The smell of melting marble and burning steel was toxic.
Julian Thorne did not blink as the bright orange circle on the floor completed its deadly arc. The massive, heavy slab of the medical suite floor suddenly gave way, plummeting into the dark elevator shaft below with a resonant, echoing crash.
A rush of cold, damp air surged upward through the jagged hole, carrying the distinct, metallic scent of the subterranean tunnels.
Julian tightened his grip on the surgical scalpel. He stood perfectly still at the edge of the breach, his breathing slow and controlled.
A metal grappling hook shot up from the darkness, the heavy prongs biting viciously into the remaining marble floor. A thick tactical rope pulled taut.
Someone was climbing up. Fast.
Stay down, Julian commanded without lookin
