Chapter 12
The heavy metal door of the stairwell slammed shut behind Pendelton and his retreating guards, leaving a hollow, echoing ring that vibrated through the concrete foundations of the sub-basement. Marcus lowered his weapon slightly, coughing as the last wisps of the chemical fog finally cleared toward the ceiling vents.
“Are you alright?” Marcus asked, hurrying over to Elena, Clara, and Leo. He extended a hand to help Elena to her feet, his brow furrowed with deep concern.
“We’re okay,” Elena breathed out, brushing soot and dust from the knees of her blue suit. She checked the children, who nodded bravely despite the terror still lingering in their wide eyes. “Did you hear what he said? The demolition is scheduled for midnight. That’s fifteen minutes from now.”
Marcus pulled out his department radio, pressing the transmission button with an urgent thumb. “Dispatch, this is Detective Vance. I need an immediate bomb squad and structural containment hold on the Vance Foundation sub-basement. We have active demolition charges planted—repeat, active charges!”
A burst of static crackled from the handheld radio, followed by a frustratingly calm dispatcher’s voice. “Negative, Detective. City hall just relayed an emergency override order signed by the mayor’s office. All units are ordered to evacuate the perimeter immediately due to an uncontained gas leak. Clear the area.”
Marcus stared at the radio in disbelief, his jaw tightening into a hard line. “That corrupt bastard,” he muttered, slamming the radio against his palm. “The mayor is on their payroll.”
“We can’t wait for backup, Marcus,” Elena said, her voice carrying an absolute, unyielding resolve. She reached into her pocket, confirming the silver flash drive was still secure. “We need to get to the main communications terminal on the third floor. It’s the only place with an unencrypted satellite uplink that can broadcast the data directly to the federal attorney general’s office before the demolition triggers.”
“The third floor?” Marcus looked up toward the tangled maze of stairwells and service elevators. “The elevators are locked out on the master override. We’ll have to take the old maintenance stairs, and if Pendelton’s men are blocking the exits—”
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“We don’t have a choice,” Elena interrupted, taking Clara’s small hand in hers and nodding firmly to Leo. “Let’s move. Now.”
They sprinted toward the metal stairwell door, pushing it open to reveal a narrow, dimly lit concrete staircase spiraling endlessly upward into the heart of the doomed building. Every second counted, and as they began their vertical ascent, a low, rhythmic mechanical rumbling began to vibrate through the walls—the unmistakable sound of demolition timers counting down their final minutes.
