He looked at the tablet, then at the armed men surrounding him.

“You have nothing,” he whispered, though his voice lacked conviction.

“We have everything,” I said.

I nodded to Marco, who stepped forward with zip ties.

But before Marco could reach him, Sterling’s hand slipped inside his overcoat.

He wasn’t reaching for a gun.

He pulled out a small, black device with a single red button.

“You think I came here unprepared?” Sterling laughed, his voice high and desperate.

My heart stopped.

I looked at the device in his hand.

The red light on the casing was blinking rapidly.

“What is that?” Eleanor asked, her voice suddenly shrill with fear.

“The cabin,” Sterling said, his eyes locking onto mine. “The generator shed you were so worried about.”

A cold dread flooded my veins.

“I had my men plant a charge before your guard even arrived,” Sterling said. “One press of this button, and those kids are gone.”

My hand drifted toward my holster, but I knew I was too slow.

His thumb hovered over the red button.

The rain poured down, splashing off the hood of the SUV.