Chapter 8 - The Trap in the Vault
"Cover your faces!" Henry ordered loudly, pulling his damp wool coat up over his mouth and nose.
"It's chemical gas! Don't inhale!"
Sarah stumbled in the pitch black, knocking over a stack of metal filing trays as she gasped for air.
"The emergency exit is near the back server rack!" Leo yelled, using his phone screen to light up the dark room.
He guided Sarah and Henry through the narrow aisles of filing cabinets toward a heavy reinforced steel emergency hatch.
Henry coughed violently, his elderly lungs burning from the toxic fumes filling the tight basement space.
Leo slammed his weight against the emergency panic bar on the steel door, but it remained locked from the outside.
"They've jammed the external latch!" Leo shouted through his shirt, desperation taking over his voice.
Henry grabbed a heavy iron fire extinguisher from a nearby wall mount, swinging it with all his remaining strength.
He smashed the extinguisher repeatedly against the electronic control panel beside the steel door frame.
Sparks flew wildly into the darkness, flashing like mini fireworks against the concrete walls.
With a loud electronic screech, the magnetic lock failed, and the heavy steel door swung open into the alleyway outside.
The cold, crisp night air rushed into the room, sweeping away the toxic gas and filling their lungs with life.
They collapsed onto the wet pavement of the alley, gasping for air as the rain poured down upon them.
May you like
Looking up through the torrential downpour, Henry saw a black SUV speeding away into the dark Chicago night.
Standing near the alley entrance was Marcus Vance, holding a remote detonator unit in his gloved hand.
