“Mr. Vale,” Vance said, turning back to Damon. “We need to get to the federal building in Marquette. The syndicate heads are going to realize she’s gone dark very soon. If we don’t coordinate the arrests now, they will disappear.”

Damon looked at me, his eyes dark with a mixture of anger and concern.

“Is Leo safe?” he asked Marcus.

“Marlene has him at the cabin,” Marcus said. “I have two of my best men stationed at the perimeter. They won’t let anyone near him.”

“We go to Marquette,” Damon said, his voice firm. “But my security team stays with my son.”

“Agreed,” Vance said. “Let’s move.”

We walked out of the facility into the freezing night, the snow falling faster now, covering the tracks we had made only minutes before.

The blue and red lights cast a eerie, pulsing glow over the white landscape.

I climbed into the back of Damon’s SUV, my hand still gripping the small recorder in my pocket.

Damon sat beside me, his fingers locking with mine, his grip tight and unyielding.