The children stiffened at the sound of their stepmother’s voice.

“I know you’re in there,” she said, her tone conversational, almost pleasant.

“And I know you can hear me.”

I pressed my hand over Grace’s ear, pulling her closer to my side.

“Julian is getting impatient,” Vanessa continued.

“He has some very heavy equipment out here.”

The static hissed again, louder this time, like the sound of rushing water.

“But we don’t want to hurt anyone,” she said.

“Especially not the girls.”

I looked up at the ceiling duct, praying Nathan wouldn’t make a sound.

“We know about the backup locks, Nathan,” Vanessa said.

“We know what you’re trying to do in the ceiling.”

My heart stopped.

They knew.

“Let’s make a deal,” Vanessa’s voice said.

“A very simple trade.”

The speaker buzzed, a sharp beep signaling a pause in the transmission.

I waited, staring at the speaker in the dark, my fingers digging into the fabric of the girls’ jackets.

The door groaned as another heavy blow struck the outer panel.

A small piece of molten metal dripped from the ceiling gap, sizzling as it hit the cold floor.