Vance stopped, his boots sliding in the snow, his gun shaking as he pointed it at Marcus.

“Get out of my way, Vale,” Vance gasped, his face purple from the cold and exertion. “Vanessa has the codes. She can wipe your accounts by morning.”

“Vanessa is currently being detained at the outer perimeter by Detective Pierce,” Marcus replied coldly.

Vance’s face fell, the realization hitting him like a physical blow.

“No,” Vance whispered. “She wouldn’t leave me.”

“She already did,” Marcus said, taking a slow step forward. “She tried to clear the gate alone.”

Vance let out a raw, desperate scream and raised his weapon.

A single, sharp crack echoed through the silent woods, followed by the heavy thud of a body hitting the deep snow.

The flashlight rolled away, casting a long, bright beam across the white ground.

Marcus walked forward, kicked the weapon away from Vance’s twitching hand, and knelt to check his pulse.

“Secure,” Marcus said into his collar mic. “Send the medical unit to the north path.”

He looked up at me, his expression unchanged.

“Are the children unharmed?” he asked.