He reached into his pocket and pulled out his personal phone.

“We need to set up a meeting,” Ryker said. “Somewhere neutral. Somewhere he feels safe.”

“Like downtown?” I asked.

“Yes,” Ryker said. “In the middle of the business district. Surrounded by people.”

“What will you offer him?” I asked.

“My silence,” Ryker said. “And the children.”

My breath caught in my throat.

“You can’t hand Lily and Owen over to him,” I said.

“I won’t,” Ryker said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “But he has to believe I am willing to trade them to save my own skin.”

I looked at him, trying to read his expression in the dim light of the study.

He looked exhausted, but there was an icy focus in his eyes.

“It’s a trap for him, isn’t it?” I asked.

“It’s the only way to get him in a room where the feds can arrest him,” Ryker said.

Before I could answer, the door to the study opened.

A tall man in a dark suit walked in, flanked by two local police officers.