Chapter 5 - The Twenty-Seventh Floor
The terrifying speed of the ascending elevator pinned them flat against the cold metal roof.
Wind roared past Norah's ears as the concrete walls blurred into a continuous gray streak.
Declan yelled over the deafening noise, commanding her to prepare to jump when they passed the next set of doors.
Norah grabbed the assault rifle and crawled desperately toward the edge of the rushing cab.
The twenty-seventh-floor doors were approaching incredibly fast, illuminated by the faint light leaking through the cracks.
Declan wrapped his strong arm around her waist, acting as an anchor so she would not be thrown backward.
He counted down from three, his voice completely steady despite the impending doom awaiting them at the top of the shaft.
As the roof of the cab aligned perfectly with the floor ledge, Declan shoved her forward with all his might.
Norah dove through the air, crashing hard onto the dusty concrete ledge just outside the elevator doors.
Declan threw himself immediately after her, barely clearing the gap before the cab rocketed past them into the darkness above.
They lay gasping on the narrow ledge as a deafening, catastrophic crash echoed from the top of the tower.
The elevator had smashed completely into the ceiling gears, raining heavy sparks and debris down the empty shaft.
Norah quickly grabbed the edge of the steel doors and pulled them apart with her trembling, bloody hands.
They rolled away from the ledge and into the safety of the twenty-seventh floor, panting heavily on the unfinished concrete.
The floor was currently under major renovation, completely stripped down to bare steel studs, hanging wires, and plastic tarps.
There were no interior walls, leaving a massive, dark maze of construction materials stretching across the entire building.
Declan dragged himself behind a large stack of drywall, leaving a fresh trail of blood on the dusty floor.
Norah followed him, clutching the stolen assault rifle tightly against her chest as her adrenaline slowly began to crash.
She looked at Declan, realizing his skin was now the color of gray ash, his eyes fighting to stay open.
She whispered that she needed to find a medical kit in one of the construction supervisor offices.
Declan reached out and grabbed her wrist, shaking his head weakly in the absolute darkness.
May you like
He pointed a trembling finger toward the far end of the vast, unfinished floor.
Six bright beams of tactical flashlights were slowly sweeping through the plastic tarps, moving directly toward their position.
