I looked back at the kids again.

Lily had closed her eyes, but her little body was still shaking.

“We will make it,” I whispered, more to myself than to anyone else.

The wind howled against the windshield as we drove deeper into the storm.

We drove in silence for nearly an hour, the heater blowing warm air that did little to ease the tension in the car.

Every pair of headlights that appeared in the distance made my stomach tighten.

But each car passed us without slowing down.

Finally, the highway gave way to the winding, two-lane roads of the rural counties.

The snow was deeper here, drifting across the asphalt in white waves.

“We are about twenty minutes away,” Marco said, his hands tight on the steering wheel.

“Is anyone following us?” I asked.

“Not that I can see,” Marco said. “But I’ve been taking the back loops just in case.”

My phone vibrated again, the screen lighting up the dark cabin of the car.

It was a text from Ryker.

*Police have left. They are issuing a warrant for my arrest. Do not stop for anyone.*