Chapter 6 - Examining The Mysterious Sweet Scent In The Air
After Dr. Ashford stormed out of the nursery, I waited until evening fell across the estate. The mansion grew unnervingly quiet, save for the rhythmic humming of the medical monitors.
I slipped quietly out into the hallway, pulling a small pocket flashlight from my bag. The sweet, sickly odor seemed stronger now that the ventilation system had shifted into its night cycle.
I knelt down beside the low brass vent cover I had inspected earlier that morning. Using a small metal nail file from my purse, I carefully unscrewed the loosened brass fasteners.
The heavy cover slipped free into my hands without making a single metallic scrape against the floor. I shone my flashlight beam deep into the dark interior of the metal ductwork.
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A narrow plastic tube ran along the bottom of the vent, disappearing backward into the wall cavity. At the end of the tube sat a small mechanical drip valve connected to an unmarked plastic reservoir.
Every few seconds, a clear, sweet-smelling droplet released from the valve into the main air stream. Someone was actively aerosolizing an unknown substance directly into the twins' bedroom ventilation line.
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