Chapter 9 - The Reversal
On the security screen, we watched Lily hold up my cracked, cheap smartphone.
She had secretly picked it up when Vanessa was struggling with the steel doors.
Vanessa spun around, her eyes wide with sudden panic.
"Give me that phone, you little brat!" Vanessa screamed, lunging toward my daughter.
"Computer, activate pacification gas in the west corridor!" Marcus barked into the intercom.
A hissing sound echoed through the hallway as thick white gas flooded the sealed space from the ceiling vents.
Vanessa coughed violently, grabbing her throat as she stumbled backward.
Within three seconds, she collapsed onto the floor, completely unconscious.
Lily sneezed twice, but remained perfectly awake and unharmed.
"The gas only affects adults due to their larger lung capacity and higher heart rates," Marcus explained quickly.
He punched a command into the panel, and the heavy steel door slowly rose.
I didn't wait for it to open completely before I slid underneath and grabbed my daughter.
I hugged Lily so tightly I thought I might never let her go.
Marcus limped into the hallway, ignoring his unconscious fiancée.
He picked up my cracked phone from the floor and quickly accessed the screen.
"She used your phone to initiate the transfer because it was already authenticated on my network," he realized.
His fingers flew across the cracked screen, racing against time.
"Because the transfer is incredibly massive, the bank requires a two-minute holding period," he explained.
He accessed my phone's core settings, navigating to a hidden administrative menu.
"I am reversing the transaction using your device's unique MAC address," he said, holding his breath.
The screen displayed a massive loading bar, slowly ticking toward one hundred percent.
"Come on," Marcus whispered, his entire life hanging in the balance.
The screen flashed a bright green, reading: TRANSACTION CANCELLED. FUNDS SECURED.
Marcus let out a massive sigh of relief and dropped the phone into his pocket.
We had won.
Suddenly, the heavy sound of police sirens filled the driveway outside.
May you like
A SWAT team burst through the shattered front doors, weapons raised and flashlights sweeping the area.
"Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air!" a booming voice commanded from the foyer.
