2020 Dangerous times

Chapter X

                                                                               Chicago under terror

            The best researchers dealt non-stop with the situation of tectonic plates and everything that happens around the planet. Doctors in the world, including the Dacicidin doctors at the knights' headquarters, were trying to find an antivirus for the virus that had descended on the population.

           David and Mihaela and Hook were trying to find out the locations of Adrian's bombs, and the world was big and they could be anywhere. David kept thinking that the places he would put them would be in the biggest countries where they could do the most damage, but not everyone agreed with him.

           - It would be too easy to put them in these countries, said Mihaela.

          - Possibly, but you have to think that America, China and Russia are some of the most developed countries, David said.

           - That is if Russia is not hand in hand with Adrian. As Bond said, it was a time when the president also wanted to attack with rockets, adds Hook.

           - Let's just say it's David, where do you think the fourth bomb might be? Mihaela asks.

          - Somewhere in Africa.

          - Sorry, but you're all wrong, Helga said.

         - What do you want to say? David asks.

         - If we think about what Adrian wants to achieve, it doesn't matter why the country is stronger. He wants to destroy everything, whether it's Russia or China, and if he saw the movement of the tectonic plates, there was a possibility to give him a helping hand.

          - It would be suicide, Mihaela said.

          - Possibly, but he's right, Hook said. Let's put ourselves in his place. All they tried to illuminate is to destroy the world or to take it to a point where they can take it from the beginning but under their face and even today they have failed ... at least not at all.

          - But it's total madness, said David.

          - I know he's your friend, but he also said that what was enlightened has disappeared and that he now controls everything, Helga said.

           - First of all, he will never forgive you for what he did. Now say where do you think they would be put ... do you have any theory?

          - One of them is in the US. You see, we were so focused on finding Adrian that we didn't see a single detail. He said that each bomb would weigh 250 thousand kg, but when he left he had 750 thousand kg on board the military plane.

          - How do you know this? David asks.

          - Because the only planes that left from there were the military ones and that was the hardest ... plus he was seen boarding it, showing him a picture of him and the plane he had boarded. The plane is of the C-5 Galaxy type.

         - So you're saying the first bomb is in the United States? Where exactly ? Hook asks.

        - I did some calculations that it's in Chicago, because the radius of the explosion would reach Canada. Maybe there you will find another clue that leads us to the next one. In the meantime, I'm still looking.

        - Thank you Helga, Mihaela said. Now how do we get there?

         - I think I know who. Give me ten minutes, Hook said.

         Mihaela lets him go and keeps looking at the world map to see if she can figure out where the others might be. Soon Hook returns with the good news that MI6 has lent them a plane with which they can travel. At only three o'clock they were already on their way to Chicago where, as far as he understood from Helga, the bomb was somewhere under the Water Tower. The radius of the explosion would be so great that it would destroy the entire Illinois and Kansas city, but the shock of the explosion wave would reach Canada as well. Arriving in Chuicago, three MI6 agents were waiting for them with more information and a car ready to take them to their destination. I announced that the location has been vacated and that if there are other surprises alone that will be in danger, they will be. Once there, Hook stops the car two hundred meters away from the tower.

           - What happens? David asks.

           - Too much silence. Something is not ok.

           - Well, we were just told that it would be so, so come on, David said.

          - Wait, Michael said as Hook let go. We are not alone. Look.

          Mihaela showed the three snipers on the surrounding buildings and at the base of the tower two cars that stopped and five armed men had come down from it to their teeth. It seemed that Adrian was going to fight this time and carry out the plan. Hook told everyone to get out of the car, arm themselves and take the bag with the bomb deactivation gear, then took a boulder and put it on the accelerator pedal and started the car, which took it to the goanna hitting. one of the cars from which the enemy had descended created a large explosion. Immediately they entered the alert and started raging towards the three who hid behind a car.

              Hook and David also started firing, protecting their colleague who was trying to shoot snipers, as she was one of the best snipers. Time was running out and they weren't getting anywhere, Mihaela managed to eliminate snipers right when one of Adrian's men pulled out an RPG-7 rocket launcher and fired right into the car after which they were hiding. Hook jumps right, and David jumps in the blood grabbing his middle colleague and pulling him after him.

            - Thank you, said Mihaela, who was now above David.

           - Come on, you'll have time for that later, said Hook, who was still firing at his enemies.

