A Display of Gifts
Haley B and Claire gasped as Derek revealed he had a ticking bomb in his body. "Victor… Is that a real bomb?" Claire stammered. She left her seat and backed away in panic. Haley B's face showed signs of alarm, but she didn't budge from her position.
'I will die one day or another,' she told herself. 'But I'll be lucky if it happens beside the man I love.'
Victor didn't respond to Claire's question. He was convinced beyond doubt it was a genuine bomb. His piercing eyes narrowed, analyzing the blinking light on Derek's abdomen. The monolith leader had implanted a nano-bomb under his skin that could take down the entire building in an explosion.