Chapter 74 - The Escape Hatch
Inside the panic room, the air purifiers shrieked as they overloaded. Thick, acrid smoke began pouring from the ceiling vents, quickly filling the small space.
Mateo coughed violently from under the bed.
"Mommy, it hurts to breathe!"
Elena dropped to her knees, pulling her shirt up to cover her nose. If they stayed, they would suffocate in less than five minutes. If they opened the door, Daniel would gun them down.
Then, a desperate memory flashed through her mind. Years ago, when they first renovated the mansion, Rosa had told her stories about the Prohibition tunnels. She had mentioned that the original master bedroom—which was now the panic room—had a hidden drop-chute used to hide contraband.
Elena crawled across the floor, frantically pulling up the heavy tactical rugs. Her bloody fingernails searched the wooden floorboards beneath.
There.
May you like
A subtle, square outline in the wood.
She used the butt of her pistol to smash the heavy floorboard until it cracked. She pried the wood up, revealing a narrow, rusted iron chute that dropped straight down into the darkness of the walls.
