Author's note-

I'm back. Sorry it took me so long to update this. I've been trying to get my life back on track. Had a little holiday, just to get away from things. Found a fantastic apartment that I really love. It's so much nicer than the last one. (And no bad memories attatched to it, yay.)

Anyway, here's the new chapter. Hope you enjoy.

Lou

Chapter Thirty Seven

Ten long, slow minutes had passed. Hope turned her head, wiping an annoying bead of sweat from her jaw line. Both of them were sweating freely, stress and the sheer effort of standing still making the office a small, humid space.

"Why are you here?" Hope asked. Tension played through her voice, making it crack.

Tim lifted an eyebrow. "Misplaced chivalry?"

Hope blinked, and let her gaze drop from his face. "Oh."

He smiled, blowing a breath through his teeth. "You helped a friend of mine. He'd not here to pay you back, so I am."

"Raylan saved my life." She huffed a mirthless little laugh. "I'd say we're about even."

The fire alarm cut off suddenly, dropping the room into silence. Tim could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears.

"Is that good?" Hope asked, licking dry lips.

Tim looked around. "I hope so. I really hope so. Maybe the bomb squad are finally here."

She nodded and fell quiet, staring at the box with scared eyes. Tim rolled his head from side to side slowly, trying to ease the cramp starting at the base of his spine. The movement didn't help much. He sucked in a slow breath, focusing on his breathing so he could ignore the pain.

Booted footsteps on the tile floor outside broke the silence.

"Hello?" a female voice yelled. "I'm Alanna Lilien. I'm leading the bomb squad today. Is it okay for us to come in?"

Hope laughed, breath hitching into a sob. "They're here. Maybe we'll live through this thing!"

"I'll do my best, ma'am," Alanna said through the door. "Is Marshal Gutterson in there with you?"

"I'm here," Tim called. "Door's locked. I can open it for you."

"Okay. Slowly take your hands off the box. Hope, you need to keep hold of it, just for a few more minutes. Can you do that?"

Hope stared at Tim, tears slowly tracking down her face. She was pale and trembling with exhaustion, bruise like shadows under her eyes.

"I don't think I can," she whispered. "My arms feel like they're falling off. I'll drop it. I know I will."

"I'll hold it. You open the door," Tim said. "A few steps, turn the key, and this will be all over."

She sniffed hard and nodded. "Okay. I can do that."

"Ready?" Tim held her eyes.

"Ready," she said and carefully pulled her hands out from under his.

The box shook a little. Tim stared at it, a muscle jumping in his cheek as he waited for something- anything- to happen.

Hope scrambled across the floor, crashing into the door as she fumbled for the key with numb, swollen fingers. It turned under her hand with a click. She fell backwards, the adrenaline finally crashing.

The solid door swung open as the bomb team rushed through. Alanna pointed at Hope. "Get her out of here."

A member of her team scooped Hope up and carried her out of the room.

"Marshal Gutterson. How are you doing?" Alanna asked, crossing the office to examine the box.

"I'll be a lot better when you tell me this is dead," Tim muttered.

"I'm sure you will," she said with a distracted smile as she ran her fingers over the box's lid. "Give me the camera, Josh," she said to one of her team.

He handed the fibre optic camera to her, holding onto the control unit. She carefully slit the tape holding the box closed and worked the camera through the tiny opening she had made.

"What do you see?"

Josh moved the controls, eyes fixed on the small screen. "Huh," he said after a moment, brow wrinkled. "It's safe. There's a cell phone and a some wood. No wires. No bomb."

Alanna moved to examine the screen. "Let's play it safe, yes? Pass me the sniffer."

Josh set the camera controls down on the desk and pulled a device from his bag. It was a reinforced yellow box, with a screen on the top. An attached wand stuck out of the side.

"This picks up any traces of explosive," Alanna explained to Tim. "It's not one hundred percent accurate, but if there's a large amount of explosive in that box, it will find it."

She thumbed on a switch and ran the wand slowly over the box. The screen stayed dark.

"I think you're safe to put that down, Marshal Gutterson."

He set it onto to the desk carefully, then stepped back, stretching his arms and back. The cramp finally eased as he bent forward, stretching the long muscles down the sides of his spine.

Alanna pulled a knife from her belt and slit the rest of the tape, lifting the phone out the examine it. After a moment, she handed it to Tim. "It's safe. Seems to have an open call, though it's muted."

"Un-mute it," Tim said quietly.

She nodded and hit the right button. A recorded voice filled the room.

"I have Marshal Givens. By now, you know the bomb wasn't in the box. I did hide one though. I'm giving your Marshal a choice. Either he gives up his own life, or I detonate the bomb. It's in a public place. Better get looking if you want to find it."