Chapter 11 - The Trap Closes
"I know you're watching, Thomas. And I know you've got the brat with you," Mr. Vance’s voice boomed from the laptop speakers, addressing the camera directly as if he were standing right beside them in the vault.
Thomas swore under his breath, lunging forward to slam the laptop shut, but the screen locked automatically, flashing a red security override prompt: Data Upload in Progress. Location Traced.
"He traced the IP address the second we booted the generator," Thomas yelled, grabbing Leo by the arm. "We have to move, now!"
Before they could turn toward the exit stairs, the heavy steel maintenance door at the top of the stairwell slammed shut with a resounding, metallic crash. Heavy iron bolts slid into place from the outside.
"They locked us in," Leo whispered, his voice trembling as reality set in.
"Not quite," Thomas said grimly, scanning the walls of the subterranean vault with his flashlight until he spotted an emergency ventilation shaft tucked behind a row of filing cabinets. He jammed his crowbar into the grate, twisting the metal until the screws snapped one by one.
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Above them, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed on the concrete stairs. Someone was coming down with a blowtorch.
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