[Jake's POV]
The blast shook the entire building.
For half a second everything went weightless. Dust fell from the ceiling in a fine white cloud. Plaster cracked and rained down on my shoulders. The heavy steel shutters on the front windows rattled in their frames, bolts screaming, but they held. The tables and sandbags shuddered but didn't collapse.
My teeth buzzed. My ears were already ringing from the anticipation. Now it was worse. A high, flat whine.
"They blew the alley gate," Ethan yelled over the ringing in my ears. His voice was rough. He was already moving.
Before I could respond, the front doors of the parlor shattered inward.
Not exploded. Shattered.
A modified delivery truck had reversed at high speed down the street. No lights. Just engine noise and tires squealing. It smashed through the glass and slammed into the barricade of tables and sandbags.
