Chapter 9 - The Override
I let out a massive sigh of relief as the digital timer went completely dark.
"I did it, Mom," I said into the radio, my voice trembling with exhaustion.
"You saved us, Alex," she replied softly.
"Now you must pull the thick black cable completely out of the remote terminal to restore cockpit control."
I grabbed the heavy black cord connected to the saboteur's laptop and yanked it out of the port.
The moment the cable disconnected, the plane's engines roared back to their full, deafening power.
I felt the floor tilt dramatically upward as the automatic pilot systems engaged and pulled us out of the dive.
The violent G-forces pressed me heavily against the metal grating, but it was the best feeling in the world.
We were no longer plunging toward the ocean.
I used zip ties from the tool bag to securely bind the unconscious saboteur's wrists and ankles.
I climbed exhausted back up the metal ladder and pushed open the hidden hatch in the galley floor.
I expected to hear the passengers cheering because the plane had leveled out safely.
Instead, the cabin was terrifyingly silent.
I crawled cautiously out of the hatch and peeked around the corner of the lavatory wall.
The three hijackers had realized they had lost control of the flight systems.
They were standing in the middle of the aisle, looking desperate and extremely dangerous.
The leader, Marcus, had his plastic blade pressed firmly against my mother's throat.
"Whoever is down there, come out right now, or she dies!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.
I froze, completely unsure of how to save her without a weapon.
My mother made eye contact with me from down the aisle.
She subtly nodded her head toward the ceiling, repeating the exact motion she made before opening the hidden compartment earlier.
She was signaling me to use the plane's architecture against them.
I remembered her telling me once that the rear galley contained a manual override for the cabin pressure equalization valves.
I quickly located the large red lever marked "Emergency Vent" on the wall beside the jump seats.
If I pulled it, the sudden pressure drop would deploy a massive rush of air toward the rear exhaust vents.
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It was a huge risk, but it was the only option I had left.
I grabbed the heavy red lever with both hands and pulled it down as hard as I could.
