The Tenth Explosion

Chapter 10: What did I just do.

The silence inside James’ office after the gunmen finished talking felt wrong in a very specific way. Not quiet. Worse. Like the room itself was listening.

Kate stood near the couch trying to process the fact that less than thirty minutes ago she was an underappreciated employee with anger issues and a stolen project report. Now suddenly she was standing beside the CEO of a multibillion-dollar company while armed criminals discussed prison breaks like they were planning a birthday party. Life changes ridiculously fast sometimes. One moment you’re thinking about salary raises. Next moment somebody points a gun at your forehead and introduces you to terrorism.

Avatar, the apparent leader among the seven men, remained calm in a way that made him even more dangerous. Some people shout to prove they’re threats. Others don’t need to. Avatar belonged to the second category. Tall. Broad shoulders. Dark combat jacket. Cold eyes that looked like they had already watched too many people die. He walked slowly across James’ massive office, glancing at the city skyline through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

“You know what’s funny?” he said casually.

Nobody answered.

Avatar continued anyway. “The government keeps calling Jackie a criminal mastermind.” He smirked faintly. “As if they’re saints.”

James stayed quiet. Kate too. Honestly, neither of them knew what response wouldn’t accidentally get them shot.

Avatar turned around slowly. “You people sit inside expensive offices and watch the news like reality is simple.” He pointed toward the distant direction of the City Sermon Lab somewhere beyond the buildings. “That place has killed innocent people for ten years.” His voice hardened. “Ten years.”

The room felt colder again. One of the gang members leaned against the wall cleaning his weapon lazily while another monitored the hallway cameras through a portable device connected to the office security system. These men were prepared. Not random street criminals. Professionals. The scary kind.

Avatar looked directly at James now. “You know the first time Jackie tried investigating that lab?”

James shook his head slowly.

Avatar laughed once without humor. “He lost both hands.”

Kate blinked hard. “What?”

Avatar raised his own hand slightly. “Government security system. Automated defense tech. Burned through flesh like hot water through paper.”

Even James looked shocked.

Avatar continued walking slowly while speaking. “That was years ago. Jackie got too curious about what kind of experiments were happening inside City Sermon Lab. So he sent men first. Nobody returned.” He paused near the large executive desk. “Then he went himself.”

The gang member cleaning the weapon smirked slightly. “That man nearly died.”

Avatar nodded. “His hands were destroyed beyond repair. They replaced them with advanced prosthetics later.”

Kate frowned slightly despite her fear. “Wait... you mean robotic hands?”

Avatar looked impressed for half a second. “Not robotic like cheap science fiction movies.” He flexed his fingers slightly like he appreciated the technology himself. “Military-grade prosthetics. High-function systems. 5G integrated. Built-in communications. Signal tracking. Remote access capabilities. Fingerprint manipulation. Jackie could literally make encrypted calls through his own hand.”

Kate stared. James too.

Avatar shrugged. “When you survive long enough in certain worlds, normal technology stops being enough.” Honestly, the whole thing sounded insane. But not fake insane. More like the kind of truth governments deny while secretly funding it underground.

Avatar’s face darkened slightly. “After that incident, Jackie backed off. Didn’t want war with the government. Didn’t want more problems.” He stopped moving entirely. “Then the lab killed his sons.”

The office became silent again. One of the gunmen lowered his eyes briefly. Another clenched his jaw. The emotion in the room shifted subtly at the mention of the two boys. Not boys exactly. Men technically. Sun Thunder operatives. Still sons.

Avatar spoke more quietly now. “They were carrying out operations near the eastern district when the latest explosion happened.”

James immediately thought about Melony. The memory hit him instantly again like a punch. Smoke. Collapsed buildings. Emergency broadcasts. Thousands screaming online searching for missing relatives.

Avatar nodded slowly as if reading his thoughts. “That explosion didn’t care who was good or bad. Rich or poor. Criminal or civilian.” Then his eyes sharpened again. “But Jackie cared when his blood became part of the body count.”

Now things made more sense. Not morally. Emotionally. There’s a difference. Most wars begin exactly like that actually. Somebody tolerates injustice until the damage becomes personal. A government can destroy strangers for years and people move on. But once your own family gets buried because of it, suddenly patience disappears.

Avatar pointed directly at James. “And your fiancée died too.”

James looked away instantly. That one still hurt too much to hold eye contact through.

Avatar’s voice softened just slightly. “Melony.”

Hearing her name spoken by a stranger inside his office felt deeply uncomfortable.

