Chapter 8 - The Suffocating Trap
The Mayor's cruel laughter echoed from the small speaker in the corner.
"That vault is entirely airtight, Damian," the politician gloated cheerfully.
"You and the girl have about twenty minutes of oxygen before you simply fall asleep forever."
The speaker clicked off, leaving them in absolute, terrifying silence.
Clara rushed to the heavy steel door and pounded her fists against the cold metal.
"We have to get out of here!" she panicked, her breathing already becoming shallow.
Damian remained perfectly calm, analyzing the massive locking mechanism on the inside of the door.
"Panic consumes oxygen faster, Clara," he instructed gently, pulling her away from the door.
He began tracing the thick electrical wires running along the ceiling of the vault.
"The electronic lock is controlled from the outside, but the manual override requires massive hydraulic pressure," Damian explained.
He looked around the room, spotting a heavy steel cart used for transporting gold bars.
"Help me push this," Damian commanded, grabbing one end of the heavy cart.
They wedged the steel cart tightly between the back wall of the vault and the massive hinge of the door.
"What is this going to do?" Clara asked, wiping sweat from her forehead.
"We are going to create our own pressure," Damian said grimly.
He pulled a block of plastic explosives from his tuxedo pocket.
Clara's eyes widened in sheer terror as she realized what he was planning.
"You brought a bomb to a charity gala?" she gasped.
"I brought a contingency plan," Damian corrected, pressing the putty against the vault's main hinge.
"If I blow the hinge, the steel cart will force the door to swing outward off its track."
"Or the blast will instantly turn us into red paste," Clara pointed out.
"It's a calculated risk," Damian smirked.
He set the digital timer for exactly thirty seconds and grabbed Clara's hand.
They dragged a heavy metal desk to the far corner of the vault and crouched behind it.
Damian wrapped his arms tightly around her, pressing her face against his chest to protect her.
"Hold your breath and cover your ears," he yelled over the ticking timer.
The explosion was deafening, shaking the entire foundation of the bank.
Thick smoke filled the room, and the sound of groaning metal echoed in their ears.
Damian stood up and pushed through the dust to inspect the damage.
The heavy steel door was blown completely off its hinges, leaning heavily against the twisted steel cart.
There was just enough room for them to squeeze through the gap.
They climbed out of the ruined vault and sprinted up the marble staircase.
The gala above had dissolved into total chaos, with guests fleeing the building in panic.
Damian and Clara ran toward the front doors, the stolen files clutched tightly in Damian's hand.
May you like
But as they reached the grand lobby, they stopped dead in their tracks.
Preston Hale was standing in the center of the room, holding a gun directly at Walter Bennett's head.
