The Castle School of Self-Defense

Chapter 17 - Escape

0130hrs
7th November
Bomb Room

The timer glowed ominously: 00:00:15.

William's hands were steady, but his heart pounded like a drum. Sweat trickled down his forehead as his fingers closed around the wire cutters. He'd narrowed it down to two wires—one would deactivate the bomb, the other would send them all to their doom.

"Yellow or green," he muttered under his breath.

"William, you don't have time to overthink this," Sam urged, his voice tense. "From my knowledge, it's yellow, but don't trust what I say."

Charlotte, propped against the wall with a faint sheen of sweat on her face, met his gaze. Her voice, though weak, was steady. "You've got this. I trust you. Pick which one you think is the best."

Her words bolstered him, pushing aside the crippling fear. With a sharp exhale, William cut the yellow wire.

The timer flickered. For one agonizing moment, nothing happened. Then the countdown froze at 00:00:03.

William let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "It stopped," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Sam let out a sigh of relief and clapped him on the shoulder, the tension in his body easing. "Good work, kid. You just saved all our lives, the whole of Washington D.C, and the President himself."

Charlotte gave him a faint smile, limped forward, though she was still visibly in pain, and gave William a big hug. "Told you I trusted you." She said.

Sam wasted no time. "We're not out of this yet. That door is still locked tight." He grabbed a satchel from the corner of the room, pulling out several small explosives.

William raised an eyebrow. "You just carry those around?"

Sam smirked. "You'd be surprised what comes in handy in my line of work."

While William helped Charlotte to her feet, Sam set the charges against the heavy metal door that had sealed them inside. He adjusted the timer on his portable detonator and motioned for the others to move back.

"Stay close to the wall and cover your ears," he instructed.

The explosion ripped through the room with a deafening roar. Shards of metal and debris flew outward, leaving a gaping hole where the door once stood. Smoke filled the air, but the path was clear.

"Let's move!" Sam barked.

William carried Charlotte while Sam navigated the corridors, retracing their steps through the enemy base. The sounds of distant alarms and muffled voices echoed in the background, but they encountered no resistance.

When they finally emerged into the night, the cool air was a stark contrast to the oppressive heat of the base. A black SUV awaited them, its engine idling. "Hop in!" The driver said quickly once he spotted them.

The drive to the CIA headquarters was tense but silent. Sam sat in the driver's seat, his eyes scanning the rearview mirror for signs of pursuit. William cradled Charlotte in the backseat, his arm around her shoulders to keep her steady.

"You're going to be okay," he murmured, his voice soft.

Charlotte leaned against him, her breathing shallow but even. "I've been through worse," she said weakly, though her attempt at humor fell flat.

"You're strong, Charlotte, and I admire that about you."

Charlotte gave William a faint smile before falling asleep in his arms.

When they reached the headquarters, a team of medics was already waiting. Immediately, Charlotte was whisked away on a stretcher, while William stayed close behind. Sam decided to stay behind to debrief the CIA operatives, his face grim.

0800hrs
7th November
CIA Security Bunker

William found himself sitting in a high-security bunker deep beneath the building. The sterile walls and reinforced steel door were a stark reminder of Safety Bunker Number 1 back in the Castle School of Self-Defense. Charlotte lay on a cot nearby, her whole body bandaged as though she became a mummy from Egypt and an IV drip in place. A nurse came in to check her vitals and administer medication. The moment she saw the state that Charlotte was in, she let out a gasp before hurrying to try to fix Charlotte up.

William hadn't left her side since they'd arrived. He watched her with a mix of admiration and guilt, replaying the events in his mind.

"You're staring at me, if you didn't realize," Charlotte said suddenly, her voice tired but amused.

William blinked, startled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay," she interrupted, giving him a faint smile. "I'm glad you're here."

His cheeks flushed, but he didn't look away. "I just... I can't believe what you've been through. And you're still cracking jokes."

Charlotte chuckled, though the effort made her wince. "Pain is temporary. Survival is what matters."

The nurse finished her work and left, leaving the two of them alone. The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the air vents and the buzzing of the lights.

William hesitated, then reached out to take her uninjured hand in his. "Charlotte, I don't think I've ever told you this, but you're the strongest person I've ever met."

Her eyes softened, and she squeezed his hand weakly. "You're not so bad yourself, William. You saved all our lives!"

He shook his head. "No, I mean it. You saved me—again and again, even if it meant getting injured and tortured. And even after everything they did to you, you're still here, still fighting for your life and for me."

A faint blush crept across her cheeks as she shed a single tear. "It's not just strength," she admitted. "It's...... also knowing that you're here too. I couldn't do this without you."

William's heart swelled at her words, and he tightened his grip on her hand. "We're a team," he said firmly. "And I'm not going anywhere."

Charlotte tried her best to give William the biggest smile she could. Although it wasn't much, William felt it close to his heart.

As Charlotte drifted off to sleep, exhaustion finally overtaking her, William sat back and closed his eyes. The events of the past days weighed heavily on him, but her resilience inspired him to keep going.

Sam entered the room quietly, his expression unreadable. "How's she doing?"

"She's strong," William replied, his voice filled with admiration.

Sam nodded and smiled, a flicker of pride crossing his face. "She gets that from her mother."

William glanced at him, curiosity piqued. "You don't talk about her much."

"Maybe one day," Sam said, his tone softer than usual. "For now, just take care of her. She'll need you in the days ahead."

As the door closed behind Sam, William looked back at Charlotte. He didn't know what the future held, but one thing was certain—he would do whatever it took to protect her, and he knew that she would do the same.