Chapter 6 - The Freefall
The purple smoke thickened, choking the remaining oxygen out of the sealed penthouse.
Carter collapsed against the heavy mahogany desk, clutching his burning chest in agony.
Elena knew that trying to break the titanium shutters was a complete waste of their precious time.
She looked desperately toward the reinforced glass floor of the penthouse balcony.
"Carter, shoot the structural hinges on the glass floor!" she screamed over her own violent coughing.
Carter barely managed to lift his pistol with his trembling hands.
He aimed at the thick metal bolts securing the glass panels to the building's exterior frame.
He fired four rapid shots, shattering the mechanical locks completely.
Elena grabbed a heavy bronze statue and hurled it downward with the last ounce of her failing strength.
The glass floor gave way, shattering into a million tiny pieces.
The toxic gas immediately vented out into the night air, saving them from suffocation.
But a new, equally terrifying problem presented itself instantly.
They were now staring down a sheer drop of fifty stories to the busy city streets below.
"We have to climb down the exterior scaffolding to the ballroom level," Carter yelled over the roaring wind.
They carefully lowered themselves onto the narrow metal window-washing rig hanging just below the broken balcony.
The frigid night wind whipped against Elena's emerald gown as she clung to the freezing metal.
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Suddenly, the mechanical winch supporting their platform sparked wildly and snapped.
The entire rig violently tilted sideways, plunging them into a terrifying freefall.
