Shadows of Mr Black

The final Countdown

**Scene 3: Heathrow Airport – The Final Countdown**

**Location:** Heathrow Airport, London. 
**Time Remaining:** Less than 3 hours.

**[The scene opens inside Heathrow Airport’s emergency command center, a temporary setup in a secured part of the airport. It’s a chaotic hub of activity. The FBI’s Section Chief James Mercer is coordinating with British authorities, including MI5, Scotland Yard, and airport security. The atmosphere is thick with tension as the clock continues to tick down.]**

**[Large digital clocks display the countdown prominently, underscoring the urgency. On one wall, a map of the airport highlights the areas where bombs have been found. Seven red dots are marked, representing the neutralized explosives. But the rest of the map remains ominously blank.]**

**Agent Sarah Coleman:** 
*"Seven bombs down, but we’re running out of time, Chief. The sweep teams are stretched thin, and the airport’s refusal to shut down operations is making this a logistical nightmare."* 
*She’s scanning through reports from the ground teams, her frustration evident as she tries to process the flood of information.*

**Section Chief Mercer:** 
*"I know, Sarah. We’re doing the best we can, but with the airport still operational, we can’t risk mass panic. We’re working under the radar—literally and figuratively. Any word from the sniffer teams?"*

**Agent Daniel Briggs (Tech Specialist):** 
*"They’re covering as much ground as they can, but Heathrow’s a massive complex. We’ve got K9 units, EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) teams, and drones running thermal scans, but it’s like finding needles in a goddamn haystack."* 
*He’s hunched over his laptop, monitoring live feeds from the teams, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he tries to coordinate the different units.*

**[The tension in the room spikes as Mercer’s phone buzzes with an incoming notification. He checks the screen—another video message from Mr. Black. The room falls silent as he plugs the phone into the main display, projecting the video onto the large monitor.]**

**[The screen flickers to life, revealing Mr. Black once again, still masked, but this time with a more relaxed demeanor. He seems almost amused by the situation.]**

**Mr. Black (on screen):** 
*"Ah, greetings again, my diligent friends. Seven bombs disarmed already? Impressive, truly. You’ve exceeded my expectations. But, alas, if you’ve forgotten your arithmetic, there were 15 bombs to start with, and I believe that leaves you with... what? Eight more to find? Tsk tsk, you’re running out of time."*

**[He leans back, his voice dripping with mockery and a twisted sense of humor.]**

**Mr. Black (on screen):** 
*"Oh, did I mention? I’m feeling particularly devilish today. So let’s up the stakes, shall we? Instead of the three hours you thought you had, let’s make it... 45 minutes. Yes, that sounds much more exciting, don’t you think? What’s that? Not fair? But, my dears, when has the devil ever played fair?"* 
*He gives a mocking bow and the screen cuts to black.*

**[The room explodes into frantic activity as the gravity of the situation sinks in. Mercer’s face hardens, his mind racing to reassess their strategy. Agent Coleman slams her fist on the table, her frustration boiling over.]**

**Agent Coleman:** 
*"Damn it! This is a setup! He’s playing us like puppets. We need to shut down the airport, now!"*

**Section Chief Mercer:** 
*"We don’t have time for a full evacuation, Sarah. It would take hours to clear the terminals. We’d never make it."* 
*He turns to Agent Briggs, who is already pulling up the schematics of the airport on the secondary screen.*

**Agent Briggs:** 
*"We need to focus on high-traffic areas—security checkpoints, baggage claims, transit lounges. That’s where the bombs are most likely to be. But with 45 minutes... it’s almost impossible."*

**[Mercer takes a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm under the pressure. He knows the odds are stacked against them, but he’s not about to let Mr. Black win.]**

**Section Chief Mercer:** 
*"Briggs, get me direct comms with all EOD teams. I want real-time updates on every sweep. And get in touch with MI5—tell them we need to escalate this to COBRA."*

**[COBRA (Cabinet Office Briefing Room A) is the British government's emergency response committee, called in during national crises. The mention of it sends a ripple of seriousness through the room.]**

**Agent Briggs:** 
*"On it."* 
*He grabs his headset, issuing rapid-fire orders into the mic, coordinating the various teams on the ground.*

**[Agent Coleman isn’t done yet. She’s already on her feet, pacing as she considers their options.]**

**Agent Coleman:** 
*"We need to narrow down our search radius. What if we triangulate the bomb placements based on the seven we’ve already found? There has to be a pattern—a method to his madness."*

**[Mercer nods, appreciating her quick thinking.]**

**Section Chief Mercer:** 
*"Good idea. Briggs, run a predictive analysis based on the bomb locations. Cross-reference it with known Black Clover tactics and see if we can pinpoint the remaining devices."*

**[Briggs’ fingers fly across the keyboard as he pulls up the necessary data, overlaying maps, patterns, and predictive models. The tension in the room is palpable as everyone waits for the analysis to complete. Finally, Briggs looks up, his face a mix of relief and concern.]**

**Agent Briggs:** 
*"Got it. There’s a clustering pattern around Terminal 5 and the Underground stations. If we’re right, that’s where the remaining bombs are likely hidden."*

**Section Chief Mercer:** 
*"Alright, listen up. I want all available units converging on Terminal 5 and the Underground. We’ve got 45 minutes to clear this area and neutralize those bombs. Coleman, you’re with me—we’re taking command from the field."*

**[Coleman nods, grabbing her gear as she prepares to head out. The urgency is clear in her voice.]**

**Agent Coleman:** 
*"Let’s move, people! We’re not letting this bastard win!"*

**[The scene shifts to the hectic rush of agents mobilizing, grabbing equipment, and coordinating their movements. The camera follows Mercer and Coleman as they head towards the airport’s control center, their expressions grim but determined.]**

**[As the countdown clock ticks closer to zero, the camera pans out to show the vast expanse of Heathrow Airport, the tension reaching its peak as the team races against time to prevent a catastrophe.]**

**Fade Out.**