Chapter 6 - Double Cross
The heavy click of the vault’s locking mechanism sounded like a death sentence.
Victor looked at the sealed door with genuine surprise, his arrogant smile finally faltering.
"Did you really think I came down here without a backup plan, Victor?" I bluffed smoothly.
I had absolutely nothing to do with the door closing, but I needed him to doubt himself.
Victor’s eyes narrowed as he pointed the detonator directly at my face.
"Open the door, Maya, or I press this button right now," he threatened, his voice losing its calm edge.
I took a slow step forward, challenging his absolute authority in the room.
"If you blow up the house, you die down here with us, buried under a thousand tons of rubble," I reminded him.
Daniel finally lowered his gun, realizing that I was the only person keeping him alive.
He shifted his weight, subtly moving to block Victor's access to the main computer terminal.
"She is right, Victor," Daniel said, his confidence returning in a sudden rush.
"The vault is structurally independent; if the house falls, this room becomes a permanent tomb."
Victor glared at Daniel, analyzing the situation with the cold calculation of a seasoned killer.
He suddenly lunged forward, moving with terrifying speed for a man I thought was dead.
He grabbed Daniel by the throat, slamming him violently against the cold steel of the vault wall.
"I can snap his neck and force you to open the door, Maya!" Victor roared.
I did not hesitate for a single second.
I threw my ceramic knife straight at Victor, aiming for his shoulder to disable his arm.
The blade sunk deep into his flesh, forcing him to drop Daniel with a howl of pain.
Victor staggered backward, clutching his bleeding shoulder as rage twisted his features.
He raised the detonator high in the air, his thumb pressing down hard on the red trigger.
"You just killed three hundred innocent people!" Victor screamed in triumph.
I held my breath, waiting for the deafening roar of the explosion to shake the earth.
Ten agonizing seconds passed, but absolutely nothing happened.
Victor stared at the detonator in absolute horror, pressing the button over and over again.
I smiled, finally revealing the secret I had been holding onto since I entered the basement.
"I didn't lock the vault door, Victor, I engaged the mansion's localized electromagnetic pulse shield."
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Victor realized instantly that his wireless detonator was completely useless inside the shielded room.
But before I could celebrate, Victor pulled a heavy revolver from his jacket and aimed it straight at my head.
