Vanessa’s voice returned, dropping to a low, cold whisper.

“Give me the master decryption keys for Caldwell Systems, Nathan.”

The intercom speaker crackled, her breath hot against the microphone somewhere on the other side of the reinforced steel.

“You have five minutes to upload them to the external server,” Vanessa said.

“If you do that, Julian and I will take the helicopter and leave.”

“We will leave the girls with you.”

“If you don’t, Julian is going to use the thermal lance on the hinge bolts.”

“The air filtration system in that panic room won’t survive the fumes, darling.”

“You know what that heat does to confined spaces.”

She stopped speaking, but the line remained open.

A low, steady hum of static filled the small, concrete-walled room.

I felt Grace’s chest rising and falling rapidly against my ribs.

Emma was curled into Lily’s back, her small hands clutching the hem of her sister’s insulated winter coat.

Sophie stared at the ceiling duct, her eyes wide and unblinking.

A soft scraping sound came from above us.

I held my breath, my eyes locked on the dark square of the ceiling vent.