It was difficult to grip his pocket knife with the gloves on, but Ashton wasn’t about to take them off and risk exposing himself to something potentially life threatening. He carefully slid the knife through the tape keeping the lid closed and took a step back, half expecting something to jump out at him.

  There was a tense pause before Ashton carefully approached the box again, opening the flaps to see what was inside. Nestled in a bed of black and purple confetti was a metal box with a digital timer set into the top. A timer that was steadily counting down. Ashton jerked back. A bomb?! There was no way to tell for sure, since the metal box appeared to be completely sealed except for the timer itself.

  What should he do? Ashton had no experience disarming bombs, and his powers would likely prove to be more of a hindrance than a help. Last time Jared had pointed out a bad feeling somewhere it had been a deadly situation, so even if this wasn't a bomb it was still an equal threat. He could investigate all of that later. Right now he needed to somehow stop this timer from ticking down.

  It was hard to say exactly how much time had been on the clock originally, but the glowing red digital interface had clearly read 7:07 when Ashton had first spotted it. By now it was likely already below six minutes. Seven minutes was too short a time to call in the experts, but based on Maskz behavior so far, this would not end in harmless theatrics.

  Ashton reached for his headset. Luckily Jared had the forethought to let them borrow his team's for this mission. "There is something that appears to be a bomb. It has less than seven minutes on it, and it is currently counting down," he reported, "Is there a recommended course of action for this situation?"

  "First, we need to secure a safe location," Jared instructed, "Anywhere we can take it away from people so we can avoid any potential casualties. Is the bomb safe to move All of the components are covered?"

  "Yes. The box is solid," Ashton confirmed, "Do you have any places in mind? We don't have much time to get it anywhere."

  "Examine the box carefully. We need to make sure it is safe to transport. Pick it up slowly and listen for any moving parts," Jared advised, "We can't sure out the possibility that it is something more dangerous than a bomb."

  More dangerous than a bomb? Ashton shuddered internally at the thought, but followed instructions. Whatever it was, it was likely too late for him to escape it. Not without putting everyone else in danger. Since the box was meant specifically for him, he might be the only one able to diffuse it. There was an immediate problem when he tried to lift the metal box. Hidden in the confetti was a chain bolted to the bomb and the concrete below the cardboard box. There would be no moving it anywhere.

  "It's chained in place. I won't be able to move it," Ashton reported.

  Of course Maskz wouldn't make things easy for him. Still, he found it hard to believe the criminal who was so obsessed with him would try to blow him up. Instead, that timer could be counting down to the release of some kind of drug, or the mind control technique, or even some crazy method of kidnapping him like teleportation. Then again, maybe he was just being vain and letting his imagination run wild.

  "Ashton, you need to get out of there," Jared warned, "My bad feeling is getting worse. We have no choice but to evacuate-"

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  Ashton cut him off. "There's no time. There is already less than three minutes on the timer. The box was addressed to me, so I should be the one to take care of it."

  "Absolutely not," Jared denied, "Have you forgotten that you are the leader of a team? You are not expendable. I'm coming to get you. Kai, Levi, help me get him out of there."

  Levi and Kai arrived before Jared did and tried to take the metal box from Ashton's hands. The moment they touched it the timer sped up. "Let go!" Ashton warned, also jerking back from the thing and dropping it. The seconds ticked at a normal pace again, but just that one moment of someone else touching the bomb had lost them over a minute of time.

  "No one else can touch it," Ashton realized, "How could he possibly know if someone else is touching it? Is he here? Is he watching?" He had to stop himself from whipping his head around to look. Even if Maskz was there, he wouldn't be spotted to easily.

  Jared arrived on the scene. "What do you mean no one else can touch it?" he asked, eyes sweeping over the twins still holding onto Ashton's arms and the metal box dangling over the side of the cardboard box from the chain. The timer glowed ominously red, the light reflecting on the pavement.

  "As soon as they touched it, the time sped up," Ashton explained.

  "It was way too fast," Levi agreed, "I've never seen anything like it."

  "Ashton, move the box so we can read the timer then step just outside the alley," Jared instructed, "If we really are being watched, I need to check if you leaving will trigger it as well."

  There wasn't any time to waste arguing, so Ashton quickly settled the box so the timer was easily visible and backed out of the alley. The moment his toe crossed into the street, the potential bomb began to beep loudly until he jerked his foot back. It was clear before he even returned that they had lost another chunk of time. It was already under a minute now.

  "I can't risk leaving," Ashton said, "You should all go so you can protect Summer if anything goes wrong on her end."

  “I will guard the alley,” Jared gave in, “Let’s hope that whoever left you this present is not after your life.”

  His life? Ashton was strangely confident that his life wasn’t on the line. Other things, definitely. His sanity, for one. His ability to think and act on his own free will. Maybe he would be maimed to be taught some sort of unfathomable lesson. Still, he could not see Maskz aiming to take his life. It was hard to say if that was good or bad.

  The twins also reluctantly left the alley. As expected, the timer only reacted to Ashton. Everyone else was free to leave. It was hard to say if the seconds went by quickly or slowly, but they went by. Ten, then a blink later it was already at eight. Seven. The silver box suddenly started beeping again, causing Ashton to jerk back. The timer had stopped at 0:07 and a sharp click cut off the beeping. The display dimmed and the alley went silent.

  What just happened? Why did it stop? What was that click? Chances were, if anyone other than Ashton approached, they might be in danger, so he carefully did so. First he noticed that the chain had fallen off the bottom of the metal box. Then he saw a gap in the seam around the side. The box was now open, and there was clearly something waiting for him inside.

  Ashton carefully lifted the lid of the box to find two small items nestled neatly in black foam. A single USB stick, the same color of purple as the confetti, and a black chess piece. The king. It was hard to say if there was anything else, as the majority of the box was taken up by the foam used to wedge both items in place.

  “The coast is clear,” Ashton called back, “I can move the box now.”

  Before he willingly touched either of those items, the team needed to regroup. With any luck, Summer and Kayla would have a lead that could help with the contents of the box as well as the case.