How Heroes are created 15

Mike looked at the valves on which Chalid had been standing when he had knocked him out. There were only four wheels, but unfortunately, none of them was marked. On the side wall, there was about a dozen more valves, but he guessed that since the Arab had been busy with one of the big ones, these were those he had to concentrate on.

»Can I help you?«

It was Manu who obviously thought that David was enough to have an eye on the three criminals. Though he had already seen her in the nude, he liked how she looked in Isabelle`s panties and the tight T-Shirt over her braless breasts. However, he had to concentrate on the girl`s knowledge now.

»Do you know the cave? I mean, have you been there?«

Manu shook her head, but then, she seemed to remember something:

»Laila has been there – for days, chained to a wall!«

The girl shuddered, but then forced herself to continue:

»She told us that the cave was flooded twice a day – and that somehow, they could regulate how much water came in. Once, they flooded it completely, almost drowning her!«

A grin that didn`t fit the horrifying story built on Mike`s face. He began to understand how the floodgate worked: The boats had entered when the flood had risen and then, they had closed the gate completely, so the cave would be accessible. And now, once the water had withdrawn enough, they hat to lower the door, so the boats could pass.

Mike guessed that the hydraulic system was rather simple, given the fact that it was some 80 years old and still worked. Still, he had no idea how the valves worked, but he guessed that by opening one of them, water would flood a tank at the gate and thus lower it. A plan began to form in his head.

»Manu, for the second time within a few minutes, you brought us closer to victory! This information is maybe worth pure gold!«

He kissed the girl´s forehead and she smiled wryly.

»So, I am more than just a distraction for horny criminals?«

»You are a distraction for every man that can see!«, Mike answered with a hoarse voice and licked his lips when he let his eyes wander down to her ample boobs. Manu blushed, but she also giggled and hit his arm.

»Chauvinistic idiot!«

»I`ve been called worse!«

Then, he became serious again and once more looked at the valves. He was almost sure that the Arab had had his hands on the one on the right and when he tested it, he found that it could only be turned to one side. So, it had either been fully opened or was still fully closed.

»50:50«, he thought. »Either, it is closed and we have quite a good position for negotiations. Or, he has already opened it and then, the best scenario is me looking after vanishing boats with Belle and the others on it!«

He didn`t want to think of yet another scenario: the criminals would escape, Tintin would call Bishop and he would have the ship sunk – with all hands on board, including Isabelle.

»Of course, Tintin! Maybe, I am more an idiot than a chauvinist!«

Manu was perplexed by Mike`s mentioning of her brother and by his outburst, but Mike jumped out to the corridor where David was watching the three captives. The one he had knocked out was aching, but had regained consciousness. However, Mike went to Chalid who tried to look as defiant as being hogtied and lying on his belly allowed him.

»Your girl is dead, Englishman!«, he spat.

For a second, Mike was tempted to crash the man`s teeth, but instead, he grabbed the man`s scalp. He then put his gun to the ground and brushed over Chalid`s cheek, a mad grin on his face.

»Who needs a girl if he has got a niece piece of ass like you?«

He turned Chalid on his back and then, he brushed over the man`s chest, panting and licking his lips. Chalid cursed in Arabic and squirmed. David tightened the grip on the gun and Manu stared with her mouth open at the horrifying scene.

Chalid whimpered as Mike`s hand approached his crotch. However, he slightly went to the side and instead of groping Chalid`s dick, he reached into his pocket. A moment later, he let the man`s hair go and presented a cell phone to Manu and David. His grin now looked just triumphant and he quickly got back to his feet.

»Now, pray to God that we have network reception!«

He was already dialling and then, he looked down on Chalid who stared up at him, panting and hatred in his eyes. Mike smiled:

»I would have politely asked if I could use your phone, but after what you said about my girl-«

He kicked the man`s balls and then stepped a few steps away as he heard the dial tone.

***

When Mike had climbed down the manhole, Tintin had been nervous and then, things had gone worse quickly. After he had dropped the grenade, there had been two more explosions and now, he could see the flickering lights of Police cars and a fire brigade at the sanatorium. He expected that every moment a SWAT team would storm the hill and arrest him.

In addition, the ship had come closer; now, it was just some 300 yards away from the shore. He looked at the phone. Should he really call the man who could organize an airstrike? He thought of Manu and he gulped.

