Chapter 5 - The Escape
The estate was rapidly turning into a deadly, inescapable inferno.
Smoke alarms blared endlessly as the flames chewed through the expensive wooden walls.
I could not walk, and my wheelchair was a smoldering pile of twisted metal.
Emma did not hesitate or wait for my orders.
She hooked her arms firmly under my shoulders and began dragging my dead weight toward the secret service elevator.
It was agonizing work for her small frame, but she possessed an incredible, desperate strength.
We reached the hidden panel in the wall just as more armed men stormed into the main corridor.
I punched in the emergency override code, and the heavy metal doors slid open.
Emma pulled me inside, and we plummeted down into the deep underground garage of the estate.
The garage housed my emergency escape vehicle, a heavily armored SUV modified entirely for hand controls.
Emma helped me into the driver's seat and quickly strapped herself into the passenger side.
I slammed my hand down on the ignition button, and the massive engine roared to life.
We smashed through the reinforced garage doors, flying out into the chaotic, rainy Chicago night.
I drove recklessly, swerving through the slick streets to put distance between us and the burning fortress.
Emma sat beside me, her chest heaving as she held pressure on her bleeding forehead.
I told her she was incredibly brave, and for the first time, she smiled genuinely at me.
But the brief moment of peace was shattered when the dashboard warning lights began flashing red.
The steering wheel suddenly locked up completely in my hands.
I slammed my fist against the manual brake lever, but there was absolutely no resistance.
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Luke had hacked the vehicle's internal computer system remotely.
We were accelerating uncontrollably straight toward the concrete barrier of the deep Chicago River.
