Page 1 of Gage

1

Gage

“Will you stop already?”Oliver’s voice broke through the quiet morning air, sharp and tinged with frustration. “No one is following you. Look around—it’s six a.m., and the only people on the beach are joggers. Maybe you should talk to someone about this paranoia. I’ve never seen you like this, Gage. It’s been over a month.”

“It’s not paranoia,” I shot back, my eyes scanning the pale, empty shoreline one more time. The waves lapped lazily at the sand, reflecting the soft hues of dawn. “Someone is following me. I don’t know why, but I’ll figure it out.”

Oliver exhaled loudly, his breath visible in the cool air. “Until you catch your phantom stalker, can we talk about Alaska? Are you still going?”

“Yeah, my bag’s packed,” I said, finally tearing my gaze from the horizon. “You and I are heading there to help three women: Jessica Slaughter, her mother, and her sister. Her crazy ex-husband has been holding them captive for three months. The police won’t touch it because he’s a former cop.”

Oliver’s brow furrowed, his usual easygoing demeanor replaced by a rare seriousness. “Who hired us?”

“Jessica’s other sister—she’s in Greece, and that’s where we’re taking them once we get them out. I’ll give you the file back at my place. We’re taking our own plane, so no need to deal with commercial flights.”

“Do they know we’re coming?” he asked, his tone skeptical.

“They should. Otherwise, convincing them to trust us could get complicated.” I handed him the file as we reached my house. The salt air mixed with the faint smell of coffee wafting from a neighbor’s porch. “I’ll meet you by the truck after I shower. We need to be sharp for this one.”

When I came back outside, Raven was leaning against the truck, his tall frame bundled in a heavy coat. A dark duffel bag hung from his shoulder.

“You coming with us?” I asked, eyeing him curiously.

“I’m your pilot,” he said with a faint smirk. “Thought you could use an extra set of hands in case things go sideways.”

“Good. These situations can spiral fast, especially with someone like Jessica’s ex. Let’s hope he’s not expecting us.”

The flight to Alaska was uneventful, but stepping off the plane felt like being hit by a wall of ice. The bitter cold wrapped around us immediately, biting through layers of clothing. The sky was a washed-out gray, the mountains in the distance dusted with snow.

“Damn, it’s like a freezer out here,” Raven muttered, pulling his coat tighter around him. His tan skin and beach-lover vibe looked out of place in the frozen landscape.

I chuckled. “Better get used to it. We’re not in California anymore.”

Oliver set the GPS in the black SUV we rented. “Fifteen miles out of town. Looks isolated.”

The road stretched ahead, flanked by dense pine trees that seemed to close in the farther we drove. The tires crunched overpatches of ice and packed snow. The air inside the SUV grew quieter as we approached the location.

When we hit an unplowed stretch of road, a fallen tree blocked the way. The cut was clean, the wood freshly exposed.

“This feels deliberate,” I said, my gut twisting as I brought the SUV to a stop. “Look at that cut—someone put this here on purpose. Let’s turn the vehicle around so we’re not trapped. We’ll jump in after we’re done.”

After parking a safe distance away, we approached on foot. Snow crunched under our boots as we moved cautiously, the cold air stinging our faces. The house came into view, its weathered wood exterior blending with the wintry landscape. A single light glowed faintly in an upstairs window, cutting through the shadows.

“If he’s an ex-cop, there are probably cameras,” I said, keeping my voice low. “I’ll knock on the door, act lost. You two hang back. If he opens up, circle around and check for another way in. Keep your phones on silent.”

Oliver hesitated, his hand resting on the strap of his gear bag. “Be careful, Gage. Hide your gun.”

Nodding, I walked up the icy path, my breath clouding in front of me. My pulse quickened as I knocked on the door. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the door creaked open, revealing a man with hard, watchful eyes and a gun tucked into his waistband. His jaw was square, his shoulders broad beneath a thick flannel shirt, and he reeked of craziness.

“I’m sorry to bother you,” I said, forcing a nervous chuckle. “I got turned around. Can I use your phone to call my buddy? I forgot mine on the plane.”

He stared at me, his gaze sharp and assessing. After a tense beat, he turned and walked to a side table, grabbing the phone. The way he moved, his hand resting near the gun, made it clear he wanted me to know it was there.

“Here.” He handed me the phone, his fingers lingering just long enough to feel like a threat.

I dialed Raven. “Hey, it’s me,” I said loudly, injecting urgency into my voice.

“Where the hell are you?” Raven snapped, playing along perfectly. “I’ve been waiting over an hour!” He rattled off a fake address that sounded plausible.

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