Chapter 8 - The Crucible of Fire
Dustin reached up into the darkness above his head, feeling along the cold concrete wall until his numb fingers touched the rigid metal pipe of the electrical conduit running from the compressor unit toward the door junction box.
He took the brass master key ring from his pocket.
Using the heavy steel scraper as a lever, he slammed the blade against the junction box cover with all his remaining strength, striking it repeatedly in the pitch black until the thin aluminum latch snapped open with a sharp pop.
Inside were three thick copper wires carrying two-hundred-and-forty volts of electrical current to the compressor fan.
Dustin didn't hesitate. He wrapped his right hand in the heavy canvas lining of his utility vest to insulate himself against electric shock. With his left hand holding the brass key ring, he plunged the metal key directly into the exposed high-voltage terminal block.
SPARK!
A blinding flash of blue-white electrical energy exploded in the darkness, accompanied by a deafening bang that shook the metal wall. A shower of molten orange sparks rained down directly onto the alcohol-soaked wood shavings below.
The fumes ignited instantly.
A bright, warm yellow flame erupted from the floor, illuminating the freezer room in a flickering, dancing orange light.
Dustin collapsed beside the tiny fire, greedily pulling the warm air into his freezing lungs. The heat washed over his face, stinging his frozen skin with intense, prickling pain as circulation returned to his cheeks and nose.
He didn't waste a second. He fed larger pieces of scraped crate wood into the fire, building a steady, localized bonfire in the middle of the concrete floor.
Then, he took the heavy steel scraper, held its blade directly over the hottest part of the yellow flame for three full minutes until the metal glowed a faint, dull red, and walked over to the ceiling-mounted fire sprinkler head directly above the door.
He raised the red-hot steel blade and pressed it directly against the heat-sensitive glass bulb inside the sprinkler head.
The liquid inside the glass tube expanded rapidly, boiled, and shattered.
CRACK!
An immense pressure drop triggered the facility’s central fire suppression system.
Suddenly, high-pressure water roared through the overhead pipes. The central fire alarm claxon began to blare throughout Building 4 with a terrifying, rhythmic scream, and the emergency override protocol automatically disengaged every magnetic security lock and electric door bar across the entire warehouse to allow firefighter access.
The heavy steel freezer door hissed open with a burst of steam.
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Dustin stepped through the open doorway into the hallway, holding his hot steel scraper in his hand, his eyes burning through the smoke like two coals of blue fire.
Standing in the hallway, completely paralyzed with shock as water rained down from the ceiling sprinklers, was Gordon Vance.
