Chapter 8 - Under Siege
Deafening gunfire filled the concrete room. Vance tackled Julian to the floor, while Elise screamed, diving behind the thick metal table holding their supplies.
Three heavily armed mercenaries in tactical gear stormed through the smoke, firing blindly into the room.
"Stay down!" Vance roared, popping up from behind a concrete pillar and returning fire. He dropped the first mercenary with two precise shots to the chest.
Julian scrambled toward Elise, shielding her pregnant body with his own. The sound of bullets ricocheting off the metal table was terrifying.
"We need a way out!" Julian shouted over the gunfire.
"Back ventilation shaft!" Vance yelled, laying down suppressing fire. "Take the girl and go! I'll hold them off!"
"I'm not leaving you!" Julian argued.
"You have a kid on the way, you idiot! Move!" Vance commanded, throwing a flashbang grenade toward the door.
The blinding light and deafening bang disoriented the remaining mercenaries. Julian grabbed Elise’s hand, pulling her up. They sprinted toward the back of the bunker. Julian kicked the rusted grate off the ventilation shaft. It was narrow, but just wide enough for Elise to fit through.
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"Crawl!" Julian ordered, pushing her inside. He climbed in after her, the tight, dusty space suffocating them.
Behind them, the gunfire intensified, followed by a heavy thud. Elise sobbed as she crawled, her hands scraping against the jagged metal. She didn't know if Vance was dead or alive, but she knew they were being hunted.
