Page 40 of Cole

"pH of 4.2," she said quietly. "That's highly acidic. Normal creek water should be close to neutral, maybe slightly acidic due to organic decomposition. This is acid mine drainage, no question."

She continued working through the samples, testing each one methodically. Cole watched as her expression grew progressively grimmer with each result. The test strips changed color, with some turning dark and others fading to pale shades that apparently indicated the presence of specific contaminants.

"Heavy metals," she murmured, making notes in a waterproof field notebook. "Copper, lead, arsenic. And look at this—" She held up a strip that had turned an alarming shade of yellow-green. "Traces of Uranium. They're extracting rare earth minerals, and uranium occurs naturally in the same ore deposits. It's leaching into the water."

"Is that dangerous?" Cole asked, though he already knew the answer from the way her hands trembled slightly as she set down the test strip.

"Not radioactive at this low level. But long-term to the wildlife that live here… yes." Janice looked up at him, fury and heartbreak warring in her body. "This contamination will persist for decades, even if they stop operations today. The damage to the ecosystem is already catastrophic."

She moved to the field microscope next, preparing a slide with a drop of the contaminated water. When she peered through the eyepiece, her shoulders slumped.

"What is it?" Cole moved to stand beside her, close enough to feel the heat radiating from her body.

"Almost no microorganisms. The water should be full of life, with bacteria, algae, and tiny invertebrates, but there's almost nothing here. The acidity and heavy metals have killed everything." She straightened, pulling off her gloves with sharp, angry movements. "Those fish we saw, the birds, that fox… they didn't die from drinking poisoned water once. They've been drinking it for weeks, maybe months. Slow accumulation of toxins until their bodies just... gave out."

Her professional detachment was cracking, revealing the passionate advocate underneath. This wasn't just data to her. These weren't just numbers on a test strip. This was personal.

"The samples will need to go to a proper lab for full analysis," Janice continued, carefully sealing the containers and storing them in a cooler she'd retrieved from under the counter. "But these field tests are enough to confirm contamination consistent with illegal mining operations. Combined with the photos, the GPS coordinates, and the physical evidence of the staging area. It's an airtight case."

She stripped off her gloves and washed her hands thoroughly at the sink, then turned to face him. "We did it. We got what we needed."

"You did it," Cole corrected. "I just kept you from drowning in a creek."

Her lips flickered upward, brief but genuine. Then it faded as the weight of everything settled over her again. "Now what? How do we actually stop them?"

Before Cole could answer, his satellite phone buzzed. He pulled it out and saw Logan's name on the screen. "I need to take this."

He stepped away, moving toward the window as he answered. "Cole here." He listened, then set the call to speaker. “Okay, she’s here.”

"Dr. Lynch, this is Logan Bishop. I wanted you to hear this since it affects you as well.” Logan's voice came through clearly despite the distance.

“Thank you for including me,” she replied.

"We’ve been digging into Charles Penson's connections. It's worse than we thought."

Cole's jaw tightened. "How much worse?"

"He's got a state senator in his pocket. A guy who sits on the environmental oversight committee. And at least one EPA official who's been signing off on permits without proper inspections." Logan paused. "These aren't just business relationships. We're talking about serious money changing hands, political favors, the whole corrupt package."

"So even with evidence, bringing him down won't be easy."

"No. But that’s for the proper authorities." Logan's tone shifted, becoming more serious. "Sadie has been monitoring the satellite feeds. The mining company's workers are staying in town and are registered at the hotel. Probably waiting out the storm. You two should be safe at the cabin for now."

Cole glanced back at Janice, who was carefully storing her sample containers. "The snow's too deep for me to get the SUV out anyway. We'd need to take the snowmobile to reach the main road, and even then we'd need someone to pick us up."

"That's what I figured." Logan was quiet for a moment. "Can you hold position for another day or two? Give the storm time to clear completely and let the roads get properly plowed?"

"We have supplies. We'll be fine." Cole kept his voice low. "But Logan, if Penson finds out Janice is the one behind reporting his operation⁠—"

"We know. That's why we're working fast." Logan's voice held steel underneath the calm. "Landon's coordinating with the FBI's environmental crimes unit. They're more likely to act quickly and have jurisdiction to override local politics. But it's going to take time to get all the pieces in place."

"How much time?"

"A few days, maybe a week. I need you to keep her safe until we can ensure she's protected."

Janice’s gaze shot to Cole’s. Protected? She knew Cole was armed when they went to the mining facility, but somehow that had seemed like overkill.

"That won't be a problem.” Cole’s eyes didn’t leave hers as he replied, his voice filled with what sounded like more than a promise.