That’s right, and Pasquale realized it hadn’t gone up. " Simon touched the figure of Pasquale on the screen. " Start it again, and watch. One, two, three, four... See? Here’s where he realizes the shell didn’t go up, so he heads back to the mortar to re-light it. "
" And it explodes when he touches the torch to it? "
Simon shook his head. " I don’t think so. Here rewind again. " They went back to the beginning of the sequence. " After the lift charge blasts the shell out of the mortar and into the air, there should be a ten-second delay before the pyro, the color, actually bursts. That ten seconds gives the shell time to climb high enough in the sky.
" That means," he continued, "since they were timed three seconds apart, the red shell would burst at ten seconds, the white at thirteen, and the blue at sixteen."
Jake zeroed out the clock, and Simon counted as the red shell went up. "Eight...nine... This is when Pasquale starts back to the mortar. He already knows something is wrong. There goes the red burst. Eleven...twelve...the white...fourteen..."
Pasquale reached the mortar.
"Fifteen...sixteen... "
The screen went yellow, then white, then black.
" Geez, " Jake muttered.
Simon sat back and thought. So the blue shell's internal time fuse--the ten-second fuse in the shell itself-- did light. That accounted for the ten-second delay before the shell burst.
" Can you go back again? " Simon asked. " Just to the blast. "
She rewound it again and started through it slowly.
" Stop there," Simon said. "Did you see that? "
"See what?" Jake asked, getting closer and freezing the image.
"There." Simon pointed. "That arc of light going off to the side--"
"And being extinguished," Jake finished for him. "Pasquale's flare hitting the water. " Jake didn’t turn to look at him when she spoke, just stared straight ahead at the still image.
Simon’s head was very close to hers now, and he could see the tears pooling in her eyes. " Probably, " he said softly.
Jake stabbed at a button, and the tape started up again, only to go black. As Jake reached to stop the tape, there seemed to be a hiccup, the image got lighter, then bucked and got black again. Simon reached out to prevent her from pressing stop. " What was that? "
They watched for a few seconds, but nothing else happened.
" Luis must have been trying to adjust the camera and get the image back, " Jake said. Then the swell hit and there went the microwave link. You’ve already seen the other tape--the backup he had in his camera. " She popped out the cassette and cleared her throat. " Anything else? "
Simon leaned back in his chair and stretched. He'd seen what he needed to, even if it only confirmed what he already had suspected. " No, I guess that’ll do it for tonight. Can I get a copy of anything shot at the fireworks factory, too? "
Jake got up and crossed the room to a large metal shelving unit filled with neatly labeled videotapes. She came back with the tape and held it out to him.
Simon stood up to take it, and the movement put him closer to her than he’d intended. " For what it's worth, I think you were right to erase the tape. I'm glad you made a copy for me first, though. "
Jake didn’t step back, but she didn’t look at him either. " You needed to see it, but no one else does."
Simon took the tape from her and set it down on the console. She was looking down at the floor, any place but at him. He sucked in a deep breath and reminded himself how complicated things could get when...
A tear rolled down her cheek.
Aww, damn. He reached out and brushed it away.
Her eyes closed, and a hint of a tremor ran through her body. Unable to resist , he rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip.
Jake's head came up and her eyes snapped open. They were even darker than usual now, if that were possible, but soft and unfocussed. Her lips parted as she started to say something and he slid his thumb ever so slightly in between them. Another shudder, this
" And it explodes when he touches the torch to it? "
Simon shook his head. " I don’t think so. Here rewind again. " They went back to the beginning of the sequence. " After the lift charge blasts the shell out of the mortar and into the air, there should be a ten-second delay before the pyro, the color, actually bursts. That ten seconds gives the shell time to climb high enough in the sky.
" That means," he continued, "since they were timed three seconds apart, the red shell would burst at ten seconds, the white at thirteen, and the blue at sixteen."
Jake zeroed out the clock, and Simon counted as the red shell went up. "Eight...nine... This is when Pasquale starts back to the mortar. He already knows something is wrong. There goes the red burst. Eleven...twelve...the white...fourteen..."
Pasquale reached the mortar.
"Fifteen...sixteen... "
The screen went yellow, then white, then black.
" Geez, " Jake muttered.
Simon sat back and thought. So the blue shell's internal time fuse--the ten-second fuse in the shell itself-- did light. That accounted for the ten-second delay before the shell burst.
" Can you go back again? " Simon asked. " Just to the blast. "
She rewound it again and started through it slowly.
" Stop there," Simon said. "Did you see that? "
"See what?" Jake asked, getting closer and freezing the image.
"There." Simon pointed. "That arc of light going off to the side--"
"And being extinguished," Jake finished for him. "Pasquale's flare hitting the water. " Jake didn’t turn to look at him when she spoke, just stared straight ahead at the still image.
Simon’s head was very close to hers now, and he could see the tears pooling in her eyes. " Probably, " he said softly.
Jake stabbed at a button, and the tape started up again, only to go black. As Jake reached to stop the tape, there seemed to be a hiccup, the image got lighter, then bucked and got black again. Simon reached out to prevent her from pressing stop. " What was that? "
They watched for a few seconds, but nothing else happened.
" Luis must have been trying to adjust the camera and get the image back, " Jake said. Then the swell hit and there went the microwave link. You’ve already seen the other tape--the backup he had in his camera. " She popped out the cassette and cleared her throat. " Anything else? "
Simon leaned back in his chair and stretched. He'd seen what he needed to, even if it only confirmed what he already had suspected. " No, I guess that’ll do it for tonight. Can I get a copy of anything shot at the fireworks factory, too? "
Jake got up and crossed the room to a large metal shelving unit filled with neatly labeled videotapes. She came back with the tape and held it out to him.
Simon stood up to take it, and the movement put him closer to her than he’d intended. " For what it's worth, I think you were right to erase the tape. I'm glad you made a copy for me first, though. "
Jake didn’t step back, but she didn’t look at him either. " You needed to see it, but no one else does."
Simon took the tape from her and set it down on the console. She was looking down at the floor, any place but at him. He sucked in a deep breath and reminded himself how complicated things could get when...
A tear rolled down her cheek.
Aww, damn. He reached out and brushed it away.
Her eyes closed, and a hint of a tremor ran through her body. Unable to resist , he rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip.
Jake's head came up and her eyes snapped open. They were even darker than usual now, if that were possible, but soft and unfocussed. Her lips parted as she started to say something and he slid his thumb ever so slightly in between them. Another shudder, this
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