I climbed over the metal railing of the scaffold, my wet boots slipping on the metal mesh floor.

Aries stepped in after me, followed immediately by Killian.

Killian reached for the control box mounted on the guardrail.

He hit the manual override switch, and the motor groaned, a low metallic whine that was swallowed by the storm.

The scaffold shivered and began to descend into the gray void between the buildings.

Below us, the service alley was dark and empty.

“They will expect us at the main garage,” Killian said, his eyes scanning the windows of the building as we slid past them.

“They are looking for a retreat,” Aries said, his eyes narrowed against the stinging rain. “They do not know we have the ledger yet.”

“They will when they find the apartment empty,” I said.

The wind pushed the scaffold sideways, bumping it against the concrete facade of the building with a dull thud.

I gripped the cold metal railing, my knuckles white.

“The council is meeting at the dry docks,” Aries said, looking down at the street level. “Vancamp called an emergency vote for midnight.”