The Strays
Chapter Twenty-Five

I double checked that Drew was out cold before heading out the door and down the corridor until I reached the flight of stairs that led to the offices on the next floor. The lack of security didn’t surprise me, even if Delilah did anticipate me escaping Drew’s custody, in her mind it was already too late, she’d won and it would be she would be asking her people to commit suicide if she’d stationed them in the building, apparently she wasn’t that heartless, but that didn’t change much, she still had her hubris, which I was about to use against her.

I still kept my eyes peeled, just in case I was wrong about security, but as I approached the door to the office, I realised it really was just the two of us now that I’d taken care of her treacherous boy toy. I didn’t even display any caution as I entered the room and there was no surprise on Delilah’s face as she looked up from the device she was tinkering with at her father’s desk. The bomb, to be more exact. “I was just about to come and get you, Drew, as well. You didn’t kill him, did you? I happen to be quite fond of him.”

“Funny, he didn’t say the same about you, and no, he’s not dead, just taking a nap.”

“I suppose you came up here to try and stop me.” She sighed.

“By whatever means. There are too many lives on the line for me to not consider compromising my values, though I’d rather solve this amicably and without any bloodshed, if at all possible.”

“You’re unarmed. What threat could you possibly pose to me?”

“We both know I don’t need a weapon to inflict damage, and we both know you aren’t going to kill yourself in the blast. You’re not the martyr type, so just give me the virus. As we speak, Jeremiah and the others are rounding up your associates. You’ve lost, so be smart about this. Just give me the virus. Nobody needs to die. You made your point. You win. You’re better than me.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. I thought you’d have learned by now, I’m not a quitter, Cae. When I start something, I see it through to the end, and the only way you’re going to stop me is by killing me. I don’t care if my brother and his rag-tag group of misfits have collared my associates. It’s just you and me here.”

“I guess I’m going to have to do this the hard way, then.” I couldn’t help rolling my eyes as I’d genuinely hoped it wouldn’t escalate this far and the effects of the drugs in my system still hadn’t worn off.

My eyes slowly scanned the room, drifting as they came to a stop on the device. There was no vial contained within it, even though there was a compartment built for its installation, which meant Delilah didn’t have it.

“They hadn’t finished modifying the virus at the lab, had they? You were just trying to buy time until one of your lackeys could get the finished product for you. I woke up too early, didn’t I? Even if that was the case, you’d never let me know. It’s why you weren’t surprised to see me. You were simply trying to mask your frustration.”

Delilah slowly applauded me. “I see you’ve gotten better at reading the room and applying your observations, honestly I always thought you were too naïve to ever really learn. That is why you always push people away, isn’t it? You don’t actually know who you can trust.”

“Once upon a time that might’ve been true, but Drew stabbing me in the back forced me to take a good look at things. I know who my friends are and I know I can count on them no matter what.”

“Then why aren’t they here fighting by your side? What are they really without you? They don’t get you, and why would they? You aren’t like them. You’re just another tool in someone’s arsenal and as soon as you outlive your usefulness, you’ll see just how quickly they turn.”

“Looks like you’re getting a lot wrong these days, little sis. I suppose you’re not as smart as you think you are.” Ace’s voice reverberated around the room, the words bouncing off the wall. I turned around to see him and Colt, a smile spreading across my face.

“You’re outnumbered and outmatched. We have the virus. It’s over. Give up.”

Delilah’s face started to warp as she stepped away from the device and I noticed a small remote in her hand, which I was pretty certain was a remote detonator. Sure enough, she pressed the button, and I saw the red light on the device flash green. “I guess now the three of you have a choice to make. Chase after me or try to save as many people as you can. I may not have the virus, but that device still has the potential to destroy the majority of this sector.”

Ace glared at his sister. “Mum and Dad would be disgusted by the person you’ve become.”

“Then I guess it’s a good job they aren’t around anymore, big brother. Now tick tock, time’s wasting. I’d say you have about ten minutes before this baby goes off. Make it count.” She smirked as she calmly sauntered off. Ace went to chase after her, but I held him back.

“We don’t have time to run around after her. If what she’s saying is true, we need to get as many people as far away as possible.”

“You say that like you have a plan.” Ace’s tone was pretty unimpressed.

“I do. You and Ace are going to replace a way to reach Jeremiah on the radio, tell him what’s happening and persuade him to broadcast an emergency announcement to anyone in this sector or any sectors nearby, then head down to my dad’s research lab and get Drew out of here. He’s a traitor and a dick, but he doesn’t deserve to have a building collapse on him.”

Colt looked askance, already aware of what I intended to do whilst they were gone. “I can’t talk you out of what comes next, can I?”

Ace seemed to be confused by what wasn’t being said out loud. However, when he finally caught on, he had a face like thunder. “No way. I am not letting you stay here to try to diffuse that thing. If something goes wrong, then you’re dead, and I’ll have to tell Sean I’m the reason he lost his little sister. I won’t do that to him.”

“Even if the announcement works and you guys get away, there’s a lot of people in this sector that might not be able to escape in time. If this thing goes off, a lot of people aren’t going to survive, the best way to ensure nobody dies is to stop this thing from ever going off.”

“You can do that?” Colt asked.

“I’ve done it twice before.”

“Were you high as a kite?” Ace argued.

“Flushing drugs from your system isn’t the same as being high. I can think straight, I can fight, which means I can at least try to fix this, and the more time you waste arguing with me the less I have to figure this out, so hurry up and go, you’re not going to change my mind.”

Colt handed me something. It was an old Swiss army knife with an engraving of some sort. “I think you’re going to need this more than me and it’s always given me good luck.”

