David

We didn't take the same route that we used before. Big Luke was heading towards the Midtown tunnel. It was a longer trip than it could have been but it was a good way to lose the chopper that was still very much behind us. Even as Big Luke rounded each corner and cut through narrow alley ways, it could keep up. It was a little nerve racking to be sliding around with a nuke that was designed to level New York City behind my seat, but I didn't really have a choice.

"You had a girlfriend?" Brandon asked as we waited for KATE to finish scanning the bomb.

"It was six years ago, Brandon," Big Luke replied.

"Well, apparently you saw her this summer," I put in.

"I did a lot more than just see her," Big Luke mumbled.

Brandon cocked an eyebrow at him, "Did you fuck her too?"

"Damn, that chopper just won't quit!" Big Luke peered into the rearview mirror which he tilted up.

"You changed the subject," I noticed.

Big Luke drifted the car more aggressively than normal, throwing us into the passenger side of the car. "Yep. There's a reason for that. KATE, you figure it out yet?"

"Not yet, Jon Luke," KATE replied. "And I told you that you should have told Brittany sooner."

Big Luke sighed. "Two months before I joined the Marines, we dated. She broke up with me after I told her that. She liked me, but she didn't like me that much. I ran into her when I went back home and we went out for drinks. Probably had a little too much and I kissed her.-"

"You kissed her?" I asked for clarification. I found it weird that Big Luke would kiss first.

"Yes, David. I did. Like I said, I was drunk," Big Luke replied as he wooded the throttle.

We eventually started to see signs for the tunnel and Big Luke pushed the Charger even further as we weaved in and out of stalled traffic. One lane was closed off going into the tunnel which made it a lot easier. We dropped into the wide open lane and Big Luke laid on the gas, the speedometer raising steadily. We shot passed the toll booth at 215 miles per hour. Then it was into the tunnel at 225.

"KATE, switch the active camouflage on," Big Luke ordered and KATE replied in the affirmative.

Nothing from the inside made us look invisible, but the normal loud rumble and roar of the engine cut down to a whisper. Big Luke yanked the parking brake and spun the Charger around 180 degrees. Parked cars surrounded us but there was no sign of the helicopter. . . yet.

It wasn't long before the chopper dropped and slipped into the tunnel over the cars. Damn, it was a tight fit. It was an Apache, like we shot down two summers ago.

It wasn't long before we got a phone call from John.

"Let it ring," Big Luke instructed KATE.

The ringer kept going. RIIIIIIIIING. . . RIIIIIIIIING. . . RIIIIIIIIING. . . RIIIIIIIIING. With every ring, I felt like my ass was going to go through my face.

"You really want to test him? You know what he's capable of," Brandon asked.

Big Luke ignored the ringer for another ring before ordering KATE to put him through.

"Hello?" he asked casually.

"Jon Luke, do you realize how close I was to blowing your girl's brains out?!"

"We're in a tunnel, John. Your chopper should find us soon enough," Big Luke replied.

KATE muted herself before talking. "I have discovered how to defuse the bomb."

Big Luke just nodded as John continued to talk. " You're rollin' on thin ice, Jon Luke. Maybe you need to talk to your girlfriend. Maybe she can give you some sense of urgency."

"Jon Luke! If we get out of this, I'm gonna kick your ass for lying to me!" Brittany's voice blasted through the speakers.

"Well, at least she didn't call you an asshole," Brandon mumbled.

"Shut up! Brandon! I can still hear you!" Brandon didn't speak after that.

"Bo, I'm sorry for lying to you. I didn't want to ruin what we had-" Big Luke tried to apologize, but Brittany cut him off.

"And just what did we have, Jon Luke? Because, as I recall, you did nothing but push me away for two fucking years. I would love to meet this bitch you fucked and tell her all about how we kissed and how you bought be a dress. . ." Brittany ranted on and on about Big Luke. Damn, she was pissed.

Thankfully, John cut her off. "OK, that's enough! Jon Luke, if you don't get that bomb to your target, I will blow her brains out. I know you care about her. Whether or not you're dating, I couldn't give less fucks.-"

"KATE, hang the fuck up," Big Luke ordered.

The line went dead and Big Luke sighed in the seat.

"Well, she seems happy," I said sarcastically.

