Part 24 (1/2)
”What d'you mean?”
They started down the corridor together.
”Well,” the first doctor said, ”I'm covering for Singh, who got his knee broken in a mugging last week.”
”s.h.i.+t,” the second doctor said. ”They got to do something about security out here. It's like a war zone.”
”You're talking about Darlene.”
”Yeah. I mean when the senior scrub nurse gets raped and beaten in our own parking lot, you know things are getting out of control.”
They shook their heads and began to discuss the latest hospital gossip as they entered the emergency room.
35 Minutes to Zero
A Bed-and-Breakfast
The renovation work had been going on for over ten days.
There was the usual jumble of pickup trucks, vans, concrete mixers, and tools spread across the front lawn. An eyesore, but the people of the neighborhood didn't mind really.
A reopened Pleasantry B&B could only mean fresh business for their arts and crafts shops.
So a little inconvenience of workmen and their lewd comments or slovenly habits could be put up with.
And besides, none seem to be around right now.
Other than two men, bent over the open hood of the truck, mostly hidden from view.
15 Minutes to Zero
John d.i.c.kinson Elementary School
”G.o.ddammit, get those doors open!”
The men leaned against the double doors, kicked at them, but they refused to move.
”Sonofab.i.t.c.h!” one yelled as he began to choke on the growing black smoke. ”There's no way out!”
A woman came running up. Slapping at her blouse, trying to put out flames, she screamed out at the men.
”Fire's worse back there! G.o.d in Heaven,” she cried as children's screams could be heard over the ringing alarms and approaching sirens, ”what are we going to do!”
”Everybody to the roof, the princ.i.p.al ordered, praying they had time and no one would be left behind.”
5 Minutes to Zero
The Safe House
Canvas turned down the television, answering his cell phone on the second ring. ”Candle.”
”Proceed. The line went dead.”
He brought the microphone, already in his other hand, up to his lips.
”Kai men,” he said clearly. ”Kai men.”
He put down the radio, started to leave, then stopped, turning up the TV for one last look.
”Reports are still sketchy, details still coming in,” the announcer was saying as he shuffled several papers in his hands, ”but this much, at least, is clear. About twenty minutes ago there was an explosion at the factory of American Banners in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The factory-which makes U.S. flags and sports pennants-is said to be fully engulfed in flames, with the bulk of its workforce trapped inside.”
”An anonymous call to WIN's Taipei Bureau claimed that the bombing was, and I quote here, 'the first blow, of many yet to come, against America for its gradual sellout of her Nationalist Chinese allies.' We go now to...”
Canvas shut the set, studied the blank tube for a moment, then moved into another room.
Five minutes later he was gone, the house an inferno-accelerated by solid rocket fuel spread throughout. The most that would ever be found was a soft, white ash.
Zero Plus 9 Minutes