The Fatal One-Handed Defusal

My fiances protg, Richard, loved showing off his one?handed bomb disposal.
When he actually tried it, he failed. The timer raced wildly. He dropped his tools and ran.
I went in, saved the hostage, and was decorated for bravery. Richard was publicly shamed and investigated. My fiance wanted to defend him, but I warned her: If you speak up, youll lose your promotion and be torn apart online.
Under the pressure, Richard jumped to his death. His suicide note bitterly blamed her. She burned it in silence.
Over the years, she rose from field officer to a legend. Then I was taken hostage. She came to disarm the bomb on my chestone?handed.
Her eyes icy, she said, See? It can be done with one hand. Then she whispered, Why did you all drive Richard to die? If Id protected him, hed be here, not me.
The bomb exploded. I died instantly.
When I opened my eyes again, I was watching her move heaven and earth for Richard.
She never knew: the hostage was the mayors son.
1
I woke up on the day Richard was showing off his one-handed trick.
The first thing I did was turn off my phone. Then I slept until dawn.
The next morning, I turned it back on. Sure enough, over a hundred missed calls.
In my past life, Richard knew hed screwed up big time and had called me in a panic, begging me to come clean up his mess. I had just gotten home after disarming three separate bombs, barely an hour of rest under my belt. But I still drove back through the pouring rain, pulling an all-nighter to defuse the device.
That was the only reason the hostages family, Mayor Thompson himself, didnt press charges against Richard. He got away with a slap on the wrist, an internal reprimand. If he could have just weathered the public criticism, he might have even kept his job.
But my fiance, Ava, had sheltered him his whole life. Hed never faced a real storm. The wave of public outrage was too much for him, and he chose to jump.
This time, when I arrived at the scene, Richard was slumped beside the command vehicle, his face a mask of panic.
The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up with a flicker of hope, quickly replaced by rage.
"I called you dozens of times last night! Why didn't you answer?" he yelled, scrambling to his feet. "An officer's phone has to be on at all times, that's basic protocol! You knew there was a bomb call, and everyone in the department knows you're the most experienced guy we have. And you pick last night to turn off your phone? Alex, what the hell is your game?"
CRACK.
My hand cracked across his face.
I looked down at him, my voice dripping with ice. "Have you lost your mind, Richard?"
Officers from other units, drawn by the commotion, started to gather.
I raised my voice so they could all hear. "You were on duty last night, Richard. Not me."
The color drained from his face. "This is a life-or-death situation, and you're talking about whose shift it is? You never turn your phone off, but you did yesterday? Alex, if you've got a problem with me, fine, but don't take it out on the hostage!"
He spun it so well, making himself sound righteous. A few of the newer guys who didn't know the full story started whispering, probably thinking I'd deliberately bailed to let the rookie crash and burn.
Before I could even respond, one of my own guys stepped in. "Shut your mouth, Richard! Do you have any idea that Alex dealt with three bombs back-to-back yesterday? He survived on two bites of a protein bar in between! You sit in an office all day while we're out in the field. You have no clue how exhausted he is."
"He got home at one in the morning," another added, his voice sharp with anger. "His phone was probably dead, and he passed out. What's the problem?"
Even one of Richards own teammates couldn't stand it. "Let it go, Richard. It wasn't Alex's shift. We just got unlucky."
Richard staggered back and collapsed onto the ground, his lips trembling.
"What is all this commotion!"
The booming voice of the Police Chief cut through the tension. He stormed toward us, Ava at his side, her face a thundercloud.
I was about to speak.
But she didn't even glance at me. She walked straight to Richard, bent down, and helped him to his feet. "Don't be afraid," she murmured, her voice soft and protective. "I'll help you. You'll be fine."
The Chief ordered the crowd to disperse. He pulled me aside, the professional calm he'd shown moments before shattering into raw panic. "Alex! I know this has nothing to do with you, but you have to disarm that bomb! That's the mayor's son in there! If he dies, every single one of us, from the top down, you included, is finished!"
I let out a slow breath.
