Page 60 of Craving Sin (Touch of Evil 13)

“We shouldn’t retreat,” Jacob advised, his voice unnaturally calm. He studied the ground with interest. “Allow me to slowly join Agent Brall near the entrance of the passageway. Doing so will relieve some of the pressure. We must be standing over a vertical shaft where the ceiling has thinned out over the years.”

Between the weight of the two men and the bag in Russell’s hand, it was no wonder that the weakness in the floor of the cave had begun to give way. She slowly took another step back in hopes that her weight wouldn’t add additional pressure, and she noticed that Victor had done the same.

“We can’t be sure about the size of the vertical shaft's opening," Jacob persisted, ignoring her instruction. In contrast, Russell made a tentative move toward her. "Stay where you are, Agent Houser.”

Before either Brook or Russell could respond, a sharp crack split the air.

The piercing sound became a loud roar as the ice beneath Jacob and Russell began to quickly splinter. She could only stand and observe in horror as a web of fractures rapidly spread outward from where the two stood. The solid floor had transformed into a network of breaking ice in seconds.

The final collapse happened with a ghastly swiftness.One second, Jacob and Russell were standing between Victor and her, and the next…they vanished into a gaping hole in the cave floor.

It was as if they had never existed at all.

29

Brooklyn Sloane

June 2025

Thursday — 1:17 am

The weight of uncertainty pressed against Brook's chest with each labored breath. Russell and Jacob had disappeared through the fractured floor of the ice cave—swallowed by darkness with a sound that would haunt her dreams for years to come. That sickening crack, followed by Russell's startled shout, cut short as both men plummeted into the unknown depths of the mountain.

She and Victor had spent close to thirty minutes searching for a viable path down the vertical shaft. They had inched along the rim of the jagged hole, flashlights aimed into the void, calling out for Russell until their voices had grown hoarse. The beams had illuminated nothing but slick, gleaming walls of ice descending into impenetrable blackness. No rope in their packs could reach that far, and no foothold or ledge had presented itself as a potential route.

Brook and Victor had done the mental calculations. Even if they had the tools necessary to lower themselves, they hadn’t been able to get a sense of the depth. Any improvised line could have fallen catastrophically short. And the structural integrity of the remaining ice—the very ground beneath their feet—had remained suspect.

One wrong move, one misplaced step, and they could have easily joined the two men in the depths of the darkness.

They had both agreed that a proper rescue team was needed, and they were just wasting time. After explaining that Jacob had marked the correct passageways, Victor now walked a few paces ahead of her. His stride was long, and his steps were quick.The faster they reached their destination, the quicker a rescue team could be sent in to locate Russell and Jacob.

“It should have been me standing next to him.” Victor had muttered the words aloud, but they still bounced off the icy walls. “If I had?—”

“Hypothetical scenarios won't help Russell or get us out of here.”

Victor stopped, turning around abruptly to meet her gaze.

“Jacob was my responsibility.”

“And he is my brother.” The words emerged sharper than Brook had intended. "Victor, I knew from the moment Jacob made the plea deal that he had something planned. I might have been reluctant at first, but it was me who ended up pushing for this.”

Brook swallowed hard as Kate’s beautiful face emerged in her mind.

“Every single detail that I put into place led to the death of a very good...” Brook paused, the word 'agent' hovering on her lips before truth demanded its due. “Friend.”

Brook stopped talking when an array of emotions surged up her throat, threatening to escape in a sound she couldn't afford to make.

Not here.

Not now.

The bag in her hand had gotten incredibly heavy. She forced her fingers to release the nylon handle. The thud as the bag hit the ground was oddly distant to her ears.

She pressed her gloved hands against her face, pushing firmly against her eyes in a futile attempt to hold back the overwhelming flood of grief. The gloves, made of synthetic material, were cold and rigid against her skin. The irritating sensation suited her just fine. Comfort wasn’t her goal. What she craved right now was control.

Brook sensed more than heard Victor reach for her.

“Don't.” She heard him back up a few steps, following her directive. “I'm fine. Just...give me a minute.”

---