Chapter 29 - The Ventilation Breach**
Ethan grabbed the multi-tool, using the small screwdriver attachment to unscrew the metal mesh cover of the maintenance chute.
"Jenkins, cover the chute!" Ethan ordered as he worked frantically against the ticking clock.
He removed the mesh, exposing a narrow vertical pipe that ran upward toward the main floor's fireplace hearth.
Ethan lifted Maya onto his shoulders, guiding her small hands toward the interior lip of the metal pipe.
"Maya, I need you to climb up this pipe and pull the red lever near the fireplace screen," Ethan instructed gently.
"I'm scared, Daddy... it's dark," Maya cried, her voice trembling in the thinning air of the vault.
"You are the bravest girl in the whole world, Maya," Ethan promised, kissing her cheek. "You can save us."
Maya took a deep breath, squeezed her small body through the narrow iron chute, and began climbing up the pipe.
May you like
Ethan and Jenkins stood below, listening to the soft scraping of Maya's sneakers against the metal walls as the air in the chamber grew dangerously thin.
---
