“Where is he?”
“I escaped. I don’t know where he is. Please, Sheriff.”
Danny felt truth in the man’s statement. He said, “All right.”
Riffey said, “Grab the podium and lift it beside the chair here.” Danny didn’t speak, but bent to lift as Riffey did the same on the other side of the chair.
Riffey glanced at the wall clock: 12:13, and he almost wet himself.
They lifted the podium a foot off the floor, then Riffey used the metal chair as a fulcrum and pried it higher. The Sheriff held it as Riffey unfolded the chair so the metal seat extended and they lowered the podium so it rested on the seat.
Riffey dropped to his stomach and wormed under the space. The Sheriff did the same. When Danny saw the tank, he said, “Damn.”
Riffey said, “I don’t know what time he set it to go off, but it can’t be much longer.”
“Pull it out from under there so we can work on it.”
Riffey did, and said, “Do you know anything about defusing a bomb?”
Danny’s eyes were big, and there were drops of sweat on his forehead. “No.”
“Me neither.” He looked at the Sheriff and said, “You should go. I’ll try to do this, but you don’t have to stay and die if I can’t.”
Danny said, “I’m not leaving. Let’s figure out something.”
They turned the cell phone over, looking at the open back where the thin wires extended from it to the blasting cap embedded in the Det Cord.
Riffey glanced at the wall clock: 12:14, with the second hand twirling through the forty-second mark to bring the clock to 12:15.
He took a breath and turned on the phone. It showed the timer counting down: 12:14:53, 12:14:54, 12:14:55…
Danny reached across him and hit another button on the phone.
It showed the timer setting. 12:15:00. “Do something!” Danny yelled.
Riffey thought, Do I pull the wires? Or one wire? Will that make it explode? Do I take out the phone battery?
Danny grabbed Riffey’s bicep, “Two seconds!”
Riffey said, “Please Lord,” and pulled the wires out of the phone.
The timer buzzed. Riffey and the Sheriff looked at one another, then yelled and hugged, slapping each other on the back. When they regained composure, the Sheriff said, “We still have a terrorist on the loose, right?”
“Asadullah. He also goes by Holland.”
“Where did you last see him?”
“Where I escaped.” He gave the Sheriff the address.
Danny made a call, sending his deputies and the city police to that location, then he said, “You’re coming with me.”
Riffey looked at the tank wrapped with Det Cord. “What about this? You shouldn’t leave it here.”
“Bring it, we don’t have time to waste.” Riffey nodded and picked up the tank, noticing the blasting cap was still attached. Something to remember. He followed the Sheriff to his car, placed the tank in the trunk, and slid into the passenger seat. Danny sped away, lights flashing.
***
Asadullah drove down the River Road just outside of Presidio, feeling good that he saw no police. He increased his speed slightly, just enough to still let him keep control of the car on this narrow, weaving road. As he passed Fort Leaton, a pickup coming the opposite direction came into view. When the two vehicles passed, they recognized one another. Asadullah checked his side mirror and saw brake lights glow red on the truck. He increased his speed.