Page 24 of Craving Sin (Touch of Evil 13)

“Do you hear that?” Sylvie asked quietly as she capped the bottle.

“No.” Theo took the water bottle and stored it back into the main part of the pack. He then retrieved two flashlights that they had purchased at the convenience store. “I don’t hear anything. Why?”

While Theo scanned their surroundings, Sylvie continued to listen intently to the silence surrounding them. The stillness was unnerving as normal sounds of forest life were conspicuously absent.

“Exactly. There’s no sound at all,” Sylvie murmured with unease. “Nothing. No birds, no insects, no rustling in the underbrush by the wildlife.”

“The sound of the engine likely startled them.”

Theo had given her the most logical explanation, and she decided to keep her remaining thoughts to herself. Brook had frequently raised the question of nature versus nurture. She was convinced that Jacob had been born evil, but Sylvie wasn’t certain that such questions truly mattered in the end.

Animals had a natural instinct to steer clear of danger.

The suffocating stillness surrounding them suggested that evil had taken root in the area, causing the wildlife to avoid it at all costs. Sylvie couldn’t help but wonder if they should do the same.

12

Brooklyn Sloane

June 2025

Wednesday — 11:46 am

“How much farther, Walsh?”

Russell had called out the question, his impatience getting the best of him. Before the group left the clearing, Nathaniel had briefed him about the situation. They had argued that the recovery search was pointless if the defense was going to be removed from the case, yet Nathaniel had kept his promise to Brook. He had stood firm—until he received the warrant, the day’s events would proceed as planned.

“Aren’t you enjoying this nice weather, Special Agent Houser? It is June, after all. Winters can be very harsh here in Alaska.”

Jacob spoke with enough volume that he didn’t need to turn his head. Flanked by Victor and Justin, the three of them had led the group up the mountain for close to an hour and a half. The two agents had removed her brother’s ankle restraints to give him the ability to walk more easily over the uneven ground, though he still sported handcuffs.

“You told us the site was an hour away from the clearing, Walsh.”

“I believe what I said was that Miss Kalluk had been buriedaboutan hour’s walk from the clearing.” Jacob tsked loudly, as if reprimanding Russell. “A lot was going on that night, Agent Houser. Forgive me if I didn’t click my stopwatch before entering the woods to bury a body.”

Brook wouldn’t have termed the past hour and a half a stroll in the woods. While the incline hadn’t been too steep to start out with, this wasn’t the most ideal place to bury Lusa’s remains. While it wasn’t impossible to have carried or dragged a body this far at an angle, it wasn’t convenient. An ATV, on the other hand, would have been invaluable.

Russell shot Mitch a glare as the two of them walked in tandem behind Jacob and the two agents. Their seasoned outdoor experience as they navigated the demanding landscape was another reason they had been chosen for this recovery mission. As for the two forensics techs who had joined them, they were close behind Russell and Mitch.

Brook brought up the rear, but she had deliberately taken that position. She wanted a clear view of everyone in the group and their surroundings. By keeping a respectful distance, she had the advantage if something were to happen.

“Easy terrain up ahead,” Justin called out as the thumping sound of the helicopter’s blades overhead became somewhat clearer. “An open area of about a hundred feet out.”

“Let’s take a break then,” Brook instructed as she came to a complete stop.

She waited for the hum of the chopper to fade as it advanced ahead to survey the area. If the pilot noticed anything unusual, he would alert Russell by satellite radio.

Tilting her head slightly to the side, she strained to pick up any unusual sounds in the vicinity. Other than the occasional breeze rustling the leaves overhead, nothing unusual stood out.

By the time Brook broke through the tree line, the group had spread out and found places to rest among the scattered boulders and fallen trees. Victor and Justin must have guided Jacob to a broken tree trunk, where they instructed him to sit.

To everyone’s surprise, she joined him.

“Victor and Justin, you two take a break. Hydrate.” Brook removed her backpack and set it on the ground. “I’ll take over for a minute.”

The two men exchanged wary glances before picking up their packs. Victor paused to unclip a plastic water bottle from the side of his backpack and handed it to Jacob.

“Thank you, Agent Brall,” Jacob replied with a slight smirk as he reached for the water bottle with both hands. The short chain rattled as he lowered his arms. “Such a gentleman.”

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