Rocky leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyeing the man suspiciously. He had seen him before, waving him through every night.
With his slicked-back dark hair and olive skin, everybody noticed him.
The strict bouncer usually let people let loose to have an enjoyable time at the club. But tonight, something did not feel right. His gut was telling him to investigate further.
Checking Him Out
Rocky had been working as a bouncer at Club X2 for over a year, and he had seen his fair share of suspicious characters come through the door.
However, there was one man who always caught his eye.
Valentino was a smooth-talking, well-dressed man who seemed to know the club inside out. Rocky had always waved him through without a second thought, but tonight, something was different.
What Are You Playing At?
He sussed the man out from top to bottom.
He seemed like a decent businessperson but Rocky had been in the game long enough to know that looks are deceiving.
Usually, men that were overconfident had a reason to draw the crowd. What was he trying to do? Why did he demand attention on himself all the time?
Inside Information
He turned to Josh, the waiter who had served the man, and asked, “What did you hear him say?”
Josh hesitated for a moment before answering, “Look man, it’s my first week, I don’t want any trouble.”
Rocky grabbed the waiter’s arm, “If you don’t tell me what you know, there could be problems bigger than both of us.” The cowardly waiter looked at the scary bouncer and said, “I think I heard him talking about a plan to attack on the phone.”
A Disaster Waiting To Happen
Rocky’s eyes widened. This could lead to a potential disaster. He could not take any chances.
He quickly waved off the man, telling him the club was full for the night.
Valentino looked like he was ready to start a fight with Rocky and demanded that he be allowed to enter the club. He was testing Rocky’s patience and it wasn’t looking good for Valentino.
Pushing His Luck
The elegant man was not going to take no for an answer. He tried to persuade Valentino to let him pass just to use the bathroom.
“There is a public restroom outside, you can use that one,” Rocky said.
Valentino disagreed and said, “Come on old friend, I left something in the bathroom last night, let me just check for it.” His words made Rocky go on high alert.
Not Getting In
This guy was clearly a chancer and was up to something. Rocky was in a predicament because he wanted to check out the floor but he also could not leave the door.
He had to keep an eye on Valentino, he was a sly one.
Rocky noticed that he kept checking his jacket pocket – as though he had something inside that was very important. What was he checking?
Requesting Back Up
Valentino was getting irritable, he looked like he was thinking of what to do next.
He received a phone call and walked over to the side to take it.
He was speaking in Italian and Rocky didn’t understand what he was saying. All of a sudden he turned to look at Rocky dead in his eye and patted his jacket pocket again. What was he up to?
The Motive
Just then, Josh the waiter returned. He had some interesting news for Rocky.
He said that one of the other waiters who served the man last night had a bad experience with him.
The waiter Clara was about to swap her shift for the night. But when the new waiter went to his table, he had already left. The waiter was left standing with a check for $1500.
It All Adds Up
Rocky remembered the commotion last night.
There were usually fights towards the end of the night and this is where perpetrators try to escape. Rocky found this strange.
The man seemed well off. Heck his suit was worth more than $5000. Why would he dine and dash? Rocky had to find the underlying cause of the mysterious patron.
Safety Check
As Valentino approached the entrance, Rocky had a nagging feeling that he couldn’t shake.
He had a hunch that he should check the bathroom before letting him in, but he couldn’t explain why.
Maybe it was the way Valentino was acting, or maybe it was just intuition, but Rocky decided to trust his gut and headed towards the bathroom.
Just as I Suspected
As he pushed the door open, he was hit with a wave of nausea. The stench was unbearable.
But he had a job to do. When he entered, everything seemed normal. There was no one in the stalls, and the sink was clean.
But as he was about to turn around and leave, he heard a faint beeping sound. His heart started racing, and he began to sweat profusely. He knew that sound all too well – it was a bomb.
Confrontation
Rocky didn’t waste any time. He bolted out of the bathroom and ran straight towards Valentino.
He knew he had to stop him from entering the club at all costs. “Valentino, you can’t come in tonight,” he said, trying to sound calm and collected.
Valentino looked surprised. “What do you mean, Rocky? I come here every night,” he replied, sounding irritated.
Straight Questions
Rocky wasn’t backing down. He wanted to find out more.
“What did you leave in the bathroom?” he asked Valentino. The man looked stuck for words.
Rocky pulled Valentino to the side so nobody else could hear, and continued, “I have reason to believe there’s a bomb in the bathroom. We need to evacuate the club right now.”
Caught Out
Valentino’s face turned pale, and his eyes darted towards the bathroom.
Rocky could see the fear in his eyes, and he knew that he had caught him red-handed.
