Chapter 18 - The Emergency Surgery
"We can't let them open that door, Vance," Marcus said, his hands shaking as he shone his flashlight on the hinges, where a thin line of orange sparks was already beginning to filter through the seam.
"I’m out of ammunition," Vance said, his voice grim as he dropped his empty magazine to the floor. "I’ve got three rounds left in my backup piece. If they breach that door, we won't be able to hold them off."
Sarah stood in the center of the bunker, her clinical mind analyzing the variables. There was only one way out. The old utility shaft that housed the building’s steam pipes led up to the roof, but the shaft was narrow, rusted, and blocked by a heavy iron grate.
"Leo," Sarah said, her voice turning incredibly calm, steady, and quiet. "I need you to look at me."
Leo turned to her, his gray eyes wide.
"We need to get that grate open, but the only way to reach it is through the narrow ventilation duct above the generator room. Only someone of your size can fit through there."
"I can do it, Mom," Leo said without hesitation.
"You’ll need to take this wrench," Sarah said, handing him a heavy iron tool from the emergency kit. "You’ll have to undo the four retaining bolts from the inside. Once the grate is open, Marcus and Vance can climb up and secure the roof exit."
"What about you, Sarah?" Marcus asked, his eyes filled with concern.
"I’m staying here to delay them," Sarah said, her voice cold and absolute. She reached into her medical kit, pulling out a small, sterile vial of Succinylcholine—a fast-acting, high-potency paralytic agent used in emergency intubations. She drew the clear liquid into a syringe, her hands perfectly steady.
"If Silvio Lombardi steps through that door, he’s going to find an ER doctor who knows exactly how to stop a heart in less than thirty seconds," Sarah said, her gray eyes flashing with a dangerous, protective light.
"Mom, no," Leo whispered, tears finally spilling over his cheeks. "I’m not leaving you."
Sarah knelt, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, holding him with all her strength. "You are my son, Leo Jenkins. And a mother’s job is to protect her child. You go up that shaft. You open that grate. I will be right behind you. I promise."
May you like
She kissed his cheek, then looked up at Marcus. "Take him. Now."
Marcus grabbed Leo’s hand, guiding him toward the narrow ventilation opening in the corner of the ceiling. With a final, lingering look at Sarah, Leo climbed into the dark, metal duct, his small body disappearing into the structure as the sound of the rescue saw outside grew deafeningly loud.
