I pressed my back against the concrete wall, my hands resting on Lily’s small shoulders.

Owen squeezed his stuffed bear so hard its seams groaned.

Ryker did not blink.

He raised his left hand, fingers flat, signaling for absolute silence.

With his right hand, he pointed his weapon toward the heavy steel door.

The scratch came again, lower this time, like metal scraping against metal.

“They’re probing the lock,” Marco whispered, his voice barely a breath.

“How long on that drive, Marco?” Ryker asked, not turning his head.

“Two minutes,” Marco said.

His fingers tapped the keyboard with a soft, rhythmic clicking.

I pulled Lily and Owen closer to my knees.

The air in the basement felt cold and smelled of damp earth and old grease.

A red status light on the laptop keyboard blinked, casting a dull glow over Marco’s face.

On the screen, the blue progress bar reached forty percent.

“Is someone outside?” Lily whispered.

I pressed my hand gently over her mouth.

“Shh,” I murmured against her hair. “Just stay very still.”

She nodded, her eyes wide and dark in the shadows.