Chapter 6 - The Garage BurnsBefore Julian could scream another warning, a blinding flash of white light illuminated the rain-streaked windows of the garage, followed an instant later by a deafening CRACK of thunder.
At the same time, the grinding roar of heavy diesel engines echoed from the alley outside.
Ramiro rushed to the window and peered through the blinds.
Parked directly across the narrow street were two sleek, matte-black SUVs with tinted windows. The doors flew open simultaneously, and four men in tactical gear stepped out into the pouring rain, automatic rifles raised, moving with military precision toward the garage’s rolling metal door.
“They’re here,” Ramiro muttered.
“I told you!” Julian laughed hysterically from the floor, blood foaming at the corners of his mouth. “You’re already dead! There’s no way out!”
Ramiro didn't panic. Panic was a luxury for people who didn't spend their lives dealing with blown engines and sudden explosions. He grabbed Maya by the hand, pulling her toward the back of the workshop, where a heavy steel fire door led into the building’s subterranean drainage tunnels.
“Hold on to my belt, Maya. Don't let go no matter what happens,” Ramiro instructed, his voice firm and reassuring.
“Where are we going?” she asked, her eyes wide with fear.
“We’re going to pay an old friend a visit,” Ramiro said.
He reached up and pulled a heavy lever mounted on the wall above the workbench. The lever didn't open a door—it triggered an emergency propane-fed suppression system linked to the shop's main heating units.
Hiss-s-s-s!
A thick, highly flammable cloud of pressurized propane gas instantly flooded the front half of the garage, mixing with the spilled motor oil and fuel puddles on the floor.
Ramiro grabbed a heavy welding torch from the bench, ignited the blue flame with a sharp click, and tossed it carelessly onto the floor as he stepped backward through the fire door.
The torch landed right in a puddle of gasoline.
WHOOSH!
A wall of searing orange fire erupted across the front of the workshop, instantly consuming the front office, the workbench, and the stack of tires.
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Julian’s manic laughter turned into a scream of absolute terror as the flames raced toward him. “Wait! Let me out! You crazy bastard, let me out!”
Ramiro didn't look back. He pulled the heavy steel fire door shut, locked it with a deadbolt, and scooped Maya up into his arms as they plunged into the dark, echoing tunnels beneath the city.
