DIE HARD: THIRD STRIKE DIE HARD: THIRD STRIKE

CHAPTER SIX
"Dang it!" Schulze exlaimed as the building exploded. "Kurt and the others must not have gotten out in time."
"That's okay," Gruber replied with a smile. "That just means more money for us. If McClaine is still alive, he'll do anything to get his wife back. Then we can have revenge along with the millions of dollars we now own."
Schulze looked down at Mrs. McClaine, who was held closely by her side. "But if McClaine is dead, getting his wife was a waste of time."
Gruber sighed. "Well, it's too late now." He walked toward the engaged helicopter and got in the front next to Valentin Wirth, the pilot.
"Is she coming?" the traitor Felix Anders asked from the backseat.
"Absolutely," Gruber replied. "She's just stopping to say some final words to our dead comrades."
Schulze jabbed her handgun into Holly's back and forced her towards the helicopter. Then, from nowhere, Officer Ron Smith jumped out with his weapon drawn. "Put the gun down lady!"
"Don't move or I'll shoot her!" Schulze threatened.
Ronald thought for a moment. He could try to shoot her in the head, but he could miss and hit Mrs. McClaine. Not wanting to live with the guilt of directly murdering an innocent woman, he dropped his gun. "Just don't shoot her," he said.
"Bad choice!" Schulze hollered and shot him in the chest. Without hesitation, she hopped into the back of the helicopter after forcing Holly inside.
John ran full speed toward the helicopter as it lifted off the ground. Ron tossed his gun up in John's direction. Catching it, he kept running and jumped up just in time to grab onto one of the two bottom legs. He pulled himself up and through both legs. Then his cellphone rang. He barely heard it over the noise of the helicopter.
Turning it on, he said, "Hello?"
"So, you are alive after all John," Gruber said with a chuckle. "I hear the noise of our helicopter through my cellphone, and so I figure you just came out of the building before it exploded and you are looking up at us as we escape. I know the police will be here shortly, and I want you to know that if we see a single cop car on our trip, your wife's body parts will be evenly distributed throughout New York City. I trust that we have your cooperation."
"Think again, dirtbag!" John yelled as he shot up through the bottom of the vehicle and killed Schulze in the backseat. A few of the bullets shred through the money and put holes through it.
"Teresa, my love!" Gruber yelled, but it was too late. "You're crazy McClaine! You missed your wife by mere inches."
"The bullets would never even graze her," John replied. "You always put the hostage in the middle seat so that when you land, she won't have a chance to run away."
"You're underneath us!" Gruber realized. He fired downwards until Wirth stopped him.
"It's not smart to put bulletholes through helicopters," Wirth said.
Glass suddenly flew through the front seats. John's right arm came flying through the window next to Gruber with a gun in its grasp. The gun fired twice at the pilot, instantly killing him. Gruber quickly pulled on John's arm, forcing him through the window and into the flying machine. Anders immediately pulled John into the back and punched him in the jaw as Gruber deperately tried to gain control of the helicopter, looked back only occasionally to see how Felix was doing.
John grabbed onto the terrorist's hair and bashed the back of his head through the window. "Have a nice trip!" John shouted as he opened the door and sent Anders falling many feet to his death.
Gruber frowned at the loss of all his partners. John didn't let him think about it too long, though, and he slammed the guy's head against the helicopter controls. With no pilot, the helicopter rapidly fell towards the ground. John hugged his wife and gave her a goodbye kiss. "I love you," he said, "so I'll be honest with you. We've only got one chance of surviving. Do what I say and we might live."
"I trust you," she said with a smile. "Let's allow Gruber to die in solitude."
The front of the helicopter suddenly collided with the ground. The whole vehicle shook violently, making it impossible for the couple to jump out. The helicopter went up slightly and headed back down again. The duo jumped out right then, landing flat on the ground and completely avoiding the twirling blades. They held each other close as they watched the chopper bounce along the ground a few times until it hit a big boulder. Not only did the helicopter explode, but everything within a 30-foot radius burst into flames. John and Holly were knocked backwards as the whole area lit up.
"Gruber must have kept some C-4," John explained to his wife.
"Well, there's another terrorist strike I've gone through with you!" Holly teased. "If you don't stop ticking so many people off, I'm going to have to get a divorce."
John laughed. "Unfortunately for you, you're stuck with me because you love me."
"I don't know," Holly said. "I'm starting to think terrorist bombings are kind of romantic!" John looked at her strangely. "I'm joking, John. It's just a joke."
THE END