Chapter 15 - The Bomb Goes Off
Face has got to get out of this alcove and find B.A., but now the terrorists are right in front of him, banging with everything they can to try to get into the classroom. What's that noise? It sounds like a helicopter. Could it be? No, that's probably the bad guys ride out of here. By the way, where has Waters disappeared to, and Murdock? He thought he was coming back in to help find the bomb. He hasn't seen either of them since these guys went to work on the door. One of them must be reading Face's mind, because he voices the same concerns about Waters as Face has.
"Hey, where did that helicopter come from? You think it's the police? And where is Waters?"
They all look at each other, and take off running to the window at the far end of the building. Now is Face's chance. He runs as fast as he can to the opposite end of the hall. The gunmen turn when they hear him and pull their weapons and start firing. Face doesn't have his gun, so he just keeps running as fast as he can and practically dives through the door to the basement. Wait someone is firing right next to him!
B.A. steps out from the stairwell and lays down a line of fire, so that Face can get inside the door. It just about shuts, then flies open again, and B.A. and Face are looking at each other. B.A. hands Face his gun, which he had retrieved from the desk drawer. B.A. then turns and locks the door, and they head down the stairs.
"Thanks B.A. I'm sure glad it was you on those stairs."
"No problem man, let's go down."
On the way down, they catch the overwhelming scent of chlorine. The pool can be seen from the bottom of the stairs.
"Face, I think the bomb is down here. This is where they came when they locked you guys in."
"Well, move quickly, we have to find it and fast. It could go off at any time."
Face starts moving around the pool to the right. There aren't many places to hide something over here, so he just keeps skirting the edge of the pool. He does pick up a tarp over a canoe, but nothing here. Then he sees a stack of black trash bags holding something. He carefully opens one up and finds life jackets. He moves to the next, with the same results.
B.A. moves left around the pool, nothing so far, but there is a cabinet at the far corner. He moves to the cabinet and, of course, it is locked.
"Face, you're faster, come pick this lock."
Face moves around the pool end and comes to the cabinet. He picks the lock quickly, and B.A. opens the doors. Nothing at first, then B.A. moves a stack of kickboards and they see a large gym bag. It is so out of place in this cabinet, they figure it must be the bomb. B.A. gingerly picks it up, and carefully opens the zipper just far enough to peer inside.
"It's the bomb! Now what?"
They both hear the helicopter at the same time. Face moves over to the window. It is high up on the wall, but he can see enough of the sky to pick up the helicopter. He can't tell how many are in it, but then he notices a very familiar waggle. It is Murdock. He used to dip his helicopter back and forth like that to let the team know it was him, and he was ready for pick-up. Nobody else Face has known does that maneuver just like Murdock. Okay he is out there and we are down here. Now what do we do with the bomb. Just as he starts to think about their next move, Murdock pulls up and heads to the roof of the building. Now Face gets it. They can go to the roof and escape from the building, but what to do with the bomb. He turns to B.A. "Any ideas about what to do next?"
"No, I was hopin' you had one. I don't know enough about this type of bomb ta even think about diffusin' it."
"Yeah, well neither do I, so now what?" Face is trying desperately to think of something. Then he spots the trash bags again. "B.A.? What if we put the bomb into the trash bags and seal them as best we can, then slip it into the deep end of the pool? That way if the bomb goes off the blast will be deflected somewhat by the water. Do you think it will work?"
"I don't know man, but what have we got ta lose?"
"Well for starters, our lives. Let's get going, we don't have much time, and by the way, Murdock is up on the roof ready to get us out of here."
"Oh yeah, how's that?" but Face has turned away and is running back to the trash bags.
Murdock in the meantime has flown to every side of the building. He maneuvers the helicopter and dips it back and forth. It is an old signal he used to use. He just hopes Face, or B.A. sees him, so they know what to do. As he is moving to the west end of the building, he hears gunfire. First, automatic weapons, then forty-fives, he knows the guys have forty-fives so they are having to use them for some reason. He can't do much to help in there right now, so he continues on around the building. He only has one more side to do, then he will go to the roof and hold.
"I'll hang in there til the last second guys, and my watch says about three more minutes."
Face picks up two trash bags, dumps the vests out and heads back to B.A.
"Here, I'll put one inside the other, and maybe that will make it more watertight. Okay, B.A. I'll hold it while you put it in. Careful, not too fast, we don't want to drop it!"
"I ain't gonna drop it! Quit shakin' the bag!"
"I'm trying. Believe me."
"Okay, here is some duct tape I found in that cabinet. You hold it and I'll tape the opening." They finish the task and B.A. carries the bag over to the pool's deep end.
"Do you think this will work?" Face is looking to B.A. for confirmation.
"I don't know, but it's the best we can do, unless you just want ta let it lay here while we run for cover. It may go off the minute it hits the water, I dunno…" he trails off.
"No, let's try, we've come this far."
Face's insides are telling him this may be the end of the A-Team. With him and B.A. standing right here and Murdock three floors up in the chopper, it could all end right now!
On the ground, the police take the student hostages as far away from the site as soon as they can. The few police that are left, are snagging the bad guys as they pour out of the building hoping to get away before the blast. When they noticed that Waters had left them, they figured the bomb would be going off shortly after, so they bailed. They were actually happy the police put them into cars and started moving away from the building.
Det. Johnson is the last to leave. He hopes that the A-Team can get out before the bomb goes off, but he isn't sure they can. When he sees the helicopter come in, he figures it is the leader making his escape before the bomb blast. Well maybe it will take him with it since he is setting the thing down right on the roof. "I guess I better go. I pray you guys make it out."
The bag slides into the water with several bubbles being released out of the plastic. They don't stick around to assess it any longer. They are on a run for their lives up the flight of stairs from the basement, and then two more flights up and to the roof access at the far end of the hall. B.A. goes first and pushes up the trap door that opens onto the roof. Once they are both out, they head to the helicopter. B.A. stops at the door and refuses to get in.
"No! I'm not gonna fly!"
Murdock has lost all patience with him. "Look, get in or be blown up, that bomb can go off any second! Don't be such a baby."
While Murdock has him occupied, Face pulls out his gun, and with both hands on the barrel, brings the butt end of the gun down on B.A.'s neck. It works! With a loud grunt, B.A. slumps forward and his upper half falls into the helicopter. Face uses all the strength he has left to push the rest of B.A. into the bird and buckles him in. He climbs up front with Murdock, and buckles himself in. Before his seatbelt clicks into place, Murdock is lifting up and off the roof. The helicopter travels about two hundred yards away from the building, when the bomb goes off. The shock wave propels the helicopter forward. The bird jumps and pitches like an angry brahma bull, but Murdock keeps it in the air and moving away from the fall-out from the bomb. Face is white faced and holding on for dear life, only B.A. looks as if he is enjoying the ride. Of course he is unconscious and oblivious to all that is happening both here in the air and on the ground.