Page 51 of Silent Road

"Perfect."Sheila turned to her ward."You have my full permission to boss him around.If he tries anything heroic, call me immediately."

Finn shook his head, clearly frustrated.Before he could speak, however, Sheila placed a calming hand on his chest."I can't lose you," she said softly, staring into his eyes."You mean far too much to me."

He stared back, as if trying to come up with a response.None came.Sheila kissed him on the lips and turned away.

They gathered their gear—extra layers, emergency supplies, powerful flashlights to cut through the thickening snow.The maintenance workers checked their radios while the hotel staffer distributed extra emergency blankets from the resort's storage.The wind's howl had deepened to a constant roar, and the temperature was dropping rapidly.Even inside the operations center, Sheila could feel the cold seeping through the walls.

As the others did final equipment checks, Finn caught her arm."Watch yourself up there," he said quietly.

She touched his cheek."I love you, too, Finn.Now sit tight and monitor our comms.We might need someone with a map to give us directions."

Finn nodded and withdrew.Sheila met Star's eyes briefly, and then she turned to the door.

"You ready?"Tommy asked in a low voice.

"Ready or not, it has to be done," she said.She raised her voice."Stay in radio contact," she told the group."If anyone finds anything—tracks, equipment, any sign of Mark or our killer—call it in immediately.Don't try to handle it alone."

Then Michael opened the door, and the search teams stepped out into the storm.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

The snow deepened as they climbed, transforming familiar terrain into an alien landscape.Sheila and Tommy moved in tight formation, following the beam of their flashlights through the darkness.The wind carved channels through the snow, creating ghostly shapes that seemed to move in their peripheral vision.

"The tower should be just ahead," Tommy called over the wind's howl."Past that ridgeline."

Sheila nodded, conserving her breath.The climb was steep here, and the snow had drifted into deep pockets that threatened to swallow their legs to the knee.She watched Tommy struggling with the terrain, noting how he favored his right leg slightly.City training hadn't prepared him for mountain conditions.

They reached a particularly treacherous section where wind had scoured the slope nearly bare, leaving a sheet of ice.Tommy started across first, his boots searching for purchase on the glassy surface.

Halfway across, his foot slipped.Sheila lunged forward, catching his arm before he could fall.For a moment, they stood frozen together, the wind tearing at their clothes.

"Thanks," Tommy said as they reached safer ground.His voice held a note of surprise."That could have been bad."

"That's what partners do," Sheila replied."Watch each other's backs."

Tommy was quiet for several steps."You know, you're not what I expected."

"Oh?"

"Your reputation in the department...they say you're tough.Uncompromising."He paused, choosing his words carefully."But you're actually...kind.You care about people."

Something in his tone made Sheila glance at him, but his face was hidden in the shadows of his hood.Before she could respond, the wind shifted, bringing a new sound—a low, metallic groan that cut through the storm's constant roar.

They both stopped, listening.The sound came again, closer this time.

"The tower," Sheila said."Wind's working on the support cables."

They pushed forward, fighting against the strengthening gusts.The tower materialized out of the darkness like a skeletal giant, its framework coated in ice that caught their flashlight beams and scattered them in crystalline patterns.The maintenance ladder zigzagged up one side, disappearing into the swirling snow above.

"Mark?"Tommy called out, his voice swallowed by the wind."Mark Davidson?"

Only the creaking of cables answered.They circled the tower's base, finding fresh snow unmarked by footprints.But as they rounded the far side, Sheila's light caught something half-buried in a drift—a ski pole, its strap torn.

She knelt to examine it, brushing away snow.The pole was high-end equipment, the kind a sponsored athlete might use.She knelt to examine it, brushing away snow.The pole was high-end equipment, the kind a sponsored athlete might use."K2 Lockjaw carbon fiber," she said, turning it over."These run about four hundred dollars."

Two sets of tracks led up to the tower's entrance, which had frozen shut.Sheila's heart sank at the sight.

Was the killer in there with Mark?Was Mark even still alive?

---