"Thank you," Melvin said, shaking Alex's hand and beaming at him.
He knew that without Alex's help, Maryann would have died, and then he would have been fired for failing to save her.
Alex merely smiled and turned to leave.
"Sir, will you tell me your name?" Maryann called after him. "I'd like to repay you for your help." She had seen the way Troy had spoken to him, and yet he had come back when he had been needed, so she was extremely grateful to him.
Alex looked at her, noticing how delicate and beautiful she was, and he smiled.
"Yes," Melvin agreed. "It was good of you to come back, and we're all very grateful. Clearly, you're very skilled at medical matters, and I apologize for doubting you. If you give us your contact details, then the Robinson family will compensate you for your time."
Troy glared at Alex with resentment, and then he stormed off with the paramedics.
"There's no need," Alex said, waving his hand dismissively. "It was nothing. Now, I have something I need to do, so I have to go."
He strode off, not bothering to look back. Debbie was still in danger, so he didn't have time to stand around chatting.
"Sir?" Maryann called, struggling to get up and chase after him. After a few steps, she stopped and held her hand over her heart, coughing.
"Miss," Melvin protested. "You've only just recovered. Please don't exert yourself." He led her back to the bench to sit down. "Don't worry. I'll find out about that young man for you."
"You must find him," she insisted, her eyes still on Alex's retreating form. "I can't believe he didn't want a reward."
Alex had already put Maryann out of his mind. He scanned the map, determined to get to the ninth floor as soon as possible. He had to go now. It would soon be dark, making everything more difficult.
He slipped past the closed sign, went through the door, and climbed the stairs, arriving at another door. This door was locked, and he looked around, spotting the slot for a key card.
He frowned, knowing he needed to go in and investigate. Everything else was operating as usual, so it was suspicious that the ninth floor would be closed.
After a quick look around to check no one was coming, he pulled out the employee access card that had been dropped by one of the men who had been pursuing him earlier.
He slid the card through the slot, and the light turned green. The door emitted a soft beep, granting Alex access, but just as he was about to pull the door open, he caught the smell of explosives.
His instincts were screaming a warning at him, and he reacted immediately, running away and throwing himself down the stairs, making sure to wrap his arms around his head.
For a moment, it was quiet, and then a loud boom echoed off the walls as the ninth floor exploded, sending smoke and debris everywhere. Several bits of shrapnel hit Alex, making him grunt in pain, but his quick thinking had saved his life.
Carefully, he raised his head, looking at the destruction. Rubble was strewn everywhere, and the walls were charred black. Exposed wires hung from the ceiling, and one of the walls had partially collapsed.
He shook his head, trying to clear the ringing in his ears. If he hadn't tumbled down the stairs, he probably wouldn't have survived.
He blew out a relieved breath and took a mental inventory, checking for injuries and not finding anything serious. As he went to push himself up, his instincts warned him once more, and he stayed low, dashing behind a large piece of rock.
Seconds later, a hail of bullets slammed into the place where he had been lying, sending up little puffs of dust.
Alex looked over at the stairs, realizing the explosion had damaged them, leaving vast spaces where some of the steps were now missing.
He stayed behind the rock, careful not to allow any part of his body to be exposed, as he thought things over.
It was obvious what had happened. His enemy had known he was coming and had arranged an ambush. They had hoped the explosion would take him out, but in case of failure, they had arranged for a follow-up attack. One way or another, they had planned to kill him.
Obviously, the enemy understood how Alex thought, and they had been certain he would find the access card and decide to investigate Hell World, trying to find Debbie.
So, they had waited for him to arrive and had then detonated the explosives, attempting to kill him quickly.
Alex had to admit they had guessed correctly, and they had been a step ahead of him the whole time. He scowled, not liking the idea they had predicted his actions so accurately.
They must have believed that, even if he had managed to avoid being blown up, he would still have been badly injured, making it easier for them to pick him off.
But the explosion hadn't gone off quickly enough, giving him time to get down the stairs and protect himself from the worst of the blast. The injuries he had sustained were superficial, and they wouldn't hold him back.
Still, he wasn't out of danger yet. Clearly, his opponents had no intention of letting him get out of here alive, so it looked like he would have to fight his way out.
His thoughts were interrupted by more gunshots, which slammed into the rock, sending small fragments flying at him and stinging when they hit his skin. He couldn't hear anything over the sound of the bullets, but he remained where he was, refusing to provide the sniper with an easy target.
He knew the blast would have attracted attention, and soon, the police would arrive on the scene. So, there was no need for him to risk his life trying to escape. His best option was to stay where he was and wait for help to arrive.
Another round of bullets bounced off the rock, making him jump. Something felt different, and he could feel he was in danger, but there was nowhere to go.
Another loud blast had the rock shaking, and then it cracked right down the middle, little fissures spreading out from it.
I don't know what they used, Alex thought, but it looks like the explosions from the special red bolts.
Not wasting any time, he lunged for the stairs, dropping through one of the holes to the floor below, and then he hid, waiting to see what would happen.
Minutes later, police officers rushed in, and the sniper stopped shooting.
But Alex didn't leave his hiding place. He merely crouched low and watched as the police stormed the building.
**
In the distance, Melanie Murdoch stood and watched the scene.
All snipers were patient, but she was even more so than most. After the police officers had appeared, she still hadn't left, choosing to wait for Alex to emerge.
But Alex didn't move. He seemed to know the danger wasn't over, and he remained just out of sight as he directed the police toward her position.
Melanie checked her watch and then looked back at the police, who were starting to move in her direction. She knew she was out of time and would have to leave.
She packed away her sniper rifle, and then she said, "Mission failed." Although her tone remained indifferent, her expression betrayed her annoyance.
"Melanie, you will be taking full responsibility for this mess," a male voice came through her headset. "You had the chance to kill him, and you hesitated, allowing him to escape. Why didn't you act faster?"
"I didn't hesitate," she denied. "He just moved too quickly, and I couldn't respond in time."
"I was watching the whole time," the man said, clearly furious. "Do you think I'm a fool? You didn't detonate the explosives as soon as he opened the door. In fact, you didn't detonate them at all, and I had to take care of it from here. And even when he was down after the blast, you didn't shoot him before he recovered!"
He paused, reining in his temper before he continued. "You are exceptionally well trained, so why did you hesitate twice? The delay gave him time to get away. If you hadn't screwed up, Alex would be dead by now."