            Mihaela also got up and shot David, after which they also started raging. They managed to get close to the Water Tower and eliminate some of Adrian's men. Three of them entered the tower and two others remained near the entrance to the tower. David takes a risk and comes out from behind the hiding places and begins to rage towards the one guarding the entrance. David manages to impose it not before he is touched by a glottis in his left shoulder. The two comrades go to him to see what it's like and tell him it's just an artificial wound, then get up and go to the tower. Inside the tower they found a hole leading to the basement of the tower where they found the largest bomb ever seen. They were speechless when they saw this bomb so that they forgot that there should be someone there, but when they approached it, Adrian's three men appeared behind them.

              - Don't move, said one of them. You came too late, the bomb would explode at any minute.

             - Why are you following him? David asks.

             - Do what needs to be done. The Illuminati will rule the country, and no one will resist.

             - Which world? said Hook. If he does that, everything will be destroyed and we will all die,

             - Easier bald, said the second enemy, who saw Hook reach for his weapon.

              - The Illuminati order will survive forever, but you knights will die with the rest.

              - Are you sure? Mihaela intervenes. In just four minutes, you will pick up the dust from everything here, including you. Do you really think he still loves you after the needles sent you to certain death?

              - In order to achieve great things, some of us must be sacrificed.

              - Enough, said Hook, who jumped to attack.

               Hook started firing, killing two of them and injuring their boss in the leg. He tried to get more information about how to deactivate the bomb but also about the location of the other bombs, but nothing so Mihaela shot him in the head and then went to the bomb. The bomb was very complicated, and each movement could pass the time that appeared on the bomb clock faster. More than two minutes had passed and Mihalea did not stop the bomb.

             - We need to hurry, David said.

            - If you think it's easy to stop this bomb, I invite you here, if you don't shut the hell up and let me concentrate.

             - Mihaela, what's the problem? I've known you for a long time and I know how well you defuse the bomb.

             - It's much more complicated than the others. If I uncouple the C-4, the TNT will start and explode in the same way. I can't find a safe way to stop this bomb.

            - We only have two minutes, and the engineers are far away, Hook said.

             Mihaela does not take him into account and focuses more on the current situation. He looked around for a minute and then shouted at David that he and Hook were startled.

            - What happened?

           - I think I found the solution ... at least to postpone the explosion until engineers appear.

            - How can we help you?

            - David, you're sitting here and I'm telling you to cut this red thread, and you're going to be careful at the door and find out how long the engineers are going. I'll be on the other side next to TNT. We both have to cut the red thread of each element at the same time. You for C-4 and I for TNT.

             - Are you sure you're okay?

             - It's just a way to find out. Anyway, I have nothing else to try. If we didn't try, we would all die in Illinois…

              Hook made sure there was no one and the two put themselves in the right positions. Mihaela started counting down from five to one, and when she reached one the two cut the red thread simultaneously and the clock stopped at two seconds. All three of them felt relieved that the bomb hadn't exploded and started laughing without any of them knowing why. they came to the surface just as engineers appeared on the scene. Hook took care of the authorities about what happened and Mihaela led the gensiti to the bomb where she supervised the total dismantling.

              Soon they started to take the explosive out and put in cars the walls of the tower began to c***k. Everyone moved away from the building and when they thought everything was quiet, four explosions were heard from every corner of the tower unbalancing and collapsing. Many of the police present there were injured or even trapped under the rubble. Hook was hit in the head a little, but all three were full of rubble, dust.

              - What happened? David asked.

              - I do not know. I'm going to see, said Mihaela.

             While Mihaela went to see what caused these explosions, David was contacted by Helga.

               - Are you OK?

               - Yes, said David. There was a possibility that Adrian had a backup plan.

             - What you mean?

            - The Water Tower was blown up, David said. You?

            - I mean the earthquake. The tectonic plates moved harder in the area where you are. Maybe that's why he collapsed…

              - Not realy. It seems that they were explosively placed in every corner of the building, but it is possible that the earthquake was also partly to blame. Engineers will send me all the details at the headquarters. Now we have to leave, we have 65 hours left.

               David hangs up the phone and gets in a car and goes to the plane that was to take him to his headquarters in Romania. Time seemed to go by and they didn't even know where the other three bombs would be, and who knows what else Adrian would have planned. In any case, it had to be stopped until it was too late. The virus was making more and more victims, and the search for an antivirus was becoming more and more difficult. Romania was on alert and didn't have much left and she also entered scenario 4. David had one thing on his mind: "Is this the end of the world?"