They slumped against the cold rock wall, their breath pluming in the flashlight’s beam. The adrenaline was fading, leaving Elara shaking with a bone-deep cold and delayed terror. She hugged her knees, trying to stop the shivering.
Liam watched her, his face etched with concern in the stark light. He shrugged out of his waxed jacket and draped it over her shoulders. It was still warm from his body and smelled of woodsmoke and pine.
“Here,” he said, his voice gentle. He unscrewed a metal flask from his belt and handed it to her.“Whiskey. It’ll help.”
She took a small, burning sip, the liquor spreading a welcome heat through her chest.
“They’ll find this place,” she said, her voice small in the vast darkness.
“Maybe,” he admitted.“But not tonight. Not in this storm. This gives us time.” He sat down beside her, his shoulder brushing hers. A solid, warm presence in the freezing dark.“I’m sorry, Elara. I never meant for you to be dragged into this.”
She looked at him, at the grim determination in his profile.“You could have given them the box. You could have saved yourself.”
He met her gaze, his blue eyes intense.“And let them kill you? No.” He reached out, his calloused fingers gently brushing a strand of frozen hair from her cheek. The touch was electric.“This is my family’s mess. I’m not letting anyone else die for it.”
In the silence of the mine, with death waiting outside, the last of her professional detachment crumbled. He wasn’t a suspect or a source. He was a man trying to do the right thing in a situation forged by generations of wrongs.
“The journal,” she whispered.“Alex’s last entry. He wrote‘It’s in the—’ What was he going to say?”
Liam’s jaw tightened.“The walls. He’d found one of the original hiding spots. A small cache of gold coins. He thought it was the whole treasure. It was just a decoy. The real hoard was moved decades ago.” He let out a long breath.“But it was enough proof for him. And for them.”
He leaned his head back against the rock, closing his eyes.“Get some rest. I’ll keep watch.”
Elara didn’t think she could sleep, but exhaustion claimed her. Her last conscious thought was the feel of his jacket around her, and the terrifying, comforting realization that her survival, her life, was inextricably tied to the man sitting beside her in the heart of the mountain. The storm outside was nothing compared to the one raging within.
Chapter 7:
The Truth in the Dark
Elara woke to the soft, rhythmic sound of dripping water and the solid warmth of Liam beside her. She was curled against him, his arm around her shoulders, his head tilted back in a fitful sleep. The flashlight lay between them, its beam growing dim. In the fading light, he looked younger, the lines of worry smoothed away, but no less formidable.
She didn't move. The intimacy of the moment, born of sheer survival, felt more fragile and real than anything she’d ever written. Here, in the belly of the mountain, the masks were off. He was a man guarding a terrible legacy. She was a woman who’d stumbled into a live mystery, more terrifying than any she could conjure.
His eyes opened, meeting hers instantly. There was no surprise in his gaze, only a deep, weary awareness. His arm didn’t move from her shoulders.
“The storm’s still going,” he said, his voice a low rumble in the quiet. He nodded towards the mine entrance, a faint grey light barely visible through the curtain of ivy.“But it’s light out. Morning.”
They shared a protein bar from his pack and the last of the water. The reality of their situation pressed in on them again. They were trapped, hunted, and running out of time.
“Liam,” Elara said, breaking the silence.“The men out there… who are they? If it’s not about the gold for you, what is it about for them?”
He was quiet for a long moment, studying the dim beam of the flashlight.“The gold is just a symbol. It’s about the land. There’s a developer, a corporation based out of Boston. They’ve been trying to buy up all the land on this mountain for years. To build a massive, high-end resort. My family’s land, and the land Havenwood sits on, is the last, key piece they need.”
He looked at her, his eyes hard.“If the truth about how my family acquired this land comes out, the original theft… their claim could be contested in court for years. The development would be stalled, maybe stopped entirely. They’ve invested millions. They’re not going to let a century-old secret get in their way.”
“So Alex Price was… what? A loose end?”
“A threat. He had the proof to expose the original sin this whole town was built on. The developer couldn’t risk that.” He picked up a loose stone and tossed it, the clatter echoing down the dark tunnel.“They have people everywhere, Elara. In the town council, the sheriff’s office. That’s why the investigation into Alex’s disappearance went nowhere. That’s why we can’t just go to the police.”
The pieces snapped into place with chilling finality. It wasn’t just a treasure hunt. It was a corporate conspiracy, sanitized and ruthless, willing to kill to protect a billion-dollar investment.
“What do we do?” she whispered.
“We get this,” he tapped her bag containing the metal box,“to a reporter I trust in Burlington. It’s the only copy. It’s the onlything that can break their hold.” He stood up, offering her his hand.“But first, we have to get off this mountain.”
He pulled her to her feet, his hand lingering in hers for a moment longer than necessary. The simple contact was a jolt, a transfer of strength and a silent promise.
He led her to the mine entrance and carefully pushed aside the frozen ivy. The storm had lessened to a heavy, steady snowfall. The world was pristine, silent, and deadly.
