Chapter 8 - The Skyscraper Trap
The elevator plunged into a terrifying freefall for three agonizing seconds.
Samantha screamed as gravity vanished and her feet lifted off the floor.
The emergency brakes suddenly slammed into place with a violent metallic screech.
The three of them crashed hard onto the floor of the suspended metal box.
Alexander was the first to recover and immediately forced the elevator doors open.
They were stuck between floors staring at a solid concrete wall of the elevator shaft.
Marcus's voice echoed through the speaker system dripping with arrogant amusement.
He mocked his brother for thinking a simple face trick could fool the building's thermal scanners.
Alexander ignored the taunts and quickly unlatched the maintenance hatch on the ceiling.
He pulled himself up to the roof of the elevator and reached down to help the women.
Olivia grabbed his hand and hoisted herself up followed closely by Samantha.
The dark elevator shaft was freezing and smelled of heavy grease and burning metal.
Alexander pointed upward to a pair of heavy steel doors about twenty feet above them.
He whispered that if they could pry those doors open they could access the maintenance floor.
They began climbing the greasy cables with desperate and burning muscles.
Samantha felt her hands slipping multiple times but fear forced her to keep climbing.
Suddenly the terrifying sound of the elevator cables snapping echoed through the shaft.
The metal box below them plummeted into the dark abyss crashing loudly at the bottom.
They barely made it to the steel ledge before the cables whipped violently past them.
Alexander used a crowbar from his tactical vest to force the elevator doors apart.
They tumbled onto the carpeted floor of a dark and completely empty hallway.
Olivia checked her weapon and took the lead while scanning for any security patrols.
The maintenance floor was a maze of server racks and electrical panels.
Alexander led them toward the main control terminal at the center of the room.
He rapidly typed on the keyboard trying to override Marcus's security protocols.
Samantha watched the progress bar slowly filling on the bright computer monitor.
Eighty percent.
Ninety percent.
The system suddenly locked out and a red warning flashed across the screen.
Alexander cursed loudly and slammed his fist against the metal console.
He explained that Marcus had changed the biometric encryption to require a dual blood sample.
He needed the blood of a direct descendant to bypass the final firewall.
Since their father was dead he could not authorize the override alone.
Samantha stepped forward and grabbed the small sterile lancet attached to the terminal.
She stated that since she was a clone of their father's assassin she must share some genetic code.
Alexander warned her that if the system rejected her DNA it would release toxic gas into the room.
Samantha did not care anymore and pressed the lancet firmly against her thumb.
She squeezed a drop of her blood onto the glass scanner next to Alexander's sample.
The machine hummed quietly for a terrifying five seconds while analyzing the blood.
The screen turned brilliant green and the system announced that access was granted.
Alexander looked at Samantha with absolute shock and undeniable horror.
He backed away from her and raised his weapon pointing it directly at her chest.
He slowly realized that only one person could bypass that specific blood lock.
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Samantha was not a clone of the assassin at all.
She was the biological daughter of the man who had ordered the assassination.
