Chapter 9 - The Escape
The shockwave threw my broken body violently across the basement floor just before the ceiling collapsed entirely.
Thick concrete slabs crushed the operatives instantly, burying Vance underneath tons of flaming debris.
By some absolute miracle, I had been thrown into a deep, recessed trench right next to the drainage pipe.
The heavy iron grate had been completely blown off its hinges by the massive explosion.
I dragged my bleeding, exhausted body into the dark tunnel, coughing up thick black smoke.
I crawled blindly through the freezing water for what felt like hours, driven only by the thought of my family.
Eventually, I saw a faint glimmer of moonlight shining through a storm drain up ahead.
I pushed the heavy metal cover aside and climbed out into the quiet, dense woods miles away from my ruined home.
Sarah was sitting on the wet grass, holding the kids tightly against her chest while she wept.
When she saw me emerge from the darkness, she dropped to her knees and threw her arms around my neck.
"You survived," she cried, kissing my bruised and dirt-covered face repeatedly.
I hugged my children, overwhelmed with a profound sense of relief and pure gratitude.
We had destroyed the operatives, eliminated Vance, and completely erased their operation.
Suddenly, the blinding headlights of an armored SUV turned on from the dark tree line, pinning us in the light.
A tall, familiar figure stepped out of the vehicle, racking the slide of a heavy shotgun.
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It was Sarah's brother, David, the man I had been told died in a car crash three years ago.
He aimed the weapon directly at my head, his eyes burning with absolute hatred.
