Joshua was not in good shape. He had lost a significant amount of blood and had inhaled too much smoke. Even with his skills, his body was failing. The fire was spreading too fast; if they didn''t get out now, they would be burned alive.


    They were five meters from the door when a two-meter-high storage rack, consumed by mes, toppled over, crashing down toward them.<fn5902> Get full chapters from fι?dnοvel</fn5902>


    Joshua shielded Keen with his body, taking the full, crushing impact. The metal was searing hot, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. A trickle of blood escaped his lips, but he ignored the pain, shoved the rack aside, and pushed forward.


    As he reached the threshold, his eyes narrowed. He sensed a new danger. He instinctively jerked his head to the side as a bullet zipped past his cheek.


    Joshua''s expression turned to ice. Gibson had snipers waiting. But if they were firing, their position waspromised. As long as he avoided a fatal hit, Harold and Jake would take care of them.


    He was about to step outside when a tall figure strode into the doorway. A low, familiar voice followed.


    "Mr. Joshua, I thought you were invincible. How did you end up in such a pathetic state? Or... is this another one of your acts, making yourself look pitiful to win Star''s sympathy?"


    It was Foreman.


    Haynes had gone toward the gunfire, assuming that''s where Joshua and Keen were. He and Ste were checking the other locations. He couldn''t believe his luck-he had found them first.


    Keen was unconscious. Foreman''s usual warm demeanor was gone, reced by a mask of cold indifference.


    "They''re after you," Foreman stated. "Give me Keen."


    Joshua paused for a heartbeat, then handed the boy over. The building was about to copse; they had to get out.


    Foreman took Keen and turned to


    leave, but a ming support beam from the ceiling crashed down


    splinters everywhe


    between them, sending fiery


    Before


    Foreman could react, a band shoved him violently out of the way. They both tumbled to the ground.


    When Foreman got to his feet, he saw that Joshua''s foot was pinned beneath the fallen beam. In that split second, Joshua had pushed him and Keen to safety, but hadn''t been able to dodge in time himself.


    The push had sent Foreman just steps from the exit.


    Without a second''s hesitation, he bolted through the doorway with Keen in his


    arms.


    Standing safely outside, Foreman


    looked back. "Keen was taken


    because of you," he said coldly. "If


    you die in there today it''s what


    You


    deserve. You''ve brought nothing but trouble into Star''s life. You shouldn''t be alive."


    He nced down at the still-unconscious Keen, then pulled a pistol from his


    waistband and aimed it at Joshua.


    "Goodbye, Joshua."


    He pulled the trigger.