Page 19
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Brooklyn Sloane
June 2025
Wednesday — 1:39 pm
I ce reflected Brook's flashlight beam in a sharp burst of refracted color before settling into a ghostly blue transparency. She adjusted the light as she advanced deeper into the cave. Victor followed closely behind, his flashlight joining hers in an attempt to chase the darkness away from them. The air was crisp and cold, reminding her that the team didn’t have the necessary equipment and proper apparel to venture too deep into the passageways.
A persistent drip created an offbeat rhythm to her steady heartbeat. When the main passage eventually divided into three separate tunnels, she paused to assess the situation. The chilled air carried a faint mineral tang—a subtle scent that hinted at the purity of such a wonder.
Instead, all she could imagine was Lusa Kalluk’s body frozen in time. Yet her mind couldn’t process that Jacob or anyone else had been able to carry her body up the steep incline. She thought back to their trek, and she was confident that Lusa’s body hadn’t been preserved in this ice cave.
Why, then, was this place so important to Jacob?
“We’ll cover more ground if we separate.”
“No.” Brook wasn’t going to allow anyone to stray without backup. “We stick together. I don’t plan on exploring too much of this place, anyway. Just enough to get a sense of what we can expect if we decide to bring Jacob inside.”
Brook had no intention of allowing Jacob to enter the cave, but she was leaving herself an opening to change her mind, just in case.
“We’re going to need supplies if he takes us too deep.”
“Let’s start with the tunnel on the left and work to the right,” Brook said, intentionally not replying to his statement. She was already doing what she could to stem the coldness from seeping into her layers. “Looks like a steep decline, so tread carefully.”
They moved ahead with careful slowness. Every minor descent, curve, and corner appeared to deepen their confusion. They pressed on until the passageway branched again, the space becoming increasingly constricted.
It didn’t take them long to return to the initial fork. This time, Victor took the lead down the middle passageway. The corridor was narrow, with walls practically pressing in on them from either side. A buildup of ice covered the floor, slick enough to threaten sending her sprawling with each step.
She kept one hand on the wall for balance.
“We need to turn back unless we want to end up on our hands and knees,” Victor finally said with unease.
She carefully turned and started to make her way back to the previous spot that would lead them to the third passageway. All the while, she continued to reflect on their hiking route, Jacob’s reactions to certain areas, and his comments about Lusa Kalluk.
Brook led Victor down the passageway on the far right.
Surprisingly, they hadn’t traveled more than six or seven yards before the beam of her flashlight illuminated a vast chamber, with the ceiling soaring overhead in a glittering vault of ice. Columns of frozen water rose from floor to ceiling, some as thick as tree trunks and others as delicate as spun glass.
On the other side were two additional passageways.
“For all we know, this ice cave takes up half the mountainside," Brook stated quietly, her voice still reverberating against the icy walls.
Victor's expression was thoughtful, and something about his hesitation implied he had more on his mind than he was willing to say. Brook finally continued, her words carefully measured.
“You're concerned about bringing Jacob in here.”
“I never said that,” Victor countered, though his tone indicated otherwise. His voice carried a slight edge, amplified by the acoustics of the cave. “I just think we might want to regroup, is all.”
“Look, I wasn't exactly in favor of this plea deal myself.”
“I’m only here to ensure that Jacob doesn’t try to pull anything. My opinion about the plea deal doesn’t matter.”
“And what would that opinion be?” Brook inquired with interest as she began to make her way back to the cave’s entrance.
“Initially, I was fully supportive of giving the Kalluk family some closure. A day’s trip, totaling three days when you include the preparation and the flight back home. That’s a lot of overtime. I get it. I have two little girls, and I can’t imagine what Governor Kalluk and his family went through eleven years ago. But everything changed the moment we landed.”
Brook didn’t need Victor to go into detail about the moment everything changed, because discovering Kate’s body had thrown off her and the entire team—emotionally, physically, and mentally.
“You knew about Mitch Norona, didn’t you?” Victor asked, though it seemed as if he was reserving judgment. “I can’t imagine Carter was too keen on the potential mistrial, but a defense attorney with his hands as dirty as his client’s? That makes this entire recovery mission feel like a trap.”