Kate slowly turned toward James. This entire time she had only known him as the intimidating CEO with expensive suits and permanent stress lines. Nobody in the company talked about his personal life much. Now suddenly she was discovering that the woman he loved had died in the same disaster everybody in the city feared. The pieces connected in her head quickly. That explained the look on his face earlier. The exhaustion. The anger at the lab. The way grief seemed permanently attached to him.

Avatar stepped closer. “Tomorrow is her burial, correct?”

James nodded once. Very slowly.

Avatar spread his hands slightly. “So tell me.” His voice became intense again. “What better gift could you give her memory than making sure City Sermon Lab never kills another innocent soul again?”

That sentence landed heavily. Too heavily. Because the worst thing about manipulation is when parts of it are true. James hated that. He hated the fact that some part of him already wanted the lab destroyed long before these men entered his office.

Kate noticed the conflict immediately. She looked at James carefully. Don’t do this. Her eyes practically screamed it.

Avatar noticed too. He smiled faintly. “So,” he said calmly, “would you join us in destroying City Sermon Lab?”

The room waited. James’ heartbeat felt loud inside his ears. If he refused, would they kill him? Probably. If he agreed, he’d officially become part of something dangerous enough to destroy his life permanently. Also probably. But then Melony’s face appeared in his head again. Then his dead friends. Then years of funerals. Years of government lies. Years of hearing that the lab was “contained” while explosions kept happening anyway.

James finally spoke. “I’ll join.”

Kate turned toward him immediately. Her expression looked halfway between disbelief and betrayal.

Then James added quickly: “On one condition.”

Avatar raised an eyebrow.

“This employee of mine joins too.”

Kate’s jaw nearly disconnected from her face. “What the f**k?!” The words exploded out of her before she could stop herself. Everybody in the room looked at her. Kate pointed aggressively at James. “This was NOT part of the contract I signed!”

Even one of the gunmen laughed quietly.

James looked surprisingly unapologetic. “If I’m getting dragged into insanity, I’m not going alone.”

Kate stared at him like she had just discovered CEOs were mentally unstable. “Sir, with respect, are you possessed?”

Avatar smiled slightly again. Honestly, he seemed entertained for the first time since entering the office.

Kate turned back toward him desperately. “No. No no no. Listen. I have student loans. I have rent. I have normal civilian problems. I did not apply for prison-break operations.”

Avatar’s smile disappeared instantly. “If you don’t join,” he said calmly, “then I approve your contract with death.”

The sentence dropped into the room like a stone into deep water. Everything inside Kate went cold. Fear arrived properly now. Real fear. Not panic. Panic is loud. Real fear becomes quiet. You start noticing stupid details because your brain suddenly believes survival depends on everything. The shape of the gun barrel. The sound of the air conditioner. The smell of leather chairs. Kate’s mouth became dry.

James felt it too. The danger in Avatar’s voice wasn’t theatrical. He wasn’t trying to scare them dramatically. He meant it. That was the worst part.

Avatar walked slowly back toward the couch. “Good,” he said. “Now we understand each other.”

Kate swallowed hard. She looked toward James again like this was somehow his fault specifically. Honestly, it partially was.

Avatar sat down comfortably. “Our first objective,” he said, “is getting Jackie out of federal prison.”

Kate blinked again. “Excuse me?”

One of the gunmen chuckled. “You heard him.”

James rubbed his forehead slowly. This day had started with bad headlines and somehow escalated into organized criminal recruitment inside his office.

Avatar leaned forward slightly. “We’ll contact you when the operation begins.”

James frowned. “And if we refuse later?”

Avatar looked directly at him. “Justice will be done.” Simple sentence. Terrifying implications.

The room fell silent once more. Then suddenly Avatar stood up. The others followed immediately. No dramatic goodbye. No speeches. Just movement. One of the men opened the office door slightly after checking the hallway feed.

Avatar paused before leaving completely. “Oh,” he said casually. “And James?”

James looked up.

“Don’t contact the authorities. The government already has enough blood on its hands.” Then the seven men disappeared out of the office like shadows leaving a nightmare.

The door shut. Silence returned. Actual silence this time. Kate stood frozen for several seconds. James too. Neither spoke immediately because both were still trying to confirm they were alive.

Finally Kate turned slowly toward him. “Sir.”

James exhaled heavily and loosened his tie again. “Yes?”

“What did you just make me do?”

James stared at her tiredly. “Excuse me? You think I planned this?”

Kate pointed toward the door aggressively. “You volunteered me into a terrorist organization!”

