Chapter 5 - The Cold Metal Cage
Jax pulled with careful, measured strength, lifting Lily up and guiding her small body out through the jagged window frame. He shielded her face with his bloodied forearm to protect her from the remaining glass shards. The crowd of onlookers gasped as he successfully transferred the sobbing child onto the cold stone of the courtyard, handing her directly into the arms of a trembling bystander. But the relief was short-lived. The driver-side cabin remained sealed, and the woman slumped over the center console had not stirred an inch throughout the entire ordeal.
"The front doors are still dead-bolted from the inside!" Elena shouted, panic clawing at her throat as she rushed closer to the vehicle.
"Step aside, Elena. I am going through the front," Jax said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, icy calm.
He didn't wait for permission. He grabbed the heavy iron bench once more, dragging it across the stone pavers toward the front passenger door. His forearms were slick with dark blood from the previous window breach, but the physical pain registered as nothing against the roaring adrenaline in his veins. He raised the iron frame above his head, aiming for the front window where the driver lay motionless.
"Jax, wait! Look at the dashboard!" Elena screamed, pointing a shaky finger toward the interior console.
Jax froze mid-swing, lowering the bench an inch as he peered through the cracked rear window. The green glowing lights on the dashboard had suddenly flickered off completely, plunging the cabin into absolute darkness. A faint, low-frequency hum began to vibrate through the chassis of the SUV, like a dying machine drawing its final breath.
"What is that sound?" Lily cried, burying her face in the jacket of the stranger holding her.
Before Jax could swing the iron bench again, the entire electrical system of the vehicle sparked violently. A sharp, chemical odor of melting plastic billowed out from underneath the hood, stinging their eyes. The driver inside stirred, letting out a weak, agonizing groan that barely carried through the open rear window.
"Mommy!" Lily shrieked, breaking free from the bystander and running back toward the car.
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Jax dropped the bench, lunging forward to block the child just as the driver-side door lock clicked loudly on its own.
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