Chapter 3 - The Blast Zone
The glowing red numbers dropped to twenty-nine seconds as Richard's eyes locked onto the explosive device.
He did not waste a single fraction of a second panicking or screaming at the television screen.
He spun on his heel and sprinted back toward the wooden staircase faster than he had moved in a decade.
His heavy boots pounded against the steps as the mechanical voice of the countdown echoed mockingly through the basement.
He reached the top of the stairs, burst through the basement door, and dove violently into the center of the kitchen.
A deafening, earth-shattering roar erupted from beneath the hardwood floors.
The explosion violently shook the foundation of the mansion, sending a shockwave of shattered glass and splintered wood through the air.
Richard covered his head as thick black smoke and debris rained down upon him.
The blast was highly localized, designed strictly to destroy the server farm rather than level the entire estate.
His ears rang with a high-pitched whine as he slowly pushed himself up from the ruined kitchen floor.
He coughed through the thick dust, verifying that all his limbs were still attached and functioning.
As the smoke began to clear, he noticed something strange about the destruction near the hallway.
The blast had completely blown away a decorative drywall panel, exposing a heavy, reinforced steel door hidden behind the plaster.
It looked exactly like a high-end panic room, entirely separate from the destroyed server farm.
Richard approached the steel door cautiously, noticing the heavy electronic lock had been fried by the explosive shockwave.
He jammed the barrel of his gun into the damaged locking mechanism and forcefully pried the heavy door open.
He expected to find a stash of illegal money, stolen weapons, or perhaps a backup server rack.
Instead, a young woman cowered in the darkest corner of the small, windowless room.
She was trembling violently, her clothes torn and her face bruised beyond recognition.
Richard immediately lowered his weapon and held up his empty hands to show he was not a threat.
He stepped closer, hoping beyond hope that the smoke had simply obscured his vision.
It was not Emily.
The terrified woman stared up at him with wide, tear-filled eyes.
"Are you one of his buyers?" she whispered, her voice shaking with absolute terror.
Richard knelt slowly and looked her dead in the eyes.
"I am the man who is going to kill him," Richard replied firmly.
The woman let out a broken, relieved sob and collapsed forward into his arms.
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"He took your daughter to the Farm," she cried, grabbing his shirt tightly.
"He is not just a CEO, he is selling human assets on the dark web, and Emily finally found his ledger."
