The dust in the air danced in the narrow sliver of light.

We reached the steel door behind the pipes.

Isabella turned a heavy iron wheel on the face of the door.

It opened with a muffled hiss of escaping air.

Inside, the space was tiny, barely larger than a closet, with a small bench and a shelf of bottled water.

“Go,” Adrian said, handing Oliver to me.

I settled the three children on the floor of the small room, using the wool blanket to keep them warm.

“Stay here,” I whispered to them, kissing each of their foreheads. “Don’t make a sound.”

Lena opened her eyes and looked at me, her expression serious.

“Is daddy coming?” she asked.

“Daddy will be right outside,” I said, though my chest felt so tight I could barely breathe.

I looked up at Adrian, who was standing in the doorway.

His gray eyes were fixed on us, filled with an intensity that terrified me.

“I’ll close the door from the outside,” Adrian said. “The latch can only be released from the control panel in the office, or with the manual override inside here.”