1985

21.00

The bomb on the desk was set to blow in ten minutes. A helicopter circled the top of the building. Mike could see the gunner resting on his weapon.

'The order has still not come through to storm the building Carol, you must be very valuable to them.' said Dave.

'I knew you didn't have you, you were too weak to be part of something so powerful.'

'Power, is that what this is to you? Killing children. The only thing that kept me going was those moments with you. But to see you like this is a fate worse than death.'

'What we had was anti party, you corrupted me and corrupted yourself. All that matters is Big Brother. People are a commodity to be used to the greater end of the party.'

'You've become everything we hated.'

'I've woken up Dave. There is only one thing that matters and that is the will of the party. We need control, we have to terminate the family so people realise they can only love one thing, Big Brother. This is the only way, only you are not brave enough to live it.'

'Dave pointed to the clock, three minutes remained.

'Freedom of thought Dave. What did it get you? It sent you mad.' said Carol.

'Somewhere in that sick skull is Carol, underneath this mask.' said Mike, he pulled the gag back on her mouth.

'I don't love Big Brother. I love you.' Mike heard a commotion and turned to the window, there was movement outside. A helicopter banked, tilted to show it's gun to the pyramid. Dave could see down the barrel It let lose a wall of bullets, shredding through the glass of the building.

Dave dived to the floor but was hit in his side, blood flicked onto his face and he fell to the floor. The bullets swept through the building as the helicopter released thousands of rounds. A wave of destruction evaporated as chairs glass, concrete and plaster flew into the air. The sound deafening, gunpowder and scorched plastic vapours mixed with smoke.

The bullets stopped, the helicopter shone a searchlight through the floor. Dave looked up and the detonator was destroyed, he looked over and Ann was gone.

Dave propped himself up onto the bomb. He inspected the wound and it was seeping dark black blood. He looked back up and Ann was standing over him. She got onto a radio.

'This is Ann get that chopper to pick me up from the top of the pyramid. The detonator has been destroyed and everyone else here is dead.' said Ann.

'That's right Carol. We are all dead.' said Dave. 

'It's wonderful to see you like this Dave. You know how they broke me, they told me you raped me. I didn't believe it first but the more I thought about the more I realised what you were. And here you are, dying like the animal you are.' said Ann.

'It was worse for me Carol. They beat the love out of me, conditioned me with dogs and bats. It took what felt like years. I've dared not think of a woman since.' said Dave.

'Good, you disgust me.' Said Carol, she spat at Dave.

'It's liberating to know we're all as good as dead Carol, to see you like this I feel relieved, we're better off dead you and I'.

'You're dead Dave. I have a show to put on. And it's Ann.'

Ann turned away as the chopper aligned with an opening in the glass wall. Dave watched as she walked away.

Dave was delirious, bleeding to death. He rolled on to his stomach and screamed out.
'Carol is dead, I am dead, you are right Ann. There's only one person left to kill on this floor, and that's you.'

Ann turned back to look at Dave. Dave reached up to the bomb's detonator, he had his taser in his hand. He stuffed it into the electrics of the detonator.

'No!' screamed Ann.'

Dave pulled the trigger. Boom, the bomb went off. Dave was engulfed by the flames of the initial explosion, the wall of fire then sucked in Ann, instantly vaporizing her skin and turning her into a back husk. The wall of fire blew out the whole floor.

The chopper took the brute force of the blast. Fire wrapped into its innards and the force turned the propeller into bent metal. It span through the air and collided with a tower block before sinking into the floor wrapped in a cloud of flame.

Frank was at the base of the building he watched the explosion at the top of the pyramid and chopper crash into the street, the flames reflected in the shades of his sunglasses.

He put the radio to his mouth. 'Bad news, we've lost a chopper and Ann.' He turned to get into a waiting car. 'Good news is the terrorists grossly overestimated the power their weapon. The top floor will need a lick of paint but the building is completely intact.'