She finally reached the building and flattened herself against the siding, trying to keep in the shadows without bumping against the metal sheeting and giving away their position. Cara was just a step behind her, and Molly felt something release in her chest at the sight of her sister. Feeling exposed, she moved quickly, staying close to the side of the building as she tried to find an access point she’d overlooked.

There was nothing, though—just a smooth, unbroken wall.

Swallowing a growl of frustration, she tipped her head back and went still. There. An access ladder climbed the wall to the roof, the first rung starting seven feet off the ground. Molly pointed, and Cara crouched, linking her fingers together to offer a boost.

Placing her foot in her sister’s hands, Molly jumped as Cara launched her upward, her arms reaching for one of the rungs. She managed to catch the third one and curled her body, pulling up her feet very carefully so she didn’t accidentally kick the siding and give their position away. Her abs ached from the slow effort, and she sent a mental thanks to Felicity for her core workouts. It was the second time in the past few days that she’d had a reason to be grateful for her sister’s drill-sergeant tendencies, and she made a silent vow to never whine during workouts again.

Pressing the soles of her boots against the first rung, she hauled herself to a standing position and then glanced down at Cara, prepared to give her sister a hand up. Cara waved her away, however, gesturing toward the front of the building. Molly interpreted that as Cara intending to look for another entrance, and she frowned. Splitting up was how they’d gotten in this situation in the first place. There was no arguing with Cara, though, and she watched with growing worry as her sister moved away, staying close to the side of the building.

Her stomach tight with fear for both John and Cara, Molly gave up on trying to call her sister back using only vehement gestures and started climbing the ladder instead. Once she could see over the top of the wall to the roof, she paused, checking to make sure it was empty of people. Nothing moved, and she cautiously climbed the last few steps until she could swing a leg over and step onto the flat roof.

Small pebbles crunched beneath her boots, and she tried to quiet her footsteps. The industrial condensing units provided too many hiding places, making her flinch at the tiniest sounds. Trying to see into every shadow, she made her way toward the hatch into the building. She missed having Cara at her back—and she really missed having John with her.

I’ll get him back, she mentally vowed. He’d better be in the condition I left him in, too. It helped to think of all sorts of punishments that she’d rain down on anyone who’d hurt John. Her spine stiffened and her hands steadied as she reached for the opening that led into the building. It was locked from the inside, so she pulled out a set of lockpicks and got to work. Every scratch and click of her tools sounded too loud in the silence, and it felt as if every exhale was a shout. By the time she’d managed to unlock the hatch and swing it open, her blood was buzzing with adrenaline and her nerves were rattled.