Chapter 6 - The Toxic Trap
The heavy emergency handle snapped completely downward with a loud, incredibly satisfying metallic crack.
Instantly, the ceiling vents above us exploded open, rapidly flooding the entire enclosed vault with a thick, blinding cloud of highly toxic sterilization gas.
The potent chemical was designed exclusively to eradicate severe biological contaminants, and it violently burned the oxygen straight out of the freezing air.
Chelsea shrieked in absolute agony as the harsh gas aggressively seared her eyes, causing her to blindly fire her suppressed pistol into the thick fog.
The deadly bullet completely missed me, ricocheting loudly off the titanium walls and striking Grant squarely in his right shoulder.
Grant screamed hysterically, collapsing heavily onto the freezing floor and clutching his bleeding arm in pure, unadulterated terror.
I did not hesitate or panic for a single, fleeting second in the chaotic, poisonous darkness.
I reached exactly two feet above my head, punching through a false ceiling tile my father had intentionally installed years ago.
I pulled down a heavy, military-grade oxygen mask and quickly strapped it tightly over my burning face.
I took a deep, beautiful breath of crisp, clean oxygen while Chelsea violently hacked and choked on the toxic floor.
I easily stepped over her writhing, pathetic body and snatched the poisoned cardiac valves safely from the metal shelf.
I grabbed Grant by the collar of his ruined, expensive suit and aggressively dragged his heavy, bleeding body out of the suffocating vault.
The heavy titanium door automatically slammed shut behind us, completely sealing Chelsea inside the highly toxic chemical nightmare.
I dumped Grant unceremoniously onto the hallway floor, completely ignoring his pathetic, agonizing groans of intense pain.
"You are going to take this evidence directly to the FBI, and you are going to publicly confess to every single crime you helped her commit," I ordered him coldly.
Grant looked up at me with tears and dark blood streaming heavily down his pale, completely ruined face.
"If I confess to everything, I will spend the absolute rest of my miserable life in a federal prison," he cried weakly.
"If you do not confess, I will gladly throw you right back into that vault with your psychotic little girlfriend," I threatened without a shred of mercy.
Suddenly, the deafening blare of the hospital's primary fire alarm violently shattered the quiet basement silence.
Red emergency strobe lights began flashing aggressively, heavily bathing the sterile hallway in a terrifying, chaotic crimson glow.
Chelsea had miraculously managed to trigger the manual fire alarm from completely inside the sealed medical vault.
Heavy, pounding footsteps rapidly echoed down the main stairwell as Chelsea's heavily armed corporate security team rushed to secure the basement.
I knew I could not possibly drag a bleeding, useless coward out of the hospital before the armed guards completely cornered us.
I grabbed the poisoned evidence, gave Grant one final, deeply disgusted look, and sprinted entirely alone toward the hidden maintenance tunnel.
I successfully escaped out into the freezing Chicago rain just as the blaring police sirens began converging heavily on the medical center.
I returned to my secure safe house, thoroughly exhausted but entirely ready to deliver the final, crushing blow to Vanguard Acquisitions.
I turned on the television to monitor the chaotic situation unfolding live at the hospital, fully expecting to see Chelsea hauled out in a body bag.
Instead, the breaking news banner completely froze the blood heavily in my veins, rendering me entirely speechless.
May you like
The live broadcast proudly showed Chelsea walking out of the hospital completely unharmed, heavily flanked by the exact same royal guards who had supposedly abandoned me.
The news anchor excitedly announced that Sheikh Omar Al-Rashid had just officially purchased Vanguard Corporate Acquisitions for ten billion dollars.
