Chapter 554 - TEN, NINE, EIGHT…
As Bonnie spoke on a phone she had taken from the hostages, Clyde was looking at Kaito with increasing annoyance. Even in the situation where his obviously beloved girlfriend and unborn child were in danger, he was nonchalant.
He did not look threatened.
It made Clyde itch to do something to cause him to lose composure. However, he did not know what he could do without making things fall apart. If he harmed Akira before the bomb exploded, he was sure that Kaito would not allow him to breathe for a millisecond longer.
He looked at his watch and found there were still five minutes remaining. He looked at the Crystal Plaza with bright eyes, ignoring the presence of the chopper in the window.
Soon… People will never forget him ever again. His face would forever haunt the masses. He would be like the men before him whose faces were so iconic, that even looking at them would inspire hate.. The thought gave him an almost orgasmic high.
As he was thinking about this, he saw a helicopter belonging to a news channel coming from another direction. He could see high definition cameras pointing towards him. He smiled and lifted his hands in a victorious gesture.
Yes, he would become the stuff of legends.
As he was trying to enjoy his moment in the limelight, despite the guns pointing at him from the CAB chopper, Bonnie was having trouble talking to the person on the tip line. They thought that she was an imposter who had gotten wind of the situation and was trying to gain some fame.
She could not believe it.
"Yes, yes, I am Bonnie." His girlfriend was pacing angrily. "Do you think there is time to waste? You should know that there are only three minutes left to the explosion. This is merely an act of courtesy from me, inane government drone."
Instead of listening to anything more from the other person, Bonnie lifted a gun and shot at a mirror behind the hostages.
"If you keep wasting my time, the next bullet will go through someone's skull." Bonnie threatened.
The person on the other end realised that it was the genuine Bonnie and transferred the call without further ado.
"I am Director Deguchi. Can you tell us your demands?" Director Deguchi was beside himself with fear and worry for his bomb squad.
Even though the people checking the bomb were experienced and wore protective armour, the danger was real. It would be difficult for them to survive if the bomb blew up. Not to mention the effect that an explosion would have on the country…
"You should have a clear understanding of the kind of people that choose bombs as their method of attack? I think you are a little bit of an idiot for someone who works in an anti-terrorism bureau. The general profile of a terrorist is in the name: the interest is in creating terror." Bonnie retorted.
"But let us not waste time. You should know by now that there is no trick to turning off the bomb, especially with the limited time. The only failsafe is the password. I would advise you to withdraw your bomb squad."
"Oh, leave one guy, preferably someone you do not like very much. I have made a little bet with someone to guess the password with a small clue. It is up to you if you would like to try it out. I do not care either way. But it is your only chance."
Clyde turned from the limelight of the chopper and walked to Bonnie. "It is almost time."
"Director Deguchi, I will be passing you on to talk to your only hope for survival." Bonnie laughed before handing the phone to Akira.
The two people walked back to the best vantage point for looking at the Crystal Plaza in its majestic glory. They were unafraid, even though they could see the multiple heavy guns pointed at them. For them, the moment was perfect.
While standing at the window, they turned to each other and kissed for a long time. The image was as picturesque as in a movie. And it was captured by both the news and the appointed Watch director and cameraman.
"We made it, darling. We have finally achieved our dream." Bonnie said with a smile.
"We have made it, my dearest."
Their dreams were slightly different, but they intersected in a way that brought them to this point. Her dream was to be like Pandora. She wanted to have the dark power to destroy in her hand, and she wanted to open the box and release the demons to the world.
For Clyde, he feared being invisible. He did not want to be forgotten. As he stood in the limelight with eyes on him and Bonnie, he knew that fate had brought them together. From the moment they met, everything was meant to be.
He remembered the first time their eyes met. It was in a café in the old building where Crystal Plaza now stood. The old structure had been demolished to accommodate the new and fancy high-rise monstrosity.
The old café was their place. It was where they met, and it was where they bonded over countless things. Sure, the new building had a café, but it was not the same. It was one of those chains with complicated drinks that only looked good on social media.
The place they met was beautiful and simple.
"I hope that I will be with you in my next life again," Bonnie said with deep sentiment.
"I know we will be together in all our future lives. Thank you for putting up with me." Clyde spoke without a hint of madness for the first time. He sounded gentle and sincere.
"If I do not put up with you, who will?" Bonnie chuckled lightly.
They shared another kiss before they faced the window again. They wanted to capture everything with their eyes before they were, without a doubt, shot down by the CAB snipers. The only reason they were still alive is that there was still hope that they would stop the bomb.
The two people were so absorbed in themselves that they ignored Akira as she spoke to Director Deguchi. Their confidence in their failsafe password was so strong that they never for a moment thought that Akira would guess it, especially with the limited time.
If they paid attention to her, they would only be wasting their last moments together.
Clyde looked at his watch with the countdown timer. His lips quirked into a smile.
"Let's count down together." He said.
"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…" The two counted.