I looked at him in the mirror.

His face was pale, his eyes wide as he looked out the window at the dark warehouses.

“No,” I lied. “We have the advantage.”

He nodded, believing me.

I parked the SUV behind a rusted metal warehouse, completely out of sight from the harbor’s main road.

The engine died, and the sudden quiet was heavy.

I turned around to face him.

“I need you to stay here,” I said.

“It’s safe inside this car.”

“It’s armored, Eli. No one can get in unless they have the key.”

I showed him the heavy key fob in my hand.

“I’ll be right back with your mom,” I said.

He reached out and touched my sleeve.

“Okay,” he said.

I took a deep breath, checked my weapon, and slipped out into the biting cold.

The wind came off the lake, freezing the moisture on my face instantly.

I kept my head down, moving quickly along the chain-link fence.

The metal cutters in my gloved hand felt like blocks of ice.

I cut through the thick wire, muscle memory taking over as I worked.