Chapter 1659

Austin allowed himself to be dragged forward, numbly memorizing the ground beneath his feet and the surrounding voices. He felt himself lifted into an elevator, which descended quickly. He wondered if he'd been on the top floor, but the short ride suggested he wasn't very high.

Dragged from the elevator, he listened intently. He heard only the voices of his two captors; no high heels, nothing else. He wondered if Rhea had followed. Silently analyzing their progress, he was soon shoved into a car. As the car started, he began his internal countdown.

"Mike said twenty minutes from when the car starts," he thought. Sightless and without a watch, keeping time was easy—a skill honed during his imprisonment. He no longer needed visual cues for approximate durations. This was his life, and accuracy was paramount.

His hands tied behind his back, he felt around and found a knot. Oddly, it felt different—looser than usual, easier to undo. After some maneuvering, he freed himself, a development that puzzled him. Everything was proceeding too smoothly. Had Mike arranged this lax binding, or was it another trap? Hesitation flickered, but he knew time was short.

As the car sped along, he silently counted. Judging by their breathing, there were only three people—himself and two others besides the driver. If his plan worked, he would break free, grab the steering wheel, create chaos, and maximize his escape chances. But would it go so smoothly? Was Mike being truthful? He didn't have long to ponder. His twenty minutes were nearly up.

His heart pounded as the time approached. "Five… four… three… two… one!" With a surge of strength, he broke free of the ropes, tearing away the cloth over his eyes. The occupants, unprepared, were momentarily stunned before lunging to subdue him. His survival instincts overwhelmed them as he fended them off, driving towards his objective: the steering wheel.

The driver panicked, attempting to fend Austin off with one hand while desperately clinging to the wheel. The other two recovered, leaping to restrain him again. Austin wondered if this sudden burst of strength was a one-time thing, or the effect of Mike's drug.

A rush of power propelled him forward, knocking down his assailants and sending him surging toward the driver. Grabbing the wheel was difficult from behind, but he disrupted the driver enough to send the car careening. He wrenched the wheel, pushing the driver's head away with his other hand. He glanced up and saw a street market flashing by.

The car swerved wildly through the market, scattering the crowd, before careening uncontrollably into a shop. After smashing through a railing, it flipped, landing with a jarring thud.