Chapter 9 - The Impossible Fix
Adrian stared at the ruined engine block in absolute despair.
The feds were likely blasting through the trapdoor right now.
They were trapped in a concrete tomb beneath the city.
"Can you fix it?" Hannah asked, holding the baby incredibly close.
Adrian shook his head.
"It requires completely rewiring the ignition coil."
"It would take hours, and we have minutes."
Natalie walked to the edge of the boat, peering down into the dark water.
"Maybe we should just swim," she suggested quietly.
"Don't be ridiculous," Adrian snapped.
"The current out there will pull you under, and we have children."
Suddenly, Maisie tugged on Adrian's pant leg.
She held up the red plastic stethoscope she had been carrying all day.
"Can you use the wire from my toy?" the little girl asked innocently.
Adrian stared at the thick, rubber-coated wire connecting the earpieces to the chest piece.
Inside that plastic tubing was a thick copper wire designed to hold its shape.
It was an incredible long shot, but it was their only chance.
"Give it to me, sweetheart," Adrian said softly.
He pulled a tactical pocketknife from his belt and sliced the toy apart.
He stripped the ends to expose the bare, shiny copper.
Working frantically by the light of the flashlight, he bypassed the severed ignition cables.
He connected the makeshift wire to the battery terminal.
"Brace yourselves," he warned.
He turned the key once again.
The engines sputtered, coughed, and then roared to life with a deafening thunder.
Adrian threw the boat into gear, smashing through the rotting wooden gates of the hidden dock.
They blasted out into the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay under the bright moonlight.
Freedom was suddenly right in front of them.
May you like
Then, Hannah let out a blood-curdling scream.
Natalie was no longer on the boat.
