Chapter 14
Garage interior door handle still cold in my hand. Zora pushed past me and shoulder hit door first. Door cracked open and cold air rushed in from garage. Car sat dark inside, blue paint catching thin light from small window high on garage door.
Sensor above door frame blinked red. Small black box I never noticed before. Light turned solid. Soft chime rang from inside box.
Zora froze. My phone buzzed hard against palm. Screen lit itself. FINAL NOTICE pulsed red. NYLA BANKS SELECTED glowed brighter. Red record icon blinked fast.
System voice came from outside garage door, not from phone. Flat, amplified.
"Selected subject located. Garage interior."
My breath caught. Zora yanked me forward into garage and pulled door shut behind us. Lock clicked. Chime still rang behind door.
"Stay low," she whispered. "They tagged you when door opened. Motion sensor. I didn't know house had that."
I ducked behind car, back against rear tire. Concrete cold through cargo pants. Gold pendant swung and hit zip top. I tucked it flat. Zora crouched beside me, phone still in hand, green EXEMPT screen glowing.
Light swept across garage window. Wide white beam, then red flash. Headlights from SUV turned into driveway. Beam hit window slats and striped across car roof, across my hands. I pressed flatter.
Flashlight beam joined. Narrower. Moved slow across window, left to right, pausing on car shape inside. Someone outside held light steady on garage door seam. Shadow of figure moved behind frosted glass slats.
"Visual confirm pending," outside voice said. Louder now, right beyond garage door. "Occupant, remain inside structure."
Zora didn't stand. She held phone up low, screen angled toward garage door opener on wall. Small white box with green button beside interior door.
"My phone still has power override," she whispered. "Exempt can trigger house systems. Selected can't. Watch."
I nodded. Knees tight to chest. Breathing shallow.
Outside light swept again. This time beam dropped lower, caught gap under garage door. Light spilled across concrete floor, touched my shoe. I pulled foot back inch by inch until shadow covered it. Light held there three seconds, then lifted.
"Subject inside garage. Visual lock not yet confirmed," voice said. Not shouting. Calm. Close.
Zora thumbed phone. Green EXEMPT button pulsed when she tapped. She held phone toward opener. Opener light blinked green in answer.
Nothing happened for half second. Then motor hummed. Garage door chain rattled overhead. Door shuddered and lifted inch. Cold air poured stronger through widening gap. Red and white flashing lights flooded floor, brighter with each inch door rose.
Zora shoved car door handle with elbow and yanked driver door open while staying crouched. Hinge creaked.
"Get in low, stay below window line," she breathed. "Back seat. Now."
I scrambled, hands on concrete, and slid across back seat floor, back against opposite door, knees up, head below window. Cargo pants snagged on seat edge. Pendant chain caught on seatbelt buckle, I freed it.
Zora dove into driver seat, legs folded awkward, body low, head tilted below steering wheel. Phone balanced on dash, green screen still lit, still commanding door motor. Garage door kept rising, slow, metal groaning, light flooding more.
Outside flashlight snapped toward opening gap. Beam hit car windshield, then swept down to find empty driver seat shape.
"Garage door activation detected. Exempt credential used," outside voice said, sharper. "Subjects, do not attempt vehicle egress."
Tires outside crunched closer on driveway gravel. Second set of footsteps approached from side. Light held on car now, not sweeping. Visual lock complete but hands still outside.
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Zora gripped wheel with one hand, other hand hovering over gear shift, eyes fixed on rising door gap and lights beyond. She didn't start engine yet. Door still rising, maybe three feet open now, night air and police SUV silhouette visible through gap.
I pressed flat against back seat footwell, bracelet clinking against metal seat frame, phone clutched to chest with red SELECTED still glowing against black zip top. Door motor kept pulling chain. Escape window cracked open inch by inch.
