Chapter 17 - Shadows in the Dark
A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the dark subterranean tunnel.
Maria collapsed onto her knees, staring at the deactivated keypad in complete, silent defeat.
"It's over, Maria," Arthur said, looking down at her without an ounce of hatred left in his eyes—only pity.
Suddenly, a loud metallic mechanical click echoed from the heavy blast door behind them.
The security system, triggered by the near-detonation, initiated an automatic bio-hazard lockdown.
Heavy iron security gates slammed down on both ends of the tunnel with an iron thud.
CLANG!
They were sealed inside the emergency tunnel fifty feet underground.
Red hazard lights began spinning slowly overhead, casting ominous shadows across the damp concrete.
"The automated lockdown protocol," Marcus muttered, typing his master clearance code into the wall terminal.
ACCESS DENIED: REASON - PENDING FEDERAL INVESTIGATION LOCKOUT.
"The system has isolated the entire lower sector," Marcus warned, turning back to Arthur and Julian.
"The oxygen scrubbers in this section were turned off by Maria's team prior to the party," Julian recalled with a sudden jolt of fear.
"We have less than twenty minutes of breathable air in this sealed vault," Julian calculated quickly.
May you like
Maria started laughing hysterically from the floor, her voice echoing maniacally down the corridor.
"You stopped the bomb... but you built your own tomb!" she laughed through her tears.
