DR

My little Honda looks embarrassed sitting between the sleek BMW and Tesla, like she knows she's not fancy enough for this emergency. But she's reliable. She's never l

car's Bluetooth, Martinez's panicke

he children are starting to p

verse out of my parking spot fast enough to m

other children down. She told them you'd f

t paint. She's taking care of everyone else. She believes I can save them. Beca

rs driven by people who have nowhere urgent to be. People whose children are sa

iFi? And the security system

vulnerable. All the bugs haven't been worked ou

room. Right now. It's in the base

leave the

ough that my tires scream against the asphalt. SQUEEEEAL. Someone honk

thing is ragged, footsteps echoing off what sounds

the passenger seat, already connecting to my phone's hotspot. The screen shows syste

t's dark. Where's

box labeled 'Fire Safety Override.'

six months ago when Isla first enrolled. Call it paranoia. Call it being a protective mother. C

stomach drop straight

't a mal

urity measure has been turned into a weapon. Doors that should protec

! But it'

k it

no, I can

inutes because someone turned your fire safety

geted. This is someone who knows exactly what they're doing, who planne

my dau

of metal being pried apart. Martin

s a keypad and a b

listen ca

ictate override codes with one hand and trace network intrusions with the other. The laptop screen i

something that makes

ines designed to look like normal buildi

helpe

supposed to

urned into a weapon aim

minutes an

-

DR

et my sea

inutes

*

smoke rising from the brakes. The acrid smell b

re trucks, ambulances, police cars paint

*

w.

Click, slip. Click, slip. There's a fire truck blocking my view of the building a

IC

na

e water. There are parents everywhere, some crying, some shouting at the firefighte

hands because I don't trust my grip right now. Everything feels

a needs yo

us thing - running at the doors, yelling at the firefighters, demanding action. An

to my car and

atteries. Cables for everything. I built this kit because I'm paranoid, because I research school security systems when normal moth