Chapter 5 - The Descent"Hey! Stop!" Marco's voice roared behind them, followed by the heavy, rapid thud of tactical boots on carpet.
Fiona ran, her adrenaline masking the exhaustion of her long shifts. She pushed open the heavy metal door to the service stairwell, pulling Arthur inside. The air here was cold, smelling of concrete and industrial detergent.
"Down, Arthur! Fast!"
They scrambled down the concrete steps, the sound of Marco's pursuit echoing from above. The service stairs bypassed the main foyer, leading straight down to the basement kitchens and the laundry facilities.
As they reached the basement level, Fiona’s foot caught on a stray cleaning bucket. She stumbled, falling hard against the concrete floor. Pain shot up her knee, but she forced herself up, ignoring the warm sensation of blood trickling down her shin.
"Fiona!" Arthur cried out, his small hands pulling at her sleeve.
"I'm okay, sweetie. Keep going."
They burst into the industrial kitchen. The stainless-steel counters gleamed under the emergency backup lights. Before they could reach the exit leading to the garage, the door on the opposite side of the kitchen swung open.
Dr. Reed stood there, holding a heavy iron fireplace poker he must have grabbed from the library. His face was slick with sweat, his eyes wide with a desperate, manic energy.
"There you are, you little pest," Reed sneered, raising the iron poker. "You've ruined everything. Do you know how much Victoria promised me? Fifty million dollars from the trust fund once the boy was gone and Dominic was pushed out. I’m not letting a nurse from Northwestern ruin my life."
He lunged at Fiona.
Fiona didn't back down. As Reed swung the heavy poker down, she stepped inside his guard, raising her left arm to block the blow. The iron struck her forearm with a sickening crack, but she didn't let the pain stop her.
With her right hand, she pulled the titanium trauma shears from her pocket and drove the blunt, heavy metal handle straight into Reed’s nose.
Crack.
May you like
Reed screamed, dropping the poker as blood erupted from his broken nose. He stumbled backward, clutching his face.
Fiona didn't give him a second chance. She grabbed Arthur’s hand, shoved open the heavy fire door, and ran out into the pouring rain of the concrete courtyard.