Then, the phone in his hand vibrated and Tintin almost dropped it.

»Unknown number!«

He was more than tempted to block the call. Perhaps, it was a triumphant Harun who would tell him Mike was dead, only to then let him listen to Manu`s cries whilst he-

Tintin shook his head. The peak of irony would be if this was just some random person who wanted to ask Mike whether he would also come to the party next week. With trembling fingers, he finally pressed the green button.

»Tintin?«

It was Mike`s voice, but it sounded distorted and reception was bad.

»Mike? Is this you?«

Mike interrupted him and though Tintin could only understand half of the words, he understood that he had to get down to the bay and look for water turbulences.

»Just do it! Now!«

Tintin sprinted down the stairs and looked to where the boats had disappeared. First, he could only see the typical waves of the retreating water, but then, he spotted some spray, indicating a minor turbulence.

»There are turbulences!«, he barked, only noticing that the line had become dead.

***

Down at the cave, the scenery had become a bit surreal, at least in Harun`s eyes. The Captain and his men had started a strange version of »Piggy in the Middle« with Aida: they had built a ring around her and were pushing the girl around whilst at the same time trying to grope her. Whenever she staggered, one or two helped Aida up and the game continued.

He felt contempt for these men, though he had given Aida to them for exactly that purpose. At the two boats closest to him, he could see that Pearce and his henchmen were little better.

Pearce was still kneading Isabelle`s breast with one hand whilst the other was between her legs, trying to get a finger under the tight crotch rope.

»Things would be much easier if you were wet!«, he commented, »For you even more than for me!«

Isabelle stared at him through the pantyhose covering her eyes. She would have loved to close her eyelids, but she feared that this would sharpen her other senses and then, the pain between her legs would cause her to wail uncontrollably. And she wanted to spare Samantha at least that she had also to suffer from her plight.

The pilot who was sitting beside Samantha had loosened the rope tying her neck to her ankles so she could sit up, allowing him easier access to her front. Instead of simply groping her, he played another game: he first removed the clamp with the bell from the girl`s right nipple. Samantha let out a sigh of relief and then, she had to endure him gently rubbing the tip of her breast, taking her nipple between two fingers. The pain ceased and the massage was not without effect. However, once the girl let out the first sigh that sounded a bit relaxed, he put the clamp back in place, chuckling as Samantha reared up and gasped through her gag. He then repeated the game with her other breast and then, with the two clamps biting into the redhead`s labia. All the time, whenever he had one hand free, he also grabbed the chain of the girl`s anal hook and tightened and loosened it in a steady rhythm.

On the adjacent boat, the fact that Cordelia and Laila were tightly wrapped inside the carpet had protected them from getting groped, but suddenly, Pete had started to talk:

»My ex was kinda strange, Slim. Do you know where she liked to get touched the most? I mean, what really got her horny?«

»No«, Slim had answered with a drawling voice and Cordelia had almost seen how the man was drooling with anticipation. Pete had grinned and said:

»The back of her knees, do you believe it?«

The two men had chuckled a bit and then fallen silent. An ice-cold shiver had run down Cordelia`s spine. Since she and Laila were both hogtied and tied face to crotch, their knees were the points on their bodies that were the easiest accessible for their captors. And indeed, she then felt the slight swaying of the boat as Pete and Slim took position on both sides of the carpet roll.

Cordelia then felt hands brush over her bent knees and then, Slim tried to poke his index fingers at the backs of her knees. She was indeed quite sensitive there and she liked to be touched there. Some two weeks ago, she and David had watched a film and had been sitting on her couch. Her legs had rested on his lap and when his hand had »accidentally« landed on her knees, Cordelia had let him do so. In fact, she had lolled around on the couch so her skirt, also »accidentally«, had slid further up her thighs. David had caressed the backs of her knees and for Cordelia, the movie had turned into an audio play, as she had closed her eyes. She had been able to oppress a sigh, but when David had left later that evening, she was sure he had noticed her hardened nipples, despite her bra and the shirt.

However, this memory only made the groping of the man even worse, for now, the pleasant thought would be stained by the thug`s assault. Cordelia wanted to find relief in the fact that at least, he could not reach further up her legs when she felt Laila`s reaction to getting touched at her knees, too.

