The weapon?
Agent B. Jones had been captured by the notorious terrorist named “Colonel Z” after he was caught rummaging through Z’s office, seeking information that would send the criminal to jail without parole. Two of the Colonel’s cronies entered and drew knives. Jones fought off the man’s two thugs, but fifteen minutes into the karate action, he was tied hand and foot and forced to sit on an uncomfortable old wooden chair.
“Colonel” or “Z” entered the room to question Agent Jones. After Jones declared the Fifth Amendment on all terrorist questions, Z looked at his thugs and said, “You know where to take it: to the ‘basement’.” Tie it to the ‘bomb’!”
The two men looked at each other simultaneously with wide eyes. Agent Jones was only slightly startled. One of them said excitedly, “But boss, do you know what that could mean?”
“Actually, I know what that could mean, but that outcome is up to Mr. Jones here. Untie him and drag him into the next room, so he can meet the ‘Destroyer Engine’ and handcuff him.”
Even Jones had heard of Colonel Z’s “Destroyer Engine.” Z said to Jones, “I want you to see how the ‘Engine’ works.” Jones just smiled and looked at Z, who backhanded him, knocking him down. “Don’t make that face again.”
The Colonel told his goons to open the hatch that covered the three foot tall cylindrical gun. Once opened, Z turned on many devices that made the machine work. He told Jones that once it was turned on, he couldn’t be turned off. Then he put his hands on the big timer and set it to “30 minutes”.
“You have exactly 30 minutes to make a decision. Once I press the timer, your decision is to cut a series of 4 strings that release all the criminals in prisons across the country, or if you don’t cut all four strings, a Gas lethal will come out of the vents on you and you will die. Personally, I would rather see you live and cut the ropes so that we can see many old friends and renew our acquaintances. But the choice is up to you, SR Jones.”
The Colonel took out a device and pushed the timer. He then hands Jones a pair of scissors, which he places in his left hand. The Colonel evoked an evil laugh as he and his cronies emerged from the basement.
“Make the right decision, Mr. Jones!” The Colonel said as he laughed with his thugs.
As they were leaving, Jones began examining the machine, searching the gun for something that might disable it. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make heads or tails out of the complex machinery. He sweated a lot because a decision had to be made: cut the ropes that freed all the inmates from jails across the country or keep their hands to themselves and let the gas end his life.
At 3:00, he heard a door close upstairs and footsteps heading toward the basement door. Feeling a great deal of hope, Jones yelled, “Hey! I’m down here!” He then heard a pair of heavy shoes walking toward the basement, and Jones told him not to go in because he had decided that gasoline would be his choice.
The man looked at Jones with a confused look and said, “I’m from the power company. This ‘Colonel Z’ hasn’t paid his power bill for over 6 months. So, I’ll turn it off right now.” I’m starting with this machine that you’re tied to.”
Within 10 seconds, the lifting man tried the heavy weapon, found an electrical wire and pulled it out.
The timer stopped at 1 second.