"Hey, Ben. You're back."
"Yeah."
"Did you make sure everyone followed the agreement?"
"Yes, I did. Somehow, I feel like I know less about Ryan now than I did last week."
"Good." A pause. "How was Alaska?"
"Cold. And dark."
"It's not so bad in the summer. Go far enough to the north and the sun never sets."
"We've got a lot to discuss, Ana. We'd better get started."
~~~
(January 25)
(Ben POV)
I shiver despite the parka I'm wearing. The locals say it's warm today, but the ice fog hanging in the air says something different. My hastily-arranged team of FBI agents and local investigators tromps through the snow, making me wonder how on Earth Ana managed to hike several miles through this place. It's miserable and dark out here. We spent most of the daylight hours getting from Fairban
