If you’ll recall, it turns out that Jake’s love interest Natalie is WORKING FOR THE ENEMY! And her name is really Lucy! But then it turned out her name was actually Natalie and that Lucy was a codename or something!
The lights at the library cut out, so Jake was able to start running around the library and dodging bookshelves. “The chapter ends as Jake hears gunshots on the other side of a door, realizes someone is in danger, and bursts in “ready to deal out death”.
Chapter 34:
We shift POV on over to Dr. Alfred Montambault (best described by Matthew as “the white dude who “identifies” as black out of white guilt“). I feel truly lucky we are still following this man’s journey.
For the life of me, I can’t remember where we last saw our Dr., and apparently he has no better sense of where he is than I do.
He had no idea where he was, he had no idea what to do, and he had no idea what was going to happen next.
Johnstone, William W.. Trigger Warning (p. 281). Pinnacle Books. Kindle Edition.
THAT IS PRECISELY HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS BOOK!
He was not cut out for this. Not at all. And making it even worse . . . he kind of needed to pee.
Johnstone, William W.. Trigger Warning (p. 281). Pinnacle Books. Kindle Edition.
SAME THO!
Okay, so it seems like he’s crawling through the vents in the library because he’s scared the terrorists are going to be able to hear him. So he does know where he is! That son of a bitch!
He spends a long time crawling around trying not to sneeze. It is the single most compelling scene I’ve ever read. Unfortunately, he can’t hold a sneeze in. Fortunately (?) at that exact moment, shouts come from below, hopefully hiding the sound. BUT THEN people start firing their guns into the ceiling anyway, so.
Suddenly the plank wasn’t beneath him anymore. It had come to an abrupt end. The air duct and the path alongside it must have turned, probably at a right angle. Thrown off balance with nothing to support him, Montambault sprawled forward. His outstretched hands struck one of the ceiling tiles.
Johnstone, William W.. Trigger Warning (p. 283). Pinnacle Books. Kindle Edition.
He falls out of the ceiling and hears someone shout, “What the hell?”
He jackknifed halfway up and tried to get to his feet as his instincts told him to run.
But run where? He glanced to his left and to his horror saw two men pointing pistols at him. There was nowhere to run, no place to hide.
Then he heard something from the other direction and a voice bellowed, “Doctor, get down!”
Montambault did what he was told.
Johnstone, William W.. Trigger Warning (p. 284). Pinnacle Books. Kindle Edition.
You guessed it. It’s motherfuckin’ Jake Rivers. Will these two overcome their vast ideological differences to save the day? I don’t fucking care!
Now Rivers stalked toward him with the gun still held ready. Montambault covered his head with his arms. Surely Rivers hadn’t saved him only to kill him, but the young man hated him, Montambault was sure of that. There was no telling what a bloodthirsty barbarian like Rivers might do.
Johnstone, William W.. Trigger Warning (pp. 284-285). Pinnacle Books. Kindle Edition.
BUT JAKE IS A PEACEABLE MAN, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
Something thumped against Montambault’s side and made him jump. Rivers said, “Grab the gun, Doc, and get back on your feet. There might be more of them around here.”
That was the pistol he had dropped when he fell through the ceiling, Montambault realized.
Johnstone, William W.. Trigger Warning (p. 285). Pinnacle Books. Kindle Edition.
They both carry guns, so their differences can definitely be overcome!
We switch to Jake’s POV, and he and Montambault discuss what’s going on and what Matthias Foster’s motivation might be.
“Matthias Foster, or that’s what he claims his name is, anyway. He’s the guy behind all this.”
“I never heard of him.”
“Could be not many people did before today,” Jake said. “Sometimes when guys pull big stunts like this, it’s as much for the sake of their ego as for the money they hope to collect.”
“I still don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m afraid I have no idea what’s going on.”
Johnstone, William W.. Trigger Warning (pp. 286-287). Pinnacle Books. Kindle Edition.
I am shook by the fact that Montambault has become the most relatable character in the entire book this chapter.
Jake frantically tries to explain that Foster might be planning to blow them all up! Or he might be! HE ISN’T SURE BUT HE’S GOT A GUN!
They hear someone coming and hide in a supply closet together. I guess I ship them now?
Jake manages to take one of their enemies out with a sneak attack. They don’t kill him and instead leave him tied up in the supply closet. See? Jake is a peaceable man.
They find where some of the hostages are being kept and they’re currently unguarded. The people decide to go hide in the rare book room for safety since Jake can’t get them out of the building.
“Does anybody else have any experience with firearms?”
Of course, they all just looked at him like he’d asked if they could flap their arms and fly to the moon. The typical Kelton College student not only had never fired a gun, the very idea would be abhorrent to them . . . at least until their lives were in danger.
Johnstone, William W.. Trigger Warning (p. 291). Pinnacle Books. Kindle Edition.
Damn it!!! If only they were all trained firearms experts!! How did they not forsee a situation like this??
Jake leaves Montambault in charge of protecting everyone.
Jake nodded, clapped a hand on the man’s shoulder, and said, “I knew I could depend on you.”
He didn’t know that at all, but he didn’t figure it would hurt anything to say something positive to Montambault.
Johnstone, William W.. Trigger Warning (pp. 291-292). Pinnacle Books. Kindle Edition.
I genuinely loled at this and I’m pretty sure I was supposed to. It’s a miracle!
Montambault asks Jake what happens next.
Jake smiled grimly.
“Still rats to clean out of this nest,” he said.
Johnstone, William W.. Trigger Warning (p. 292). Pinnacle Books. Kindle Edition.
OOOOOER.
