Chapter 17 - The Inferno
The bullet struck the pressurized oxygen tank with a terrifying, metallic crack that echoed through the underground bunker.
A massive, blinding fireball erupted instantly, completely consuming the entire left side of the laboratory.
The concussive shockwave picked Hannah up entirely off her feet, throwing her violently against a row of metal cabinets.
The heat was absolutely unbearable, instantly searing the oxygen out of the damp underground air.
Dominic was thrown in the opposite direction, crashing heavily into a glass medical partition that shattered upon impact.
Arthur was completely caught in the epicenter of the blast, instantly obliterated by the fire he had intentionally caused.
Flames rapidly spread across the ceiling, feeding greedily on the exposed chemical lines and medical supplies.
Hannah groaned in agony, her vision completely blurred and her ears ringing with a deafening, high-pitched whine.
She forced herself to crawl across the scorching floor, desperately searching for Dominic through the thick, toxic smoke.
She found him pinned under a massive structural steel beam that had collapsed from the ceiling.
Dominic was entirely conscious but struggling to breathe, his dark eyes locked intensely onto hers.
He ordered her to run, commanding her to get out of the bunker before the secondary tanks detonated.
Hannah completely ignored his order, grabbing the burning steel beam with her bare, bleeding hands.
She screamed in absolute defiance, using every ounce of her adrenaline-fueled strength to lift the crushing weight.
The metal seared her palms, but she refused to let go, fueled entirely by the fierce love she had for her family.
Dominic managed to slide his body out from under the beam, instantly pulling Hannah away as it crashed back down.
He wrapped his strong arm around her waist, practically carrying her as they sprinted toward the stone staircase.
Behind them, a massive series of explosions completely leveled the medical laboratory.
The fire roared up the stairwell like a physical monster, chasing them frantically toward the surface.
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They burst out of the hidden doorway into the dining room, gasping heavily for clean, untainted air.
But the entire villa was now structurally compromised, the marble floors trembling violently beneath their feet.
