Chapter 9
Baptism of Fire
The roar of the explosion was not merely a sound; it was a physical entity, a blunt-force blow that rattled Esperanza’s teeth and vibrated through the very marrow of her bones. The steel floor of the bunker, usually as solid as a mountain, buckled beneath her feet for a fraction of a second. Dust, pulverized concrete, and the suffocating, acrid stench of C4 filled the air in an instant, turning the loading dock into a gray, ghostly graveyard of debris and swirling smoke.
Through the deafening ringing in her ears, Esperanza heard Silas’s voice in her earpiece. It was distorted by static, filtered through the chaos of the breach, but it remained as steady and cold as a winter heartbeat.
"Don't blink, Esperanza. Breathe through the ringing. Eyes on the smoke.
