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The airplane bounced several times before skidding to a stop at the end of the runway. I opened the window shade to find nothing but a blur of white. Big fat snowflakes swirled angrily on a blustery wind that howled past the fuselage.
“Welcome to Alaska,” the pilot said over the intercom, a touch of sarcasm in his voice. “I hope you brought your snowshoes.”
I looked down at the pair of black Santini dress shoes I’d purchased a week earlier and sighed.
At the bottom of the jet bridge, a woman wearing an oversized red puffer jacket greeted me. “Good morning, Mr. Montgomery. We’ve got your vehicle ready.”
I looked up at the gloomy gray sky above.It is morning, isn’t it?I glanced at my watch, recentering myself. The travel from Tokyo to Alaska had taken fifteen grueling hours.
Turning my face away from the biting wind, I followed the woman across the icy pavement to an unmarked black SUV, where a man wearing a snowsuit and a beanie was loading my luggage into the back.
“Sir?” The woman offered the keys, blushing.
After settling into the driver’s seat, I pulled out my phone, clicked into the latest text message from Astor, and entered the destination into the GPS.
Thirty minutes later, I arrived at the Bear’s Nest, an upscale bar located in the middle of downtown Anchorage. Inside, candles were everywhere, their light flickering off the wall-to-wall woodwork and gleaming hardwood floors. A fire crackled in the back. I wondered if my contact planned to set the place ablaze when were done.
I spotted him immediately—the only person sitting alone. In front of him, a newspaper rested next to a cup of coffee and a half-drunk martini. Lemon Drop, based on the fruit and sugar around the rim.
He was older than I’d anticipated, late sixties, with salt and pepper hair and a beard to match. He was tall and slender, the kind of operator who most people underestimate upon first introduction, but then get blindsided by his swift, nimble feet and catlike reflexes. I knew his type well. A snake in the grass, a man you always want on your side.
He stood as I arrived, smoothing the lines of his navy suit, and we shook hands. He introduced himself as Leo Hogan, my contact while I was in Alaska. He was former CIA, retired but still active.
I figured “still active” meant that he either worked for a private military firm or that he was a gun for hire, like me. Either way, I didn’t mind. As long as he provided what I needed, I couldn’t care less how the man spent his days—or that he ordered Lemon Drops before noon. Or that he ordered them at all, for that matter.
The waitress came by, giving me a long once-over. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Coffee.” I settled into the booth.
“And how would you like that?”
“Black with sugar.”
“Anything else?”
“No. Thank you.”
“How was your flight?” Leo asked as the waitress sauntered away.
“Bumpy.”
“I was worried they were going to divert your plane due to the weather. I’m glad they didn’t. I understand the urgency of this mission.”
I appreciated that Leo got straight to the point without torturing me with small talk first. I despised small talk.
Leo reached into his lap but paused as the waitress set a porcelain cup in front of me. The silence felt heavy as she poured from the carafe, watching me from the corner of her eye. Leo was watching me too, I noticed. Assessing, whereas the waitress was curious.
The moment she walked away, Leo slid an envelope onto the table. I quickly tucked it into my suit jacket pocket.
“Everything you need is in that envelope. Information, coordinates, background information.”
“Give me the CliffsNotes.”
After a sip of his martini, he began. “Your target, Sophia Banks, lives in a small town called Falcon Creek, which is located in the middle of the Chugach National Forest. It’s about ninety minutes northeast of here, though it will take you much longer in this weather. Falcon Creek’s population is less than five hundred. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kind of town, nothing but a pass-through for tourists and logging trucks. Sophia’s home address is included in the paperwork, as well as the address of the diner where she works—again, you can’t miss it.”
“What do I need to expect in terms of weather?”
“Snow on and off for the next twenty-four hours. After that, there are two more systems coming in back-to-back that are forecasted to drop a few more inches of snow. The temperatures over the next week are projected to be steady in the mid-twenties, so the snow will stick and stay. Travel will be impacted, possible loss of electricity too. In short, be prepared for anything. I’ve packed provisions in the back of your SUV. Did you see the bag?”
