Page 48 of So Sinister
The officer’s brow furrowed.He unclipped the taser.“Sir, we’re going to the baggage claim center.I understand that you’re upset, but we can’t help you here.”
Others in the building looked his way.A couple of other security officers took positions behind him on either side.
Then the door to the security office opened, and the Great Incompetent stepped outside, an imperious frown on his fat, stupid, cowardly, asshole of a face.He looked at the Expert, brow furrowed.Then his eyes widened.He mouthed,Robert?
And the Expert didn’t care about self-control anymore.
“You know what?”he said.“Fuck you.All of you.Fuck you straight to hell.”
The officer in front of him drew his taser.The other two moved forward.“Sir, please put your hands—”
The Expert pulled the bomb out of his vest, holding the explosive in one hand and the detonator in the other.“Back off!”he shrieked.“Back the fuck off, or I’ll take out this entire building!”
They saw his weapon, swore, and backed away.One officer rushed him, thinking maybe that he could knock the detonator from the Expert’s hand.The Expert spun toward him, holding the bomb out like a shield.“Back off!Come any closer, and I’ll blow everyone to Hell!”
The officer cursed and stumbled backwards, fell on his ass, got up and backed further away.The passengers were in pandemonium now, screaming and scrambling for the exits.The Expert let them leave.They weren’t important.
He backed toward the security office.The Great Incompetent, of course, had fled inside and locked the door the instant the Expert pulled the bomb.The coward.
“Listen to me,” he said to the wary officers.“I’m going to talk to the chief of security here.My complaint is withhim.Not any of you.Get yourselves and the others out of here.”
“Sir, please put the—”
“Oh, for…” The Expert rolled his eyes.“Has that ever worked?Get out of here.”
He lifted his leg, and the donkey kicked the door to the security office.The kick landed perfectly and the door flew open, pieces of the latch flying across the office.The Great Incompetent shrieked and said into his phone, "His name is Robert Stevenson!Robert Stevenson!He's in my office, and he has a bomb!"
“Damned straight I do,” the Expert said, “and this one is real.So come take a walk with me.”
The Great Incompetent sobbed.“Please—”
“Finish that sentence, and I’ll shove this bomb up your ass before I detonate it!”the Expert growled.“Come with me!”
The Great Incompetent sobbed again and shuffled forward.“Robert—”
“Shut up!”
The Expert grabbed the Great Incompetent’s hand and pushed him through the door.Fresh gasps erupted from the passengers and security officers still inside.
The Expert lifted the detonator and, in full view of everyone, pressed the button.Everyone recoiled, and the Great Incompetent cried out.
“See this?”the Expert shouted.“If I take my thumb off of this button, everyone dies!If you kill me, guess what?Thumb comes off the button.Everyone dies.So make sure your snipers know that.”
The officer who had first approached him lifted his hands placatingly, half-lidded eyes now wide open and bloodshot.“Hey, man.Just calm down, okay?We can talk—”
The Expert rolled his eyes and pushed the Great Incompetent along.He wasn’t sure what he was going to do now.He realized that he didn’t want to die after all.He hoped to kill the Great Incompetent from a distance, then enjoy the rest of his life content in the knowledge that he had defeated his enemies.
But now he was trapped.He didn’t know if he could make it out of this alive.He would certainly kill the Great Incompetent, but how could he get out of here alive?
He would take the Great Incompetent with him out of the airport.He would drive him somewhere.Maybe he’d tie the bomb to him and drive away before detonating it.Maybe he’d just stab him with a screwdriver like he did the other two.Maybe—
He stepped through the door, and his jaw went slack.Police cruisers blocked every possible way out of the airport.SWAT vans were parked on the curb and snipers waited on the top floor of the parking garage.Could he convince them to let him leave with the Great Incompetent and the bomb?He thought not.
He wasreallytrapped.
Damn it.Goddamn it!
“Robert Stevenson,” an officer said over a bullhorn.“Please release—”
