Chapter 19 - The Rising Fire
The two armed guards stepped forward, raising their tactical rifles toward Ethan's chest.
Before they could pull their triggers, Arthur Pendelton pressed a hidden button underneath the main computer terminal.
A high-frequency sonic alarm burst through the vault speakers, releasing a deafening sound wave that shattered glass.
The guards dropped their weapons instantly, clutching their ears and crying out in sudden, intense agony.
Nikolai stumbled backward, dropping his steel cane as the unbearable noise tore through his equilibrium.
Ethan used the split-second distraction to dive forward, grabbing the lead guard's rifle and twisting it violently out of his grip.
He used the heavy rifle stock to strike the second guard across the helmet, knocking him unconscious onto the concrete floor.
Victoria sprinted toward the crib, reaching her gloved hands out to grab the crying baby from the swaddle.
Ethan spun around, raising his weapon and pointing it directly at his wife's head from five feet away.
"Step away from my son, Victoria!" Ethan roared over the deafening sonic alarm.
Victoria stopped, looking into Ethan's eyes and realizing that the gentle husband she knew was completely gone.
In his place stood a fierce, protective father who would burn the entire world to keep his child safe.
Suddenly, Arthur Pendelton slammed his hand onto the main console, cutting the sonic alarm off completely.
Silence returned to the vault, broken only by the loud panting of the combatants and the baby's desperate crying.
Nikolai pulled a small silver pistol from his coat pocket, aiming it directly at the back of Ethan's head.
"It's over, Ethan," Nikolai wheezed, his finger tightening around the trigger.
Suddenly, a loud gunshot echoed through the vault room, but it didn't come from Nikolai's gun.
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Nikolai gasped, looking down in complete shock as a red blood stain spread across his expensive silk tie.
He collapsed onto the cold concrete floor, revealing Agent Marcus Cole standing in the vault doorway holding a smoking pistol.
