Page 48 of Craving Sin (Touch of Evil 13)

“You have my word, Agent Deering.” Tim held out a hand, which she took with a small smile of appreciation. “Good luck to you.”

With a final curious glance at the helicopter, which appeared to be flying in the direction from which it came, Tim reentered the forest and eventually disappeared from sight.

Theo was still making his way back to her. He retraced his path while keeping an eye on Tim’s departure. The rhythmic thrum of the helicopter rotors had finally faded, and the previous quiet began to settle in once again.

“Did you know that a female moose is called a cow moose?” Sylvie asked as she leaned back against the leather seat of the ATV. She crossed her arms, but the action had more to do with her displeasure than the chill she was still fighting off. “Next time, you take the statement. And please tell me there is a protein bar in that bag.”

“Protein bars, water, and some warmer jackets,” Theo replied as he lowered the bag in front of her. She quickly removed the jacket he had lent her and exchanged it for a heavier one. “Are those hand warmers?”

Theo tossed her a pack, which she immediately opened and began to air out so that she could accelerate the chemical reaction. While she was busy trying to warm up, he pulled out a satellite radio and immediately pressed the PTT button.

“Bit, do you copy?”

“Big T? Are you and Little T alright?”

“We’re fine.” Theo grimaced before announcing his request. “I need to speak with Brook. We found something at the?—”

Theo’s transmission was cut off suddenly due to a click, followed by a long period of static. Sylvie met Theo’s gaze, both of them comprehending Bit’s intentional interruption.

“Switch to a private channel, Big T.”

“What’s going on with your end, Bit?” Theo asked once he had followed through with the request. “Was the recovery mission a success?”

“No.” Bit’s blunt answer meant that Sylvie and Theo weren’t the only ones having a bad day. “Boss is still up in the mountains. Kavik was found dead, Nanuq has disappeared, and Slick Mitch is officially in federal custody. A burner phone was discovered in his hotel room, linking his knowledge to Kate’s death.”

The radio fell silent for a moment, as if Bit needed to gather his composure after saying Kate’s name. Sylvie tilted her head back and peered up at the sky. She couldn’t even recall what his nickname for Kate had been, and the fact that he hadn’t used it to reference her spoke volumes about his grief.

“The working theory is that Nanuq killed Lusa. Kavik must have recently figured out that he covered for a murderer, and he paid the price. We also believe Nanuq has been the person receiving text messages from Slick Mitch.”

“The two men knew each other?” Theo asked with a slight shake of his head. “That is quite the theory. Why isn’t Brook on her way down with Jacob then?”

“Jacob led the group to the entrance of an ice cave,” Bit explained, taking both Sylvie and Theo by surprise. “I think Boss is trying to figure out why.”

Sylvie raised her hand to stop Theo from making another transmission. Brook’s answer was right below the cabin. They needed to warn her.

“Go ahead,” Theo said as he handed Sylvie the radio. He had witnessed just how much Jacob’s shrine had shaken her. “Make sure to request a forensic team and some federal agents.”

“Bit, it’s me,” Sylvie said after pressing the PTT button. The warmer jacket was more efficient at maintaining her body heat. “We know why Jacob led Brook to an ice cave. Can you request that she join this transmission? Away from Jacob?”

“Hold on.” A long pause took place, allowing Theo to search through the rest of the bag’s contents. “Little T? Give Boss a second to step away from Jacob. She just gave me coordinates where the rest of the forensics team should meet the two techs already up on the mountain. She thinks that they passed the area where Lusa was buried on the way up the mountain. From what I pulled up on my laptop, the location is about a half-hour hike away from Boss’ position. Are you and Big T about to head back to Silverton? The pilot of the chopper said you were still near the cabin. The only one who knows that you and Big T went to speak with Mekhi Hale is King P. Tell Big T that I didn’t mean to cut him off.”

“No worries, Bit.”

Sylvie lowered the radio.

“This is going to kill her, Theo.”

“No, it isn’t.” Theo sighed and leaned back to sit on the cold ground. He had already put on the jacket she had given back, though he hadn’t bothered to zip the front. He rested his forearm over one knee before reassuring her that she wasn’t about to destroy all Brook had built over the last several years. “Brook spent most of her childhood suspecting there was something seriously wrong with her brother. The barriers that she put into place were for her own mental protection. She is strong, Sylvie—the strongest individual I know, and she became the profiler she is today based on her brother’s crimes.”

“Brook accepts Jacob’s sins as her own. You know that, Theo.”

“I also know that she has worked to make room in her life for someone other than Jacob. She allowed us in, Sylvie. We won’t allow her to slip away. I promise.”

After what felt like an eternity but was likely only a minute, the radio crackled back to life.

“Theo? Sylvie?” Brook's voice came through, steady and controlled as always, though Sylvie could detect the faint undercurrent of tension that had been present since their arrival in Alaska. “I'm glad to hear your voices. Are you both safe?”

“We're fine,” Sylvie replied before closing her eyes. She took a deep breath, still unsure of how to proceed. “I’m sure Bit has already filled you in on our morning. We met with Mekhi Hale, discovered that Jacob stayed at a cabin about an hour or two from Silverton on some land owned by Atka Iverson. The property passed to his son. We were able to borrow an ATV from one of the residents in town. We…”

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