Chapter 11 - Bloodline and Treason
""Down!"" Elena screamed, lunging forward and tackling Julian and baby Leo to the concrete floor.
CRACK!
A high-caliber bullet ripped through the corrugated metal roof, obliterating Dr. Sterling’s skull in a shower of concrete dust and crimson.
A second sniper round drilled through the metal shelf right above Elena’s head, showering them in sparks and shredded steel.
""Move! Behind the concrete pillar!"" Julian yelled, shielding Leo’s head with his broad chest as he rolled into the alcove of a heavy support column.
Outside, the unmistakable sound of twin tactical SUVs screeched to a halt, followed by the rhythmic clatter of assault rifles cycling rounds.
""They're flanking the warehouse doors,"" Julian said grimly, ejecting his magazine to check his remaining rounds. ""There are at least six of them. Fully automatic weapons.""
""We can't outgun them with a handgun, Julian!"" Elena shouted over the din of incoming fire that chewed the drywall into confetti. ""And Leo can't survive this acoustic shock!""
""We don't need to outgun them,"" Julian said, his eyes scanning the industrial machinery above them. ""Look at the ceiling. Those are liquid nitrogen coolant tanks for pharmaceutical preservation.""
Elena looked up. Two massive pressurized steel cylinders hung directly over the warehouse’s main bay doors, connected to copper release manifolds.
""If you rupture the main valve,"" Elena realized, her eyes widening, ""the liquid nitrogen will vaporize instantly. It will create a sub-zero thermal shockwave and a dense white fog that will blind their thermal optics!""
""Can you make it to the drainage canal behind the back office?"" Julian asked, turning to her, his face inches from hers.
""Not without you,"" she answered fiercely.
""Elena, listen to me,"" Julian said, taking the baby carrier off his chest and carefully strapping it around Elena's shoulders. His eyes were fierce, dark, and filled with an emotion that transcended fear. ""Take Leo. Go through the culvert. I will draw their fire and trigger the tanks.""
""Julian, you'll be trapped in the blast zone!""
""Take my son and run!"" Julian shouted. He grabbed the back of her neck, pulled her forehead against his, and whispered, ""If I don't make it, the deed to everything I own is in the vault under your name. Live, Elena.""
He shoved her toward the utility hallway just as the front doors were kicked off their hinges by three masked men in tactical vests.
Elena ran, clutching Leo tight against her heart. Behind her, Julian stepped out from behind the concrete pillar, raised his 9mm, and fired three rapid shots directly into the brass pressure gauge of the liquid nitrogen tank.
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BOOM!
A deafening explosion of pressurized frost tore through the warehouse, followed by the roar of an erupting gas furnace. A wall of fire and sub-zero fog collided in a blinding shockwave that shook the foundations of the building.
