Detonation Hour
In the grimy alley behind a neon-lit bar, Jack woke up to the cold touch of metal against his chest. His heart pounded as he looked down and saw the digital display on the bomb strapped to him: 03:45. Three hours and fifteen minutes until detonation. Panic surged through him like a tidal wave, but he forced himself to stay calm. He had to think.
The alley was deserted except for a lone figure standing at the far end, cloaked in shadows. As Jack's eyes adjusted to the dim light, he could make out the man's features—dark hair, sharp jawline, and piercing blue eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness. The stranger held up a phone, and Jack's own device buzzed in his pocket. A message flashed across the screen: Follow me if you want to live.
Jack had no choice but to comply. He stumbled after the man, his mind racing with questions. Who was this person? Why him? What did he want? The stranger led him through the labyrinthine streets of the city, their footsteps echoing off the wet pavement. Jack's breath came in ragged gasps, each one a reminder of the ticking clock on his chest.
As they turned down another narrow alleyway, Jack caught sight of the man's reflection in a storefront window. He was younger than he'd first appeared, maybe early twenties. And there was something familiar about him—a sense of déjà vu that sent a shiver down Jack's spine. But before he could place it, they were gone, swallowed by the night.
They ended up in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. The stranger sat down on a crate and gestured for Jack to do the same. "Who are you?" Jack demanded, his voice shaking despite his best efforts to stay calm.
The man smiled—a cold, humorless expression that sent a chill through Jack's body. "You don't recognize me, Jack?" he said, leaning forward. "It's been what, ten years? You probably thought you'd never see me again."
Jack searched his memory, trying to place the face. Then it hit him like a punch to the gut. This was Eddie—Eddie Thompson, the kid from his old neighborhood who'd always looked up to him. The one he'd left behind when he moved away for college. But why would Eddie do this?
"Why are you doing this?" Jack asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "What do you want from me?"
Eddie shrugged. "You abandoned us, Jack. Left us to rot in that shithole while you went off to live your fancy life." He spat on the ground. "This is payback."
Jack shook his head, trying to process what he was hearing. "I never meant to hurt anyone," he said. "I just wanted a better life for myself."
Eddie scoffed. "A better life? You think that's how it works? You can't just leave people behind like they don't matter." He stood up and paced back and forth, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "You took everything from me, Jack. My family, my friends—everything I ever cared about. And now it's time for you to pay the price."
Jack felt a wave of nausea wash over him as he realized the truth: Eddie was insane. He'd been planning this for years, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike back at the man who'd abandoned him. And Jack had no idea how to stop him.
As if reading his mind, Eddie pulled out a small remote control and pressed a button. The bomb on Jack's chest beeped loudly, the digital display flashing red: 02:30. One hour and thirty minutes until detonation. Panic surged through Jack again, but he forced himself to stay calm. He had to find a way out of this.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Eddie smiled again—that same cold, humorless smile that sent shivers down Jack's spine. "I want you to suffer," he said simply. "I want you to feel the pain and fear that I've felt every single day since you left."
Jack swallowed hard, trying not to show his fear. He knew there was no way out of this—not without help. And right now, he was completely alone.
But then he remembered something: his phone. It was still in his pocket, and it had a signal. If he could find a way to call the police, maybe they could track him down before it was too late.
He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out the device, trying not to make any sudden movements that might set Eddie off. As soon as he had it in his hand, he started typing out a message—a plea for help from anyone who might be listening.
But before he could hit send, Eddie lunged forward and grabbed the phone out of his hands. "No more games," he snarled, crushing the device underfoot. "It's time to face the music."
Jack felt a surge of despair as he watched his last hope disappear beneath Eddie's boot. He was running out of time—and options. But just as all seemed lost, he heard something—a faint beeping sound coming from somewhere in the warehouse.
It took him a moment to realize what it was: an alarm system, triggered by Eddie's destruction of his phone. And if that meant there were security cameras nearby...
He scanned the rafters above them, looking for any sign of surveillance equipment. Sure enough, he spotted a small black box perched on one of the support beams. It was pointed directly at them—and it looked like it was still recording.
Jack's heart leapt with hope. If someone was watching this feed, maybe they could send help in time to save him. He just had to keep Eddie talking long enough for them to figure out where he was.
"Why did you do it?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Why did you leave me like that?"
Eddie's expression darkened at the question. "You don't understand," he growled. "I didn't have a choice. My family—they needed me. And I couldn't just leave them behind to fend for themselves."
Jack shook his head, trying to make sense of what Eddie was saying. "But you could have come with me," he said. "We could have figured something out together."
Eddie laughed bitterly. "You really believe that? You think I had a choice in any of this?" He paced back and forth again, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "I did what I had to do, Jack. And now it's your turn."
As Eddie spoke, Jack realized something: he was stalling for time. Every second that passed brought him one step closer to safety—and one step further away from the bomb strapped to his chest.
He just had to keep talking long enough for help to arrive.
But as the minutes ticked by, Jack began to feel lightheaded and dizzy. The bomb's digital display flashed red again: 01:00. One hour until detonation. And still no sign of rescue.
He was running out of time—and options. But he refused to give up hope. Not yet.
Just as he was about to say something else, a sudden noise echoed through the warehouse: the sound of footsteps approaching from outside. Jack's heart leapt with hope as he heard voices calling out his name. They were close—so close that he could almost reach out and touch them.
But Eddie must have heard it too, because he turned and ran, disappearing into the shadows before anyone could catch him. Jack tried to call out after him, but his voice was too weak. He collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath as the bomb on his chest continued to tick away.
When the police finally reached him, they worked quickly to disarm the device and get Jack to safety. As he lay there in the ambulance, staring up at the blurry faces of strangers, he knew that he'd been given a second chance—a chance to make things right with those he'd left behind.
And this time, he wouldn't let them down.