Chapter 14 - Into the Lion's Den
The abandoned steel mill in Gary, Indiana, was a gargantuan mountain of rusted iron, shattered glass, and towering smokestacks looming against a dark twilight sky. Rain began to fall again, hammering loudly against the corrugated tin roofs.
David parked his SUV half a mile away in a dense thicket of pine trees, stepping out into the mud. He wore a dark tactical coat, his revolver secured in his inner pocket, carrying a small steel case containing Arthur Miller's master drive.
He moved quietly through the perimeter fence, slipping through a broken side door into the massive central assembly hall. The air was thick with rust dust, mold, and the sharp scent of gasoline.
"Julian! I'm here!" David’s voice echoed loudly through the cavernous metal structure.
High above on a catwalk sixty feet in the air, a spotlight slammed on, blinding David with a intense yellow beam. Standing in the center of the walkway was Julian Vance, holding a heavy assault rifle. Beside him, tied to a structural steel beam, was Toby.
"Welcome to the end of the line, David!" Julian called down, his laughter ringing maniacally off the iron girders. "Throw the steel case onto the freight elevator platform!"
David kept his posture steady, stepping slowly toward the central elevator shaft. "I brought the drive, Julian. Now release the boy!"
"Put the case on the lift first!" Knox shouted, pointing his pistol directly at Toby’s head.
Toby looked down at David, his face pale but remarkably calm. "Uncle David! Don't give it to him! The platform is wired with explosives!"
Julian slapped the boy across the face. "Shut up, you little brat!"
Rage exploded through David's veins like liquid fire. "Julian! Touch him again and I will tear you apart with my bare hands!"
David set the steel case onto the rusty elevator platform and pulled the mechanical crank lever. The platform creaked loudly as it was hoisted up toward the catwalk.
Julian pulled the case onto the catwalk, greedily punching in the release code. The lid popped open, revealing the gleaming crystal drive containing Arthur Miller’s complete propulsion designs.
"Finally! Unlimited power! Unlimited wealth!" Julian laughed hysterically, clutching the drive to his chest.
"You have what you came for, Julian! Now let Toby go!" David shouted, stepping onto the iron staircase to climb toward the catwalk.
Julian looked down at David with a sick, twisted smirk. "You really are naive, brother. Did you honestly think I’d let either of you walk out of this mill alive? Knox, blow the primary charges! Put them both six feet under!"
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Knox reached for the detonator in his pocket—but before his fingers could touch the button, Toby violently thrust his head backward, smashing his skull directly into Knox’s nose with blinding force.
Knox cried out in pain, stumbling backward over the low catwalk railing. The detonator slipped from his hand, plunging sixty feet through the air and smashing onto the concrete floor below.
