Chapter 24
Nothing happens. Shit, the car system isn't even on.
The man holds the gun right up against the glass, his face completely cold.
“Would you like me to play 'Start at One'?” the stupid fucking automated device responds.
Seriously???
“No! You dumb bitch, call—”
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
Deafening shots ring out right against the car glass.
The window instantly spiderwebs into a dense matrix of cracked lines.
At least the good thing about spending money on these luxury car models is that they do have some level of ballistic defense built into the frame and windows, but if this man continues emptying bullets into it, I am going to be killed.
It takes a second for me to realize that I am screaming at the top of my lungs, completely doubled over the passenger seat to shield myself.
I blindly reach out and smash the ignition switch again. It won't start.
Outside, the other guy moves up beside his friend. He raises a heavy metal tool and starts bashing it against the fractured car window, trying to cave it in.
The glass holds, but it won't break. The car will start. The car will start. It has to!
Then comes the splintering, horrible sound of the window shattering completely, and the men start reaching inside.
I scream so loud that my throat literally cracks as I dive into the back seat backwards, kicking my legs wildly.
“Get away!!!!” I scream.
I have absolutely no weapon. Only high officials are allowed to own them when traveling for business, the person with the actual title.
Not even the wives are allowed to own them, not in the cars, or the guards that they pay are supposed to have them.
But there are no bodyguards here. Daniel gets a special legal exemption because his life is treated as a premium corporate asset.
He's permitted to carry one automated firearm seeing as he could be a high-value target for corporate espionage during his global travels.
Unfortunately for me, in the State of Colorado, a company's legal weapon permits don't extend to civilian spouses.
It doesn't help that the state has a ban on firearms, but the horrible reality is that the criminals don't follow the rules.
And now here I am in this situation with my car being my only savior, and it's now broken into.
I legit can't believe this is actually happening.
I scream out at the top of my lungs, crying as the guys try to reach in and unlock the door from the broken window.
“Ja—Jade!!! Keep the doors locked!!” I shriek out, knowing the car is supposed to follow commands, but it's completely off. “Oh my god, please! Athena, call 911!”
My phone is hooked up to our home system, but I also gave the phone system the name Athena so it can activate, and for whatever reason, it is just not working.
“Now playing 'Fat Lip' by Sum 41,” the stupid fucking phone chirps out.
Somehow the car's speakers still work, because the intro for the old classic Sum 41 song suddenly comes on and flows into the cabin while I am literally fighting for my life from the man trying to reach in and open the door, and the others are walking around trying to smash the other windows.
“I don't want to hurt you, but you're going to make me hurt you,” the man calls out to me through the broken glass.
“Open the fucking door right now!” he orders me.
“Open the fucking door, you stupid rich bitch!” the other guy behind him calls out as he holds up his gun towards the back of the car, all while the song blares in a comically unbelievable way that completely contrasts the absolute severity of my situation.
Screaming, I hold my head down as bullets rain right where my head just was, and I dip low behind the seats.
Thankfully, the way this car is designed, the area between the two front seats has bucket storage and it's pretty high up, so I can sink down and bury my petite body with my back up against the back of the driver's seat, my legs folded up, hugging them closely as I cry.
“Just take what you want, please!!! Leave me alone!” I yell.
The chorus of the song comes on, and the gunshots that are spider-webbing the back windows of my car seem to snap in a staccato beat right along with the drums of the song.
“PLEASE! HELP!!! HELLLP!” I yell out as loud as I possibly can.
My eyes are wide open as the back window behind the passenger seat finally blows out completely. Suddenly, there's a slight vibration through the chassis as the car system starts to come back online.
“What is your destination?” Jade's automated voice asks.
“Police station!!! Get me the police!” I yell out in a shrill, cracking cry.
“Now driving to Aurora Police Department.”
The car hums to life and takes off as the men keep shooting.
One of them actually tries to hang onto the side, and I scream as he aims through the shattered glass and fires at me.
There's a sudden, blinding pain in the right side of my shoulder.
It burns horribly, and I cry out in agony as the car drives painfully at a leisurely pace away from the men.
They're yelling, trying to run and catch up to it on foot as I stay tucked behind the driver's seat crying, praying they won't catch up.
When I finally know that the car is far enough away, despite how slow it's moving, I quickly scramble myself into the driver's seat, take over the driving manually, and slam my foot down on the gas to get to the police station down the road.
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