The winter wind rattled the thick glass walls of O’Hare International Airport.

Outside, a gray Chicago slush was beginning to blanket the runways.

Inside, the terminal smelled of stale coffee, damp wool, and jet fuel.

I walked a half-step behind Ryker Steel, keeping pace with his long, hurried strides.

Ryker adjusted the collar of his black overcoat, his eyes scanning the crowd with practiced calculation.

He did not tolerate delays, and our private transport to his estate in the Pacific Northwest was waiting.

Behind us, Marco carried our briefcases, his quiet presence as steady as a shadow.

Suddenly, Ryker stopped.

His sudden halt made me freeze on the polished tile.

I followed his sharp gaze to a row of plastic seats near Gate B12.

Two children sat there, completely alone.

They looked no older than five.

The boy wore a faded blue coat that was much too thin for the Chicago cold.

He clutched a brown stuffed bear with a missing button eye, his knuckles white.

Beside him sat a little girl, her spine perfectly straight.

She had wide green eyes that watched the rushing travelers with a quiet, heartbreaking vigilance.

There were no suitcases around them.

No adults stood nearby.

Only a single, crumpled piece of paper lay on the floor near the girl’s small pink boots.

“Where are their parents?” I whispered, taking a step toward them.

Ryker did not answer.

He walked over to the children, his heavy boots striking the floor with a slow, deliberate rhythm.

I watched the coldness in his face soften, just a fraction, as he knelt in front of them.

“Hello,” Ryker said.

His voice was surprisingly quiet, devoid of the sharp edge he used in our boardroom meetings.

The boy shrunk back, burying his face in the neck of his stuffed bear.

The girl did not flinch.

She looked directly into Ryker’s eyes.

“Where is your mother, sweetheart?” I asked, kneeling beside Ryker.

“Eleanor,” the girl said, her voice tiny but clear.

“She told us to wait here,” the boy mumbled against his toy.

“She said she had to get our boarding passes,” the girl added.