Chapter 10 #2
“We don’t need running water. And we can set up solar panels to charge equipment. An outhouse will be a luxury.” His voice sounded calm. Professional. In charge. He allowed himself to relax a little. His thoughts were his own.
No tracks were visible around the cabin. Not even indents of what might have been old tracks. The fresh snow was airbrush smooth, sanded by the northerly winds that brought tears to his eyes every time he faced that direction.
And, as Nora pointed out, this would be a poor choice for a man wanting to stay off the radar.
“I don’t see anyone inside.” Ryan confirmed what Sebastian suspected.
It felt empty.
Still, they needed to be cautious. They needed to be certain. There were ways to trick lidar, and the fresh snow could have covered tracks if Eastman and his daughter had hiked further than the FBI had estimated before the blizzard began in earnest—unlikely, but not impossible.
“Take Grady, and check it out,” he told Ryan.
Nora shifted as if to stand. “I should go too in case of wildlife.”
“No,” Sebastian said firmly.
Those violet eyes hardened. “This is what I do.”
“Not on my team. Not today.” Not when Eastman could be lying in wait with a rifle, more than willing to put a bullet in someone. He clenched his jaw. Didn’t matter if she was law enforcement. She was his responsibility. “Tell them what to do if they encounter a hibernating bear.”
Nora’s mouth turned down at the edges. “Once you determine there’s definitely no one inside, make some noise.
Bang on the wood. Knock on the windows. And when you open the door, give anything that might be inside plenty of space to escape.
Don’t go cornering anything, even a squirrel.
Just give it room, and it should hopefully leave on its own accord. ”
“I have no intention of cornering a grizzly, Ranger Deacon.” Ryan gave her one of his charming smiles that had most women worshipping at his feet. “This is not my first rodeo.”
“Let’s hope the bear feels the same way.” Her tone was wry. Slightly mocking. A person who dealt with the presence of grizzlies on a regular basis.
Chance whined, and Nora turned her attention to her tired dog while he watched Ryan and Grady through the scope as they skied quickly and smoothly down the hill toward the quaint-looking one-story structure situated at the base of the gentle slope.
A small river supposedly ran off to the left.
It bisected the valley floor, but right now it was frozen solid and invisible beneath a thick layer of snow.
He and Cas both scoped the area, alert for threats.
“Anything?” he asked his partner.
“A rabbit if you fancy one for the pot.”
“Best not warn our quarry just yet.”
Cas grinned without looking away from his scope.
A wolf howled in the distance.
“Are they going to be a problem for us?” Sebastian asked Nora.
She shook her head. “I doubt it. They rarely attack humans. But…” He heard her swallow. “If Summer ends up lost and alone then…it’s possible.”
The guys reached the cabin and quickly gave the all-clear. Sebastian stood and held out his hand to help Nora. She took it tentatively, and he felt the strength in her as she pulled herself to her feet.
He released her straight away.
It was teamwork.
That was all.
He secured his sniper rifle.
“I’m going to let Chance off the leash here. He won’t go far.”
“Will he still alert if he finds Summer’s scent?” Sebastian watched the Lab mark a nearby bush.
Nora nodded as they grabbed a sled each and their poles. “Absolutely.”
He went first, then Nora, then Cas and Meghan. Chance loped beside them, clearly enjoying the freedom to explore after a day on the leash.
Everyone crowded inside the log cabin, which was surprisingly intact and secure from the elements.
There was a basic kitchen that was presumably dysfunctional now and a wood stove inside a large fireplace built of river rock. A basic wooden table with four sturdy chairs.
They brought the skis and poles inside and propped them against the wall along with both sleds.
Although their tracks were a giveaway that someone was here, it was hard to judge the number of people present when they skied in each other’s tracks.
Sebastian didn’t want to give the enemy any more information than he had to.
He looked at Nora, but she shook her head. Chance hadn’t alerted on Summer’s scent in the cabin. Even though he’d expected that result, his mood slumped a little.
“Collect snow to boil,” he told Meghan, nodding to a bucket on the floor. “We’ll risk a fire in the wood stove. Cas, collect wood, and see if you can get it started without burning the place down. Grady, check the window shutters. Make sure they’re blacked out from the outside.”
It was fully dark outside now, and he didn’t want their location visible for miles.
Eastman was presumably keeping warm somehow—probably with a fire.
Sebastian knew people at headquarters were searching from above for any sign of an orange glow or heat signature. “I’ll contact Novak with an update.”
Nora went to a cupboard door in the kitchen, and he froze, wondering if Ryan and Grady had cleared it, but of course they had.
She pulled out a broom and began to sweep the floor. As they were sleeping there tonight, it was a good idea. Chance sniffed around the room. He still wore his work vest.
Nora seemed to realize the fact at the same time he did.
She called her dog over to her. Unclipped the harness, removed his booties, and gave him the release command.
She hung the dog’s vest by the door and stripped out of her outerwear.
The snow camo hung limply from the hook like a flag of surrender.
It had been a long, hard day with little progress.
Chance took the opportunity of being released from duty to race over to each of them and say a quick hello with a lick and a whole body wag.
Sebastian gave the dog a thorough scratch before the Lab bounced over to where Meghan was hauling in a bucket of snow.
She laughed and put the bucket on the floor to kneel down and hug the dog, sinking her face into his fur.
“He’s a sucker for females,” Nora confessed.
“Sorry, you’re going to be covered in drool when he’s done with you.
” She propped the broom against the wall.
“I’ll go check out the latrine for any unwanted guests.
It’s a miracle I made it this long because I really need to pee.
” Nora gave him a rueful smile as she pulled her flashlight out of the side pocket of her pack and headed out the door.
“Meghan. Go with Nora.”
“I’ll go.” Ryan volunteered. “Meghan can finish her makeout session.”
“Jealous, Ryan?” Meghan laughed as Chance gave her a kiss.
“Chance is nice and all, but unfortunately not my type.” Ryan turned his back on them both and followed Nora out the door.
Meghan looked irritated, but she often did when it came to Ryan.