Chapter 3 - The Smoke and the Fire
The thick scent of gasoline rapidly transformed into the suffocating smell of dark, toxic smoke.
Marin knew they would slowly asphyxiate in this metal box long before the flames ever reached them.
She grabbed the heavy steel surgical clamp from her pocket and wedged it between the closed elevator doors.
Using all of her carefully concealed upper body strength, she pried the heavy steel doors apart just enough to squeeze through.
They were stuck halfway between the first floor and the basement level.
Marin climbed out of the car and reached back to pull Adelaide safely onto the concrete landing of the dark stairwell.
She hoisted the seventy-one-year-old woman onto her back, ignoring the burning ache in her own muscles.
Marin carried her down the final flight of stairs, moving through the thick smoke with the stealth of a ghost.
They finally reached the heavy fire door that opened directly into the sprawling underground parking garage.
Marin gently set Adelaide down on the cold concrete floor and peeked through the small glass window of the door.
Three of Elias's expensive luxury vehicles were already completely engulfed in roaring flames.
Standing in front of the only exit were four heavily armed mercenaries wearing tactical gas masks.
Marin checked her stolen weapon and realized she only had exactly seven bullets left in the magazine.
She could not possibly take down four armored men in an open firefight while protecting a helpless patient.
She noticed a massive, pressurized fire suppression tank mounted on the wall directly behind the mercenaries.
Marin pushed the heavy door open, aimed her pistol, and fired a single perfect shot directly into the metal valve of the tank.
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The massive tank exploded with deafening force, spraying highly pressurized, blinding white foam everywhere.
The mercenaries screamed in confusion as Marin charged blindly into the thick chemical cloud with her weapon raised.
