The distant collapse echoed through the tunnel for several seconds before fading into silence.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The sound itself wasn't what frightened Aiden.
It was what it meant.
The demolition had started.
Not a threat.
Not a possibility.
Not a backup plan.
Started.
Somewhere above them, entire sections of the warehouse were already coming down.
A cloud of dust drifted from the ceiling again.
A few captives flinched.
One woman started crying quietly.
The little girl Vinny had been comforting grabbed his sleeve tighter.
"Is it happening?" she whispered.
Vinny forced a smile.
"It's okay."
It wasn't.
Everyone knew it wasn't.
But the alternative was panic.
And panic would kill them faster than the collapsing building.
Noah stepped forward.
"The gate."
Immediately everyone's attention shifted.
The checkpoint remained ahead of them, still occupied by armed guards who hadn't noticed their presence yet.
Not because the guards were careless.
