Chapter 8 - The Raid
Deafening explosions echoed through the underground corridors as heavily armed men stormed the basement.
Blinding tactical lasers pierced through the darkness, sweeping across the concrete walls.
Richard pushed Valerie and Lila behind the water heater, shielding them with his own battered body.
These were not local police officers responding to a school emergency.
These men wore unmarked black tactical gear and carried military-grade assault rifles.
They were the cartel's elite hit squad, sent to clean up the mess and retrieve the ledger at any cost.
The fake father with the neck tattoos limped into the room, leading the squad of killers.
His face was completely red and blistered from the chemical fire extinguisher foam.
He shouted orders in Spanish, directing his men to check every corner of the maintenance tunnels.
Valerie knew the smoke rising from the fried vest would give away their position in seconds.
She looked around desperately for any advantage in the cramped space.
She noticed the massive main steam valve on the side of the industrial water heater.
She quietly reached up and grabbed the rusty iron wheel.
She waited until the hit squad was only ten feet away from their hiding spot.
With a massive heave, she spun the wheel as hard as she could.
A deafening hiss tore through the air as high-pressure, boiling steam blasted out of the release pipe.
The scalding white cloud instantly filled the narrow corridor, blinding the tactical team completely.
The mercenaries screamed as the boiling steam burned their exposed skin.
They began firing their weapons blindly into the thick fog, the bullets ricocheting wildly off the metal pipes.
Richard grabbed the unconscious Officer Davis's fallen gun from the floor.
He fired three precise shots into the blinding steam, dropping two of the armed mercenaries instantly.
Valerie grabbed Lila and crawled low to the ground, moving beneath the deadly crossfire.
They reached a rusted grate covering an old ventilation shaft leading to the surface.
Richard kicked the grate with his heavy boots, breaking the rusted bolts.
He lifted Lila up and shoved her into the narrow metal duct.
He turned to help Valerie up, but a stray bullet suddenly tore through his shoulder.
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He collapsed backward onto the concrete floor, dropping the weapon.
The steam began to clear, revealing the tattooed man standing directly over him with a vicious smile.
