Chapter 217: The Timer
Pain exploded through the back of Rico’s head instantly as Leah struck him with the metal. A sharp groan escaped him and the hammer slipped from his hand, dropping heavily to the ground.
He stumbled forward, his vision blurring badly for a second. He slowly brought his hand to the back of his head, and he felt the warm liquid oozing out, blood trickling slowly down the back of his neck.
Inside the boxes, muffled cries grew louder immediately.
Rico blinked hard, trying to steady himself as dizziness hit him in waves. Behind him, Leah’s breathing came out shaky and uneven. Her hands trembled around the metal pipe she had used on him.
“Just stop!” she cried desperately, her eyes wide. “Rico, stop!”
Rico slowly turned around, blood running down the side of his head now. “What did you just do?" He growled lowly, his angry eyes on her. "What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Leah looked half-terrified and half-hysterical. Tears streamed down her face as she shook her head wildly. “She ruined everything!” she yelled. “You were supposed to choose me!”
Then suddenly, she lifted the metal pipe again and rushed toward him. But this time, Rico caught her wrist before the pipe could touch him.
Leah gasped painfully and Rico’s eyes darkened dangerously as he twisted her arm away, shoving her backward with force. She crashed hard onto the dry ground with a cry.
“STAY. THE FUCK. DOWN!” Rico roared at her. The entire field fell silent for a second except for Rico’s heavy breathing.
Then another muffled cry came from inside one of the boxes. Rico immediately turned back around and grabbed the sledgehammer again despite the blood dripping from his head.
This wasn't the time to care about a little blood. Even though his head was throbbing badly and his vision was blurry, saving Calla, Sophia, and Eli was what mattered this very moment.
He swung hard at the lock once more, and the metal cracked further. His arms shook from exhaustion, but he hit it again with a roar.
Blood kept dripping from the back of his head, staining the collar of his shirt, but he ignored it completely.
Inside the box, Calla’s muffled sobs only made him hit harder. The timer continued counting down beside him.
00:04:47
“Come on…” Rico muttered desperately under his breath before swinging again. He clenched his jaw, his eyes beginning to sting with tears, but he didn't stop.
Then suddenly, he heard car engines.
Rico froze briefly and snapped his head toward the distance. Several black vehicles sped across the field toward him.
His eyes widened slightly, and the cars barely stopped properly before doors flew open.
Ezio, Costa, Bruno, and two other men rushed out immediately.
“BOSS!” Bruno shouted as they sprinted toward him.
Rico looked both furious and relieved at once. “I told you not to fucking follow me!”
“Yeah? And let you die alone?” Ezio snapped back breathlessly.
No one wasted another second. Costa immediately grabbed a sledgehammer from their car and ran toward one of the boxes. Bruno rushed toward the second, and Ezio joined Rico at Calla’s box.
The entire field was filled with loud metallic bangs as they all started breaking chains desperately.
00:03:19
“ELI!” Costa shouted while striking the lock repeatedly. “Move back, kid!” The lock finally broke apart. He immediately ripped the chains away and threw the box open.
Eli burst into tears instantly. His face was red from crying for too long and the heat of being in the box.
Costa didn’t hesitate, he quickly lifted the trembling boy into his arms. Eli immediately burst into tears, clinging tightly to Costa’s shirt as his small body shook badly from fear.
But he froze. His brows furrowed deeply as he stared down at the timer and wires inside the box. He passed the kid to one of the men—who took the shaky-little kid back to the car.
“…Boss?” Costa called slowly, but nobody answered. Everyone was too busy trying to break the remaining locks.
He frowned harder and grabbed the bomb device fully this time. Then realization hit him. “This shit is fake!” he shouted.
Everything paused for a split second.
“What?” Rico snapped, breathing hard.
Ezio immediately abandoned Sophia’s lock long enough to check the wiring attached to her box. His eyes narrowed instantly. “...Fuck,” he muttered. Then he spoke louder, “This one too!”
