Page 56 of Cole

The phone buzzed again, insistent and demanding. "I have to—" he started.

"I know." But she didn't let go of his shirt, and he didn't pull away from her face. They stayed suspended in that almost-moment for one more heartbeat.

The third buzz broke the spell. Cole stepped back with a muttered curse, fishing the phone from his pocket. Whatever Logan was calling about had to be important. His boss didn't do anything without good reason.

But damn if the timing didn't make him want to throw the phone into a snowdrift.

"Cole." Logan's voice was tense, clipped. "We've got movement. Sadie's been monitoring the satellite feeds. The miners left the hotel about ten minutes ago. They're heading out of town toward the mining site."

Cole's gut tightened. "And possibly they might make it to the cabin."

"That's the concern."

"What's our timeline?"

"Timothy, Dalton, and Frazier left at five a.m. They should be landing in Fairbanks soon." Logan paused. "But you need to move now, Cole. Get her out of there before those miners decide to pay her a visit."

Cole was already moving, his mind shifting into mission mode. "Understood. I'll need Timothy to fly the evidence samples to Washington State as soon as he lands. Janice's parents have a veterinary clinic with a lab. They're going to run the analysis outside university channels."

"Good thinking. I'll coordinate with Timothy. Just get Janice to safety first."

"Copy that." Cole ended the call and turned to find Janice watching, her eyes wide and alert.

"We need to leave."

"Now. Get dressed, start packing everything personal. We're taking the snowmobile to my rental SUV. With it parked near the end of the lane where the snow wasn't as deep, we should be able to get out." He was already pulling on his boots, his movements quick and efficient. "I’ll take the evidence while you pack. I’ll be back after I do some digging in front of the vehicle."

Janice moved with surprising speed, carefully placing the boxes containing the laboratory evidence into a plastic box, then opening the front door to fill the box with more fresh snow, packing it tightly before putting the lid on. “Strap this on to the snowmobile and then repack more snow when you get to your vehicle.”

He nodded as he grabbed his clothes and shoved them into a duffel bag, his mind running through logistics even as his hands worked automatically.

Cole zipped his bag and moved toward the door. "I'm going to start loading the snowmobile. Keep packing. Grab your research equipment, your laptop, anything with data on it. Leave what’s not important."

Outside, the world was transformed. The storm had passed, leaving behind a landscape buried under pristine white. Snow piled in drifts against the cabin walls and hung heavy on the spruce branches, bending them toward the ground. The sky was blue, creating a blinding glare on the snow.

He jerked his sunglasses on, then strapped the first round of bags onto the snowmobile's cargo rack, then made his way through the knee-deep snow toward the lane. His SUV sat about a quarter mile away, where the access road met a slightly more traveled route that the county plows would have cleared.

Grateful for the snowmobile, he quickly reached the SUV. Transferring the boxes and his bag into the interior, he surveyed the snow piled against the wheels. It was manageable. He'd dig it out while Janice finished packing, then come back for her and the remaining supplies.

Cole grabbed the collapsible shovel from the SUV's emergency kit and started clearing snow from around the tires. The work was hard but satisfying, and he finished clearing enough snow to allow the SUV to move toward the plowed road.

Back at the cabin, Janice had made impressive progress. Clothes and toiletries were in a few trash bags and a suitcase. Her laptop and hard drives were secured in a padded case. She moved with efficient purpose and showed no hesitation about what to take and what to leave.

"Research notes are backed up to the cloud," she said without looking up. "But I'm taking the physical notebooks too. And all the memory cards from the wildlife cameras I was able to retrieve, even though they’ve been streamed back to the university." She looked up at Cole and understanding passed between them.

“If the university is compromised, who knows if they are still on a server there,” he said. “So, you’re smart." Cole grabbed another armload, including her research equipment and her suitcase. "I'll get this to the SUV and come back for the rest."

The second trip went faster now that he'd broken a trail through the snow. He checked the box containing the samples, and carefully secured it in the SUV's back seat to make sure nothing would shift during transport. Janice's parents were counting on this evidence arriving intact.

When he returned to the cabin, Janice had two more duffels waiting by the door and was doing a final sweep of the small space, checking drawers and cabinets for the important items, leaving behind anything they’d have to get later.

"Almost done," she said. "One more load should do it."

Cole hefted the duffels and headed out again, his breath fogging in the cold air. The physical work felt good, giving him something to focus on besides the clock ticking in his head. Three trips down, one more to go. He checked his watch. We’re going to make it⁠—

His boot hit a patch of ice hidden beneath the snow, and his feet flew out from under him. Cole twisted instinctively, trying to catch himself, but his momentum was already committed. His hands shot out to break his fall, and he felt his left thigh slam onto something sharp. Glancing down, he spied a broken branch buried in the drift. Pain lanced down his leg.

Cole hissed through his teeth, examining the damage. Blood welled from a rip in his jeans.