You have asked for it … :-)
XXIV.
"Honey, listen closely now. I will cut your restraints now and you will get up immediately and run outside as fast as you can. We are in the cargo area near the space port; do you know where that is and how to get home?" Julie's nod was a relief and Hope continued. "All right, you will stay out of the lights and run as fast as you can. You will run for exactly 2 minutes and then you will use the headset and tell your dad where you are. Do you know how to activate it?" Another nod; good girl. "Julie, that's important! Did you understand everything?"
"Why don't you come with me?"
"I have to clean up a bit but I'll follow you in a minute. How much do you weigh?"
"67 pounds, why?"
"Just curious, Honey." She placed her tricorder on the chair … it would make sure that the pressure she applied on the chair was exact enough to make the bomb believe that Julie was still sitting on it. "Promise me to not look back and to not wait for me. I'm counting on you."
Julie nodded again. "Promise. Cross my heart and hope to die."
'Wrong words, baby, wrong words.' But she smiled at her and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"I'm so proud of you Julie. All right now, when I say 'go' you'll glide from the chair and then do what I told you. Any questions? No? Then here we go … 3, 2, 1 GO!"
To Hope's relieve the bomb didn't detect the change and Julie went off in a tempo Hope wouldn't have thought the little girl was able to. With Julie off to safety she took another look at the bomb; she couldn't just stay there and wait for the mercs to come.
With her sonic driver she poked a bit in the bundle of wires. A little wire running to the black box with the green light on it caught her attention and she ran another scan. Kneeling in front of the chair, trying to apply exactly 67 pounds on it and poking in the innards of a bomb wasn't exactly a good idea and of course the inevitable happened … she had loosened the little wire and the box hidden behind the little black one light up. Numbers appeared, remained for a second and then a countdown started.
5 minutes.
4 minutes 59 seconds.
4.58
4.57
Damn! That mercs had been smarter than she would have thought. It has been a mistake to underestimate them, but no time to cry over spilled milk … time was of essence and she still didn't know how to deactivate that thing.
4 minutes.
Julie was safe by now. Had to be. Sweat was tickling down her spine and her hands were moist but they didn't tremble at all.
3 minutes
She had another look at the result of the scans. She wouldn't be able to stop the countdown but if she was able to deactivate the main bomb she could run.
2 minutes
left of her life. She didn't want to die. Not now. Not that way. Who would tell Riddick? Riddick ... Concentrate! His eyes. His smile. His voice. CONCENTRATE! She missed him so much.
1 minute
Her heart beat that loud she was able to hear it in the absolute silence of the room, all her senses seemed to be sharpened. She had narrowed down the possibilities to three wires. Which one? She breathed heavily, her lungs seemed to try to pump as much oxygen into her lungs as possible in that last minute.
50 seconds
Pick one, it doesn't matter anymore.Her best guess would have to do.
45 seconds
A drop of sweat pearled down her brow, shattered on her lashes. Just blink it away.
40 seconds
Left one … green light … going dark … YES!
35 seconds
She tried to swallow, couldn't, her mouth too dry. RUN!
30 seconds
She had to force her legs to work … the kneeling had cut off the blood supply. DAMNIT RUN! She stumbled in front of the door, grabbed the handle and steadied herself again.
25 seconds
Door. Open it!
20 seconds
Feet pounding on the concrete. Reach the containers, there is safety behind!
15 seconds
Her furious heartbeat singing in her ears. FASTER!
10 seconds
Half of the distance covered.
5 seconds
So near … Don't look back!
4 seconds
PLEASE!
3 seconds
I still can make it!
2 seconds
Almost there …
1 second
RIDDICK!
A heartbeat later all hell broke loose. The bomb exploded, spare parts, glass and parts of the building got shot in all directions, the fog of the chemical spread over the whole place. The shock wave captured Hope and carried her the last meters to the container, smashed her against it. Her shoulder dislocated, bones broke. Debris and splinters penetrated her back, ribs cracked, punctured her lung, inner organs got ruptured by the force of the impact. One of the spare part crashed into her back, bruised her kidneys.
The following crash to the ground got her head smashed to an edge, blood seeped out of the gash. Lots of.
Strange feeling. It was as if she watched herself from outside … she seemed to stand on the sideline to watch her own death. She didn't feel the hurt. Not yet. Did that really happen to her? She could feel the blood from the head wound pooling under her, warm and sticky, could feel the blood trickling out of her nose and the corner of her mouth, running across her jaw and down her neck, joining the fast growing pool of blood underneath her.
The still hazardous fog of the chemical silently fell down to the ground, covered her body in a thin sheet of wetness, almost cool and soothing on her burning hot skin but merciless starting to destroy her retina, taking her eyesight and after another minute losing its toxicity by being exposed to the air.
She could hear everything as if through deep water … damaged eardrums. She felt completely calm, had finally accepted her faith. She was so tired; there was no strength left, all she wanted was to finally give in, stop fighting. And then the pain set in. Unbelievable, hot, searing pain. She wanted to cry out but no sound came over her dry lips, her gorge too raspy, seared by the acrid smoke. She thought she'd hear sirens. A voice. Sounding like Riddick's. Wishful thinking. Her vision went gray around the edges, she started to drift away. Agony. And then blissful nothing.