Page 77 of Cole

She moved to the door immediately and tested it. She was barred from the outside. At least it wasn’t a lock. The door didn't budge when she pushed, and there were no windows. But with the light coming from between the panels, she wondered if escape was still possible. But then what? She was miles from the main road, with no coat and no proper footwear. Even if she somehow got out of this hut, where would she go? She'd die of exposure before she made it back to civilization.

The cold crept in through the gaps in the walls, and even through the dirt floor beneath her inadequate shoes. Janice wrapped her arms around herself, trying to conserve body heat, and realized with growing horror that hypothermia was a very real possibility. Not immediately. Certainly not in the next hour or even two, but if she were left here overnight and the temperature dropped the way it did in the wilderness after dark, she might not live to see the morning. Fear crept in alongside the cold, insidious and paralyzing.

Stop it, she told herself fiercely. Panic won't help. Think. Observe. Stay alive.

She forced herself to assess her surroundings more carefully. The equipment scattered around might not work as weapons, but it could serve other purposes. The coils of rope could be used for warmth if she wrapped them around herself, creating insulation. The metal pipes, if she could move them, might be used to block the gaps in the walls.

Janice got to work, moving with purpose because movement generated heat and gave her something to focus on besides her fear. She pulled the rope coils into a corner, creating a nest of sorts. Then she carefully moved some of the lighter pipes, wedging them against the largest gaps in the walls.

It wasn't much. But it was something.

Outside, she could hear the sounds of the mining operation in the rumble of heavy equipment, the beeping of something backing up, voices calling to each other across the site. Her hands clenched. Even now, while she was fighting for her own survival, that sound made her furious. They were still doing it. Still dumping toxins, still poisoning the land, still destroying wildlife with complete disregard for the consequences.

She moved to one of the gaps and peered out, trying to get a sense of the camp's layout. From this angle, she could see two of the larger buildings and part of the mining operation itself. Men moved between structures, some in Northern Summit jackets, others in plain work clothes. Maybe eight or ten people were visible, though there could be more inside the buildings.

Too many to fight her way through, even if she had a weapon and training. Which she didn't.

The sound of boots crunching through snow made her step back from the door. Someone was approaching. Janice's heart raced. Was this it? Had Penson decided what to do with her? Were they coming to⁠—

The door creaked open, and Janice braced herself for whatever came next.

But instead of miners or Penson's goons, Cheryl stood in the doorway, holding what looked like an extra coat and gloves.

For a moment, they just stared at each other. Janice felt betrayal and anger surge through her chest. This woman had seemed so kind in that tavern bathroom, and all along, she'd been working for Penson, engaging in the unethical and unlawful mining site, not to mention being a party to kidnapping.

"I know you hate me," Cheryl said quietly, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. "I would too, in your position."

"Get out." Janice's voice was cold, flat. "I don't want anything from you."

"I'm not here to hurt you." Cheryl held out a heavy work jacket that would actually provide real warmth. "I'm here to help."

"Help?" Janice laughed, the sound bitter. "You work for Penson. You probably told him about me. How exactly is that helping?"

"I've been documenting what they're doing here for months." Cheryl's voice was urgent, low enough that it wouldn't carry outside. "Taking photos, recording conversations, gathering evidence. But I'm nobody. I’m just another employee stuck in a position I hate. Even if I went to the authorities, Penson would bury me in legal challenges and make sure nothing stuck."

Janice stared at her, trying to determine whether this was another trick. "So what, you were waiting for someone like me to show up? Someone who could be your witness?"

"I was waiting for someone who might actually be believed. A scientist with credentials, with documentation, with evidence that couldn't be dismissed." Cheryl took another step closer. "When I saw you in that tavern bathroom, I knew you might be that person. But I also knew that if Penson found out you were documenting the contamination, he'd do whatever it took to silence you."

"Yet here we are." Janice gestured at the hut, at her imprisonment. "So much for your help."

"I couldn't stop them from taking you. If I'd tried, they would have known I wasn't loyal, and then I couldn't help you at all." Cheryl pressed the coat into Janice's hands. "But I can help you now. I can get you out of here."

Janice wanted to believe her. But trust had to be earned, and Cheryl had done nothing to earn it.

"Why should I believe you?" Janice asked. "For all I know, this is part of Penson's plan. Gain my trust, get me to tell you where my evidence is, then⁠—"

"I have my own evidence." Cheryl interrupted. “What I care about is getting you out of here before Penson decides that the easiest way to handle this problem is to make you disappear permanently."

The words hung in the cold air, stifling in their honesty. Janice knew too much, had gathered too much evidence. Even with his political connections, even with his money and influence, a witness with documentation was dangerous. A dead witness was much less problematic. The air felt thin as Janice dragged the oxygen into her lungs.

She knew there was a possibility of them getting rid of her, but even throughout the kidnapping, she didn’t really think she would be killed. Who does that outside thriller novels and movies? Yet staring at Cheryl’s serious expression, the possibility became more real. And more terrifying. Never seeing Cole again. Never seeing my parents or Cole again!

"What's your plan?" Janice heard herself ask, surprised the words came out in a normal tone, not shaking with anxiety.

Relief flickered across Cheryl's face. "We need to move now, while I have the chance. Most of the workers are focused on the equipment malfunction at the main site. There's a leak in one of the tanks, and everyone's scrambling to contain it before it gets worse."

"Now?" Janice's heart leaped with hope and terror in equal measure.