“No. Like a lot of people I came to Talon Mountain and Glacier Hollow when I needed it.
"Does it ever stop feeling like winter might kill you if you're not careful?"
"No. But you get used to the edge of it." I add another log, sparks spiraling up the chimney. "Keeps you sharp. Reminds you that comfort is temporary and vigilance matters."
"Sounds like the last few years of my life."
"Sounds like combat." I straighten up and pull out my phone. "Let me call Zeke."
He answers on the second ring. "Finn. Everything okay?"
"Need to talk. Somewhere private. Can you meet me at the Hollow Hearth after Sadie closes?"
Silence stretches long enough that I know he's processing the request, understanding what I'm not saying.
"Give Sadie some time to close up," he says. "I'll make sure we're alone."
"Appreciated."
"This about your passenger?"
"Yeah."
"Figured. See you at eight."
He disconnects and Cara's expression holds equal parts gratitude and fear.
"Two hours," I tell her. "That gives us time to figure out exactly what you're comfortable sharing and what needs to stay close hold."
"Everything." She moves away from the fire, starts pacing the length of the cabin. "If we're doing this, we do it right. No half measures. They need to know what they're getting into."
Pacing helps her think. The need for movement probably kept her sane during years as a fugitive when stillness felt like vulnerability.
"Zeke’s going to ask hard questions," I say. "About your evidence, about the timeline, about whether bringing you in puts Glacier Hollow at risk. You need to be ready for that."
"I've been answering hard questions since Tom died. From Jake, from the sources I've cultivated, from myself every time I decide whether to keep investigating or just disappear." She stops pacing and faces me. "The difference is this time I'm asking people to actively help instead of just staying out of my way."
"Big difference."
"Yeah." She returns to the fire, and exhaustion shows around her eyes. The adrenaline from Jake's messages is wearing off, leaving her to face the reality of what she's committed to. "What if he says no? What if Zeke decides the risk is too high?"
"Then we figure out another option. But Cara? Zeke's solid. He's not going to turn you away just because helping is dangerous." I move to stand beside her. "The people in this community have been fighting the Marshal's network for years. They understand what's at stake."
Later that evening, we pull up behind the Hollow Hearth. Main street is quiet, most businesses closed for the evening. Light spills from the café’s windows, but when I try the back door, it opens into darkness. Zeke's cleared the building.
Inside, the café smells like fresh-baked bread and coffee. Zeke's behind the counter, Sadie beside him. They both look up when we enter, taking in Cara's posture, how she scans the room before moving further inside, the careful distance she maintains from the windows.
"Finn." Zeke nods to me, then shifts his attention to Cara. "And you must be the reason for the secure meeting."
"Cara Brennan." She moves into the room with practiced confidence. "Former FBI. Currently a fugitive from a frame-up related to Operation Stormwatch. I'm the agent the task force thinks orchestrated the failure that got three people killed."
Direct. No easing into it. Zeke and Sadie process the information, making connections.
"Operation Stormwatch," Zeke says carefully. "Harlow's been running the task force investigating connections to that operation for months. She and Rhys have been tracking the network."
"I know. My source has been feeding me updates on their progress." Cara stops a few feet from the bar, palms open at her sides. "The corrupt official I've been hunting is likely the same person they're chasing. Someone high enough in federal law enforcement to frame agents, bury evidence, and run trafficking networks without getting caught."
"The Marshal," Sadie says.
