Chapter 13
Janice had woken after sleeping through the night, stunned that she'd been so comfortable with a strange man sleeping just a few feet away from her bed.
A nice, strange man, she reminded herself as she'd lain in the predawn darkness, listening to Cole's steady breathing from his makeshift bed on the floor.
A gorgeous, nice, strange man. She barely contained the snort that threatened to erupt.
But she had slept soundly. Perhaps it had been the adrenaline crash from yesterday's snowmobile trip to the illegal mining site. Or maybe it was simply because she'd felt safe with him there.
She'd never felt unsafe at the cabin, exactly.
A woman alone in the middle of the woods always maintained a certain level of awareness, a healthy respect for the isolation and the potential dangers it presented.
But she wasn't stupid. She'd taken precautions, prepared for emergencies, trusted in her own competence and the satellite phone that connected her to the outside world.
Still, having Cole there had been different.
She'd even found him easy to talk to, once she'd realized he wasn't a serial killer breaking into her cabin.
There was something solid about him, something steady that made her want to trust him even when her rational brain said it was too soon, too fast.
And this morning’s breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast had seemed better simply because she had someone to share it with. Even with my strawberry jam!
Now, with her arms wrapped around his middle as she held on to the snowmobile, Janice realized once again how much she'd come to trust him in less than twenty-four hours.
Her life was literally in his hands as he navigated through the forest, and she didn't doubt for a second that he knew what he was doing.
She was glad he had GPS because she wasn't sure she'd be heard if she tried to yell directions over the roar of the motor. The helmets were among the equipment left at the cabin but weren't fancy models with built-in headsets and radios. Just basic protection against the cold and potential impacts.
Yesterday, when she'd gone out alone, she'd had a clear view of what was before her—the trail, the landmarks, the creek cutting its dark path through the white landscape.
Now she had a clear view of the woods only from the side, with Cole's very broad back blocking her forward vision.
Her sense of direction from the back seat was completely off, even though she knew these woods intimately after traipsing over them almost daily for the past four months.
She thought about the man she held on to, her arms wrapped around his solid middle, made even more solid with all the layers of clothing between them. She could still feel his strength as he steered them through the wilderness.
She'd never met anyone who worked in security before.
At first, when he'd explained what Lighthouse Security Investigations did, she'd just thought he was a glorified security system installer.
She imagined someone who set up cameras and special locks on windows and doors.
Technical work, certainly, but not particularly exotic.
But now, after seeing what he could do and hearing about his team, she understood it was like something from a movie.
Former military, all gathered together to design security systems for high-end clients and handle...
well, whatever this was. Rescuing wildlife veterinarians who'd stumbled onto illegal mining operations, apparently.
She'd never really realized that these people actually existed outside of fiction.
Real-life versions of action heroes, using their military training for private security work.
I wonder how they get hired, she thought absurdly.
What does that job interview look like? "So, tell me about your experience extracting civilians from hostile situations. "
Her mind continued to wander down random paths that all led back to one thing… this man was helping her. He had the backing of a group of similarly skilled people, and even if she wasn't completely comfortable seeing the gun he'd strapped to his side, she felt protected.
Finally, the snowmobile slowed, and she lifted her head to see that they were almost at her furthest camera area.
With the motor not as loud, she called out, "Up there is my last camera.
The easiest place for us to cross the creek is about a mile upstream from what I saw the other day... um... yesterday."
As she said the words, she blinked in surprise.
Was it just yesterday that she'd been out here, documenting the illegal staging area in the falling snow?
It felt like a week had passed, like her entire world had shifted on its axis.
Yesterday morning she'd been alone, frightened, unsure what to do with the evidence she'd gathered.
Now she had Cole and his entire team backing her up.
How was that possible in such a short span of time?
He nodded and revved the motor again, and they took off.
The landscape blurred past in shades of white and dark green.
Black spruce heavy with snow. Willows bent under the weight of accumulated powder.
The occasional flash of a raven's wing, black against white, as the birds scattered at their approach.
It was snowing, and Janice had to admit that without focusing on driving, she could see the magic of the snow-covered scenery more clearly, even as it rushed by.
This was what she'd come here for. This wilderness, this ecosystem, this delicate balance of predator and prey and the changing climate that affected them all. And now it was threatened by corporate greed and illegal contamination.
Her arms tightened around Cole's waist as the trail became rougher. The last thing she wanted was to be bounced off the back of the snowmobile and land on her ass in a drift. She pressed closer to his back, feeling the solid warmth of him even through all their layers of clothing.
He finally slowed again and then cut the engine. The sudden silence was startling, broken only by the whisper of falling snow and the distant rush of water.
Looking up, Janice spied the narrower crossing of the creek.
The way it cut a dark, curving path through the pristine snow was beautiful but could also be deadly.
The water ran fast here, fed by snowmelt and underground springs, never quite freezing even in the depths of winter.
If they fell in, hypothermia would set in within minutes.
The creek was more like a narrow river, with water rushing between steep banks.
She swiped at her goggles, glad to see large rocks sticking up through the rushing water, creating natural stepping stones across.
They'd still get wet, but at least they wouldn't have to attempt to wade through the current.
Then Cole twisted on the seat, and she realized he needed her to get off first. She swung her leg over and wobbled as she stood in the deep snow, her legs stiff from gripping his waist tightly for the past twenty minutes.
His hand snapped out to grab her arm, steadying her until she could stand on her own. Even covered in all his gear, she could tell he was smiling beneath the balaclava and goggles, spying the slight crinkles at the sides of his eyes.
And that thought made her smile as well, warmth flooding through her that had nothing to do with the thermal layers she wore.
Cole dismounted and moved to stand beside her, his height and bulk somehow reassuring in the vast wilderness. He pulled down his face covering, and she did the same, both of them needing to communicate clearly now.
"That's the crossing?" he asked, nodding toward the creek.
"Yes. It's the safest spot within a reasonable distance, simply because it is narrower here. I can’t speak to the stability of the rocks. I’ve never crossed the creek. My cameras are all located on this side, even if their range covers the other side and creek bank."
His dark eyes studied the creek, and she could almost see him running calculations, assessing risks, planning their approach.
She’d never met anyone like him. This was what he did, she realized.
Evaluate threats. Keep people safe. The military had trained it into him, and now it was as natural as breathing.
"We'll cross one at a time," he said. "I'll go first, make sure the rocks are stable with the new snow. Then you follow, and I'll be on the other side to help if you need it."
"I can—"
"I know you can handle yourself." His tone was gentle but firm. "But there's no reason to take unnecessary risks. Humor me."
Janice nodded, recognizing that this was about more than just chivalry. This was about protocol, about the safety procedures he'd asked her to follow. Her attempting something she couldn’t do would put both of them at risk.
Sucking in a deep breath, she nodded again.