The man did not look at the package he had dropped at all. Instead, he gently pulled Schiller by the shoulders, making him lean back rather than curl up and hinder his breathing. Then he straightened his arms and began massaging the joints of his elbows. His movements were highly practiced, as if he had done this countless times.
Eddie stepped forward, picked up the package, and opened it. Inside was what appeared to be homemade explosives. They were not especially powerful, but more than enough to kill someone.
Only after Schiller had recovered somewhat did the man notice that Eddie behind him had picked up the package. Yet his reaction was far calmer than Eddie had expected. The stranger pulled down his hood, looked at Eddie, and said, "...What are you going to do? Call the police?"
Eddie zipped the leather bag shut, then tossed the explosives directly back to the stranger. The man was startled by such a bold move and panicked instead, fumbling to catch the package and making sure the bomb would not suddenly explode from such rough handling.
"What are you doing? Aren't you afraid it'll explode?!" he shouted.
"You're a dangerous man carrying explosives, and you're afraid of a bomb exploding?" Eddie shot back. As a reporter, he was best at finding holes in other people's words.
"I..." The stranger did not seem particularly articulate. Faced with that question, he could not find a reply. But then Eddie took the initiative to lower his guard. "Thank you for helping. If it hadn't been for you, my friend would have been in danger."
"I know a little chemistry too. The kind of bomb you made is very unsafe. Even if you intended to carry it somewhere and blow something up, you'd be more likely to