Chapter 3 - Federal Threat
I quickly ejected the memory card and shoved it deep into my bra.
Daniel grabbed a heavy metal paperweight from my desk, positioning himself defensively behind the door.
"Dr. Miller, open the door," a deep, authoritative voice commanded from the hallway.
I recognized the voice instantly.
It was Agent Harris, the lead security detail for my patient, Arthur Vance.
"I am changing my clothes, give me a minute!" I lied, my voice remarkably steady despite the terror gripping me.
I looked around my office for a way out.
We were on the third floor, making the window an impossible option for escape.
The only other exit was the connected sterilization supply closet, which opened into the adjoining laboratory.
I pointed silently to the closet, and Daniel nodded.
"We know you have the drive, Dr. Miller," Agent Harris shouted, his tone turning menacing.
"If you make us break this door down, you will not survive the night."
I grabbed my car keys and my emergency medical kit, rushing into the supply closet with Daniel right behind me.
The sound of splintering wood echoed through the room as Harris and his men kicked my office door off its hinges.
We slipped through the closet and into the darkened laboratory, hiding behind a row of heavy centrifuges.
I could hear them tearing my office apart, tossing books and smashing my computer monitor.
"She is not here, search the lab!" Harris barked angrily.
I noticed the emergency chemical shower station located just a few feet away from our hiding spot.
I grabbed a bottle of pure isopropyl alcohol from a nearby cart and handed Daniel my lighter.
When the two armed men stepped into the lab, I hurled the open bottle directly at them, soaking their clothes.
Daniel flicked the lighter and tossed it toward the puddle forming at their feet.
A wall of blue flame erupted instantly, separating us from the corrupted agents.
May you like
They screamed, scrambling backward as the fire suppression system activated, raining water down on the lab.
In the ensuing chaos, Daniel and I sprinted out the side door, down the emergency stairwell, and out into the rainy parking lot.
