The single word, uttered into a communication device, set in motion an explosion of activity—quite literally. A small explosive device went off in the western part of the building, taking town a large chunk of the wall but not much else, and it was into the crevasse this created that Dominus gestured for Hellfire to precede him, ducking in after her and leaving several men behind to keep the exit route secure. At the same time, he knew, Riley and James would be entering through the front door, taking steps to usher out most of the bank’s occupants and hold the rest hostage, as a deterrent against aggressive police action.
Even with that considered, though, there was a definite time limit on what they could do. Since he had no interest in negotiating with the police or actually harming the hostages, they’d have to be quick about this. Turning sharply left down a hallway in the back of the bank, Dominus came face to face with a security guard, who looked surprised to see two strangers there.
Reacting quickly, he sent a short pulse of energy in the form of electricity into the man’s torso, acting much like a taser, and the security guard collapsed on the ground. “The vault is through here. Don’t bother with the panel, just get us through the door.” If anyone could manage a task like that, it would be Caclia, with her superheated flames. He knew she occasionally had issues with how well she could control them, but he was confident that with the ability to focus on what she was doing, she’d manage well, and in the meantime, he’d keep anyone from interrupting her work.
They made it to the vault door, which according to the specifications they’d studied, was roughly two feet thick and made of reinforced titanium. Calculations had estimated it would take Hellfire five minutes to get through, and from there, what they needed would be rather simple to access, so time was essential. They had planned in broad strokes, because it was impossible to account for all the potential factors that could come up in a situation like this. So it was best not to have any plan that might hinder their ability to adapt. Everyone knew what their roles were, and he had to trust them to execute those responsibilities according to the circumstances.
He could hear the distant sound of a siren—someone had managed to alert the authorities, and it seemed that time had started in earnest.