Page 48 of Cole

But how do you get to know someone who doesn't live nearby? She had two more months left on her contract. Cole lived in Montana. She’d go back and work in the wilds of Washington. Their lives were miles apart, moving in completely different orbits.

She had no idea what she was supposed to do, where she was supposed to go, how any of this was going to resolve.

Janice swallowed a groan, her thoughts spiraling. This was too complicated. Too messy. Too fast and too uncertain and too⁠—

Her phone pinged with an incoming text, cutting through her spiral of anxiety.

She grabbed it from the small table beside her bed and saw Marcus's name on the screen. Call me as soon as you can.

Janice's heart kicked up a notch. Marcus didn't send urgent morning texts unless something was wrong. She slipped from bed and hurried into the bathroom, finishing her business quickly before emerging to see Cole folding the blankets from his makeshift bed on the floor.

He looked up at her with a huge smile that made her heart do a ridiculous little flip in her chest.

Her heart pinged with something that felt suspiciously like joy.

"Um..." She held up her phone, trying to gather her scattered thoughts. "I need to call my university. Marcus is the professor who's in charge of the grant that funds our project out here."

"Go ahead." Cole gestured toward the phone. "I'll give you privacy if you need it."

"No, it's okay. You should probably hear this anyway." Janice took a breath and made the call, putting it on speaker so Cole could listen.

Marcus answered on the second ring. "Janice. Thank God. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. What's going on?"

"The university is getting pressure to pull you out and shut down the research." Marcus's voice was tight with frustration. "No reason given, just vague concerns about 'safety' and 'project viability.' But we both know what this is really about."

"Northern Summit," Janice said flatly.

"Look, someone with deep pockets is now running the show, telling the university what to do," Marcus continued, his voice heavy with defeat. "I'm not high enough in the university hierarchy to know who's pulling the strings."

Janice felt fury rise in her chest, hot and bright. "So they're just going to let them get away with it? Let them keep contaminating protected wilderness because some corrupt politician or EPA official is on their payroll?"

"I didn't say we're giving up." Marcus's tone shifted, becoming more determined. "But Janice, be careful. If they're willing to pressure the university, they might try other tactics too."

"I know. I'm being careful."

"Good. I'll be in touch." Marcus ended the call, leaving Janice staring at her phone, feeling a mixture of anger and helplessness.

She looked up to find Cole watching her, his expression unreadable. "They're trying to shut you down,” he said, his voice full of anger.

"Sounds like it." Janice set her phone aside, her hands curling into fists. "But I'm not leaving. Not until I've documented everything, not until those samples are analyzed and submitted as evidence. They don't get to intimidate me into silence."

Cole didn't argue, which she appreciated. He just nodded, accepting her decision even as she could see the concern in his eyes.

"I should call Logan," he said, pulling out his own phone. "Let him know about this development. LSIMT needs to be aware that Northern Summit is escalating their efforts to cover this up."

"Go ahead." Janice moved to the kitchen area, suddenly needing something to do with her hands. She started making coffee, going through the familiar motions while Cole stepped toward the window for his call.

She could hear his voice, low and serious, but couldn't make out the words. Didn't need to. She knew what he was saying… that the situation was getting more complicated, that Northern Summit was flexing its political muscle, and that Janice was refusing to back down.

And probably that Cole was worried about her, though he'd never say it quite that way.

Janice poured coffee into two mugs, her hands steadier than she felt. The pressure from the university shouldn't have surprised her. Of course Northern Summit would try to shut down her research. Of course they'd use whatever connections they had to silence the witness to their illegal activities.

But knowing it intellectually and experiencing it emotionally were two different things. This was her work they were trying to destroy. Her research, her documentation, her voice speaking for the ecosystem.

Cole's call took about ten minutes. When it ended, his expression was dark. "My people found a link between Charles Penson and the university."