Gregg and Nick rigged the oil-truck with all the fireworks they had left; they even roped two compressed air cylinders to each of the fuel tanks along with two, fifteen pound explosive paper balls on each.
According to Nick, the fifteen-pounders would rip the fuel tanks apart, and the blast from them and the rest of the truck, should rupture the compressed air cylinders, creating a shockwave big enough to totally destroy the cinema, and anyone unlucky enough to be inside it. Nick used almost all his Polaroids taking pictures of the “Truck-bomb”, but made sure he saved a couple for the big finale.
Between them, they closed and bolted the hatch, piling tyres, wheels, and tools, and anything else they could find on top of it. They were beginning to worry why Jill was taking so long when they heard Nick’s van pull up outside. Nick put his camera and plastic bag on the oil drum before pushing the up button to allow Jill to drive in.
‘It took me about a minute to get back,’ she said, climbing from the van, a huge grin on her face.
Nick took one look at the front of her wet T-shirt and with a broad smile; he pushed his glasses along the bridge of his nose. ‘Th-That gives us … about two minutes till ignition,’ he fumbled, his eyes still transfixed.
Jill noticed his line of sight and put all four fingers of one hand under his chins. She lifted his head along with her eyebrows. ‘Dream on, Nick,’ she said.
‘Okay,’ said Gregg. ‘Nick and I will start to organise the trucks and get them in the alley across the way. Jill, you need to get Alicia into the van and wait for us to come to you. Under no circumstances come back here, is that clear?’
Jill didn’t like to desert them, but again, Alicia’s safety was paramount. She nodded. ‘Yes.’
‘How long before the fires start, Nick?’
‘Another minute should do it.’
‘Right, let’s get those trucks in position.’
Jill roused Alicia, transferring her to Nick’s van.
‘Where are we going?’ she asked.
‘For now, just out of town, but soon were all going home.’ Alicia seemed happy with that.
Jill reversed back onto the street and had the van facing north, ready to give Gregg his signal.
Gregg sat inside the oil-truck steering, while Nick towed it into the alley across Main Street, and directly facing the cinema doors. Gregg climbed from the truck pulling down the sides of his hat so he could run through the thinning rain to the 4X4. Nick had the tow-truck positioned behind the oil-truck, ready to push it on its final fifty yard journey into the cinema.
Pulling up at the side of Nick’s van, Gregg pressed a button on the door to roll down the window.
‘Remember, Jill, don’t come back. If we don’t turn up before the rain stops, find the nearest town and tell them what’s happened here.’
Jill looked Gregg straight in the eye. ‘You’d better come get me, Gregg.’
‘And me too,’ shouted Alicia.
Gregg smiled. ‘You can put money on it.’