“I saved your life.”

“You emotionally kidnapped me!”

“They literally threatened to kill you!”

“And your solution was partnership?!”

James threw his hands upward. “What was I supposed to do? Tell them no? Did you miss the seven guns in the room?”

Kate paced angrily now. “This is insane. Completely insane.”

James dropped into his chair heavily. “You think I disagree?”

Kate looked at him sharply. “I came here for promotion discussions.”

“And I came to work expecting spreadsheets. Life disappoints all of us.”

Despite everything, that almost made her laugh. Almost. She pointed accusingly again. “You used me as emotional support for criminal negotiations.”

James rubbed his face tiredly. “Honestly? I panicked.”

“That’s comforting.”

“I didn’t want to handle this alone.”

Kate stared at him. Then suddenly she realized something strange. The terrifying corporate CEO sitting behind the massive executive desk suddenly looked... human. Exhausted. Grieving. Overwhelmed. Still annoyingly rich though.

Kate crossed her arms tightly. “So what now?”

James leaned back silently for a moment. “I don’t know.” And the scary thing was, he genuinely didn’t. Because part of him still agreed with Avatar. That was the problem. City Sermon Lab needed to end. But prison breaks? Armed gangs? Government warfare? That path could destroy everything.

Kate interrupted his thoughts suddenly. “You know what’s crazy?”

James looked at her.

“Thirty minutes ago my biggest concern was my supervisor stealing my work.”

James sighed. “I remember.”

Kate narrowed her eyes. “And speaking of that thief…”

James blinked. “What?”

Kate pointed toward herself proudly. “If I’m apparently risking my life with you now, then benefits should be included.”

James stared. “You’re negotiating?”

“Absolutely.”

“You were almost killed ten minutes ago.”

“And near-death experiences create clarity.”

James actually laughed once. Short, exhausted, but real.

Kate walked closer to the desk. “That man stole my project work for an entire month.”

“I know.”

“You know?”

“Your reports crossed my table. The writing style changed too much between submissions.”

Kate looked shocked. “Then why didn’t you say anything?”

James shrugged tiredly. “I was busy dealing with billion-dollar disasters.”

Fair enough honestly.

Kate leaned against the desk now. “Look. Since we apparently belong to the same criminal fraternity now—”

James groaned. “Please don’t call it that.”

“—then you’re making me supervisor.”

James looked at her for two seconds. “Is that all?”

Kate blinked. “That all?”

“Yes.”

“You say that like I asked for chewing gum.”

James picked up the office phone calmly. Kate watched him suspiciously. “Wait… seriously?”

James dialed a number. A nervous male voice answered almost immediately. “Sir?”

James’ expression became cold instantly. “Come to my office.”

The voice hesitated. “Sir, I—”

“Now.” The call ended.

Kate stared. “You’re terrifying when you do that.”

James leaned back again. “I run forty floors of chaos. Terror is part of management.”

About two minutes later, another man entered the office nervously. Mid-forties. Expensive suit. Sweating already. Kate recognized him instantly. Her supervisor. The man looked confused seeing her there. “Sir… you wanted to see me?”

James folded his hands together calmly. “Yes.”

The supervisor stood straighter immediately. “Is something wrong?”

James looked directly at him. “From this moment forward, Kate is now your supervisor.”

The man blinked rapidly. “What?”

Kate almost choked from shock even though she requested it herself.

James continued smoothly. “You are being demoted to lower administrative management effective immediately.”

Silence. The supervisor looked like somebody unplugged his soul. “Sir… there must be some misunderstanding.”

“There isn’t.”

“But—”

“You took credit for work that wasn’t yours.”

The man’s face lost color immediately. Kate watched with pure satisfaction. Honestly, revenge always looks beautiful from the winning side.

The supervisor stammered desperately. “Sir I can explain—”

“I’m not interested.” James pointed toward the door. “You can leave now.”

The man looked toward Kate one last time with absolute disbelief. Kate smiled politely. Tiny smile. Dangerous smile. The kind people use after surviving humiliation long enough to finally enjoy the tables turning.

When the man finally left, Kate slowly looked back toward James. “Did… did you just actually promote me?”

James grabbed his water bottle again. “You wanted compensation.”

Kate sat down slowly. “This has been the weirdest day of my life.”

James nodded immediately. “Same.”

Then both of them became quiet again. Because underneath the promotions, arguments, sarcasm, and surviving armed criminals… one truth remained sitting heavily between them. Tomorrow they would wake up connected to something far bigger and far more dangerous than either of them fully understood.