Chapter 8 - THE SHOOTING LINE
Nathan moved me behind the control cabinet.
Federal agents spread across the workshop.
Private guards formed a line near the bay door.
Jason stood between both sides in handcuffs.
For the first time, he had no one to manipulate.
“No one shoots,” Nathan ordered.
The lead guard answered,
“Release Sarah Miller and Daniel Cross.”
Daniel looked toward the rear exit.
“We cannot outrun them.”
Michael still held the phone.
The live broadcast showed thousands of viewers connected.
The lead guard noticed.
“End the stream.”
Michael tightened his grip.
“No.”
A rifle turned toward him.
Tyler stepped in front of Michael.
His father stared at him.
“Move.”
“No.”
Cole’s voice broke.
“Tyler.”
“You protected Jason.”
“I was protecting you.”
“You made me part of this.”
Cole lowered his gun.
The lead guard fired.
Cole shoved Tyler aside.
The bullet struck Cole’s vest and drove him backward.
Federal agents returned fire.
Glass shattered.
Lights exploded.
Nathan pulled me behind the hoist column.
Daniel dragged Lily toward the storage room.
Michael crawled across the floor with the phone.
The stream continued.
Jason slipped one wrist free from the damaged handcuffs.
He grabbed Cole’s fallen pistol.
Instead of aiming at the guards, he pointed it at me.
“Sarah!”
I froze.
His eyes were wild.
“If I’m going down, you’re coming with me.”
Nathan moved between us.
Jason fired.
The bullet struck the hoist control box.
Sparks erupted.
The chain released.
The empty sling dropped into the chemical tank.
Vapor exploded upward.
Alarms screamed.
The tank began overheating.
Daniel looked toward the pressure gauge.
“We need to evacuate.”
The workshop doors started closing automatically.
Dr. Cross was sealing us inside.
Nathan shot the hydraulic mechanism.
The bay door stopped halfway.
Agents pushed Lily beneath it.
Michael followed.
Tyler dragged Cole.
Daniel reached for me.
Jason blocked him.
The pistol shook in Jason’s hand.
“You chose him.”
“I thought he was dead.”
“You never loved me.”
“You never gave me anyone real to love.”
His face collapsed.
For one second, he looked small.
Then he aimed at my stomach.
Daniel charged.
The gun fired.
Daniel fell against me.
I screamed.
Nathan tackled Jason.
The pistol slid beneath the tank.
Daniel gripped his side.
Blood darkened his gray work clothes.
The pressure gauge entered the red zone.
Michael shouted from outside,
“The tank is going to rupture!”
Daniel looked at the overhead pipes.
“No.”
He pointed toward the lower level.
“It’s going to flood the rooms.”
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Lily was not the only child underground.
A weak banging began beneath the floor.
