Page 7 of Craving Sin (Touch of Evil 13)
She tossed the chip back into the bag. It made her nauseous to think Jacob had orchestrated such a recovery mission as a means to escape from federal custody. He had made such attempts before, but those had been contained at the federal prison.
Out here…in the wilderness?
Out here…where he had the advantage?
“Jacob is setting us up,” Sylvie muttered in disgust as she folded the top of the chip bag. “We all know he is going to try to escape, and Nathaniel was foolish to offer up such a chance.”
“Escape…or die trying,” Bit said before throwing her a quick, knowing glance.
“If it’s the latter,” Sylvie murmured, settling back in her seat, “then maybe, just maybe, Brook can finally have some peace.”
4
Brooklyn Sloane
June 2025
Tuesday — 2:11 pm
The Alaskan air, crisp and clean, had a lingering bite that nipped at the skin. It served as a subtle reminder that the wilderness was harsh and unforgiving. Each breath was filled with an earthy scent, accompanied by a hint of the sweet aroma of pine needles, showcasing the raw vitality of the landscape.
In the distance, sporadic calls of birds broke the eerie stillness.
Brook stood at the top of the stairway leading down from the jet, surveying the dense forest surrounding the remote airstrip and hangar. Four SUVs were parked in a row, their dark windows hiding the drivers inside. Two federal agents stood beside a government-issued vehicle, their eyes fixed down the runway toward Theo and Russell.
The two men were nearly a football field’s length away.
The fact that the agents hadn’t moved from their posts indicated that Russell hadn’t yet contacted the supervisory special agent in charge of the closest field office.
Taking a deep breath, she carefully descended the stairs, her black hiking boots making little noise as their soles connected with the metal steps. She continued to scan the area for any potential threats, but nothing stood out.
The silence only amplified her unease.
Once she was standing on the tarmac, she adjusted her backpack more securely on her shoulder. She had chosen to keep the bag with her. Bit had conducted the background checks on the drivers, but she wasn’t comfortable leaving her personal belongings in one of the SUVs.
She set off at a brisk pace, doing her best to contain her thoughts. She resisted the urge to call Graham. Each of them had their designated tasks, and his was ensuring that Jacob’s hotel room was equipped with proper surveillance. Bit had even given Graham specific instructions about the system. The last thing she wanted was to pull him away from such an important detail.
Regardless of their current situation, Jacob would inevitably be taken to the hotel.
Theo and Russell remained silent as she approached. Russell held his phone tightly but made no move to use it. She suspected that Theo significantly influenced the agent’s restraint. Besides, if the murder was thought to be connected to Jacob, Russell would be the lead agent, anyway.
Drawing closer, she finally came upon the body. Someone had wrapped the woman’s body in a black tarp, presumably to keep the wildlife at bay. Theo or Russell must have cut through the duct tape with a pocketknife for a better look inside.
The woman’s face had been brutally sliced in several places, making her identity unrecognizable. The lack of blood inside the black tarp from the deep gash across her neck indicated she had been killed elsewhere. Her body had been intentionally dumped at the end of the tarmac. The location was sufficiently distant from the hangar for the unsub to avoid detection or capture by any security cameras, assuming the hangar even had such a system in place.
Whoever killed this woman wanted to send a message.
“Are we just going to?—”
“Let Brook do her thing,” Theo warned Russell, whose patience was clearly running thin. “Five minutes isn’t going to change the fact that we have a victim who bears the signature of the man we currently have in custody.”
“The media is going to have a field day with this,” Russell muttered in disgust. His gaze flicked toward the hangar. “I’m more concerned with the locals. A lot of these people support Toklo Kalluk. He still has some influence at the…”
Brook tuned out their conversation as she studied the victim's attire, noting the woman’s athletic yet petite frame. Her black hair was chin-length and straight. The texture of the strands was thick, and what sheen could be detected without blood suggested meticulous care. Her skin contained a warm undertone, hinting at Asian heritage.
The victim was dressed in a charcoal grey pantsuit, without a winter jacket. Instead of heels, the woman wore black boots with flat soles. Only a handful of professions involved women deliberately choosing that type of footwear. A sense of unease began to take hold, and Brook circled the body once more.
“…not returning to the hangar is already catching the attention of the?—”
