Chapter 9 - The Explosive Exit
I stared at the jammed keyhole in absolute despair as the toxic gas thickened.
Bennett dropped to his knees, his face pale and his breathing dangerously shallow.
Lauren collapsed beside him, her strength entirely depleted from the brutal fight.
I refused to let my son die in the dark basement of our own home.
I remembered the old propane tank we used for our backyard grill, stored in the utility closet.
I dragged the heavy metal cylinder out and positioned it directly against the jammed magnetic door.
I frantically searched the workbench drawers until I found a box of long wooden matches.
I knew that igniting a spark in a gas-filled room was a massive, deadly gamble.
If the carbon monoxide concentration was too high, the entire house would vaporize.
I opened the valve on the propane tank, letting the highly flammable gas hiss into the air.
I grabbed a heavy hammer and ordered Lauren to pull Bennett behind the concrete retaining wall.
I struck the brass valve of the tank with the hammer until it completely snapped off.
I sprinted behind the concrete wall and struck a match against the rough stone.
I threw the burning match directly at the rapidly leaking propane cylinder.
For one agonizing second, absolutely nothing happened.
Then, a blinding flash of orange light completely consumed the basement.
The concussive shockwave picked me up and threw me violently against the cold floor.
My ears rang with a deafening screech as thick smoke flooded the room.
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I forced my eyes open, praying that I hadn't just killed my entire family.
The smoke cleared just enough to reveal that the heavy steel door had been completely blown off its hinges.
