Chapter 34
The pulse knocked me down and punched the air out of my lungs. Debris and loose papers swirled. The blast had sheared through concrete and rebar. It rang my bell, and my vision blurred. The air was thick with that ozonated smell.
The world had gone silent for a moment.
My pulse thumped my ears. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, and the trauma of it all made my whole body feel numb. It took a second for my hearing to return. For a few moments, I didn't know if I was here or there.
Dust and chips of concrete littered the floor.
I pulled myself together and climbed to my feet, then rushed to Emily.
She gathered her wits, still in a daze, covered in dust.
"Are you okay?"
With a pained look on her face, she nodded. "I think so."
I looked her over and didn't see any signs of bleeding or obvious trauma.
I moved to the office worker, but he wasn't quite so fortunate. He lay on the ground, motionless. A piece of debris had caught him in the neck and severed his carotid. Blood pooled around his neck and head. The box that contained his six months’ worth of work lay scattered about the floor.
I felt for a pulse in his neck, but he was long gone.
I stood up and took stock of our situation.
A few feet closer to the stairwell, and we would have been vaporized.
The blast took out the neighboring building and most of this one.
The explosion had sliced through the building like it was cake.
Only this corner section remained. Just a small bit of the hallway and the guy’s corner office.
It was a miracle it was still standing, but I couldn't be certain how long it would remain that way. It was like a Jenga tower. One small breeze seemed like it would knock the damn thing over. It wasn’t the tallest building in the world, but it was tall enough.
I stood at the edge, looking down at the chaos.
The neighboring building was completely gone. Dust and debris still hung in the air.
I helped Emily to her feet and moved her away from the ledge. We stepped into the corner office. It was probably more structurally secure. One of the office walls had been ripped completely away. The windows had shattered.
I looked down at the street below as emergency responders collected themselves. Screams of panic and agony drifted up. I hoped the casualties were few, but it wasn't looking good.
The aquarium seemed to be intact.
News helicopters, along with Tango One, circled overhead.
My heart still thumped my chest, and adrenaline sizzled my skin.
There was no way down from here. The stairs didn't exist anymore. Neither did the elevator. I might have been able to figure out a way to climb down, but that wasn't in Emily's wheelhouse, and I wasn't willing to leave her here alone.
It was a long way down and structurally unstable.
With eyes like saucers and nerves shot, I helped Emily to a chair in the office. She took a seat and tried to settle herself.
"Slow, deep breaths,” I said. “Don't hyperventilate. Don't go into shock. You're fine. We’re going to be fine. It's only a matter of time before they rescue us.”
Emily nodded. "Remind me never to follow you into a building when there's a bomb threat.”
"That was pretty stupid.”
Emily nodded in agreement. "I thought the bomb was next door.”
"What made you think that?”
"I dunno. Just a hunch. Null Point has an office in the building.”
It was another technology company that competed with Zero Point.
"This guy has been nothing but disingenuous,” I said. “He gives us bogus clues. Changes timelines. It's all to keep us off balance.”
"It seems like he’s doing a good job of that.”
I checked my phone. There was still no cell service.
I moved to the window frame, crunching over broken glass. I shouted down to the first responders below and waved my arms. "Need some help up here!"
One of the deputies saw me. It wouldn't be long now.
We were too high for ladders. They’d have to do a helicopter extraction.
I took a seat behind the desk.
Emily coughed, the air still thick with dust and debris.
There were all kinds of toxic materials floating around. These were newer buildings, so I didn't think they were loaded with asbestos, but who knows what else was in there.
"This bomb is bigger than the last one," Emily said.
"That's the only thing the bomber was honest about.”
"Still, this is nothing compared to what's possible with true Oblivium.”
"Well, we better hope he never gets hold of that stuff."
"I feel responsible."
"Did you build the device? Did you plant it in the building? Did you set it to go off?”
She shook her head.
"Everybody's responsible for their own actions. You created the technology. How other people use it is on them.”
She nodded. "I guess. But I still can’t help but feel like it shouldn’t have been created.”
“We talked about that, remember?”
“I know,” she said with a grim frown.
Emergency lights flashed and flickered below. More emergency responders arrived on the scene.
The building rumbled, and something shifted. The office shook, and we shared concerned glances.
This building could topple at any moment.