Chapter 5

As we were locked in that tense stalemate, a muffled banging started from outside the door.

"Mr. Lancaster! Mr. Lancaster! Are you in there?"

Leon, still gasping, staggered to his feet and pounded on the welded door.

"Hurry! He's in there!" someone shouted.

The synthetic voice let out a string of curses. The screen went black. The spotlights died.

The screech of a cutting torch filled the air, and then the warehouse door was thrown open, blinding police lights flooding the space.

Leon snapped back to reality. He grabbed his jacket from the floor, wrapped it around me, and pulled…