It had started with a slight squirming and an annoyed grunt and though their position made every slight move awkward, Cordelia could not blame her for that. Then, however, she had felt how Laila had stiffened and at the same time, had begun to pant. For a terrible moment, Cordelia thought that Laila was getting aroused by Pete`s touches at her knees, but then, Laila suddenly twitched and squealed, sending a slight vibration through Cordelia`s lap.

»Oh no, she`s ticklish!«

Cordelia had been spared that burden, but now, with her face tied to Laila`s crotch whilst the Arab`s mouth was forced against her own pubic mound, it was more than enough to cause humiliation and distress if just Laila had sensitive knees.

The girl tried her best to fight her reflexes, but that only added a terrible prelude to her next outburst. Laila would start by squirming and heavy breathing, only to then mew and spasm when Pete poked his fingers at the soft skin at the back of her knees.

»Hhhrrrrrrrrrmmmmm!«

Cordelia let out a cry of sheer frustration and helplessness. She knew that Laila would sense her yelling, but she just had to let it out. The men chuckled and continued the massage.

Harun looked at Ali and Jemal standing next to him. He wasn`t sure whether they would have preferred having girls to play with, too, or if they also felt contempt for their allies. Well, in a few weeks, his rise to power would begin and if he succeeded, each of them would live in a palace and have the most beautiful women for each day of the year.

He looked at the gap between the rocks and let out a sigh of relief as he saw a glimpse of light from the outside, indicating that the floodgate was finally opening.

»I wonder what took Chalid so long!«

The floodgate was indeed simple, but effective, given the fact that after 80 years, it still worked. Back in the days, the Organisation Todt, the Nazi organisation for building and construction, had closed the natural entrance of the cave to a vertical gap that was some two yards wide, just enough for a small boat to pass. The gap was closed by two giant iron plates of which one was fixed to the ground and would be below the surface even during ebb. The other one was movable and had in it some huge cork blocks for buoyancy, but also a water tank that could be flooded and emptied via the valves at the pump station. Once enough water was in the tank, the floodgate lowered and gave access to the cave, but if it was closed, it reached up to the upper end of the entrance. The system wasn`t completely tight, but it helped that even when the flood reached its highest point, there was still some two yards between the water and the cave`s ceiling.

In earlier times, there had been pipes for compressed air, allowing to operate the door at any time, but now, one had to wait until the tank`s outlets were above the water before they could be emptied and thus, the change of ebb and flood regulated when the door could be opened. But now, this moment had finally come!

»Let`s go! We will take Pearce´s boat!«

Harun was not driven by fear, but the suitcase in his hands contained the part of the sum Pearce and the other men would get in advance, both in gold and diamonds. Most of the money was deposited on a bank in Switzerland, but this suitcase contained some five million Dollars. He knew that Pearce and the pilots would be able to wait before they were fully paid; after all, Pearce could expect 80 million for the Harriers. However, Harun wasn`t sure whether the Captain would prefer having five million for sure and therefore kill him and then sail off into the sunset.

Pearce didn`t seem too excited about taking his hands from Isabelle, but he made room for the three Arabs and the pilot sighed and gave Samantha`s boobs one last grope before he started the engine.

The boat slowly approached the gate that still was some two feet above the water. Harun saw that now, some of the Captain`s men manned the second boat with Pete and Slim on it, ready to follow them. Four men waited by the last boat to pick up Chalid and the two Somalis. Two were just forcing a still struggling Aida aboard.

Through the growing gap, Harun could see the cloudy sky and there, at the distance, the ship, with the flag of Somaliland fluttering in the wind. He decided that once they had reached international waters, he would give orders to raise the Saudi Arabian flag on top.

The boat had now reached the gate and suddenly, Harun heard a strange sound. It was like a dull screech and then, it sounded as if someone was coughing through an iron pipe. However, the problem was that once the strange noises had ceased, he realized that the door had stopped to move downwards. It was now almost even to the water`s surface. The inflatable boats had almost no depth and the outboard motors could be bent, but still, the damn gate was some five or six inches too high.

»What`s up, my Prince?«

»The gate! It stopped moving!«

He thought for a moment and then, he shouted:

»Someone has to get up to Chalid, to see if something got jammed!«

His words were meant for the men still on land and finally, one of them grabbed his gun and walked towards the door of the staircase. However, when he reached for the handle, the door sprang open and he was literally ran over by the man now entering the cave. It took Harun a moment to recognize Chalid; then, he saw that his henchman`s hands were tied behind his back.

