Chapter 2 - The Lockdown
Lorenzo did not hesitate for a single second when the armed security guards breached the stairwell.
He violently shoved Julian forward into the heavily armed men, using his treacherous son-in-law as a human bowling pin.
The guards stumbled backward, their weapons temporarily knocked out of alignment.
Lorenzo fired two precise shots, hitting the lead guard in the shoulder and forcing the others to dive for cover.
He kicked the heavy steel door shut and shot the electronic locking mechanism to buy them some precious time.
Nurse Claire was trembling, firmly gripping the handle of the reinforced bassinet cart.
Lorenzo handed Sofia over to Claire, instructing the brave nurse to support her weight.
He grabbed Victor by the collar and slammed him brutally against the concrete wall.
He demanded to know if there was another way down to the parking garage that the cartel did not control.
Victor choked on his own blood, desperately pointing toward the old maintenance elevator shaft.
Lorenzo dragged the entire group down a narrow, unlit service corridor filled with discarded medical supplies.
They reached a rusted set of elevator doors that looked like they had not been opened in a decade.
Lorenzo used his tactical knife to forcefully pry the ancient metal doors apart.
Inside was a heavy freight elevator, smelling of industrial grease and stale air.
He ushered Claire, Sofia, and the three sleeping babies into the dark metal box.
Julian and Victor were shoved in last, constantly held at gunpoint by a furious Lorenzo.
Lorenzo hit the basement button, and the elevator began to descend with a terrifying, grinding shudder.
Sofia leaned heavily against the metal wall, her face turning dangerously pale in the dim light.
She looked down at her hospital gown and let out a weak, terrified gasp.
Dark crimson blood was rapidly pooling around her feet, indicating a severe post-delivery hemorrhage.
Nurse Claire panicked, frantically pressing her hands against Sofia to try and slow the sudden bleeding.
She looked at Lorenzo and told him that Sofia would bleed to death in less than ten minutes without a surgical suite.
The freight elevator abruptly slammed to a halt between floors, plunging them into complete darkness.
A mechanical voice echoed through the intercom, announcing that the main power had been entirely cut.
Julian let out a dark, mocking laugh in the pitch-black elevator.
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He whispered that Lorenzo should just hand over one baby so they could save Sofia's life.
Before Lorenzo could reply, a heavy cutting torch ignited right outside the roof hatch of their trapped elevator.
