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“That is messed up,” Cal said. “But I’ve got his heat signature now. I’m following him back to wherever he was hiding. And he’s moving at a fast clip. He’s got a snowmobile. I’ll be able to find his hiding place and then you’ll have the coordinates you need to flush him out.”
“You guys okay?” Atticus asked.
Eden looked at the blood that covered Nate’s arm and stomach, but he shook his head no at her, telling her not to mention it to Atticus. He dug around in their supplies and came out with the first aid kit and then stripped off his shirt.
“We’re fine,” Nate said. “Nothing we can’t patch up with the first aid kit.”
Eden raised her eyebrows at that statement, thinking it might be a little overzealous. She moved closer and took the kit from his hands and then pointed with her finger, telling him to sit without words.
He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips, and then pulled back to look at the cut over her eye.
“It’s fine,” she whispered. “But you’re going to need stitches.”
He grunted and sat down where she pointed while she went about gathering the supplies she needed—fresh water and wood for a new fire.
“What the hell?” Cal said, after a few minutes of silence. “No, no, no. This can’t be possible.”
Dread knotted in Eden’s stomach as the rapid click of the keyboard was heard across the line, and Cal’s unintelligible mutters were interspersed with a lot of interesting curses.
“He’s gone,” Atticus said.
“What do you mean gone?” Nate asked. “He can’t just disappear.”
“And yet, that’s exactly what it looks like from where we’re standing. I was prepared for something like this.”
“Maybe you should fill me in, boss, because I’m confused,” Nate growled out. “Why would you expect him to disappear into nothing? Unless you believe all the legends about this being the end of the world. Did he just drop off the planet?”
“Close enough,” Atticus said. “I did some digging, and that particular area was once an underground KGB headquarters. It was completely off the books and functional up until 1991 when the KGB disbanded. That coincides with the timeline of the last couple who disappeared from that area—a man and woman who were self-proclaimed adventurers. More than likely they got too close and were captured. The KGB would have made their bodies disappear for good.”
“Lovely.” Nate scrubbed a hand over his face and it came away with dirt and blood.
“Are the two of you secure for now?” Atticus asked.
“Unless Salt decides to come back and play some more.”
“Good. Give us a couple of hours to dig out some more information. We’re close. Really close to getting a lock on all of this. Stand by.”
The phone disconnected and Eden reached over and hit the off button. “I’m sorry I dragged all of you into this.”
“Honestly, I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be,” he said, lips quirking. “It’s no Hawaii vacation, but it’s had its perks. I’m just glad I found you when I did. You couldn’t have continued to go after him alone. Not without getting yourself killed.”
“No, but I would’ve kept going because the revenge was all I could see.”
“And now?” he asked.
She smiled and knelt down by the fire, lighting the tinder and listening to the wood crackle a moment before she answered him. “And now things are a little clearer. I’m grateful for the help. You’re a good partner.”
“You’re not so bad yourself, Kane. Partners… I like the sound of that. I can’t think of anyone else I’d want to watch my back for the rest of my life. Or scrub it from time to time.”
Her hands froze inside the first aid box and she didn’t have the courage to look up at his face to see what he meant by that statement. Instead she relaxed and pulled out bandages and a needle and thread.
“If I’m destined with working in the field for the rest of my life, I give you permission to go ahead and put a bullet in my head. The body can only take so much wear and tear. Our days in the field are numbered. There’s always someone younger and faster and more clever to come along. And like you said, it’s nice to go home to a soft bed.”
She’d put the bottles of water next to the fire, hoping it would warm them some, but it wasn’t going to be warm enough.
“Nah,” he said, grinning. “There’s a lot to be said for age and wisdom. Present mission excluded, I’ve managed to get in and out of most jobs without fighting or getting shot. Wisdom is really a nice thing to have.”
Her mouth quirked. “I guess I’m not old enough to have any of that yet. I must have a few years left in me yet. Grandpa.”
