triggering anything.
“Thirty seconds, Detective, we’re running out of time!” Sergeant Matthews shouted. My hands tensed again and I silently cursed him. If they kept shouting in my earpiece, I was going to make a mistake and thousands of lives would be lost because of me. Anger boiled deep inside me at that thought and burst through before I could contain it.
“Could everyone just shut up and give me a bloody chance!” Silence. “Thank you!”
The red clock started its countdown from 10. A slew of curse words left my mouth as I got ready to cut the wires. 7...6...5...4. I closed my fingers gently and waited. The silence was deafening. I couldn’t tell if the ringing in my ears was from my blood pressure or the bomb going off. Slowly, my thoughts faded and there was nothing.
My eyes squinted as they adjusted to the light. I was lying on the ground; a blur of faces surrounded me. Their voices were muffled but I could make out my name. My limbs felt like they were filled with concrete but I stubbornly fought against it. My sight returned gradually, and the first face I focused on was Captain Matthews. My heart rate went up for a different reason as I remembered I had just told my superior to shut up. He was also incredibly easy on the eyes.
“Detective Hearthorn, are you alright?” he held my shoulders, lightly shaking me. I gaped; my mouth felt dry making it impossible to form words. His face moved slightly closer and he said softly, “Jodi?”
“I’m not even...on the...bloody bomb squad,” I choked on my words, slowly sitting up with Sergeant Matthews’s help.
“You were the only one with small and steady enough hands and extensive knowledge of electronics,” he whispered. I managed to restrain myself from the comment I had on the tip of my tongue.
“Ok.” I didn’t have the energy to argue. I must have passed out after disarming the bomb.
I started pushing myself off the ground and felt other agents helping me up, leading me towards an ambulance. It was Dave and Harry from the bomb squad. Sergeant Matthews had quickly moved on to the press for a statement.
“Jodi, holy crap, that was incredible!” Harry practically screamed in my ear.
Dave followed suit in my other ear. “Yeah, you just saved all those lives and you’re not even a bomb technician!”
Weakly, I pushed myself away. Their surprised expressions almost irritated me. “You’re right, I’m not.” I don’t know why I felt so angry all of a sudden but I stormed off, at least as much as I could, and carried on straight. My vision dimmed slightly and I swayed, an EMT from the nearby ambulance holding me up before I could fall.
“Miss, you shouldn’t be walking around. Let’s check your vitals, please.” He was already sitting me down and putting on the cuff to check my blood pressure.
The whole series of events leading up to this flooded my mind. I was in Cyber Crimes; I knew a decent amount about electronics because of my IT qualification. I was working on a case of somebody posting sick videos of children online when Sergeant Gabe Matthews came rushing to my desk and asked me if I remembered all the information I learnt in the bomb courses I took and before I could even answer, he dragged me out and we were racing to the park where a bomb had been found. They needed a person to disarm it as the robot, and the squad were too big to get near where it was hidden.
Although Gabe talked me through it, once we got to the two-minute mark, everyone started freaking out. How I actually managed to recall the classes and apply them was beyond me. The EMT’s voice pulled me out of my reverie immediately.
“Alright, your blood pressure has risen enough. No other trauma, I’d say you’re good to go.” He smiled triumphantly as if he’d just discovered the cure to all diseases.
“I was good to go when I woke up,” I mumbled. I started walking away when a pang of guilt hit me. I turned around and smiled back at the EMT. “Thank you for all your help.”
I wandered around, taking in the chaos surrounding me. People were on the phone, some smiling and some crying, some hugging each other and others hurriedly leaving in their cars. I stopped and looked at a couple sitting down holding their newborn, gently rocking back and forth, the man comforting the woman as she quietly sobbed.
My hands trembled and my eyes burnt with the threat of tears, I turned away quickly and started for Gabe’s car. No one paid any mind to me. It bothered me, given what had just happened. I scolded myself for being selfish and sighed, leaning against the door when I reached his car.
“Speak of the devil,” I whispered to myself. Gabe looked dishevelled, his dark hair had been pulled in different directions and his shirt was rolled up at the sleeves and wrinkled. His face was sombre and his eyes were tired. Despite the sudden anger rising in me again, I felt sorry for him.
He stopped a few metres from me looking uncertain. I waited for him to speak first; I wasn’t sure where this conversation would go.
He stood up straight, his face suddenly serious and he spoke confidently, “Detective, you saved thousands of lives today, even though it’s not your department.” His confidence wavered slightly before he continued. “Thank you for your outstanding service. Your efforts will not go unrewarded.”
He climbed into the driver’s side and started his car. I stood stunned for a few seconds before I got in.
That was not what I was expecting to hear. Perhaps an apology for putting me in such a dangerous situation or asking if I was okay but all I got was a generic ‘congratulations’.
“Uh, thanks, Sergeant.” I turned my head and stared out at the passing buildings. Again, I had to fight the tears welling up in my eyes. What the hell?