The truth was, I only dared to turn off my phone because I knew my team could contain the situation temporarily. Even if I slept in and came later, I'd still have time.
But I needed this leverage. I needed things to get this bad so I could set my terms.
I looked the Chief straight in the eye. "Chief, this isn't just on Richard. Ava is just as responsible."
He blinked, confused.
I handed him a document signed by Ava. "She's the one who officially approved Richard's one-handed 'technique' for field use."
I leaned in, my voice low and firm. "We're risking our necks to clean up their mess. Chief, I can handle the bomb. But the people responsible need to be held accountable. Both of them."
I placed my hands on the command center table. "If you don't deal with Ava, this will happen again. And next time, I can't guarantee I'll be able to save everyone."
The Chief's face grew heavy. Ava was his protg, his hand-picked successor since her days at the Academy. But with the entire department on the line, he couldn't afford to play favorites. Besides, right now, I was the only person who could save Mayor Thompsons son, Leo.
Sensing his hesitation, I pressed harder. "The bomb has less than ten minutes on the clock. I'm about to walk in there and risk my life because of their recklessness."
His eyes widened. He slammed the file down on the table. "This is absolute madness! I trusted her, and this is how she repays me? Unbelievable!" He looked at me, his decision made. "Don't worry. I'm rejecting her commendation for distinguished service, and her promotion application is going in the shredder. From now on, she's on desk duty. She's never touching a live scene again."
I nodded and signed the consent form to approach the bomb.
And just like that, the glittering career path Ava had in my last lifethe one that led her right to the topwas cut short.
2
With the experience from my past life, I had the bomb on Leo Thompson under control in minutes.
But as I disarmed the main charge, the world went black, and I collapsed. My colleagues rushed me to the hospital.
In the middle of the night, a sharp, chemical scent flooded my nostrils, and consciousness slipped away completely.
I don't know how much time passed before I managed to pry my eyes open again.
My right hand was chained to a metal table, the cold iron biting into my wrist. In the dim light, I could just make out a familiar silhouette.
"Ava!"
The hand gripping my wrist flinched.
I was tied to a chair, and I struggled with all my might. "Ava, it's you, isn't it? Let's talk about this. Please, let me go! I saved Richard!"
She was silent for a moment before letting out a soft, mournful sigh. "You saved him from the mayor's wrath, Alex, but you let everyone else blame him."
"I'm sorry, Alex," she whispered, her voice laced with a terrifying resolve. "If you really want to help him, you have to sacrifice your hand."
"As long as everyone thinks you messed up the disarming, and that Richard was the one who secretly saved the day, he can start over."
"I'll doctor the records. I'll handle the guys on the team. Please, Alex. Just help me this one time."
I stared at her, my mind reeling in disbelief. "Ava! Do you have any idea what you're saying?"
Suddenly, she raised a heavy metal tool. I yanked back against my restraints, a raw panic seizing me. "I'm a cop! If you cripple my hand, my career is over!"
The tool paused in mid-air. The dim light caught a flicker of hesitation, of pity, in her eyes.
"Don't be afraid, Alex," she said softly. "I'll take care of you for the rest of our lives."
"Wait!" I screamed, my voice raw. "If you do this, you're finished too!"
She shook her head gently. "Chief Miller brought me in. He won't abandon me. I'll still be able to wear this uniform, and I'll always be here to protect you."
"He's already abandoned you!"
Her body went rigid, but she forced a brittle smile. "No, he wouldn't."
CRUNCH.
A scream of pure agony was torn from my throat as an explosion of pain shattered my senses.
For her protg, for Richard, she had actually done it.
My right hand was completely numb. I couldn't bring myself to look at it, couldn't bear to imagine what was left.
"It's over now, Alex. Don't be afraid." She gently wrapped a towel around my mangled wrist. She even leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to the ruined flesh.
"I'll always be with you," she promised. "I swear."
"Get out," I gasped, the words barely forming.
"Alex."
"I told you to GET THE HELL OUT!"
She slowly released me and took a step back. "I'm sorry, Alex. But you'll have to stay here until this is all over."
