Chapter 8 - The Ascent into Darkness
The blinding, dangerously hot blue sparks of the industrial blowtorch showered the outer hallway as the impenetrable bulletproof glass slowly began to melt away.
"He's going to completely break through that glass in less than three minutes!" David shouted in panic, rushing quickly back down from the wobbly desk.
He grabbed the exhausted Elena firmly by the waist, practically lifting her entire body onto the precarious makeshift stepstool.
Elena bravely crawled into the dark, incredibly dusty ventilation shaft, immediately reaching her arms down to help Clara safely pull the fragile babies up.
Little Lily scrambled rapidly up the stacked chairs like a nimble little monkey, diving fearlessly into the dark shaft right behind her desperate mother.
David was the absolute last one to climb in, aggressively kicking the chairs away to hide their path and pulling the heavy metal grate tightly back into place.
Just as the metal grate clicked securely shut, the massive glass partition completely shattered into a million smoking, jagged pieces on the floor below them.
Richard stepped furiously into the ruined room, his highly expensive suit completely covered in white ash, his manic eyes scanning the suspiciously empty ICU.
He slowly looked up at the ceiling, instantly spotting the slightly misaligned metal vent, and furiously fired three rapid shots directly into the metal frame.
The heavy bullets tore violently through the thin aluminum just inches from David's heavy boots, echoing deafeningly in the incredibly tight, confined space.
"Crawl! Everyone go, go, go!" David yelled at the top of his lungs, aggressively pushing the terrified group forward through the pitch-black, claustrophobic tunnel.
Elena led the frantic way, heavily relying on the faint, dying glow of her cell phone flashlight to desperately navigate the confusing maze of air ducts.
The stale air inside the shaft was suffocatingly hot, and the tiny babies began to whimper loudly as the enclosed space amplified every single terrifying sound.
Clara held the twins incredibly tight against her protective chest, whispering sweet lullabies while desperately trying to keep up with Elena's frantic, crawling pace.
After what genuinely felt like an absolute eternity of painful crawling on severely bruised knees, they finally felt a beautiful rush of cold, fresh air against their sweaty faces.
Elena pushed with all her remaining might against the final rusted vent cover, forcefully kicking it out onto the wet, tarred surface of the hospital roof.
They spilled awkwardly out into the freezing night air, heavy rain instantly lashing painfully against their faces as a massive, violent thunderstorm rolled in.
The expansive roof was completely deserted, but the large painted red 'H' of the medical helipad offered a massive, desperately needed glimmer of hope.
David pulled out his emergency radio, finally catching a crystal-clear signal now that they were safely away from the hospital's internal electronic jammers.
He desperately called the state police dispatcher, furiously begging for an immediate, heavily armed tactical extraction from the dangerous rooftop.
The shocked dispatcher's voice crackled loudly through the speaker, wonderfully confirming that a heavily armed state trooper helicopter was only five minutes away.
Elena collapsed happily onto the wet tarmac, pulling little Lily and the babies tightly into her arms and weeping with absolute, unbridled joy.
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But a shockingly loud, metallic clank from the main roof access door completely shattered their fragile, hard-earned moment of relief.
The heavy steel door swung violently open, and a soaked Richard walked confidently out into the rain, holding a massive, high-powered military assault rifle.