Big Luke gave me a death-glare through the rearview mirror.

The seat kicked me in the small of my back. I unbelted myself and let the seat revolve. It spit the bomb out onto the seat. Naturally, I scooted back up against the side of the car. It looked much scarier up close. The ticking clock on the front read just shy of five minutes.

"Any good news, KATE?" Brandon spoke for the first time since Brittany snapped at him.

"Yes. It is not a nuclear weapon. Simply dressed up to look like a nuclear weapon."

"Any bad news?" Big Luke asked.

"There is a second bomb that is traveling through the subway system. I am unable to pinpoint exactly which line it is moving on," KATE explained.

Big Luke ran his hand through his hair with a sigh, "Oh, This day just keeps gettin' better and better."

I looked back at the bomb in our car: 3:30. "Um, I could use a pair of pliers now. That would be good."

"One sec." Brandon started rummaging through a large pouch with several tools inside.

"David, you're going to want to cut the blue wire," KATE told me.

I looked at the bomb again, trying really hard to avoid the 3:10 mark on the clock. The bomb looked to have three or four blue wires.

"Which blue wire?"

"The one that leads to the bottom."

Big Luke was looking over the bomb, it looked like he saw what I saw. "KATE, the device is symmetrical from the outside. Which way is up and which way is down?"

"Roll the weapon towards you. The bottom will be on top," KATE told me.

Reluctantly, I rolled the bomb towards me. The bottom of the metal case was conical and hollow, exposing a battery and what I could only guess was the detonator.

"Here," Brandon said, handing a set of wire cutters back to me.

"Why do I have to be the one to cut it?" I asked. I really didn't want to be the one to blow us all up if KATE was wrong. Her scanners were a little off lately.

"'Cause you're the youngest," said Brandon.

"Quit bein' a pussy. Just cut the shit. We got another-" I cut the wire to shut Big Luke up. "Thank you!"

Brandon looked out the window at the helicopter which was still hovering around the tunnel "Now what?"

"KATE, where is that other bomb?" Big Luke asked the car.

"If we hurry, we can intercept it before it reaches the Empire State Building." With KATE's response, Big Luke stuck the transmission in First and spun the tires. The smoke gave away our position to the helicopter which spun around to face us.

Big Luke spun the wheel but kept the wheels spinning against the pavement. We slowly drifted to another blank spot in traffic and Big Luke pulled his foot out of the throttle. The rubber came to a halt against the cement.

We got another phone call from John. "I suppose you disabled the bomb?"

"Yeah, John. Now we're going after the second one," Big Luke responded.

"You'll never make it." John sounded too sure. "Even if you could get there in time, you won't be able to disable it."

Big Luke shook his head. "Don't underestimate us, John. We've proven people wrong before."

"Jon Luke, he's got a gun out!" Brittany's voice filtered through.

We heard a hammer cock back, like on a revolver. "You know, I don't need this girl any more. I could kill her right now and wouldn't blink."

"You do that, and I will kill you. I will stop at nothing until-" Big Luke was cut short by the snap of a handgun. "KATE, hang the fuck up. Don't accept any more calls from that number."

Brandon and I were shocked. That's when we really realized what John was capable of. Up until this point, Big Luke's stories of how his mom was shot were just that: stories. Now, it was all very real.

Big Luke's tone was scary calm. He stuck his foot to the floor and drove straight for the helicopter which was still hovering in front of us. The Charger's engine sounded normal: very loud and low, almost demonic in a sense. I think that KATE switched off the active camouflage.

The Apache dropped down in our path but Big Luke never let up. The roof of the Charger ripped the landing gear right off the chopper. The tail rotor smashed itself against the hood. Sparks flew and scratches were made but none of them on KATE's surface. Big Luke weaved away from the now crashing Apache and made our way towards Manhattan.

Big Luke didn't say a word as he slid the car around corners and listened to KATE's directions. I had KATE revolve the seat back with the bomb so I didn't have to look at it any more. KATE eventually told Big Luke to walk down the stairs into the subway system, he pulled a 180 and drove right down into the subway. KATE bunny-hopped over the ticket gate and it was off the the races as the only train that was moving, raced passed the plate form. KATE dropped down on the tracks and chased after it.