Chapter 22

22

Fenn stared at the meager breakfast buffet, his stomach churning. The coffee was scorched, the eggs rubbery, and the bacon looked like it had been sitting under a heat lamp since the dawn of time. Even the waffle machine had bailed on him today. A sticky note slapped to the front informed him it was out of order. He sighed, grabbing a stale bagel and a cup of coffee that could double as motor oil.

His head still throbbed, a dull ache that pulsed behind his eyes. The muscles in his back and shoulders screamed in protest with every movement, a painful reminder of the attack that had left him unconscious in the snow.

He closed his eyes, trying to remember something—anything—about his assailant. But there was nothing, just a blank void where his memories should be. Whoever had attacked him had been careful, staying hidden until the perfect moment to strike.

The position of the snowmobiles, the angle of the attack…all pointed to someone who knew what they were doing. Someone with training, with skills that rivaled his own.

The thought sent a chill down his spine.

He was jolted from his thoughts by the sound of footsteps, quick and urgent. He looked up to see Kate rushing towards him, her face pale and drawn.

She slid into the seat across from him, her hands shaking as she pushed a piece of paper towards him.

"I got another note." Her voice was tight, strained.

Fenn's heart plummeted as he read the words scrawled across the page. "Want your secret to stay buried? I have conditions. Meet at the military supply depot. 10 p.m. tonight."

So their target probably was this mysterious Marcus dude. Fenn smiled to himself. He liked having a defined target.

No more messing around. He and Kate needed background intel. Now.

"We need deep background on this Marcus character. It's time to contact the team," he announced. But as he stared at his phone, his heart sank. No signal. Not even a single bar.

He jumped to his feet. He made his way to the front desk, wagging his phone at Jimbo, who seemed more interested in his gaming console than anything else.

"Solar flares," the clerk said, not even bothering to look up. "They mess with the satellites."

Fenn groaned. Of course. He'd heard of the effects of solar flares, but he'd never experienced them firsthand. Then again, he'd never been this far north before.

"How long do they usually last?" he asked, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice.

Jimbo shrugged, his eyes still glued to his game. "Depends. Could be an hour. Could be three days." He finally looked up, a shudder running through him. "Longest stretch I ever saw was a week. Man, that was no fun. I can't live without my internet."

"No joke," Fenn muttered, making his way back to the table. "Our sat phone'll be down, too. No way for us to contact the team until it dies down."

Kate's face fell. "And no way to check the weather prediction without internet access."

"Exactamundo. Looks like we're on our own."

She tried to smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "We've been doing okay so far."

"No, we haven't. But I like your spirit."

Fenn stared at the bagel, his appetite gone. Kate was right. The food was like cardboard, a far cry from the breakfasts Mason often cooked up at the compound. Fresh squeezed juices, perfectly cooked bacon and eggs, homemade biscuits with whipped butter…and steak, if Mason was feeling it.

Kate loved steak. Medium rare, not too much salt. Fenn knew that, just like he knew that she preferred her hair loose, even though she often wore it in a high ponytail. And beneath that tough exterior, she had a great sense of humor and a soft heart.

Not that he'd ever admit to knowing about her collection of glitter unicorns. He valued his life too much for that.

But as he sat there, watching her push her own food around her plate, he couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to have her by his side always. To wake up next to her every morning, to share every meal, every moment…

Fantasies for a later time.

He leaned back in his chair, his mind whirring with possibilities. "Before we make a plan, we need to consider what we know about this guy."

Kate nodded, her brow furrowed. "It's most likely the same person who attacked you last night."

"Agreed. And possibly the one who hit you with the snowmobile, too."

"Makes sense," she said, her fingers tapping against the table.

Fenn held up a finger. "If that's the case, we know he doesn't want to kill either of us."

"Yet," Kate amended, her voice grim.

"Point taken." Fenn leaned forward, his elbows on the table. "But either way, that buys us something. He could have disabled our snowmobiles or just killed us outright."

The thought made his stomach churn, his few bites of breakfast threatening to make a reappearance. The idea of Kate's life ending, of her lying cold and still in the snow… He clapped a hand to his mouth, fighting back the wave of nausea.

Kate was by his side in an instant, her hand on his shoulder, her voice soft with concern. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm good. Just…not a fan of that particular mental image."

She squeezed his shoulder, her touch lingering just a moment longer than necessary. "Me neither."

They sat in silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. Fenn choked down another bite of bagel. "I think the attacker wants to slow us down for some reason. But why?"

Kate shook her head, her eyes distant. "That's the first question on my list once I bag this guy."

"You mean when we bag him," Fenn corrected, his tone brooking no argument.

She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a hand. "I know you need this. I know you need redemption. But there's no way I'm letting you go it alone."

She stared at him for a long moment, her eyes searching his face. Then she nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Okay. Together, then."

"Copy that." He rubbed the back of his head, wincing at the tender lump there. What a time to be less than a hundred percent. Ugh. But wait. Maybe it could work to their advantage…

"Assuming the jerk who whacked me last night is the same guy who left you the notes, he had to circle back to town after hitting me," he mused, his mind racing. "So what if…"

He trailed off, the plan forming in his mind. It was risky, sure. But if it worked, if they could catch this guy off guard…

His eyes flicked to Jimbo, who was once again absorbed in his video game. "Go with me," he murmured, then groaned loudly and plastered his hands to his chest. "My ribs are killing me."

Sure enough, Jimbo looked up, his brow furrowed with concern. Perfect .

"Help me up," Fenn whispered to Kate, his lips barely moving.

She rose swiftly, her voice ringing out across the room. "His head hurts. He needs to rest."

Her acting skills were impressive, Fenn had to admit. She helped him out of the room, her arm around his waist as if she were holding him up, her body warm against his.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Fenn straightened, his mind already racing ahead to the rendezvous that night. Until then, he would play the invalid, holed up in that coffin-like box of a room.

But Kate would be with him.

He liked that. A lot.

He just prayed the solar flares would cease long enough to contact the team. Marcus, the mysterious military supply dude, was going to get a thorough workup from Paige, and Fenn had no doubt she would uncover every last detail of his life.

But even without that background info, Fenn had some questions of his own. Questions he intended to get answers to, one way or another.

He glanced at Kate, saw the determination in her eyes, the set of her jaw. They were in this together, no matter what. Finally.

And as they made their way back to his room, Fenn couldn't help but let his mind wander back to a future where they were always together. Where he woke up to her smile every morning, where he fell asleep with her in his arms every night.

It was a nice dream, a beautiful fantasy.

Might as well enjoy it while he could. Reality would intrude soon enough.