Caine triggered the stun gun. The weapon crackled and popped as blue sparks leapt from the tip. He ran the sparking weapon across the first set of breakers. The metal switches popped and hissed. The sudden influx of electricity fried the delicate copper wiring inside each breaker.
The lights in the room flickered and dimmed, then went dark. A harsh electronic siren squawked to life and echoed through the hallway outside.
Caine’s mouth twisted into a grim smile. He triggered the weapon again and proceeded to fry the remaining breakers. A shower of glowing sparks illuminated the room for a few brief seconds. Then darkness settled over them once again.
Caine grabbed his hostage from the floor. ‘Next stop,’ he muttered as he led the man out into the hall.
Outside, the halls were dark, but not pitch-black. The power outage had triggered the building’s backup generators. Spinning red emergency lights cast rotating pools of crimson across the walls and floor.
He pushed Mole Face back the way they had come. Up ahead, he heard frantic shouting, barely audible above the squawking siren. They were approaching the room with the two guards.
Caine triggered the stun gun once more, jabbing it into Mole Face’s back. The man jerked and stumbled as the voltage coursed through his body. Caine threw him forward and he flew past the doorway, just as the first guard was exiting. The guard turned to look as the body fell past him. As he looked away, Caine pressed the trigger on the weapon again.
Nothing happened.
Damn, he thought. Battery must have discharged.
He wanted to avoid a gunfight for as long as possible. The sound of gunshots would carry even over the siren.
The guard rushed over and knelt down next to Mole Face. He ripped the hood off the twitching man.
‘Gau shen me gui? Hey, I know this guy. He works here!’
He turned and looked up, his eyes wide as Caine charged towards him. Caine tore the fire extinguisher off the wall as he lunged at the guard.
The uniformed man leapt to his feet. ‘Rhu qin zhe!’ he yelled. ‘Intruder! Who the hell are—’
Caine swung the metal cylinder in a sweeping arc. The blow struck the guard across the chin before he could finish his warning. The force of the impact spun the man around and he dropped to the floor like a stone.
Caine whirled around to face the second guard just as he exited the room. The man saw his partner slumped on the ground and drew his revolver from its holster.
He raised the pistol towards Caine, but he was too slow. Caine slammed the bottom of the extinguisher into the advancing man’s face. The blow struck with a dull, echoing thud. As his target stumbled backwards, Caine jabbed again. This time he used both hands to power the canister into the man’s gut. The guard bent forward from the impact, gasping for breath.
Caine took aim and depressed the handle of the extinguisher. A burst of white chemical smoke whooshed from the nozzle, blasting the dazed guard in the face. He stumbled backwards through the door. The extinguisher filled the small room around him with an impenetrable haze. Caine could hear the man coughing and wheezing within the thick cloud.
Holding his breath, Caine stepped into the room. Grabbing the top of the extinguisher with both hands, he swung it like a baseball bat. A metallic clang rang out as it connected with the coughing guard’s head. The man went silent, dropping to the floor.
Caine pivoted to his right. He slammed the extinguisher down on the knob of the open door. The heavy metal canister battered the knob clean off the lock assembly. Caine kicked it outside and left the room, slamming the door shut behind him.
He dropped the empty fire extinguisher, letting it clatter to the floor next to the unconscious bodies of Mole Face and the guard. Then he advanced towards the stairs. He checked his watch.
Six minutes to go…
***
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Thank you,
Andrew Warren