The amped bounder chased after Valentino but lost him in the crowd. His last glimpse was of the black duffel bag disappearing through a mass of terrified patrons.
Lost In The Crowd
As the club started to empty out, Rocky felt despondent.
He knew that he had to keep him in sight, but his bulky size prevented him from slipping through the crowd.
This allowed Valentino to make a run for it. Valentino disappeared into the night and took the evidence with him. The criminal was ahead and already in the bathroom.
Run for It
Rocky’s heart sank. He had let the suspect get away, and he didn’t know what to do next.
He knew he had to report the bomb to the police, but he also had a feeling that there was more to the story than meets the eye.
Valentino had attacked his club; he took it personally and wanted revenge. He had to get involved and find out what was going on.
Opening the Case
Rocky called the police station and reported everything he knew.
The officers were impressed with his bravery and quick thinking, but they still didn’t have any leads on Valentino’s whereabouts.
Rocky was frustrated and worried, but he knew that he couldn’t give up. He wanted to take matters into his own hands, this meant war.
Thorough Checks
He quickly went to check with the security at head office about the security footage.
Rocky started combing through security footage and talking to witnesses.
He even went to Valentino’s known associates to try and get some information. But nothing seemed to work. Valentino had vanished into thin air. Rocky didn’t know where to start and the night was almost over.
The Chase Is On
Just when Rocky was about to give up, he got a call from the police.
They had found a lead on Valentino’s whereabouts. He was holed up in a warehouse on the outskirts of town.
Rocky knew that he had to act fast. He grabbed his gun and headed towards the warehouse, ready to take down the suspect once and for all.
Location Found
As he entered the building, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest.
He didn’t know what he would find, but he knew that he had to be prepared for anything.
Where was it? He had a feeling that he was in the right place. He looked around, his eyes scanning every inch of the room. And then, he saw it.
Bomb Detected
Rocky was hesitant at first. He had never encountered this before.
This was not in his training and he had to improvise.
A black duffel bag was tucked away in the corner. Rocky’s heart started racing as he approached it. He hesitated for a moment before reaching for the zipper. He could feel the sweat trickling down his back.
Quick Thinking
As he pulled the zipper down, he was met with a sight that made his stomach churn. Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock.
He could hear the digital clock beeping. There was only 4 minutes left on the countdown.
Inside the bag were several wires, a timer, and a small, compact device that he couldn’t identify. He knew that he had to act fast.
Suspect Locked
Suddenly Rocky heard some rustling coming from the back of the warehouse. It was Valentino.
He quickly made his way out of the warehouse, heading towards the exit. But as he stepped outside, he saw the bouncer waiting for him.
Valentino’s eyes locked onto Rocky’s, and he knew that his cover had been blown.
Last Moments
Rocky could see the fear in the man’s eyes as he made a run for it.
But he wasn’t going to let him get away that easily. He ran after him.
As he turned a corner, he saw Valentino standing there, holding a gun. Rocky raised his weapon and took aim. They stood there for what felt like an eternity, staring each other down.
Stand Off
The tension was paramount. “Put down the gun, Valentino,” Rocky said, his voice steady. Valentino didn’t move.
He just stood there; his eyes locked onto Rocky.
All of a sudden Valentino fired a shot next to Rocky’s feet and ran off. Rocky took off after him, his legs pumping as fast as they could. The sound of his own heartbeat was pounding in his ears.
Foot Chase
He could see Valentino running towards a dark alley, and he knew that it was now or never.
With a burst of energy, Rocky tackled the man to the ground, pinning him down with all his might.
Valentino struggled and thrashed, but Rocky held on tight. He could feel the man’s hot breath on his face. As he reached for his handcuffs, he heard a sudden beeping sound coming from Valentino’s pocket.
Going Off
Rocky’s heart dropped as he realized what was happening. He had to act fast.
With one swift motion, he pulled the device from Valentino’s pocket and threw it as far as he could.
And then, he braced himself for the impact. The bomb was going to go off at any second. But the explosion never came.
Massive Destruction
Rocky opened his eyes slowly, taking in his surroundings. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of white light and a tumultuous explosion.
The bomb had detonated in the warehouse. He was lying on the ground, his ears ringing from the blast.
As he slowly got to his feet, he saw the man lying unconscious a few feet away. The police arrived shortly after, taking Valentino into custody.
Local Hero
Rocky’s heart was still pounding as he made his way back into the club. He could not shake the feeling of what could have been. But he knew that he had done his job, and that was all that mattered. Luckily, nobody was injured and the task team was already filing the case and gathering evidence.
As he settled back into his post, he made a mental note to always trust his gut. Because sometimes, it could be a matter of life or death.
To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
