Chapter 11 - The Air We BreatheA low, familiar hum began to echo from the basement.
The vents in the living room began to hiss, blowing a cool, odorless stream of air into the sealed room.
"What is that?" Vanessa screamed, covering her nose. "Daniel! Is she poisoning us?!"
"It's just air, Vanessa," Claire said, sitting down in the armchair, crossing her legs. "For now. But the ventilation system is currently connected to the backup generator in the shed. I have programmed the system to gradually lower the oxygen levels in this room over the next twenty minutes. At exactly fifteen percent oxygen, you will begin to feel dizzy. At ten percent, you will lose consciousness. At five percent... you will join Emma and Ethan."
"You're crazy!" Daniel yelled, rushing toward the frosted glass windows, throwing his entire body weight against them. The reinforced glass didn't even vibrate. He grabbed a heavy metal chair and smashed it against the pane, but the chair simply bounced off, leaving a faint scratch.
"The windows are hurricane-rated, Daniel," Claire said, looking at her watch. "Eighteen minutes left."
Vanessa dropped to her knees, sobbing hysterically. "Claire, please! It was Daniel’s idea! He told me the children would just go to sleep! He said they wouldn't feel any pain! I didn't want to hurt them! I just wanted the money!"
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"Vanessa, shut up!" Daniel roared, turning on her, kicking her leg. "Don't say a word to her!"
"It's too late to stay silent, Daniel," Claire said, pointing to the small, blue light glowing inside the smoke detector. "The police department's dispatch center is currently receiving a live stream of this entire conversation, along with your full confession."