“Unfortunately, you aren’t wrong.”
The admission hung between them as they stopped a few feet from the large crevice. Both turned off their flashlights due to the daylight streaming through the entrance, and it was clear that Victor was waiting for her to exit first.
She considered his words carefully, weighing her options.
“We can break the group in half. Restructure the dynamics.”
“Isn’t this something you should be discussing with Houser?”
One of the things she appreciated about Victor was his tendency to adhere to the rules. Over the years, Russell had come to understand the lengths to which Jacob would go to achieve his goals. Russell even admitted yesterday that he knew she kept tabs on Jacob and recognized that something was off with Mitch Norona.
Still, Russell hadn’t hesitated to participate in this recovery mission.
“Nothing wrong with another opinion,” Brook said before turning somewhat so as not to snag her jacket.
Those outside the cave resembled stranded mountaineers waiting for rescue. They were mainly spread out in groups of two. Russell had remained near Mitch, Justin was with Jacob, and the two forensic techs had settled comfortably against a couple of trees.
Interestingly enough, Mitch was handcuffed and none too happy with the recent development. She quickly assessed that the search warrant had yielded evidence of his involvement with Jacob…maybe even Kate’s murder.
Brook created enough distance from the entrance for Victor to exit.
“I think restructuring the dynamics of this recovery mission might be for the best,” Victor muttered after obtaining a visual of the group.
He joined his partner while Brook closed the distance to Russell’s location.
“We should speak in private,” Russell murmured pensively once Brook was within earshot. Something else besides word from Nathaniel had clearly happened in her absence. Russell guided her away from the group, though not so far that they couldn’t respond if needed. “Carter has instructed us to head back down.”
“No. We’ve been over this,” Brook countered, hoping the chill from the ice cave that had settled into the fabric of her clothes would dissipate soon. She was on the verge of shivering, but she managed to stave off the post-reaction. “Victor and I explored three tunnels inside that ice cave. It’s dark, cold, and quite simply a very confusing maze. Some of the passageways are too thin to squeeze through, while others open into voids with sudden drop-offs into other sections of the cave. I’m not entertaining the idea of taking Jacob inside, but I need him here for the time being. It’s that simple.”
“Cut the crap, Brook.” Russell gestured toward the others. “This search has nothing to do with Lusa Kalluk. You want to know why your brother needs to be here. I get it. I do, but we have proof that Norona knew about Kate. It doesn’t seem that he ordered the hit, but he knew about it all the same. The search warrant turned up a burner phone with a string of text messages, and we’re pretty sure we know who was on the other end of it. Norona has been read his rights, but we need to get him back down this mountain. Now.”
“Who killed Kate? Kavik? Nanuq?” Brook figured that with the two men missing, the odds were in her favor. No wonder there had been hesitation marks on Kate’s neck. “Both?”
“Kavik is dead.”
Brook maintained her composure until she could turn away from the others so they wouldn’t witness her frustration. She slowly curled her fingers, digging her nails into the palms of her hands. Being separated from her team meant relying on them to make the necessary calls in her absence. As far as she was aware, Theo and Sylvie were still on the other side of the mountain. This meant Nathaniel was in a position to try to undermine Bit’s position.
“Has Nanuq been detained?”
“The assumption is that Nanuq has access to an ATV. He is either headed our way or has gotten a head start on the manhunt that Carter is about to launch with the Anchorage field office.” Russell sighed in frustration as he leaned against a tree. “Your tech guy is holding his own down there, but we need to call it. It’s over.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Russell.” Brook turned back around, her gaze swinging over the others. While they were somewhat scattered, they were still in a relatively tight space. “I won’t let Kate’s death be in vain. Do I want to know why Jacob went to so much trouble to be here? Yes, but my reasons behind that have changed, and this opportunity will never be available to us again. Radio, please.”
Russell stared back at her for a good twenty seconds before he silently handed her the satellite radio. She lifted the device while observing her brother. His focus was on Mitch, who was currently sitting on the cold ground in defeat.
“I take it the agent standing over Norona is from the chopper?” Brook waited to press the button on the radio until Nathaniel had confirmed her suspicions. “Bit, do you copy?”
