Will blinked a couple times. "What?" he croaked.
"How much C4 would it take to break the dam? Release the river above it?"
Will shook his head. "First of all, you're the structural engineer, you tell me. And second of all, that's nuts. We don't know how much water could be released with that."
Michael persisted. "Come on! We can release the lake and let the water destroy the bunker! This is our only option!"
With a sigh, Will massaged his brow. "Fine, we do it. But I can't tell you how much it's gonna take. You'll have to get there and figure it out." He looked from his laptop to the bunker. "Do me one favor, wait 'til I get clear. That water will take everything in it's path out. And that includes the tower I'm in."
He looked at some of the tower computers. "I'm going to activate the minefield so they can't escape, or sent anyone after you." Just as the words left his mouth, chopper engines were heard. He looked up from his computer and ran to the tower parapets. "Scratch that, they're sending choppers with men after you. Hurry!"
He set up the minefield and ran from the tower, laptop in left hand, MP5 in the other. He stopped at a ridge above the bunker and away from the water's destructive path. He set up his base of operations again and listened to Michael.
--
"Okay, Will, we're heading to the dam right now. Choppers in sight. We've got all the C4 we can carry with us."
Michael, Sara, Jack, and his team ran across the highway toward the dam. It looked so huge. Too powerful to be broken by their small amounts of explosives. Then, the choppers broke over the treetops.
Their roar filled the canyon's highway. Michael turned and looked at the five Heweys as they flew overhead. "Run!" he screamed.
Jack and his team stopped and fired at the hovering aerial vehicles. Sara and Michael continued their mad dash for the dam as gunfire erupted behind them. One of the men shot a grenade launcher at the chopper and scored the hit, blowing up the chopper. The burning carcass fell down into the lake with a mighty splash.
The soldiers now screamed to them, "Run! More choppers inbound!"
Michael looked back at the four aerial vehicles flying in over the trees. Heweys. Troop carrying choppers. The chairman must've ordered they be brought in alive.
They panted as they ran toward the looming dam of concrete as the choppers landed behind them. The spec-ops soldiers kicked open the gates and led the way inside. Michael looked back at the Heweys. Troops were now pouring out of them.
They ran across the top of the massive structure and to the door. The group ran inside as the mercenaries yelled at them to stop. Michael pulled a thermite grenade out of his bag and stuck it to the door hinges. The thermite detonated, and welded the heavy door shut.
He didn't look back as he ran with the other men through the dam's interior. The thick concrete surrounded, and was silent as a tomb. Only their echoing footsteps and panting were heard. Will's voice boomed in his ear.
"Hey! Michael! You there?" he asked.
Michael spoke into his mike as he panted. "Yeah…We ran into…the choppers. They're…troop carriers. Chairman…must've wanted us…alive."
Will sighed into his mike. "Okay. You in the dam?"
"Yeah…we're heading to the center. We're…hoping we can blow a small hole…into the middle…and that will make a chain reaction…that will destroy the whole thing." Michael thought for a moment. "Where's the middle of this dam?"
Will sighed. "I'll see." A couple moments later, "Okay, I'm tracking your mike location, and comparing it with schematics. You're about…a hundred yards away. Next time you see a staircase, go down, and split up. You'll need to set charges on either side to best compromise it's strength."
Michael looked down the hall at an approaching staircase. "We see the staircase!" to Sara, "Head down there!"
They ran down the long, steep staircase and stopped at the bottom. Michael pointed to Jack and his team. "You take have the explosives and go right, Sara and I will take the rest and go left. Set the charges on the far walls and meet topside."
With that, they split up. Sara grabbed a bag of C4 and ran with Michael, who had his own. The concrete around them was making them claustrophobic. It was always there, crushing them.
"Will? Are we at the far wall yet?" he asked the boy.
"Um…yeah! Set the charges and go! Hurry!" silence for a couple moments and then, "Oh, crap."
Michael stopped taking explosives out of his bag. "What? What is it?"
"Troops! Heading straight for me! Oh, crap!" the boy screamed. He could be heard grabbing his things and running he panted as he yelled, "Crap! Help! Do something!"
Michael looked around as Sara continued setting the charges. She looked at him. "Michael? What is it?"
"Troops. They're heading for Will." He sighed. "We can't help him. Go keep setting the charges."
Will was heard again. "Michael, don't set the charges for remote detonation. Don't do it! I won't be able to detonate the charges. Oh, God! Don't shoot! Please, don't shoot! Please!"
"Hands up!" was heard in the distance.
"Okay! You see, I'm doing it! Just…just don't shoot me. Please."
"Get on your knees! Now!"
"Okay! Okay." He grunted as something his him. Handcuffs were heard as they were clicked onto the boy's wrists. The ear-piece was removed and one of the troops stomped onto the mike.
A loud feedback filled Michael's ear, making him groan and take the piece out. Sara looked at him. He sighed. "He's gone. They got him."
Her mouth dropped open. "Oh, God. He's…How do we detonate the charges?"
Michael looked at them. He grabbed his own mike and spoke to Jack. "Captain, do not, I repeat, do not, set the bombs for remote detonation. Will's been captured." A loud boom filled the dam's interiors. The echoes filled the corridors. "What was that?" he asked.
"I think the troops just broke down the doors. We've got to go."
Michael looked at charges in front of him. What to do? He sighed and reached into his pocket. A detonator. "Scratch what I said. Set the charges, for remote detonation. I'll do it."
"What about Will?" asked Sara.
Michael shook his head. Men's voices filled the corridors. They looked up the staircase. The charges couldn't be found. Michael grabbed Sara's hand and ran up the stairs. The footsteps and voices were louder.
Michael grabbed a bar on the ground next to him and started banging the pipes next to him. He yelled at the top of his lungs. Sara grabbed his arms. "What are you doing?!" she demanded.
"I have to lead them away from the charges." He looked into her eyes. "I'm going to save Will."
"What?" she asked quietly.
The voices grew nearer and louder still. He grabbed her hands and pressed the detonator into them. "When I give the signal, blow the dam."
"What's the signal?" she asked as she looked at the device in her hands.
He lifted her chin to look into her eyes. "You'll know. Go! Down the stairs, get out! I'll lead them away."
She ran back down the staircase as he started banging his bar on the piping again. He yelled and banged as he ran down the corridor. It didn't take long for the mercenaries to take the bait. He dropped his ear-piece and mike as the voices yelled, "Stop right there!"
He stopped running and turned. "Hands up!" He raised them. Four troops at the end of the of hall ran toward him, with five more standing behind them with their weapons pointed at him. They grabbed him and threw him to the ground.
He grunted as they checked him for other weapons, or detonators, and handcuffed him. They grunted and lifted him to his feet. He didn't struggle. They were doing what he wanted.
--
Sara and Jack watched Michael be dragged from the dam. They didn't see him struggle. She watched him get into one of the Hewey choppers as it started to lift off.
He'd done it. He'd kept the charges and the plan safe. Now, he would save Will, so the bunker could be destroyed without any further innocent deaths. She and the team watched the choppers lift off and head back toward the bunker.
She sighed and looked at the detonator in her hand. "When I give the signal, blow the dam." She sighed one more time and said to the men around her, "Come on guys. Let's head down toward the bunker. Michael's going to give a signal, we need to be there to see it. Let's head out."