Adrian threw his shoulder against the emergency release bar, but the electronic lock remained stubborn.

“It’s deadlocked,” I gasped, the water stinging my eyes.

“Not from the outside,” Adrian said.

He fired two rounds directly into the card reader panel on the wall.

The plastic cover blew apart in a shower of sparks.

The red light flickered, turned green, and the heavy metal doors clicked open.

Adrian shoved the doors wide, and we tumbled out into the concrete garage.

The air here was warmer, smelling of gasoline and wet concrete.

“Get to the car,” Adrian ordered, pushing me toward his armored SUV parked in the center of the bay.

I scrambled to the passenger side, my hands shaking as I pulled the door open.

Behind us, the cellar doors began to creak open again.

I climbed inside the vehicle, slamming the door behind me.

Adrian jumped into the driver’s seat and immediately started the engine.

The powerful motor roared to life, the headlights cutting through the dim garage.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and unlocked the screen.