Chapter 8 - The Ultimate Sacrifice
The grenade exploded with a blinding flash, temporarily deafening everyone in the dark basement.
I grabbed Sarah by the waist and threw her aggressively toward the open drainage pipe.
"I am not leaving you behind to die," I shouted over the ringing in my ears.
I shoved Lily and Tommy into the dark, damp tunnel, telling them to crawl as fast as they could.
The heavily armed operatives swarmed down the broken stairs, their laser sights cutting through the thick smoke.
Mr. Vance walked down behind them, a cruel, arrogant smile plastered across his face.
"It is officially over, Mark, so hand over the child," Vance demanded, pointing his weapon at us.
I looked at Sarah, grabbed the detonator from her hands, and shoved her violently into the pipe behind the kids.
Before she could protest, I slammed the heavy iron grate shut and spun the rusted locking wheel to trap her safely inside.
"Mark, no!" she screamed, banging her fists helplessly against the iron bars.
I turned to face Vance, holding the explosive detonator high in the air for him to see.
His arrogant smile instantly vanished, replaced by sheer, unadulterated terror.
"You always underestimated my loyalty to my family, Vance," I whispered coldly.
I pressed my thumb down hard on the red activation button.
The digital timer instantly jumped from sixty seconds down to exactly zero.
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Vance screamed and turned to run, but a massive wall of pure orange fire erupted from the concrete walls.
The blast consumed the entire basement, burying us all in an inescapable inferno of heat and destruction.
