Chapter 2 - The Steel Cage
Alejandro lunged at the heavy wooden door with all of his massive strength. He slammed his shoulder into the solid oak panel over and over again in the dark. The reinforced wood did not even splinter under his desperate, furious assault. The luxurious master suite had been originally designed as a panic room to keep dangerous intruders out. Now his own family was using it to completely trap him inside with his dying wife. He turned on the bedside lamp, casting a dim, golden glow over Valeria's terrified face. He rushed to her side and frantically examined the heavy padlock securing the steel chain. It was a highly advanced biometric lock that required a specific fingerprint to release the heavy mechanism. Valeria grabbed his hand, her fingers feeling completely ice cold against his skin. She explained in a broken whisper that his mother, Esther, was the only one who could open it. Alejandro pulled his cell phone from his pocket to immediately call his private security team. The bright screen displayed absolutely zero signal bars. Marcela had clearly activated a military-grade signal jammer inside the sprawling mansion. Alejandro paced the room like a caged tiger, his mind racing through every possible escape route. He suddenly remembered the central air conditioning vent located near the ceiling above the master bathroom. He grabbed a heavy bronze lamp from the nightstand and smashed the decorative mirror covering the wall. Using a jagged piece of thick glass, he rapidly unscrewed the metal grating of the massive vent. He hoisted himself up into the dark, dusty ventilation shaft, entirely ignoring the sharp metal edges slicing his hands. He crawled blindly through the narrow space, determined to reach the main security control room on the ground floor. He could hear the distant voices of his mother and sister echoing through the thin metal below him. Esther was calmly sipping tea while discussing the logistical details of disposing of Valeria's body. Alejandro felt physically sick as he listened to the woman who raised him plan his wife's brutal murder. He finally reached the metal grate located directly above the central security hub. He kicked the metal covering completely out of the ceiling and dropped silently into the room. The solitary guard sitting at the desk didn't even have time to turn around. Alejandro struck him hard with the bronze lamp, knocking him instantly unconscious against the console. He rushed to the main computer terminal and aggressively typed in his executive override codes. A bright red error message flashed aggressively across the entire screen. The computer announced that Alejandro Aranda's executive privileges had been permanently revoked by the board of directors. He suddenly heard the unmistakable sound of a heavy shotgun being pumped right behind his head.
