“Or worse,” Ryker said, his eyes narrowing.

“There is something else,” Marco said, lowering his voice.

“Our London contacts say Edward Vance didn’t just lose money.”

“He stole something highly valuable before he was detained at Heathrow.”

“What did he steal?” Ryker asked.

“They don’t know,” Marco replied. “But the syndicate sent a cleanup crew to Chicago.”

“They are looking for whatever Edward took.”

My heart skipped a beat as I thought of the two silent children sleeping upstairs.

“They think the kids have it,” I whispered.

Ryker set his glass down on the desk with a sharp, heavy click.

“They won’t get near them,” he said.

Suddenly, the security monitor on the wall flashed red.

A high-pitched tone chimed twice, indicating a perimeter breach.

Marco immediately reached for his holster, his eyes locking onto the screen.

“Camera four,” Marco barked into his earpiece. “Report.”

On the screen, a dark shape was moving through the trees near the southern fence line.

The shadow paused, then vanished into the deep fog.

My phone in my pocket began to vibrate, the screen flashing an alert from the guest wing upstairs.