72 Hours: A Ticking Time Bomb

{-CHAPTER FOURTEEN-}

Otto was stood, pointing a gun at Mahmood! Michael had to stay strong. He knew what was at steak.

It was now or never...

"Hey Otto!" He called out. Otto turned around to see Michael stood there with his hands on his hips.

"Ah, look who came to join the party!" Otto chuckled.

"Why did you do this? Kidnap Duncan Laurence? Kidnap us all for us to save him? Pretend your someone else to get out of trouble?" Michael asked with a little bit of a tremble.

Otto chuckled.

"Oh, Michael. You don't understand, do you? I was born a misfit! I was poor, I had no friends. People like you have everything! Me, coming from a small town in Israel didn't help my case!... But I had one thing.... Music! Music and singing and songwriting! Ah! I just loved it! I wanted to represent Israel n 2018!... But they chose Netta. I didn't give up. 2019 would be my year for sure.... But it wasn't! Kobi took everything from me, so I'm taking it all from him, along with you and your little friends..." Otto chuckled.

"We did nothing to you!" Michael cried out. Otto just laughed.

"You're a smart boy aren't you, Michael? You know, we'd be a great team!" Otto said mid laugh. Michael stared directly into Otto's eyes.

"If what you're implying is that I join you? Then forget it! I'm not gonna join you when you are trying to kill people!" Michael said confidently.

Before anything else could happen, the building began to shake. Small pieces of the wall came crumbling! Michael realized what was going to happen....

"WARNING! Building will SELF DESTRUCT in TEN MINUTES!"

Michael saw everyone else standing under him.

"Everyone! You all need to evacuate! The building is gonna blow! You need to leave!" Michael cried out.

"No! We're not leaving you!" John cried.

"It's okay.... It'll be alright!" Michael smiled faintly.

....

"I'm going up there to save him!" John cried. Damiano grabbed his hand.

"John.... It's for the best.... He's doing this to protect us!" Damiano trembled.

"No man left behind? WE'RE NOT LEAVING MICHAEL BEHIND!" John cried. That's when another piece of the building fell from the platform Michael was standing on. John saw Michael... He was hanging on the platform with one hand and with the other, he was holding Mahmood's!

"MICHAEL!!!!" John cried out. "Say what you want. I'm not leaving him behind!" He took a breath as he ran for the scene.

.......

Michael ran to untie Mahmood from the pole. He dodged Otto's swings of his fists as he tried knocking Michael off his feet.

Michael reached Mahmood. He opened his eyes.

"Michael..."

That's when the ground began to collapse to the point where Michael was hanging onto the edge of the balcony above the crumbling building! Mahmood was holding onto Michael's hand while Michael's other hand was trying to hold on tight to the edge.

"Michael..... I'm not gonna make it ... Let me go....." Mahmood trembled.

"No! No man left behind! The bracelet Otto has is gonna help you! Please!" Michael cried. But it was too late.... Mahmood had let go of Michael's hand and fallen to the bottom of the building.