Chapter 4 - The Locked Tomb
Leandro sprints toward the closing steel door, trying to wedge a metal chair into the gap.
The massive hydraulic hinges easily crush the heavy chair like it is made of tin foil.
The vault door seals completely shut with a deafening, terrifying clang.
Daphne looks up from the medical computer, her face pale with sudden realization.
“They hacked the mainframe, Leandro,” Daphne whispers in horror.
“We are not safely hidden in a bunker, we are trapped in a tomb,” she realizes.
Leandro pounds his fists against the impenetrable steel, cursing his own foolishness.
He walks over to Estelle, who is finally breathing somewhat normally thanks to Daphne’s quick work.
“I successfully blocked Maribel's signal, but the oxygen cyclers in this room have just been disabled,” Daphne reports.
“How much breathable air do we have left?” Leandro asks grimly.
“With three adults breathing heavily, we have maybe two hours,” Daphne calculates.
Leandro paces the small room, his mind racing for an impossible solution.
He looks at Daphne, admiring her fierce loyalty and undeniable brilliance under pressure.
“You should never have gotten involved in my family’s cursed politics, Daphne,” Leandro says softly.
Daphne walks over and gently places her hand on his cheek.
“I choose my own battles, Leandro, and I chose you a long time ago,” Daphne confesses bravely.
The romantic tension between them is momentarily shattered by a loud electronic beep.
The medical computer screen flickers to life, displaying a live video feed of Maribel.
“Enjoying your private tomb, darling?” Maribel taunts with a sickeningly sweet smile.
“Let the women go, Maribel, this fight is strictly between you and me,” Leandro demands.
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Maribel laughs and casually turns her camera to show what she is looking at.
She is standing over the mansion’s main gas line, holding a lit road flare.
