Chapter 43 - The Subterranean Breach
One hundred feet beneath our feet, the cold damp air of the drainage vault smelled of rust and liquid ammonia.
Marcus moved like a ghost through the labyrinthine pipe networks, guided by the crackling blue-tinted blueprints Julian was beaming to his tactical visor from the university campus.
"Marcus," Julian's voice came through the encrypted comms, barely audible over static. "The nitrogen intake valve is three yards ahead around the bulkhead. But the blast door has a fail-secure magnetic seal. If you trip the sensor, the chamber depressurizes instantly."
"How much time is left on the console timer?" Marcus asked, his team stacking up against the reinforced steel door.
"Four minutes," Julian said, his voice breaking with sheer panic. "She's running out of words up there, Marcus! My aunt is dragging out the oath, but Harrison's people are getting twitchy. You have to bypass the solenoid manually!"
Inside the chamber, Maya sat trembling, the cold slowly numbing her small hands. The masked mercenary stood rigid, his finger coiled around the trigger of the pistol, waiting for the digital kill command that Vanessa would send the moment the broadcast concluded.
Marcus pulled a heavy carbon-fiber wedge from his tactical harness and signaled his point man. With a swift, coordinated thrust, they drove the wedge into the hydraulic latch assembly, spraying industrial coolant across the concrete floor.
The guard spun, raising his weapon, but Marcus was faster. Two suppressed rounds punched through the mercenary's chest before he could depress his thumb switch. The guard collapsed like an empty coat, his body slumping harmlessly against the wall.
Marcus rushed to Maya, severing the zip-ties with a tactical blade and sweeping the weeping girl into his chest. "I’ve got her! Judge, I’ve got her!" he shouted into his radio.
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In the courtroom above, my hidden ear-piece gave a soft, double-click tone.
The signal.