Her voice hardened. "Richard's reputation can't be destroyed."
Tears of bitter laughter streamed down my face. "You're that afraid I'll tell the truth?"
"I'm sorry."
With that, she closed the door, plunging me into absolute darkness. My consciousness began to fray, sinking into a chaotic void.
3
The next time I woke up, it was to Ava shaking me violently.
"Alex! Wake up! The bomb on Leo Thompsonit's active again! Why is it active? You said you disarmed it!"
My right arm was still a dead weight, a useless appendage that no longer felt like part of me. I looked at the frantic woman before me and let out a cold, empty laugh.
"A device that complex needs follow-up, Ava. You don't just snip one wire and call it a day."
"You!" She grabbed my arm, her nails digging in. "Why didn't you say so before!?"
Then, as if remembering something, she seized my left hand and started dragging me toward the door. "Come on! We have to go stabilize it! If we don't, Richard's life is over!"
"Ava!" I roared, planting my feet with every ounce of strength I had left. "MY HAND IS BROKEN!"
She froze. Her eyes slowly traveled down to my mangled right arm.
Her pupils constricted in horror.
"It's okay," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "You can do it with one hand."
She stared into my eyes, clinging to that thought like a drowning woman to a piece of driftwood. "You're so good at this. You can do it with one hand, right?"
SMACK!
This time, it was my left hand that struck her face.
My whole body was shaking uncontrollably. "Do you actually believe that 'one-handed' bullshit Richard spouts?"
Her eyes lost focus. "No Richard said it was possible," she mumbled to herself.
She suddenly grabbed my broken hand, ignoring the convulsion of pain that shot through me. "Try, Alex. Please, just try? If you don't go, Richard is really finished!"
Just then
BANG!
The door exploded inward, kicked off its hinges.
A tall, imposing figure stood in the doorway, his face a mask of terrifying fury.
"What the hell," Mayor Thompson growled, his voice laced with murder, "have you done to my son?"
Behind him, flanked by two bodyguards, was Richard, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth.
My eyes found the man standing behind the mayor. "Chief."
Chief Miller's gaze fell on my shattered right hand, and he froze, his face a picture of stunned horror.
Mayor Thompson's hand landed heavily on the Chief's shoulder. "Are you two going to tell me what happened," he said, his voice dangerously low, "or do I have to find out for myself?"
The Chief flinched.
I raised my left hand and pointed at Richard. "It was him. He insisted on trying a one-handed disarm and re-armed the trigger by mistake!"
"You're lying!" the Chief suddenly shouted, cutting me off. His eyes were wild. "It was you! You got cocky, tried to show off with the one-handed trick! When you failed, you crushed your own hand to frame Officer Richard!"
I stared at him, my mind reeling.
He moved closer, hissing at me under his breath. "I'm sorry, Alex. Your hand is already ruined. Richard has a bright future. The deal's off."
The last trace of civility vanished from Mayor Thompson's face.
"Get four SUVs," he ordered his men. "We're going to tie this piece of trash's limbs to them."
His eyes burned into me. "Let's see how many pieces a man can be torn into."
His gaze flickered to my limp right arm, and a cruel smirk twisted his lips. "Ah, I forgot. One hand is already useless."
"Tie the rope around his neck instead."
The bodyguards actually produced ropes and began tying my limbsand my neckto four separate SUVs. I struggled wildly, but Ava was beside me, whispering placatingly. "Just hang in there, Alex. The mayor is just trying to scare you. He won't really hurt you."
She hadn't even finished her sentence when Richard let out a cry of pain. Without a second thought, Ava spun around and rushed to his side.
The engines roared to life. I used the last of my strength to scream, "THE PERSON WHO ENDANGERED YOUR SON ISN'T ME! I HAVE PROOF!"
Mayor Thompson's eyes narrowed. He shot his hand up.
All four engines cut out instantly.
He walked toward me until he was looming over me, his face inches from mine. "You have one chance."

First, search for and download the MotoNovel app from Google. Then, open the app and use the code "323078" to read the entire book.