Behind him, the two Somalis came. One, who had his hands tied in front, was aiding his comrade and they staggered towards the other end of the cave. Harun didn`t speak Somali, but whatever they shouted made their comrade who had been sent for Chalid ran away from the door, too.

BOOM!

The explosion blew the staircase`s door from its hinges and the sound echoed through the cave whilst pieces of concrete flew around and a dust cloud emerged from the gap.

»What in Sheitan`s name happened?«, Harun barked. At the shore, the Somali and Chalid came to their feet, obviously surprised that, except for some small bruises and scratches, none of them had been injured. Then, the manhole in the ceiling opened. Harun stared at what looked like a broomstick to which a white T-Shirt had been tied.

»Salam aleikum!«, a voice shouted. Harun, who still was quite abashed from what had happened, pulled himself together.

»Aleikumu salam!«, he answered, signalling that he was ready to talk and also showing that he was in charge. The man now changed into English:

»Prince Harun, you may excuse, but my Arabic consists of a few words and so, I would appreciate to continue our negotiations in English!«

Harun saw that the Somalis had freed their comrades and whilst one of them was inspecting the wound on one of the men`s head, another one just cut Chalid`s ties. At least, his posse still was complete.

»All right, let`s negotiate!«, Harun shouted in English, »How about that? You open the gate and I won`t kill the girls!«

He looked down on Isabelle and Samantha. If this Englishman would try to play smart, he would not even waste a bullet, but just throw one of them overboard.

The white flag was withdrawn and Harun frowned as now, the rope ladder was let down.

»This is a negotiation and not a fish market! I will come down and so, we won`t have to yell!«

Except for Chalid and the two Somalis Mike and David had overpowered, everyone had his gun ready and so, 16 guns and rifles were pointing at the man now climbing down the ladder. Samantha mmphed when she recognized Mike and Isabelle felt her heart miss a beat.

Mike looked around, standing there in a cool pose, showing his empty hands to everyone. He saw that the Somalis, most of them rather boys than men, were waiting for their Captain to give an order, but the man also seemed to be curious why Mike had just jumped into the lion`s pit.

***

Some minutes earlier, Mike had heard Tintin shout that there had been turbulences before the connection had been interrupted. So, the Arab had already started the mechanism. Mike had instinctively turned the valve into the other direction, hoping that this would stop the gate from moving. Then, he had called David and Manu close to him and whispered in French:

»Manu, I need you here, just in case Harun is open to negotiations and we have to let him go, in exchange for the hostages. You only open the valve if I come personally and tell you to do so!«

The girl nodded and Mike handed him his pocketknife.

»Once I tell you, you free the feet of our prisoners. I will go downstairs and try my best to bring everything to a satisfying end.«

David seemed disappointed. He was eager to play a more important part in freeing Cordelia. Mike turned so the captives couldn`t see him and handed him the map of the tunnels. Then, he pointed at one of the rooms.

»Once I have left with our prisoners, you go there. You will then hear a loud sound – like that!«

He opened his jacket, showing David his last hand grenade. The Scot wanted to protest, but Mike shook his head.

»Don`t worry, I will use it not even close to the girls! It`s more fore an impressive entrance. Anyway, when you have heard the explosion, you wait for exactly 15 minutes. Then, you-«

He bent forward and whispered his order into David`s ear. The man still looked sceptical, but he finally nodded. Mike went for the corner where an old broom was leaning. He removed the mop and then turned towards Manu who sceptically looked at the stick.

»You want me to defend my post with it?«

Smiling, Mike shook his head.

»If I want to be taken serious as a negotiator, I need a peace flag. So, I have a flagpole – all I now need is a white cloth!«

He looked at Manu and his smile turned into a grin as he focussed on her boobs. She shook her head.

»It`s for the greater good! Besides, we have no other white cloth!«

This was indeed true. Mike was sporting a black T-shirt under his jacket and David`s shirt had been white when he had put it on, but now was nothing but bloody and dirty rags. Manu rolled her eyes and with a sigh, she pulled the T-Shirt over her head. She ostentatiously thrust out her boobs as she handed it to Mike.

