Two black SUVs were parked near the entrance, their engines idling, exhaust pipes blowing white plumes into the cold air.

Guards in dark raincoats walked the perimeter, their flashlights cutting through the driving rain.

I looked at my watch.

It was eleven-forty.

I had exactly twenty minutes before Marcus would force me into one of those cars.

I held the transmitter tightly, wishing I could send a voice message, wishing I could tell Damiano to hurry.

A sudden, sharp static sound came from my pocket, making me jump.

I pulled out my phone, which I had managed to keep hidden in my inner coat pocket earlier.

The screen flickered, showing no service, but then a single text message popped up from an unknown number.

It was a single word: *Standby.*

My heart leaped into my throat.

Damiano.

He was alive, and he had the signal.

I quickly deleted the message and hid the phone back in my coat, my hands shaking.

The wind rattled the glass pane so hard I thought it would shatter.

Downstairs, I heard the faint sound of voices arguing, their words muffled by the heavy floorboards.