Chapter 19 - The Ash and Smoke
The automated countdown clock echoed loudly through the corridors, declaring only two minutes remaining until absolute destruction.
Vincent, Norah, and Enzo burst into the massive underground hangar bay, their lungs burning from the frantic sprint.
The hangar was in a state of total, violent chaos as Vanguard personnel fought over the few remaining escape helicopters.
Enzo did not hesitate; he raised his stolen rifle and fired a deafening burst into the ceiling.
He aggressively ordered the terrified scientists to step away from a sleek, black transport chopper idling on the helipad.
They immediately scattered, prioritizing their own miserable lives over their loyalty to the shadow agency.
Vincent gently placed Norah in the co-pilot’s seat and strapped her securely into the heavy leather harness.
He climbed into the pilot’s seat, his hands flying across the complex control panel with practiced, absolute precision.
The massive rotors spun to life, generating a powerful downdraft that blew heavy equipment across the hangar floor.
Just as the helicopter began to lift off the ground, a heavily armored Vanguard heavy-gunner stepped onto the helipad.
He hoisted a massive rocket launcher onto his shoulder, aiming directly at the cockpit window.
Enzo leaned precariously out of the open side door of the rising chopper, ignoring the pain in his broken ribs.
He fired a single, perfect shot from his rifle, striking the heavy-gunner squarely in the center of his helmet.
The soldier collapsed instantly, his finger twitching on the trigger and sending the rocket wildly into the hangar ceiling.
Vincent pulled back hard on the flight stick, aggressively banking the helicopter out of the massive blast doors.
They shot out over the freezing, dark ocean just as the robotic voice announced the end of the countdown.
A blinding flash of pure white light erupted from the side of the towering mountain behind them.
The entire facility was instantly vaporized in a massive, terrifying explosion that shook the very foundation of the earth.
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The shockwave hit the helicopter hard, tossing it violently in the sky, but Vincent fiercely held the controls steady.
Norah looked out the window at the towering plume of fire and ash, realizing they were finally completely free.
