"Keep your head down Kira."
Malcolm drove the superheated thermal blade straight into the pressurized steel cylinder. The glowing metal edge breached the brass valve with zero resistance.
"Cover your ears," Malcolm ordered.
The resulting reaction tore the room apart. Extreme heat met dense compressed gas in an enclosed space. The green steel tank ruptured. A concussive wave of expanding pressure pulverized the security door.
The metal slab ripped free from its hinges. It launched into the hospital hallway like an artillery shell.
Kira curled behind the steel medical gurney. The shockwave punched her ribs through the ballistic vest. Her vision flashed white.
Nausea flooded her stomach. She tasted bitter bile in her throat. She pressed her hands against the cold floor tiles to ground h
