Sequel: CSI: Across the Pond ›
Gerard Way: Crime Scene Investigator
Chapter 14
Then he saw it: a black Mercedes sitting in one corner, parked on the line between two spaces. There was another card taped to the car’s license plate, the king of hearts. That was all he needed. He didn’t see anyone inside the car, but that did leave the trunk. Just as he was about to shoot through the car’s window so he could reach in and open the trunk, his phone rang. He sighed in frustration. This was not the right time.
“Yes?”
“Gee, it’s me,” said Mikey hurriedly. “I found something important.”
“Mike, I don’t have time for small talk. I think I’ve found the car the kid’s locked in, and-”
“Don’t go near it!” his brother nearly shouted into the phone.
“Why not?”
“That oily stuff was nitroglycerin. There’s probably a bomb hidden around there somewhere.” Gerard cursed to himself. It would be like Matt to do something like that.
“How much time is left on that meter, Mike?” There was a short pause.
“Five minutes. Get out of there, Gerard.”
“No. I’m not leaving without this kid.”
“Gee-” He hung up before Mikey could even start. He knelt to the ground and saw it beneath the car.
The smiling face of a joker stared back at him. It was taped to a black box containing several wires. He saw several small canisters of C-4 as well. This thing was an accident waiting to happen.
“Brian!” he shouted. He heard the faintest of whimpers in response. “Brian, I’m going to get you out of there, but you’re going to have to help me. Don’t be scared, okay?” he asked nervously. Gerard heard an affirmative response and immediately shot the car’s window out and grabbed one of the shards of glass. He crawled beneath the car and saw the dangerous explosives staring him in the face. The whole contraption hummed ominously. He recognized the way it was wired; there was only one wire that would disarm it, and time was quickly running out.
Gerard chose a wire and began sawing away at it with the glass. He accidentally cut himself several times, but focused on his work. He sliced through the last copper thread in the wire, hearing the sound of humming cease. He breathed a sigh of relief and crawled out from underneath the car. The timer was disabled.
“Brian? Are you okay?”
“Mm-hm. But there’s something hurting my back.” Gerard’s face fell. There was a pressure sensor.
“Okay, listen very carefully. I am going to open the trunk, but you can’t move, okay? I need you to stay absolutely still.”
“Okay,” said the boy in a frightened voice.
Gerard began to shake slightly, but took several deep breaths to calm down. He knew he had to stay calm. He looked around for anything he could use that would weigh about the same as the kid. He saw a Jeep nearby, and saw a spare tire on the back as usual. Perfect. He started over to it, making sure there were no explosives wired to it. He called up Mikey and told him to bring a wrench.
His brother arrived a few minutes later and helped him get the tire off of the car. Gerard reminded Brian not to move and pressed the button to open the trunk. He ran to grab the tire and checked his watch. He rolled the tire over to the car, but soon encountered a problem.
“It’s no good, Mike. Neither of us can lift it alone, and we still have to move the kid. We need one more person.”
“You mean like me?” asked a familiar voice. Bob ran up to them. “Sorry I’m late; I was on my way back from visiting Frank when Mikey called. What do y- Oh.” He saw the frightened look on the child’s face. He looked like he was about to cry.
“I’ll pick up the kid if you two get the tire,” said Gerard, checking his watch again. He still didn’t trust it; there had to be something else there. He watched as Mikey and Bob picked up the tire. He started to pick up Brian just as they began to place it in the trunk.
“1...2-” Mikey began. Gerard glanced at his watch.
They were out of time.
“Now!” he shouted. He grabbed the boy and held him close, trying to get as far away from the car as possible. He dropped to the floor and rolled behind a Hummer nearby as the Mercedes exploded.
He should have felt relieved that Brian was alive. He should have felt satisfied that a serial killer was dead.
But as he knelt there and gently placed the child on the ground, he felt nothing. Nothing but the sick sense of déjà vu.
“Yes?”
“Gee, it’s me,” said Mikey hurriedly. “I found something important.”
“Mike, I don’t have time for small talk. I think I’ve found the car the kid’s locked in, and-”
“Don’t go near it!” his brother nearly shouted into the phone.
“Why not?”
“That oily stuff was nitroglycerin. There’s probably a bomb hidden around there somewhere.” Gerard cursed to himself. It would be like Matt to do something like that.
“How much time is left on that meter, Mike?” There was a short pause.
“Five minutes. Get out of there, Gerard.”
“No. I’m not leaving without this kid.”
“Gee-” He hung up before Mikey could even start. He knelt to the ground and saw it beneath the car.
The smiling face of a joker stared back at him. It was taped to a black box containing several wires. He saw several small canisters of C-4 as well. This thing was an accident waiting to happen.
“Brian!” he shouted. He heard the faintest of whimpers in response. “Brian, I’m going to get you out of there, but you’re going to have to help me. Don’t be scared, okay?” he asked nervously. Gerard heard an affirmative response and immediately shot the car’s window out and grabbed one of the shards of glass. He crawled beneath the car and saw the dangerous explosives staring him in the face. The whole contraption hummed ominously. He recognized the way it was wired; there was only one wire that would disarm it, and time was quickly running out.
Gerard chose a wire and began sawing away at it with the glass. He accidentally cut himself several times, but focused on his work. He sliced through the last copper thread in the wire, hearing the sound of humming cease. He breathed a sigh of relief and crawled out from underneath the car. The timer was disabled.
“Brian? Are you okay?”
“Mm-hm. But there’s something hurting my back.” Gerard’s face fell. There was a pressure sensor.
“Okay, listen very carefully. I am going to open the trunk, but you can’t move, okay? I need you to stay absolutely still.”
“Okay,” said the boy in a frightened voice.
Gerard began to shake slightly, but took several deep breaths to calm down. He knew he had to stay calm. He looked around for anything he could use that would weigh about the same as the kid. He saw a Jeep nearby, and saw a spare tire on the back as usual. Perfect. He started over to it, making sure there were no explosives wired to it. He called up Mikey and told him to bring a wrench.
His brother arrived a few minutes later and helped him get the tire off of the car. Gerard reminded Brian not to move and pressed the button to open the trunk. He ran to grab the tire and checked his watch. He rolled the tire over to the car, but soon encountered a problem.
“It’s no good, Mike. Neither of us can lift it alone, and we still have to move the kid. We need one more person.”
“You mean like me?” asked a familiar voice. Bob ran up to them. “Sorry I’m late; I was on my way back from visiting Frank when Mikey called. What do y- Oh.” He saw the frightened look on the child’s face. He looked like he was about to cry.
“I’ll pick up the kid if you two get the tire,” said Gerard, checking his watch again. He still didn’t trust it; there had to be something else there. He watched as Mikey and Bob picked up the tire. He started to pick up Brian just as they began to place it in the trunk.
“1...2-” Mikey began. Gerard glanced at his watch.
They were out of time.
“Now!” he shouted. He grabbed the boy and held him close, trying to get as far away from the car as possible. He dropped to the floor and rolled behind a Hummer nearby as the Mercedes exploded.
He should have felt relieved that Brian was alive. He should have felt satisfied that a serial killer was dead.
But as he knelt there and gently placed the child on the ground, he felt nothing. Nothing but the sick sense of déjà vu.