»Chauvinist idiot!«

»I consider that means ›Good luck!‹ in French!«, he replied and knotted the sleeves to the stick. Then, he patted David`s shoulder.

»Let`s go!«

He hugged Manu and she cuddled against him. Mike kissed her cheek and gently loosened her hands. David also hugged the girl a bit clumsy before he followed Mike to the corridor.

Then, whilst Mike pointed his gun at them, he cut the ankle ties of the three captives. Mike also allowed the shirtless Somali to get his hands to the front so he could aid his injured comrade as he then directed them towards the staircase leading to the cave. He had ordered the prisoners to remain silent as he opened the door, waiting if there would be a reaction to him turning the valve shut. As he heard Harun shout orders, though these were in Arabic, he knew that something was not going as planned, for the boat engines had stopped. He raised his gun and told the three men:

»Now, you better get down there quick! You have ten seconds!«

He took the grenade from his pocket and showed them to the men. As he pulled the ring, they cursed and staggered down the iron steps. Mike placed the grenade on the first step, slammed the door shut and jumped away. The explosion made his ears ring, but when he examined the staircase, he saw that the spiral staircase had been destroyed, but obviously, most of the damage had remained inside the concrete chimney that had once been a staircase.

»Now, let´s see if Harun is open to negotiations!«, he said to himself as he put his revolver into his belt before carefully opening the manhole, the only remaining access to the cave.

***

»Is this guy brave or just a complete idiot?«, Pearce murmured as he watched Mike climb down the ladder.

Beside him, Isabelle felt a hysteric urge to chuckle.

»Both!«, something inside her screamed and she distorted her head to be able to see something. Her movements made the crotch rope bite into her flesh even more, but she bit down on her massive gag and peeked over the boat`s doll board.

Mike had more difficulties in seeing her, for the only light was right above him and thus, the shore was better illuminated than the part of the cave where two of the boats were bobbing close to the exit.

A few yards away, he saw the third boat and on it, two black men were kneeling, aiming at him with their rifles. Beside them, half lying, half sitting, was a girl. Her head was hooded by a pair of white panties and the lower half of her face was wrapped with tape, but he could tell from experience that this was neither Isabelle nor Samantha nor Cordelia. And, according to the pictures Steele had shown him, Laila had bigger breasts than that one.

»Must be this Aida! Obviously, she has fallen from grace!«

The girl was naked and Mike could see the tight ropes encircling her upper body. She not only sported an agonizingly tight crotch rope, but also two more framing her labia. She stared at him and though her legs were unbound, she barely moved.

On land, there were two more armed Somalis, plus the two and the Arab he and David had overpowered earlier. On the boat closer to him, he saw two whites and five blacks, including the one with the cigar. Mike could not see the other boat that well, but there was one tall guy standing. He also got a glimpse of red hair and a pair of ample boobs. The hair was straighter than Isabelle`s and so, this must be Samantha. Mike looked closer and behind the body of Pearce, he could see some pale skin.

There was no sign of Cordelia or Laila, but in the second boat, there was a rolled carpet and he doubted that Harun just wanted to take his beloved furniture with him.

»What keeps me from having you gunned down right now?«, Harun now asked. He had some difficulties balancing on the boat, but he was a good marksman and this guy was just some twelve yards away. And even if he missed him, the others sure wouldn`t. Mike shrugged and answered:

»Admiration for my bravery, maybe?«

This caused a noise that sounded like a mixture of a large dog barking and a cough. It turned out to be the laughter of the Captain who seemed to be rather amused now. Mike noticed the way Harun glanced at the Black and added:

»Maybe, you are curious why I chose this way of negotiating with you.«

Harun spat into the water.

»Well, I would guess you are just desperate, for the situation is still the same: if the door won`t open within the next minutes, the girls will be dead! Why not start with your bitch?«

Pearce moved a little and now, Mike could see another pair of naked boobs protruding over the boat`s doll board. Above, a hooded head was visible, but he was sure that this indeed was Isabelle. However, this game could not be won if he showed his affection now.

»This would make me the most miserable man on earth. Most likely, I would die mere seconds later, on my desperate attempt to kill you. However – how would that change your position? My comrade will pull up the ladder as soon as he hears shots and he will kill anyone trying to climb up the staircase. The gate would still be locked and sooner or later, the French Police will show up. And I doubt that they are up to negotiations, since they can attack you from both sides!«

For a moment, Mike thought that Harun would kill him just out of rage, but he waited calmly for his words to seep into his opponent`s mind. He was right, the Police sure had already started to examine the bunker and though they would not be here before the next two hours, time was working against Harun and his gang. The only problem was: what could he do before he was defeated?

