Chapter 30

"BEAUTIFUL," Malcolm whispered, his eyes narrowed through surgeon's operating lenses at the bomb on the kitchen table.

With still hands, he twisted the thin red and green wires that ran from the explosive brick into the terminal on the blasting cap and molded the soft, puttylike C-4 into the frame of the briefcase¹. "It's a shame to have to blow this up," he exclaimed, admiring his own work.

Michelle had come into the room and she placed a hand tremulously on Mal's shoulder. He knew this scared the shit out of her - wiring the thing, current and charges going everywhere.

"Relax, honey. No juice, no boost. It's the most stable thing in the world right now."

Julia was on the floor, listening to the TV, the auburn wig² ditched after her assignment last night. There was a news interruption about the murder at the Clift. "Listen." She turned it up.

"While police are not yet linking Bengosian's death to Sunday's bombing at the home of a prominent Bay Area tycoon³, sources say there is evidence to connect the two inci-dents, and they are looking for an attractive brunette female in her early to mid-twenties who was seen entering the hotel with George Bengosian."

Julia turned down the volume. "Attractive?" She grinned. "Honey, they will never know. Whatya think." She covered herself in the wig and struck a modeling pose.

Michelle pretended to laugh, but inside, she wished she hadn't been so stupid as to leave that goddamn inhaler lying around. She wasn't like Julia, who had killed a man last night looking right in his eyes. And now she was laughing about it, gloating.

"Mica⁴, honey." Malcolm turned around. "I need you to be a brave girl and place your finger on this spot." He taped the wired blasting cap to the soft C-4 and molded in the rigged cell phone. "This is the delicate part. I just need you to hold the green and red wires, baby, so they don't cross.... That would be very bad."

Mal always made fun of her. Just a Wisconsin cheese head, he would say with a laugh. But she had proved herself. She put her finger on the wire, trying to show that she was brave. She wasn't a farm girl anymore.

"Nothing to get worried about." Malcolm winked⁵, seeing her unease. "All that drama about crossing the wires, that's for the movies. Now what is certifiably hairy is that I set these little wires to the ringer, not the phone battery; other-wise, they'll be picking up our parts as far away as Eau St. Claire." Her hometown.

Michelle's finger was trembling. She didn't know if he was toying with her or not.

"Done." Malcolm finally exhaled⁶, pushing the lenses up onto his brow. He wheeled back in the chair. "Juiced, as they say, and revved⁷ up to roar. Blow the dome⁸ right off of City Hall. Come to think of it, that's not a bad idea.

"Think we should take her out for a little test drive?" Mal said. "Whatya say?" Michelle hesitated. "C'mon," he said, grinning, "you look like you've seen a ghost."

He handed her a second cell phone. "Number's already punched in. Just remember, it's just a toy until the fourth ring. That's a no-no. You don't want to hear the fourth ring. Take the wheel, honey.... Let her rip."

Michelle shook her head and handed it back to him. Mal merely grinned.

"C'mon, nothing to worry about. No juice, no boost. It's all set up."

Michelle took a deep breath and pressed the SEND button, just to show she could. A second later, the phone wired to the bomb jangled.

"Contact." Malcolm winked.

A chill shot through her. Mal was so confident. He had it all planned. But things could go wrong. In the Middle East, Palestinian bombers⁹ blew themselves up all the time.

Beep. Her eyes went to the briefcase. Second ring. She tried to look calm, but her hand was shaking. "Malcolm, please." She tried to give it back. "You see it works. I don't like this, please...."

"Please, what, Mica?" Malcolm held her wrist. "You don't trust me?"

The bomb phone jangled again. Third ring...

Michelle's blood went cold. "Cut it out, Mal." She fumbled¹⁰ for the disconnect button.

The next ring was contact. "Malcolm, please, you're scar-ing me."

Instead of complying, Mal pinned her hand. All of a sudden she didn't know what was going on. "Jesus, Mal, it's about to -"

Beep. Fourth ring.

The sound split the room like a scream. Michelle's gaze locked on the phone. On the bomb.

It began to vibrate. Oh shit... She looked into Malcolm's eyes.

A buzzer¹¹ sounded.

No explosion. No flash. Just a sharp click.

On the blasting cap.

Malcolm was grinning. He lifted the disengaged cap he'd been holding. "I told you, baby. No juice, no boost. So what'd you think? I think it drives just fine."

Michelle's body relaxed. Inside, she was screaming. She wanted to punch Malcolm in the face. But she was too spent. Sweat was pouring through her T-shirt.

Malcolm took the blasting cap and wheeled the chair back over to the device. "You think I was gonna set this beauty off?" He shook his head. "Fat chance, baby. She's got important work to do. This bomb is going to blow the minds of everybody in San Francisco."

1 briefcase   

n.手提箱，公事皮包

参考例句：

• He packed a briefcase with what might be required.他把所有可能需要的东西都装进公文包。
• He requested the old man to look after the briefcase.他请求那位老人照看这个公事包。

2 wig   

n.假发

参考例句：

• The actress wore a black wig over her blond hair.那个女演员戴一顶黑色假发罩住自己的金黄色头发。
• He disguised himself with a wig and false beard.他用假发和假胡须来乔装。

3 tycoon   

n.有钱有势的企业家，大亨

参考例句：

• The tycoon is on the verge of bankruptcy.那名大亨濒临破产的边缘。
• The tycoon has many servants to minister to his needs.那位大亨有很多人服侍他。

4 mica   

n.云母

参考例句：

• It could not pass through material impervious to water such as mica.它不能通过云母这样的不透水的物质。
• Because of its layered structure,mica is fissile.因为是层状结构，云母很容易分成片。

5 winked   

v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮

参考例句：

• He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼，她便知道他的想法和她一样。
• He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 exhaled   

v.呼出，发散出( exhale的过去式和过去分词 )；吐出（肺中的空气、烟等），呼气

参考例句：

• He sat back and exhaled deeply. 他仰坐着深深地呼气。
• He stamped his feet and exhaled a long, white breath. 跺了跺脚，他吐了口长气，很长很白。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

7 revved   

v.（使）加速( rev的过去式和过去分词 )；（数量、活动等）激增；（使发动机）快速旋转；（使）活跃起来

参考例句：

• The taxi driver revved up his engine. 出租车司机把发动机发动起来。
• The car revved up and roared away. 汽车发动起来，然后轰鸣着开走了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 dome   

n.圆屋顶，拱顶

参考例句：

• The dome was supported by white marble columns.圆顶由白色大理石柱支撑着。
• They formed the dome with the tree's branches.他们用树枝搭成圆屋顶。

9 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 fumbled   

（笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下

参考例句：

• She fumbled in her pocket for a handkerchief. 她在她口袋里胡乱摸找手帕。
• He fumbled about in his pockets for the ticket. 他（瞎）摸着衣兜找票。

11 buzzer   

n.蜂鸣器；汽笛

参考例句：

• The buzzer went off at eight o'clock.蜂鸣器在8点钟时响了。
• Press the buzzer when you want to talk.你想讲话的时候就按蜂鸣器。