Chapter 15 - The Lockdown
Julianne rushed to the electronic keypad beside the vault and punched in a rapid six-digit code.
The panel beeped red, and a harsh mechanical voice echoed from the speaker: ACCESS DENIED.
"He changed the master passcodes!" Julianne cried, frantically hitting the keypad again.
Suddenly, heavy iron security shutters slammed down over all the exits, locking the basement down completely.
The power cut out instantly, plunging the subterranean hallway into pitch-black darkness.
Only the red flashing lights of the vault door illuminated their terrified faces.
From the top of the stairwell, heavy, deliberate footsteps began descending toward them.
Clara grabbed a heavy iron fire extinguisher mounted on the brick wall.
"Is that Julian or Arthur?" Clara whispered, holding the heavy cylinder like a club.
"It doesn't matter," Julianne whispered back, pulling a small pocket knife from her coat.
"Whichever one comes down those stairs, only one of us is walking out of this basement."
The heavy footsteps stopped right at the bottom of the landing.
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A flashlight beam cut through the dark, blinding both women instantly.
"Drop the weapons, ladies," a harsh, unknown voice commanded from behind the light.