»Maybe, you want to hear my offer instead? Let the girls go! In exchange, you and your men may leave, together with the ship and the Harriers. With a little bit of luck, you will reach international waters and maybe, even your hideout in Somaliland. Then, you can still try to bomb Mekka – though I doubt that this will increase your fanbase in the area!«

It took Harun a treacherous second before he uttered a fake laugh.

»Bombing Mekka? What are you talking about? I know, you are British, but it`s still a bit early to be drunk!«

Mike took the opportunity to look at his wristwatch. Eight minutes had passed since the explosion, seven to go. He reached into his jacket and Harun fired a bullet into the gravel in front of his feet.

»As you said, I am a victim of my addictions!«

Ostentatiously slowly, Mike lit a cigarette and puffed before he asked:

»Now, have you thought about my offer – or were you too impressed by my intimate knowledge of your plan to shatter the Middle East?«

»You know nothing, infidel!«, Harun spat. Mike took another draw from his cigarette. He suddenly had to think of a story from WW2 that had always impressed him. In 1943, when it had been foreseeable that Germany would lose the war, Hitler had met with Marshall Mannerheim, the military leader of Finland. Finland had been allied with Germany, but was looking for a way to get out of the war without either getting annihilated or occupied by the advancing USSR. During these negotiations, Mannerheim, knowing that Hitler was a rabid anti-smoker, had lit his cigar. When Hitler hadn`t commented on this, Mannerheim had known that his position wasn`t that bad.

»I saw the map you left behind!«

Again, Mike carefully watched the man`s reaction. He had to admit that Harun was good in hiding his emotions, but the man beside him suddenly twitched. Also, Pearce seemed to hear about this map for the first time.

»What are you talking about?«

It was the Captain who even showed the courtesy of taking the cigar from his mouth. Mike shrugged.

»The map in his office! There have been pin marks at-«

BANG!

Ali fired and the bullet hit Mike`s chest. He fell on his back and Isabelle screamed through her gag, accompanied by Samantha who stared at Mike`s body with widened eyes. Harun shouted something in Arabic at Ali and the Somali Captain also demanded an explanation. Suddenly, the Somalis and the Arabs were aiming at each other whilst Pearce and his men were trying to remain calm whilst looking for a way out of this.

Harun raised his hands and with a loud voice, he explained, speaking English so Pearce and the pilots would also understand him:

»Don`t you see what this infidel has tried? He wanted to sow discord among us – and he almost succeeded! Ali may have overreacted, but that`s all!«

He noticed that this wasn`t enough for the suspicious men and so, he added:

»I have to admit that I haven`t told you everything about my plans! Of course, you know that I am not establishing a secret hideout and buy some fighter jets to form my personal aerobatic team!«

He paused. Harun was quite a good orator, but obviously, it was too early to have caused a laugh from his audience.

»I have great plans for my country – and these plans include the use of the Harriers, manned by these three brave men«, he pointed at the pilots, »and those of you«, he turned back towards the Somalis, »they will train! But how can you, even for a second, assume that I would consider throwing a bomb on our most holy city?«

Harun once again stopped. He knew that he mustn`t get too theatrical. However, he knew that he would be able to convince these men.

At that moment, the light went off.

***

David twitched when he heard the shot. It had been muffled, but it definitely came from the same direction as the explosion 12 minutes before.

The room where Mike had sent him was the former generator room. The old generator was still there, but beside it stood a modern device that was humming. Several cables emerged from it. Mike had guessed that the criminals had positioned their generator in that room for the old cables all ended there and so, it was the obvious place. So far, Mike had been right.

»Wait for 15 minutes and then, switch the thing out. Count up to 50 and switch it on again!«

David understood that for some reason, Mike needed a short period with no light, but now, it seemed that something was going the wrong way, for the shot didn`t sound as if Mike and Harun were sitting by some tea and negotiating.

He looked at his watch. Still, two minutes to go!

»Fuck it!«

He pressed the big red emergency button. The generator spluttered and stopped humming. One moment later, everything went dark.

***