Chapter 9 - A Night of Fever
Hours melted away in the cramped, silent safety of the panic room. The gunfire outside had faded into a tense, eerie quiet, punctuated only by the shallow, rapid breathing of the toddler. Elena touched the boy’s forehead and felt a wave of cold dread wash over her—he was burning up with a high fever, shivering violently despite being wrapped in the thick blue blanket. Panic clawed at Elena’s throat. Without medical supplies or fresh water, the boy wouldn't last the night. She hammered her fists against the heavy steel vault door, crying out Victor’s name into the empty darkness.
Minutes felt like eternity until the heavy electronic locks finally whirred and clicked open. The steel door swung outward, revealing Victor standing in the dim corridor. His black shirt was stained with soot and dark blood, his knuckles bruised, but his eyes were wide with immediate concern. Before Elena could even speak, Victor dropped his weapon, stepped past the threshold, and gently scooped the burning child into his powerful arms.
