Chapter 6 - The Foundation Crumbler
Julian’s amused smile wavered for the first time. ""What are you talking about?""
""My grandfather laid the cornerstone of this cathedral in 1952,"" Elena said, her voice echoing off the stone walls. ""He built the catacombs beneath it to store munitions during the dock wars. When Charles chose this venue to showcase his 'triumph,' I had my men renovate the foundation.""
She didn't wait for Julian to respond. She pressed the central red toggle on the detonator.
A low, subterranean rumble shook the earth. Dust showered down from the ornate arches. But the explosion didn't destroy the chapel—it sheared the support columns directly beneath the choir balcony.
The wrought-iron platform shuddered violently. Julian lost his footing, his crystal glass shattering on the tiles below as he gripped the swaying rail. The two bodyguards beside him drew their automatic weapons, but the tilt of the floor threw off their balance.
""Elena! Are you insane?"" Julian yelled, coughing through the rising cloud of powdered mortar. ""You'll bring the whole roof down on your own father!""
""My father taught me how to fall,"" Elena answered coldly.
Turning swiftly to the lead Vance guard, she barked an order in Russian. The guards immediately raised tactical shields, creating a reinforced phalanx around Vincent. Elena grabbed her father’s arm, hauling him toward the side sacristy door.
""The code, Elena!"" Vincent grunted, his breath beginning to hitch as the poison reservoir began its preliminary release sequence. ""The monitor... three minutes.""
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Elena pulled a heavy combat knife from a sheath hidden beneath her garter belt. She looked her father in the eye. ""Bite down on your tie, Dad. We don't have time for codes.""
Before Vincent could argue, she sliced through his sleeve, pinned his forearm against the oak sacristy table, and brought the tip of the blade down onto the flashing green device.
