Chapter 28 - Shadows in the Fog
"Kill the main generator! Emergency red lights only!" Marcus barked into his tactical radio.
The room plunged into a crimson half-light. The soft hum of the ventilation system died, leaving only the sound of rain tapping against the concrete roof and the erratic thumping of our hearts.
Marcus’s four surviving security men took positions at the reinforced steel doors leading to the surface staircase. Through the small monitor console near the desk, the grainy black-and-white feeds showed figures moving like phantoms through the fog-shrouded pines. They wore matte-black tactical gear and thermal visors, carrying submachine guns equipped with long suppressors.
"They brought a full strike team," Marcus muttered, checking the feed. "At least twelve operatives. Sterling didn't wait for morning."
"We can't fight them in a bunker," I said, cold dread pooling in my stomach. "If they breach the door, they'll trap us in a concrete tomb."
"There’s an egress tunnel," Julian said, pushing himself up onto his elbows despite the medic’s protests. His face went chalk-white with pain, but the iron will that had kept him alive inside Alexander’s dungeon was fully awake. "Ethan built this bunker during the Cold War scare. The ventilation shaft behind the munitions rack connects to an old mining conduit. It exits half a mile down the ridge into the drainage creek."
"You can't walk half a mile through a crawl space in this condition," the medic argued. "Your sutures will tear out within five minutes."
Julian grabbed the front of the medic’s collar with sudden, ferocious strength. "I will crawl on my broken ribs before I let Victor Sterling put a collar around Elena’s neck. Give me an ampoule of epinephrine and a dose of morphine. Now."
The medic looked at Marcus, who gave a grim nod.
Within seconds, the medic injected the clear liquid into Julian’s IV port. Julian gasped, his pupils dilating as the powerful stimulants flooded his bloodstream, temporarily deadening the agony and forcing his shattered muscles to respond. He swung his legs over the side of the table, his boots hitting the floor with a hollow thud.
"Maya," I said, turning to my sister. I handed her a small compact revolver Marcus had left on the desk. "Remember what our father taught us at the cabin. Keep the safety on until you see someone who isn't Marcus, Julian, or me."
Maya took the cold steel weapon. Her hands were still trembling, but her jaw was set. "I won't let them take us, Elena."
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*Boom!*
A heavy muffled explosion shook the ceiling overhead. Concrete dust rained down like dry snow. The surface barricades had just been breached.