Chapter 36:Race against the bombs (I)

Derek’s hands trembled—not from fear, but from frustration. He stared at the first building on his list. Red Rose had planned every detail meticulously, leaving no trace but the timed devices hidden in plain sight. The city’s lights flickered in the rain as if warning him.

“This is insane,” Derek muttered, scanning the device through his portable scanner. The bomb ticked silently, almost taunting him. He crouched, Patagiums strapped on his back, rain dripping down his leather jacket. “They think they can outsmart me. They think the chaos will win. Not today.”

His phone buzzed. A message flashed across the screen. Time is running out. Don’t fail. Derek clenched his jaw. This wasn’t just a game. People were inside those buildings. Innocent lives hung in the balance.

He jumped from rooftop to rooftop, his Patagiums catching the wind perfectly. Below him, the city slept, unaware of the disaster lurking within its walls.

At the first building, Derek landed lightly. The lobby was empty. That was the first good sign. But it didn’t last. As he scanned, he realized there were three bombs hidden throughout. Each more dangerous than the last.

“Of course,” he muttered. “He wants maximum chaos. He wants panic. He wants me to fail in front of everyone.”

Derek grabbed the first device carefully. He pulled a wire. It sparked, and he flinched. “Different kinds of pain,” he whispered, recalling the lessons of interrogation, the patience and precision it took to control chaos. “Every problem has a solution.”

He disarmed it just as the timer hit twenty seconds. His chest rose and fell. “One down,” he said, voice tight. “Two more to go.”

Then the phone rang. He answered it quickly, fingers still hovering over the second device.

“Cold Genius,” a voice hissed through the speaker. Smooth, mocking. “Tick-tock, Derek. Tick-tock.”

“You want people to die,” Derek said evenly, gripping the phone. “But I don’t let people die. Not today. Not ever.”

The voice laughed. “Ever the hero. So stubborn. You’ll see, even heroes can’t save everyone.”

Derek’s eyes narrowed. “I save who I can. And you? You’ll answer for this.” He hung up, adrenaline spiking.

He sprinted toward the next building, Patagiums slicing through the night air. The second device was on the rooftop. A group of pedestrians had gathered nearby, oblivious to the ticking time bomb.

“Move! Everyone move!” Derek shouted, lunging forward to scoop a woman and child into his arms. They scrambled to safety.

The bomb ticked faster now. Its design was cruel, mechanical, almost sadistic. Derek took a deep breath and worked through the wires, connecting, cutting, twisting. Sparks flew. Metal groaned. He winced at the sound, the weight of potential death heavy on his shoulders.

“Come on…” he whispered. Sweat mixed with rain on his face. Finally, the device was silent. Derek exhaled and wiped his hands. “Two down. One to go.”

He soared into the final location, scanning through windows. Smoke curled from the streets below. Cars skidded to a stop as people fled the chaos Derek had just prevented. Red Rose’s reach extended everywhere. Derek knew he couldn’t waste a second.

Inside, the last bomb sat in a lobby crowded with workers. Derek’s stomach twisted. He landed with a thud, heart hammering, and immediately grabbed the nearest desk for cover.

“Stay calm,” he whispered to himself. He knelt, hands moving with precision over the wires. The timer ticked… ticked… ticked.

“Who’s there?” a voice called from the stairs. A guard. Too late to evacuate. Derek froze.

“Stay behind me,” Derek said sharply, standing and spinning to shield the man. He grabbed a file from the desk and used it as leverage to distract the guard. “Trust me.”

The timer was down to ten seconds. Sparks flew from the bomb. Derek’s eyes scanned, searching, calculating. Then—snap!—he pulled the correct wire. Silence.

The guard blinked. “You… you saved us?”

“I did what I had to,” Derek said. “But this isn’t over. Someone put these here for a reason.” He scanned the building, realizing every device had been coordinated from afar. The signature. Only Red Rose.

Suddenly, the phone buzzed again. A video. Red Rose appeared on the screen, smirking.

“You did well, Cold Genius,” he said, voice silky, chilling. “But saving a few will not stop the tide. The city will burn. They’ll never listen. They’ll never believe you in time.”

Derek’s eyes burned with determination. “They’ll listen when the truth is undeniable. And you? You’re running out of time.”

Red Rose’s smirk widened. “We’ll see about that.” The screen went dark.

Derek looked at the city below. The night was quiet now, but he knew it was only temporary. This was the calm before the storm. People were safe—for now—but the message was clear. Red Rose was escalating. And he would need more than Patagiums and sharp reflexes to stop him next time.

He took off into the sky, rain pelting his face, the city sprawling beneath him. The adrenaline still coursed through his veins. His eyes scanned every alley, every rooftop.

“Next time,” he whispered, “I won’t just disarm your plans. I’ll end them.”

The city’s lights blurred as he flew. Sirens echoed in the distance, but Derek ignored them. There was no time for celebration. Not yet.

Above, clouds rolled in. Thunder cracked. And somewhere, Red Rose watched, smiling. The challenge had only just begun.