CHAPTER 2

Officer Renaulds glared over at the phone, somehow knowing it wouldn't be of any importance, but he was obligated to at least answer it.

"You don't listen very well," the voice said.

"Neither do you, kid. Now stop calling or I'll hunt you down and have you brought up on charges for pestering the police."

"Books could knock you out if they fell just right on you. What if the building was burning when they did? You won't get the chance to put this one off, officer. Everybody will know, I'll make sure of it."

\A/

String was sulking in front of the TV in the office with Caitlin still trying to talk some sense into him when a special report came on the news.

"This," the reporter said, holding a tape, " is a totally previously undisclosed recording of threats made to the Van Nuys police department. On it, and unidentified person threatens destruction of certain public city properties if his demands aren't met." Putting into a cassette player and pressing play, the threat became know city wide.

"Hawke, are you even listening to me?" Caitlin demanded.

"Yeah, sure."

"You can't continue living your life like this. Things happen, but there is no reason why you should give up on life. It's like you're stuck in a dark closet, surrounded by all your problems but refuse to…" she stopped as her husband suddenly leapt up out of his seat and charged out the door.

"Hawke, wait! Hawke!"

She ran in the direction he had just charged, reaching the outside just in time to see the Jet Ranger lifting off.

Dom jogged up beside her. "What was that all about?"

"It's all my fault. I-I must've said something to put him over the top…We were just talking, actually I was still trying to reason with him, and he was probably only half listening to me then he just got up and left…"

Maybe he just-"

"No," Caitlin interrupted, "he's going to do something stupid - I have to stop him somehow."

Grabbing the keys to the jeep, she slid in, revving the engine as Dom joined on the passenger side, then racing down the street.

"There," Dominic pointed ahead at the sky. "It looks like he's headed towards the library."

What would he want at the library? Caitlin demanded of herself, trying to get a step ahead but only succeeding in getting left further and further behind in rush hour traffic.

\A/

Landing abruptly in an open area in the parking lot, Hawke jumped out, running towards the library building the second the skids had touched down.

He threw open the door and immediately started herding people out the doors, warning them to stay away from the building.

"Sir," one of the librarians addressed. "I'm going to have to ask you to please leave if you are going to keep causing this trouble."

"It's not-"

"Sir, please leave now."

"Listen to me, Lady. I have reasons to believe there is a bomb hidden somewhere in this building, and I'll do my best to disarm it, but if I can't…"

He didn't have time to be arguing with one person over whether or not there was or was not a bomb. Leaving her to gape after him and finally to be safe leave herself, he went back to evacuating everyone from the area.

Screeching to a halt in the parking space nearest the Santini Air Jet Ranger, Dom and Cait saw no signs of Hawke.

"Where'd he go?"

"Inside?"

Making their through the chaotic crowd, Caitlin and Dominic shoved against the flow of the crows towards the library.

\A/

Tearing open the door to a dark closet, Hawke began searching for the bomb he knew was hidden somewhere around here.

"String!" Dom and Cait shouted in union.

He looked up in surprise. "You've got to get out. There's a bomb in here."

"Bomb?"

"Yeah, now go on!"

"You too, you are human you know."

"If it'll kill us, then it would be just as likely to kill you," Dom added.

"I'll get out, just have to make sure the place is clear; now go."

Reluctantly, Dom and Cait started for the exit, guiding and remaining occupants as they went.

Hawke went back to searching. He could hear the ticking, or was that just in his head? These days he had to wonder. Was there even a bomb in here? What if he'd made this all up in his mind? Without even thinking, he stopped momentarily, raising up as doubt mounted up inside him. No one had specifically said the library, no one had even said a closet, it was estimating, a guess. Just then his hand brushed something, and he pulled it out. Just as he'd feared.

"Uncle String?"

Spinning around, Hawke came face to face with his only nephew.

"What's going on?" Le asked, having just come out of a back study room with a friend who he had been working on a research project with and missed all the action and chaos.

Hawke threw a quick glance down at the explosive now resting in his hands then back at the two teenage boys.

He had thirty seconds to decide, thirty seconds to attempt disarming it and either save all their lives or end them or thirty seconds to try escaping.

He had to do what was in their best interest

Tossing aside the explosive and grabbing the hands of both boys, he made for the door, dragging the other two behind him.

An explosion from behind rocked shelves and shelves of books, another causing heavy volumes to tumble down, shards of glass came pelting down. Other explosives going off and sending more debris hurdling through the air.

Just outside the doorway, Hawke threw himself over the two teens as a final explosion shook the remaining parts of the building, windows shattering, flames growing, and chunks of wall crumbling as smoldering flames engulfed the area.

Hot ash and smoke hit burning flesh as Hawke used himself as a human shield for the two boys, smoke making it harder and harder to breath, choking as he tried ineffectively to draw in enough air until the world of pain, hurt, and fear faded into a black wave of nothingness.