Chapter 9 - BLOOD AND RAIN
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosive charges detonated along the outer foundation walls of Sub-Level 3. The structural supports groaned in agony as massive slabs of concrete cracked, allowing a catastrophic wall of ocean water to crash into the chamber.
The water level surged instantly, rising over Leo’s neck.
"Matthew!" Marcus yelled from above as the catwalk began to tear away from its moorings.
"Get to higher ground, Marcus! That's an order!" Matthew shouted.
Matthew didn't look at the collapsing ceiling or the raging floodwaters. His entire world narrowed to the terrified child chained to the steel pillar.
Matthew lunged through the surging torrent, reaching the platform as the water reached Leo’s chin.
"Hold your breath, Leo! Look at me!" Matthew commanded.
Leo looked into his father’s eyes—the exact same eyes he had seen in his own reflection every day in captivity—and found the courage to take a deep, massive breath just as the freezing water engulfed his head.
Matthew pulled the silver key from his pocket—*B-7-NORTH-904*.
Underneath the churning, opaque water, Matthew guided the key by pure touch into the heavy padlock securing the chains. His fingers were numb, the current fighting to rip him away from the pillar.
The key slipped into the keyhole.
Matthew twisted it with all his remaining strength.
Click.
The heavy iron shackle popped open.
Matthew wrapped his left arm around Leo, pulling his son out of the water and breaking the surface with a loud gasp of air.
Leo coughed violently, crying and clinging to Matthew’s neck with an iron grip. "Daddy! You got me! You came!"
"I’ve got you, son. I’ve got you forever," Matthew choked out, kissing Leo’s freezing cheek.
Above them, Julian Vance was crawling toward an emergency escape ladder, clutching his shattered shoulder.
Seeing Matthew and the boy alive, Julian drew a backup pistol with his trembling left hand. "You don't get to win, Sullivan!"
Matthew turned, his eyes burning with absolute, uncompromising lethality.
Using his free hand, Matthew drew the SIG Sauer from his waterproof tactical holster, aimed, and squeezed the trigger three times.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The three rounds struck Julian in the center of his chest. Julian’s body stiffened, his eyes going wide with shock, before he tumbled over the railing, plummeting forty feet into the dark, churning vortex of the floodwaters below, swallowed by the sea forever.
"Sir! The structure is collapsing! Grab the line!" Marcus shouted from an emergency access hatch above.
A heavy steel winch cable dropped down to the platform.
Matthew hooked the tactical carabiner around his harness and secured Leo tightly against his chest with the safety straps.
"Pull us up, Marcus! NOW!"
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The winch engaged, hauling Matthew and Leo upward through the ceiling hatch just as millions of gallons of ocean water completely submerged Sub-Level 3, crushing the subterranean vault beneath the weight of the Atlantic.
***