“I’ll be sure to give it to you back when all of this is over.”

“You’d better.” He hugged me tightly, then reluctantly stepped away with a sad, almost melancholic smile.

Ace stood motionless, refusing to leave. “If you’re staying, then so am I. This is my sister’s mess and I’m not about to let you get yourself killed over it. Besides, whether you want to admit it or not, you need my help. We both know that your hands aren’t going to be as steady as they should and I’m not letting you near that thing. If there’s a chance, you’ll set it off.”

“You don’t even know what you’re doing. You being here is just another unnecessary distraction, so go with Colt.”

“Yeah, that’s not happening, besides I know how to defuse something like this in theory. I’ve just never had to apply that knowledge.”

“Since when?”

“Ever since I borrowed your mum’s copy of the anarchist cookbook. I have been meaning to give it back to you, by the way, I just haven’t really had the time.”

“That explains how your sister was able to build this thing. Seriously, do you ever think anything through? Why would you steal a book like that from my mum with someone as psychopathic as Delilah, living with you?”

“In my defence, I didn’t know the end of the world was imminent or that she would read it and decide to make the apocalypse ten times worse.”

Colt coughed loudly, drawing our attention. “I get that you two have history, and there’s a lot of stuff you still need to work out here, but now really isn’t the time. If I stand any chance of helping anyone get away from here, I have to leave now, which means you need to get your shit together and focus because if you can’t do that then nobody is staying here, that would just be suicide.”

Ace and I exchanged a look. “Cae and I have this covered. Don’t worry, just get a message to Jer, then get your arse as far away as possible.”

Colt nodded his head affirmatively before walking away and I turned to inspect the device, Ace hovering over me with each step I took closer.

“So… You and Colt. What’s that all about?” Ace asked casually as I inspected the device and lifted up a panel on the side to expose the wiring.

“There is no me and Colt. We’re just friends.”

“You’re a terrible liar. I’ve seen the way you look at him. You’ve never looked at anyone like that before, I would know. Why won’t you admit to yourself that you have feelings for him? Why won’t you allow yourself that happiness when it’s so obvious that he feels the same way?”

“Now really isn’t the right time for this conversation.” I sighed as I handed him the knife, my hand shaking as I studied the clock. We had six minutes, then boom.

Ace took it from me with a smile. “Which wire am I cutting?”

“The yellow one on the far left, and the black one in the middle.”

He cut them without complaint, which made the green light on the device blink, startling him. “Is that supposed to happen?”

“Give me the knife.”

Ace handed it back to me and I took out the tweezers, using them to gently remove the detonation cord and blasting cap from the compound explosive. I then handed the knife back to him. “Now you just have to cut the right red wire.”

“Are you sure?” He asked sceptically.

“Just cut the wire.”

Ace’s hand hovered over it, and a sad smile crossed his lips. “I remember the last time we were in my dad’s office together we were getting shouted at because you blagged your way past reception so you could snoop around the lab and he busted me sneaking you out the fire door. I remember he was fuming because he didn’t recognise you and thought you were a corporate spy, but you were just getting photos for a project at school about your day in the life project about your dad. He insisted that if you were really doing a project, you should’ve asked permission in writing and you showed him a copy of the email, followed by the written letter you’d sent that was unopened on his desk, that’s the only time I’ve seen someone stand up to him and put him in his place, I don’t think he ever forgot it either because he would visibly wince whenever my mum asked after you, she always did love you, no matter what my sister said about you.”

A lump formed in my throat. “Why are you telling me this now? You’re wasting time. Just cut the damn wire.”

“I just had to get it off my chest in case we die here tonight, and I needed you to know why I did this.” He leaned in and kissed me on the lips, catching me off guard as I jumped backwards.

“What the hell, Ace?”

“I’ve wanted to do that since the day we met. I never had the guts. I’m not sorry I did it, even if you don’t feel the same way.” He calmly told me as he cut the wire. The timer stopped and the green light went red as the display went black. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath as I waited for the device to go off, a wave of relief washing over me when it didn’t.

When I opened my eyes again, Ace was staring at me. “You had no clue what you were doing, did you?”

“Your sister made some improvisations, which means I had to as well, so my experience could only take me so far. The rest was an educated guess.”

“Well, look who’s all grown up. The Caelyn I knew would have never taken a risk like that, not with so much on the line. She’d have thought through every perceivable outcome before reaching a conclusion, even then she’d have hesitated. I’m glad you’re finally starting to believe in yourself and your instincts. Your parents and Miles would be, too. You’re an incredible person. I always knew you would be and Colt is lucky to have someone as wonderful as you by his side. Sean and I will make sure he remembers that.”

“About what happened before.”

“Don’t worry, I get it. I always have. It was just something I had to do in case I never got the chance again. I didn’t want to die with the regret that I didn’t at least take a shot, even if there was no spark between us.”

“Thank you.”

“For what?” He seemed confused.

“I wasn’t sure how I felt about Colt before, but now I do. That’s down to you. I think I’m finally ready to take a risk of my own, because if this thing with your sister has taught me anything, it’s that I don’t want to die with any regrets either. I’m done letting my fear control me. I think it’s time I finally moved on and really started living. It’s what they would’ve wanted.”

We hugged each other tightly, and I tried not to cry. “Go replace Colt. I’ll regroup with the other’s at the Sanctum. Find us when you’re ready. We still have a lot of work to do, and I have a feeling this war with my sister is far from over.” I hugged him again with a grateful smile before running towards the door, however before I left I found myself pausing, having realised I’d forgotten something. Ace shook his head with a grin. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this covered. Go.”