He hit the button on the wall, and the heavy garage door began to slide upward with a low rumble.

The cold winter air rushed in, carrying a flurry of white snow.

Marco put the vehicle in gear and tapped the headlights to the lowest setting.

We rolled out into the dark, leaving Ryker standing alone in the light of the garage.

The tires crunched on the fresh snow as we wound our way along the narrow path through the trees.

I kept looking back, watching the lights of the main house fade into the blizzard.

“How are we doing back there?” I asked.

“They are quiet,” Clara said from the darkness of the backseat.

I turned around to look.

Owen was lying across Clara’s lap, his eyes fixed on the ceiling of the car.

Lily was curled into a tight ball beside him, her thumb back in her mouth.

“The gate is just ahead,” Marco said, his eyes scanning the dark woods.

The service gate was a simple iron barrier, barely visible against the thick brush.

Marco pressed a remote on the visor, and the gate slowly swung inward.