Chapter 5 - The Desperate Ploy
Bricks and plaster rained down on them as the walls groaned under the impact.
The children screamed, covering their heads as dust filled the room.
"Get them to the basement!" Nathaniel shouted over the deafening noise.
"The foundation is reinforced concrete, it might hold long enough!"
Grace ushered the terrified children toward the stairwell, carrying little Lucy in her arms.
Nathaniel ran in the opposite direction, heading straight for the front doors.
He kicked the splintered doors open and stepped out into the chaotic street.
"Stop the machines!" Nathaniel roared, holding his hands up.
Marcus Thorne lowered his walkie-talkie, his face twisting into a cruel smile.
"Well, if it isn't the billionaire himself," Marcus mocked over a megaphone.
"I thought you would be hiding in your mansion, Nathaniel."
"This is murder, Marcus," Nathaniel yelled, stepping directly into the path of a massive bulldozer.
The driver hesitated, looking nervously at Marcus for instructions.
"Run him over," Marcus ordered coldly.
"We can frame it as a tragic accident during a routine demolition."
The bulldozer engine roared, and the enormous steel blade inched forward.
Nathaniel refused to move, staring directly into the eyes of the driver.
Suddenly, a fleet of black SUVs with flashing red and blue lights swarmed the street.
Federal agents poured out of the vehicles, raising their weapons at Marcus and his men.
Eleanor Ashford stepped out of the lead vehicle, looking furious and regal.
"I bypassed the local police and called the FBI directly," she announced proudly.
Marcus dropped his megaphone, raising his hands in immediate surrender as agents surrounded him.
Nathaniel let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and turned back toward the building.
May you like
He smiled, thinking the nightmare was finally over.
Then, a massive explosion rocked the foundation of the apartment building, sending a shockwave through the street.
