Chapter 11 - The Descent into the Garage
The heavy iron security gate slammed down into the concrete floor of the parking garage with a resounding crash that echoed off the damp walls. Marcus slammed on the brakes of his black sedan, the tires screeching loudly against the floor as the car skidded to a halt just inches from the jagged metal barrier.
Marcus cursed aloud inside the car, hitting the steering wheel with the palm of his hand as he stared up at the jammed gate control box.
Arthur sprinted out from the service stairwell, his boots pounding against the concrete floor, his heavy trench coat flying behind him. Maya emerged right beside him, her yellow cardigan catching the fluorescent light as she held the USB drive high in the air like a beacon.
Don't move, Marcus! Arthur bellowed, his voice echoing through the vast, empty subterranean garage as he closed the distance between them.
Marcus whipped his head around, staring through the tinted driver’s window. Seeing Arthur standing there, alive and furious, the color drained from his face. He quickly reached for the gearshift, slamming it into reverse with frantic energy.
You’re too late, Arthur! Marcus yelled through the cracked window, his voice laced with panic. The transfer packet is already queued!
Marcus stepped hard on the gas pedal, the sedan leaping backward with a roar of the engine, its rear bumper smashing heavily into a concrete pillar with a sickening crunch of metal. The car stalled instantly, the engine sputtering and dying in a cloud of white steam.
Arthur didn't slow down. He reached the driver’s side door in three long strides, grabbing the door handle and pulling with all his might. The door was jammed from the impact against the pillar, refusing to budge.
Maya sprinted past Arthur, heading straight for the front of the sedan where the hood was crumpled against the base of the security gate. She ducked beneath the lowered barrier, reaching the wall-mounted emergency override box.
Maya! Watch out! Arthur shouted, throwing his shoulder against the stuck car door.
Maya ignored the warning. Her small fingers flipped open the glass cover of the emergency box, revealing a thick red lever labeled System Purge. Without a moment of hesitation, she gripped the handle with both hands and pulled down with all her weight.
A loud, piercing alarm shrieked through the garage as the entire electrical grid of the sub-level flickered and died, plunging the parking garage into pitch darkness.
Marcus screamed inside the car as the digital dashboard display went entirely black, freezing the progress bar of the offshore transfer at precisely ninety-nine percent.
In the sudden gloom, the red emergency exit lights buzzed to life, casting a dim, eerie glow over the scene.
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Before Marcus could restart the engine, the heavy service doors behind Arthur flew open, and Detective Miller, along with two armed police officers, rushed into the garage with their flashlights drawn.
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