Chapter 6 - The Unlocking Mechanism
The heavy mechanical click echoed off the stone courtyard walls, sounding like a gunshot in the tense silence. The driver-side door popped open a mere fraction of an inch, pushed outward by the heavy atmospheric pressure trapped inside the cabin. Jax wasted no time. He planted his heavy boot against the bottom of the door and kicked it wide open, sending it swinging back until it hit the exterior hinge with a loud metallic crash.
A thick cloud of stale, freezing air rushed out, carrying the heavy scent of copper and something metallic. Slumped over the steering wheel was Sarah, her blonde hair tangled and damp with sweat. Her face was deathly pale, and a dark bruise was forming rapidly along her jawline where she had apparently struck the console during the initial shutdown.
"Sarah! Can you hear me?" Jax yelled, climbing half into the vehicle and reaching across the center console to check her pulse.
Her eyelids fluttered open slowly, revealing bloodshot eyes that struggled to focus on his face. Her lips moved, forming silent words before a raspy whisper finally escaped her throat.
"The... the override... it wasn't a glitch," Sarah rasped, her hand twitching as she tried to point toward the glove compartment.
"Save your breath, we are getting you out of here right now," Jax commanded, slipping his strong arms beneath her shoulders to lift her dead weight out of the driver's seat.
Elena stood frozen near the rear wheel, her white blazer stained with soot and dirt. Her hands hovered near her mouth as she stared at Sarah with an expression that mixed profound relief with undisguised terror.
"Help me pull her legs clear of the steering column, Elena! Move!" Jax ordered sharply.
Elena snapped out of her trance and rushed forward, grabbing Sarah’s ankles and helping Jax maneuver her out of the cramped cabin. Together, they laid her gently down on the paved courtyard, away from the smoking vehicle. Lily immediately dropped to her knees beside her mother, sobbing softly as she stroked Sarah’s cold hand.
"She's burning up," Lily cried, looking up at Jax with desperate, tear-filled eyes.
Jax ripped off his heavy silver necklace and tossed it aside, his chest heaving as he knelt beside them. He reached for his phone to call emergency services, but when he pulled the device from his pocket, the screen was completely black, completely fried by the electromagnetic surge that had just crippled the SUV.
"My phone is dead. Give me yours, Elena," Jax demanded, holding out his blood-stained hand.
Elena fumbled through the pockets of her white blazer before freezing, her face draining of all remaining color.
"I... I left mine on the console inside the grand hallway," Elena whispered, her voice trembling violently.
May you like
Jax stood up slowly, a dark realization dawning on him as he looked toward the heavy oak doors of the manor. The estate's landline was inside, but the grand hallway's heavy smart-locks had just engaged from the inside with a definitive, electronic thud.
---
