Chapter 9 - The Wire
The armored SUV tore through the estate's snowy grounds at sixty miles per hour.
The massive vehicle smashed through the decorative iron gates, sending metal debris flying into the night.
We were entirely locked inside, speeding directly toward the icy, black waters of the harbor.
The boys screamed in terror in the backseat, clutching each other as the car violently swerved.
I stomped on the brake pedal with all my weight, but it was completely unresponsive.
I knew whoever was controlling the vehicle remotely had overridden the central computer system.
I grabbed the heavy metal flashlight I had kept in my pocket from the panic room.
I crawled halfway into the passenger floorboard and began smashing the plastic paneling beneath the dashboard.
The plastic shattered, revealing a chaotic nest of colorful wires and computer modules.
I had no mechanical training, but I knew I had to cut the power to the drive-by-wire system.
"Evan, grab my phone and shine the light down here!" I screamed over the roaring engine.
Evan bravely unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over the center console, illuminating the wiring.
I saw a thick bundle of wires leading directly into the main transmission control unit.
The harbor was approaching incredibly fast, the dark water reflecting the moonlight.
I did not have any tools or knives to cut the thick plastic coating.
I wrapped my bleeding hands around the massive wire bundle and pulled with absolutely everything I had left.
I braced my boots against the firewall and ripped the cables backward violently.
The wires snapped with a shower of blue sparks, shocking my hands and arms.
The digital dashboard instantly went completely black.
The engine died immediately, but we were still rolling forward with immense momentum.
I grabbed the steering wheel, forcing the heavy, unpowered column to turn sharply to the right.
The SUV skidded violently across the icy pavement, spinning out of control.
We slammed incredibly hard into a massive concrete barrier just ten feet from the freezing water.
The airbags deployed with a deafening crack, filling the cabin with white powder.
I gasped for air, pushing the deflating airbag away and checking on the boys in the back.
They were bruised and terrified, but completely alive.
Suddenly, a dozen black vehicles surrounded our crashed SUV with blinding spotlights.
I thought Silas had found us, but the men stepping out were wearing Adrian's elite security patches.
They ripped the crushed doors open and pulled us to safety.
The squad leader told me Adrian had survived and Silas was currently in zip-ties back at the mansion.
I watched as they dragged Silas out of the back of a transport van, his face bruised and bloody.
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Silas looked at me and laughed a horrible, blood-chilling laugh.
He spat on the ground and yelled that the real boss had not even arrived at the party yet.
