DIE HARD: THIRD STRIKE DIE HARD: THIRD STRIKE

CHAPTER TWO
After spending half an hour with the FBI trying to figure out the puzzle without success, John was exhausted. Being in the limousine just made his stomach sicker. Now there was another bomb somewhere, and they didn't even have a clue about where it was.
"You want a cigarette, John?" Walter asked.
"Nah," John replied. "My wife thinks it's a nasty habit."
"If we can't solve his riddle," one of the Feds suggested, "we should probably start searching for the bomb."
"Search for the bomb! We don't even know who the terrorist is!"
"Actually," one of the Feds corrected him, "we've got a pretty good idea. A terrorist leader named Peter Crieg has been sighted in New York. He was born Simon Peter Gruber."
John was shocked. "Gruber?" he asked. "Is this some kind of joke?"
"I'm afraid not. Simon Gruber is Hans Gruber's brother. Perhaps you remember that Hans is the one you threw out the window of the Nakatomi building. We know quite a lot about Gruber's organization. His close assistant in crime is another German terrorist named Teresa Schulze. Also in his criminal organization are James Clayton and Frank Drum. They served together in the military for four years. Valentin Wirth is his organization's only real pilot. His explosives experts are Peter Von Hilgers and Anthony Böhm. He also has working for him a former German spy whom they call Kurt Ranis. We also believe he hired a German hitman named Mark Noth. That's all."
John sighed. "You could have told me that the brother of the man I threw off the Nakatomi building was behind all of this before I walked up to a phone loaded with explosives."
"It must have been C-4. That's the only stuff he could fit in the payphone that would blow up the entire block." The Fed shook his head. "He's just like his brother."
"Wait a second," John said. "'Simon says: letter-number of tremendous force...' that could be C-4."
"Yeah maybe," Walter said, "but what about the youthly inquisition thing?"
"I don't know," John said. "Someplace where kids ask questions. Then he said, 'Alter (the bomb) from its present course, since its single talent shall cause demolition.' What is a talent? Isn't that an amount of money?"
"No," Walter said, "it's a weight used back in Biblical times."
"It's equivalent to 75 pounds," someone informed them.
"75 pounds?" Walter was astonished. "You mean to tell me that 75 pounds of C-4 is set to explode somewhere in New York? That could kill a million people!"
John spoke up: "Where do kids ask questions, huh? Schools!"
Walter collapsed. "Oh god, he's going to kill hundreds of innocent children! We've got to search for it now!"
"We don't even know if that's what the riddle means," an FBI agent said. His beeper went off. "I take that back," the man said after looking at the message. "He says we've got until 1500 hours, and he won't allow the schools to be evacuated."
"He must have this limo bugged to know when exactly we figured out the puzzle," John said. "1500 hours is 3:00 this afternoon. What are we waiting for? Let's find that bomb. Have the police search all the schools in New York City." He exited vehicle and pulled out his cellphone. The limousine pulled away as John dialed up his wife's phone number.
"Hello," Holly answered, "this is Mrs. McClaine."
"Honey," John asked, "where are you?"
"I'm just going to the grocery store to pick up a few things. I figure if I take the day off work, I'd better get something done."
"Have you passed the school yet?"
"The school? Why?"
John sighed. "Never mind. They could be in danger at the school, so I'm going to take the kids out and I need you to be home so you can watch them. I'm sorry for pushing this on you, but it's very important that you do what I tell you."
There was a moment of silence. Then Holly spoke. "Okay, if you say so. I'm heading home right now."
"Thank you. I'll see you in a few hours. I love you." John turned the off button on the phone and put it back in his pocket. His wife's job had made it easy to move to New York City. There was a Nakatomi building in New York City, so she was still senior executive. She hadn't become president of the company even though the former one, Joseph Takagi, was dead. She's a very enduring woman to put up with me and all of the terrorists I run into, John thought.
John stood out on the sidewalk waving his hand around for a taxi. Finally, one pulled up next to him. Jumping in the back seat, he yelled, "Get me to Wilson Elementary School in less than five minutes."