Page 233 of Rangers Mountain Rescue
Silence fills the room.
Thick. Heavy.
No one moves.
No one agrees.
I tilt my head slightly.
“Will you?” I say.
His smile doesn’t change.
But something in his eyes hardens.
“This is now a federal matter.”
Behind me, I feel Aspen go still.
I don’t look at her.
Can’t.
Not right now.
Because this?
This just got complicated.
“You’re late,” I say instead.
The room tightens.
Briggs shifts slightly beside me.
The agent’s gaze sharpens.
“We got here as fast as we could.”
“Yeah?” I reply. “Because it looks like we handled it just fine without you.”
A flicker of irritation.
There it is.
Good.
Now we’re talking.
His eyes sweep the room again.
“Not all of it,” he says.
My jaw tightens.
“Meaning?”
He steps closer.
