Page 58 of Cole

They stepped out into the cold together, leaving the cabin behind as they headed toward whatever came next.

26

Janice climbed into the SUV's passenger seat, her heart still racing from the frantic packing and loading. The vehicle was packed full of duffels, bags, and boxes crammed into every available space, the precious cooler of samples secured on the back seat, and her laptop bag wedged at her feet. Cole slid behind the wheel.

The engine coughed, sputtered, then roared to life.

"Thank God," Janice breathed.

"Keep praying." Cole's jaw was tight as he shifted into drive. "We still have to get out of here."

Even with the tracks he'd shoveled earlier, the old lane was treacherous. Packed snow and ice created a surface that fought the tires at every turn. The SUV fishtailed as Cole eased it forward, the back end swinging wide before he corrected. Janice gripped the door handle, watching the snow-laden trees crawl past at an agonizing pace.

Cole's phone buzzed in the center console. Janice grabbed it, seeing Logan's name on the screen.

"Put it on speaker," Cole said, his eyes never leaving the narrow track ahead.

She answered and held the phone between them. "Logan, we're on our way out. What's the situation?"

"Miners have reached the mining site." Logan's voice was clipped, urgent. "Sadie's got eyes on them. They're not moving toward the cabin yet, but we want to exercise caution."

"How long do we have?"

"Unknown. But this is your window, Cole. Get to town while they're occupied at the site."

The SUV's tires spun on a patch of ice, and Janice's stomach lurched as the vehicle slid sideways. Cole wrestled the wheel, muscles straining, and somehow kept them on the track.

"There's a problem," Logan continued. "Timothy and Frazier got hit by storms after they left Montana. They're stranded in southern Alaska without clearance to continue. Won't be there until midmorning tomorrow at the earliest."

Janice gasped. “The samples!”

Cole swore under his breath, his jaw tightening. "So we're on our own until then."

"For now, yes. But I anticipated potential delays." Logan continued. "The vetted security installation company we were going to work with on Penson’s house is Apex Security. They're sending someone to the hotel. He'll have dry ice and proper packaging to prep the samples for overnight shipping to Janice's parents' lab. His name is Bill Marcowitz. Should be there soon after you arrive."

Janice felt relief wash through her, followed immediately by fresh anxiety. The samples would be safe, secured by professionals who knew how to handle evidence. But that also meant the crucial physical proof would be in transit, vulnerable during the handoff and shipment.

"The samples will be going out overnight express?" Cole asked.

"Direct to the Lynch Veterinary Clinic. I've already coordinated with Janice's father. He'll be expecting the delivery first thing tomorrow morning." Logan paused. "Get Janice to the hotel and stay safe. Once Timothy and the team land tomorrow, we'll have full backup, but in the meantime, Bill will bring items much like what you had requested Timothy bring.”

“Thanks, Logan."

The call ended, and silence filled the SUV except for the groan of tires fighting for traction. Janice watched Cole's profile, seeing the hard set of his jaw and the concentration furrowing his brow.

“What sort of things?” she asked, curiosity overtaking her passenger nerves.

His voice was firm but not harsh. "We're almost to the main road. Just hold on."

She now hated that she’d asked a question when he was working so hard to get off the icy drive.

The lane seemed to stretch forever, each foot of progress a battle against the snow and ice that conspired to trap them. The SUV lurched and slid, tires spinning uselessly before catching just enough traction to crawl forward. Janice found herself holding her breath, releasing it only when they'd cleared each treacherous patch.

Finally, the front tires gripped the scraped asphalt. The main road stretched ahead, clear enough for travel, the county plows having done their work overnight.

"We're out," Cole said, and the relief in his voice matched the loosening of the knot in Janice's chest. “To answer your question, I had asked Logan to send some surveillance equipment that I can plant in Penson’s house.”

Her brow furrowed. “When will you be back at his house?”