Chapter 14 - Breaking the Surface
Julian burst out of the dark basement stairwell, scrambling up the concrete steps into the freezing New York air just as the first rays of winter sunlight cut across the snowy plaza.
The heavy wind had died down, replaced by the deafening roar of diesel engines and heavy construction equipment idling at the perimeter of the cordoned-off archive building.
Yellow police tape fluttered from the iron lampposts, and a pair of uniform patrol officers stood talking near a squad car with its emergency lights flashing silently against the snow.
"Hey! You there! Step away from the restricted zone!" one of the officers shouted, jogging across the icy pavement toward Julian.
Julian stumbled forward, falling to his knees in the slush, his hands and coat stained dark with his father's dried blood.
"Help," Julian gasped, holding up his bloodied hands as the officer reached him and grabbed his arms to steady him. "Inside... my mother and father are trapped inside the basement. There's been a shooting."
The officer’s eyes widened as he took in Julian's frantic state and the horrific stains on his clothing. He grabbed his shoulder radio, barking codes into the receiver while pulling his partner over.
"Call an ambulance! We need tactical support at the sub-level entrance right now!" the officer yelled over the rising din of the machinery.
Suddenly, a loud, deep mechanical groan shook the ground beneath their feet, followed by the terrifying sound of cracking granite and snapping steel beams.
Julian looked up toward the top of the stone steps.
Standing near the precipice of the collapsing archive entrance, wrapped once again in her dark grey wool shawl, was Clara.
She wasn't looking at Julian, nor was she looking at the approaching police officers. Her pale blue eyes were fixed on the heavy wrecking ball suspended from a massive crane parked fifty feet away.
"Wait! Don't let them drop it!" Julian screamed, struggling against the officer holding him back. "There are people still down there!"
Clara slowly turned her head, locking eyes with Julian across the snowy courtyard for one final, lingering moment.
She raised her hand, letting the silver crescent moon pendant catch the morning sun in a blinding flash of silver light, before stepping backward out of sight into the shadows of the collapsing doorway.
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"Clear the perimeter!" the lead officer shouted, dragging Julian backward into the snow just as the crane operator dropped the massive iron ball squarely into the center of the archive's upper facade.
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