Chapter 13

13

Fenn's boots crunched through the snow as he and Kate made their way back to the hotel. The frigid arctic wind bit into his skin, but he barely noticed, his mind too preoccupied with their earlier conversation and the gnawing suspicion that Kate was hiding something from him. He glanced at her, hoping to catch a glimpse of the woman he'd come to know so well, but her expression was as unreadable as ever.

As they approached the supply depot, Fenn's eyes narrowed, scanning the desolate yard that stretched out before them. The place was about the size of a city block, mostly empty except for a two-story warehouse squatting at one end. The whole area was encircled by a chain-link fence, snow drifts piled high against it. Typical military, he thought with a smirk. Who decided fencing would work well out here?

At the far end of the yard, he spotted Marcus, a shadowy figure moving with purpose. Fenn raised his arm, waving to catch the man's attention. Beside him, Kate did the same, but Marcus either didn't see them or chose to ignore them. Fenn watched as Marcus climbed into a snowcat, the engine roaring to life before he drove off, disappearing into the white haze.

Fenn clenched his jaw, frustration bubbling up inside him. He considered climbing over the fence, sneaking into the warehouse to check if there was a snowmobile inside. But the steady stream of people passing by on snowcats, snowmobiles, and trucks with heavy chains on their wheels made it impossible. It might be black as midnight, but it was the middle of the day, and Endurance was anything but deserted.

He turned to Kate, his voice low and determined. "We'll come back later," he vowed, his eyes lingering on the warehouse. "When it's quieter."

Running over points of entry in his mind, Fenn followed Kate back into the hotel. Once inside, he scanned the lobby. Empty. The only evidence of human habitation at the moment was the scent of burned coffee wafting up from the commercial pot at the side of the check-in desk.

The place was a dump. He was sick of camping out in a glorified tin can. The thin walls couldn't block out the howling arctic wind, and the scratchy blankets made his skin crawl.

Jimbo, the nosy clerk, glanced up from his desk, bushy eyebrows raised. Fenn gave him a quick nod as they hustled past.

Kate's boots thudded on the worn carpet, setting a brisk pace. Fenn lengthened his stride to keep up, mind racing. Jimbo was more than a nosy clerk. Those small eyes were too sharp, too calculating…

Or maybe the frozen wasteland was getting to him. He was starting to see trouble everywhere.

Inside Kate's room, Fenn leaned against the door, arms crossed. "So, what's the plan for investigating this Rog guy?"

Kate's shoulders tensed as she unpacked her gear. "No clue."

"We could always bring Paige in. She'd have his entire life story in no time."

Kate's head snapped up, her face paling.

His heart sank. This blast from her past was a problem. A huge one.

No wonder she'd sabotaged the landing gear. She'd rather strand them in the Arctic than let the team uncover her secret.

He weighed his options. He could confront her directly, push until she cracked. But Kate was stubborn. She'd shut down completely. He could investigate on his own, dig into her past without her knowing. But that felt like a betrayal of trust.

Or he could let it go, pretend he hadn't noticed her distress. But his instincts wouldn't let him. He couldn't watch her suffer.

He stepped closer, voice softening. "You might as well spill it. Whatever this big secret is. It's eating you alive."

She looked away, jaw clenched tight, but she didn't deny it.

"You're the most competent operative I know. Literally. But this is personal. And when it's personal, people make mistakes."

Kate's shoulders slumped as she sank onto the bed. "Fenn, I…"

He held up a hand. "I'm not going to interrogate you. You'll shut me out if I push too hard. Or find a way to get rid of me." He flapped a hand at the narrow window over her narrow bed. "Not hard to hide a body out there. Even old Lester and his boys could figure that out."

A ghost of a smile flickered across her face, then vanished.

He sank down beside her, his arm brushing hers. "All I'm saying is, I'm here. Whenever you're ready to talk, I'm ready to listen."

Her eyes widened, surprise and gratitude warring on her face. She opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened.

Yeah, it was going to be a while.

Fenn squeezed her shoulder, then stood. "In the meantime, we'll dig into Rog's background without Paige's help."

"How?"

"The old-fashioned way. In Tennessee, they called it the Tin Mill Telephone Tree. Out here, they'll have their own version. All I've got to do is tap into it."

He headed for the door. "We move out in five."

In the hallway, his smile slipped. Whatever Kate was hiding, it wasn't only personal. It was dangerous.

But he meant what he said. He was here for her. With the Lord on their side, he'd keep her safe.

Because that's what you did for the people you loved. Even if they didn't love you back.