Rico’s chest tightened sharply. Hope flashed across his face for only one second before he quickly looked down at the device attached to Calla’s box.
His expression changed immediately. The others noticed it too.
Unlike the others, Calla’s bomb looked different. Real wires. Real trigger setup. And the timer was still moving.
00:02:48
Silence hit them hard for a second. Then Rico inhaled sharply. “Get Sophia out, and get her and Eli out of here NOW!” he barked instantly.
Calla’s muffled cries grew louder inside the box. Rico grabbed the chains again with shaking hands while staring at the real bomb attached beside it.
Bruno didn't hesitate any longer. He finally broke Sophia’s chains and dragged the lid open. Sophia looked pale and terrified, her face was wet with tears and sweat.
The moment Bruno untied her hands, her weak legs nearly gave out beneath her. He had to steady her quickly before helping her toward the cars.
“Go!” Rico shouted at them without turning around. He was still striking the thick chains around Calla’s box with the sledgehammer. “Take them and leave!”
The timer beside the bomb continued counting down mercilessly.
00:02:13
The loud metallic clang of the hammer echoed across the empty field again and again.
Ezio, however, didn’t move with the others. Instead, he grabbed the second sledgehammer lying nearby and rushed toward Rico. Without wasting a second, he slammed it hard against another side of the chain wrapped around Calla’s box.
CLANG!
The lock barely cracked.
“Ezio, leave!” Rico barked, sweat pouring heavily down his face.
“No,” Ezio snapped immediately before striking the chains again. “We can still break it.”
Rico glanced at the timer again and his chest tightened painfully.
00:01:51
The chain around Calla’s box was much thicker than the others had been. He realized Marco had done it on purpose, because this was where the real bomb was. He had known Rico would never leave Calla behind. He had wanted this to be impossible.
Inside the box, Calla’s muffled cries became louder. Each sound clawed painfully at Rico’s chest and made panic rise higher inside him.
Rico suddenly grabbed Ezio harshly by the arm before he could swing the hammer again.
“Enough!” Rico shouted.
Ezio stared at him angrily. “Rico—”
“I SAID TO FUCKING LEAVE!” Rico roared louder this time. The veins along his neck stood out sharply from stress and fear.
Neither of them moved for a second. Then Rico’s expression changed slightly. The anger remained, but desperation slowly pushed through it.
“I can’t risk your life too,” he said heavily. “Take Sophia and Eli and get out of here.”
Ezio’s jaw tightened painfully. He glanced once at the timer and then at the stubborn chains.
00:01:34
“Rico…”
“Go!” Rico yelled again, this time almost sounding broken. “Please.”
Ezio inhaled sharply through his nose, frustration written all over his face. “You'd better survive this shit,” he muttered bitterly before finally stepping back.
Rico didn’t answer him. He couldn’t.
Ezio turned around and ran toward the waiting cars. Seconds later, the vehicles sped away from the field, leaving Rico completely alone again.
Alone with Calla. And the bomb.
Rico tightened both hands around the sledgehammer and slammed it against the chain again with everything he had left inside him.
CLANG!
The impact vibrated painfully through his arms.
Blood from the wound on the back of his head continued dripping down his neck and soaking into the collar of his shirt. His muscles burned terribly from exhaustion, but he didn’t stop.
He hit the chains again, and again... and again.
The timer kept moving.
00:01:10
“Fuck!” Rico cursed loudly after another failed hit. His breathing had become uneven now, almost shaky from panic.
Inside the box, Calla cried harder after hearing the fear in his voice.
“I know,” Rico breathed desperately, gripping the hammer tighter. “I know, baby. Just hold on a little longer.”
His vision blurred slightly from stress and the blood loss, but he forced himself to focus. He lifted the hammer one more time and slammed it down with every bit of strength left inside him.
This time, the chain suddenly snapped apart.