Chapter 11 - The Struggle for the Ledger
The masked man lunged forward with terrifying speed, his heavy boots slamming hard against the concrete as he vaulted toward the back of the ambulance. Detective Ramos fired a warning shot into the pavement, the deafening crack of the gunshot echoing off the brick walls and sending sparks flying across the tarmac.
"Stop right there! Federal authority! Drop the weapon!" Ramos screamed, keeping her aim steady on the attacker's chest.
The man hesitated for a fraction of a second, glancing back at the SUV where Director Vance gestured frantically through the window, urging them forward. Growling with frustration, the attacker ignored the warning and lunged sideways, bypassing Ramos to grab for the leather journal tucked securely inside David's coat pocket.
David reacted instinctively, throwing his weight forward and tackling the man hard around the waist. Both men crashed violently onto the cold pavement, the heavy leather journal slipping from David's coat and sliding across the wet concrete toward the shadow of the brick wall.
"Leo! Get the book!" David yelled, struggling to pin the attacker's arms to the ground as the man swung a heavy elbow toward David's bruised ribs.
Leo didn't hesitate. He broke away from the ambulance and scrambled across the pavement, his small fingers stretching out just as the second masked man sprinted forward to intercept him.
Before the second attacker could reach Leo, Helen burst out from the side door of the emergency room, swinging a heavy steel oxygen tank with both hands. With a dull thud, the tank struck the attacker square in the shoulder, sending him sprawling hard onto the ground with a sharp cry of pain.
"Get away from the children!" Helen shouted, her voice ringing with fierce, protective fury.
Leo slid across the wet concrete, his fingers closing tightly around the cold, worn leather of the journal just as the lead man broke free from David's grip and reached out to grab the boy's ankle.
"Let go of me!" Leo screamed, kicking back with all his might and connecting solidly with the man's shin.
From inside the SUV, Director Vance slammed his fist against the steering wheel, his face turning an ugly shade of crimson as he realized the situation was slipping out of his control. He reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a small black remote control, and pressed a large red button.
With a sickening mechanical groen, the heavy steel security gates at the end of the ambulance bay began to lower automatically, threatening to seal off the entire exit and trap everyone inside the courtyard.
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"Get everyone inside the ambulance now!" Detective Ramos yelled over the roar of the descending gate, firing two more rounds into the tires of the SUV to disable their escape.
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