“We copy, Sloane.” It wasn’t Bit’s voice that came over the radio. “It’s time to?—”
Brook intentionally pressed the button to cut off Nathaniel’s transmission.
As far as she was concerned, S&E investigations had been given full authority to lead the investigation into Kate’s death. While the plea deal might be off the table, Jacob’s involvement with an ongoing investigation was still relevant.
“A little over an hour ago, a mistrial was declared by Judge Colletti,” Brook reiterated from their previous conversation once Nathaniel had given up on his end. “Your involvement technically ended the moment Jacob signed a waiver regarding relinquishing his right to representation. Russell is the lead agent on this recovery mission now, and S&E Investigations has been brought on as consultants regarding Special Agent Kate Lin’s case. Step back, Nathaniel, and let us do our jobs.”
Russell ran a hand over his face in irritation. She was putting him in a difficult position that he hadn’t asked for, yet they had known each other long enough for her to be certain of his actions.
He would back her all the way.
“Boss?” Bit’s voice finally came through the radio loud and clear. “Kavik is dead, Nanuq is most likely headed your way, and that ice cave goes all the way through the mountain. There are probably several entry and exit points along the way. I pulled up some surveys online, but I'm not sure how much help they'll be since they focus on the main entry points. The one you're at right now isn't even listed.”
Before Brook could respond, Bit transmitted again.
“I have Slick Mitch’s burner, and I’m doing what I can remotely to find out who was on the receiving end of the messages. I believe he tried to delete some, as well. I’ll try to recover what I can.”
“What pushed Nanuq to abduct and kill Lusa?” Brook inquired, wondering if Mitch would turn on his so-called partner. She couldn’t figure out where Jacob came into play, though. “What motive could he possibly have to do that to a family member?”
“Money. When I was speaking with Aputi, he claimed that Lusa thought maybe their cousin was skimming some money off the top of donations. The only thing that makes sense is that Kavik covered for Nanuq back then, believing that the man would never hurt Lusa. Get this—the reason there was a road closure that night was due to a hit-and-run. The man died on impact. I don’t know what that has to do with everything, but it’s connected somehow.”
“You’ll need a search warrant for Nanuq’s financials.”
“Already on it.”
“Have you heard from Theo and Sylvie?” Brook asked while attempting to figure out where the hit-and-run came into play, but she didn’t have enough information on hand. Sylvie might be able to discern the link between the two. “They’ve had plenty of time to return to Silverton.”
Brook had been talking quietly, and she didn’t believe that her voice had carried to the position of the others. Still, the split second that she had mentioned the town, Jacob’s gaze had swung to meet hers with interest.
“No. I’m getting worried, Boss.”
“Just to clarify, you said that the ice cave goes all the way through the mountain? Does that mean there are some entry points near Silverton?”
“Yes.”
“Give me a minute.”
Brook lowered the radio. She considered every scenario available to them, even taking into account Nathaniel’s desire to call everything off. There was a strong possibility that Jacob had spent months, if not years, studying the passageways. Jacob held the upper hand, regardless of how this scenario unfolded.
Unfortunately, there was only one choice to make.
“Bit, I’m going to have the chopper lower us down some supplies—additional coats, headlamps, and some safety gear. After that, I’m sending the pilot to fly over the coordinates that Theo and Sylvie gave you earlier. In the meantime, tell Nathaniel that I’ll have Justin and one of the other agents from the chopper escort Mitch down the mountain.”
“And Nanuq?” Bit asked with full confidence in her decision. Russell, on the other hand, had a rather disappointed expression on his face. “What if he’s headed your way?”
“That’s why I’m keeping the other two agents within a safe distance to cover the nearby area. Nanuq has no idea that we have this terrain so closely surveilled with other agents. I do need a favor, though.”
“Name it, Boss.”
While Brook could drag out the afternoon hours to force Jacob into believing he stood a chance to enter the hidden tunnels, she had no intention of doing so after considering the disadvantages.
No one else was going to die.
“Radio us in about fifteen minutes,” Brook advised as she met Russell’s stare. She had his full attention now. “When you do, I want you to tell me that an earthquake in the region sometime last year caused part of the ice cave to collapse in on itself. And I need you to say it with the utmost confidence, Bit.”