The snow-capped peaks pierced the sky, a stark backdrop to the viewing tent where Tori and Javi huddled in the artificial glow of the laptop. They leaned forward, the light casting harsh shadows over their somber faces, their expressions etched with intensity as they scrutinized every second of Emily Carter's final live stream.
The viewing tent stood out against the white expanse of snow, its bright red fabric a stark contrast to the monochromatic landscape. The light from the laptop screen created a small oasis of warmth and color within the tent, and the musty scent of canvas mixed with the crisp mountain air, filling the tent with a distinct outdoor aroma.
The sound of search teams returning could be heard in the distance, but the gentle hum of the laptop's fan and the occasional gusts of wind outside were the only sounds in the otherwise quiet tent. To Tori’s perspective, the silence only added to the tension hanging in the air.
Emily's auburn hair fluttered like a pennant in the frosty mountain breeze, her athletic frame poised against the expanse of white that sloped down the mountain. The footage was crisp, each laugh line around her eyes testified to her warmth; her vivacity was palpable even through the digital barrier of the screen.
"She’s so happy," Javi murmured, his finger hovering over the space bar, ready to pause at any crucial moment. His eyes darted across the screen, looking for anomalies in the pixels, but it was Tori's analytical mind that kept them on track, dissecting frames for hidden truths.
"Hey guys! Ready to ride with me?" Emily's voice echoed from the speakers, laced with thrill. The chat erupted on the side of the screen, a cascade of colorful emojis and eager messages from fans cheering her on.
"Today's gonna be epic!" she exclaimed, pushing off with her board, the snow crunching satisfyingly under its weight. Her laughter rang clear, mingling with the sound of the wind that whipped past the microphone, the chill of the air almost tangible.
"Can't believe I get to share this with all of you," she continued, her voice bubbling with joy as she carved elegant lines into the pristine snow. Viewers responded with hearts and thumbs-up icons, their virtual presence a stark contrast to the solitary figure of Emily descending the slope.
Tori's gaze remained unblinking, absorbing every detail even as the carefree spirit of Emily's adventure washed over her.
The mirth of Emily's voice, which had just moments ago filled the tent with a sense of adventure, was shattered by an explosive crack that erupted from the laptop's speakers. Tori and Javi jerked back, their bodies tensing in unison as the sound tore through the veil of lightheartedness. The white noise of snow and wind on the stream was now underscored by a new, ominous silence that settled over them, heavy like the weight of the avalanche that they knew would follow.
"Did you hear that?" Javi’s voice was barely a whisper, his dark eyes locked with Tori's storm-colored gaze.
"Rewind it," Tori replied, her command sharp against the sudden stillness. Her finger hovered over the touchpad, seeking out the exact moment before chaos broke loose. They watched as Emily's joyful descent replayed, then paused at the burst of sound—a loud bang that neither could place yet felt intrinsically wrong.
"Gunshot? Or something else?" Javi murmured, his question hanging unanswered between them.
"Keep watching," she instructed, her jaw set. As the footage continued, Tori leaned closer to the screen, squinting, searching for any shadow, any hint of movement that shouldn't belong to the mountain’s vast, barren landscape.
"Come on, give us something," she muttered under her breath, her frustration mounting. But the killer was a specter, invisible within the white expanse that filled the frame. Even the high definition of the recording offered no solace, no clue as to who might have turned Emily's joyride into a deathly descent.
"Nothing," Javi sighed beside her, his voice low and strained. "The camera angle, the snow... it's like trying to find a ghost."
Tori's fists clenched involuntarily, her nails digging crescents into her palms. Every dead end sharpened the thorn of responsibility that pricked at her conscience. She was tasked to protect, to serve, and yet here they were, chasing phantoms while a killer roamed free.
"Go through it again," she demanded, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Slow it down. We're missing something."
And so they scrutinized the footage once more. Tori's gaze flickered across the laptop screen, sharp and discerning, honed by years of fieldwork that had etched lines of resolve into her youthful face. The playback crawled, each frame a potential revelation, each second an eternity stretched thin. Her breaths came measured, disciplined even as her mind raced.
"Pause," she said abruptly.
On screen, amid the flurries of snow kicked up by Emily's descent, a wisp of color undulated like a serpent in the sky.
"Back it up." Tori's finger jabbed at the air, directing Javi's attention to the aberration. "There. You see that?"
Javi leaned in, his brow furrowing. "Looks like... could be fireworks?"
"I think you’re right," Tori added, her thoughts churning. It was an unusual detail, misplaced amidst the tranquility of the mountain. A symbol of celebration, yet here, its presence tasted bitter, laced with darker implications.
"Play on," she instructed, eyes locked onto the aberrant hues. The footage resumed, the colored streaks growing more pronounced, defiant against the grayness of the impending storm that loomed over them.
Then, chaos erupted. The avalanche descended like a beast unleashed, consuming all in its path, swallowing Emily's vibrant figure whole. Yet above the roar and the devastation, the flashes of color persisted, painting the sky with macabre jubilation.
"Son of a..." Javi's voice trailed off, horror-stricken, as he met Tori's gaze. The realization hit them both, cold and unyielding—this was no mere coincidence.
"Fireworks," Tori whispered, the word tasting like ash on her tongue. "Continuing even after..."
"Like they're celebrating," Javi completed her thought, his features hardening.
"Exactly." Tori's lips formed a tight line. "Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing," she continued, her sea-churned eyes reflecting a storm of emotions—anger, determination, duty. "Knew how to time it, knew how to cover their tracks."
"Knew how to mock their victim," Javi added, his fists clenched in solidarity.
They were dealing with a murderer who reveled in the spectacle of death—a harbinger of terror in a town unaccustomed to such cruelty. Tori's resolve hardened like ice; there would be no rest until the truth was unearthed and the guilty were held accountable.
"Let's keep digging," she said, the words resolute, her expression steely. The chase was on, and Tori, with her tempestuous eyes, was not one to back down from the storm.
Tori's mind raced as the implications of the fireworks became clear. This wasn't the work of an opportunistic thrill-seeker or a misguided prankster; the killer was methodical, intimately familiar with the deadly ballet of snow and gravity. The person they were after possessed not only the cold intent to kill but also the expertise to use the mountain itself as a weapon.
"Comfortable in chaos," she murmured, her voice almost lost in the hum of the viewing tent's electronics. "Familiar with death's dance." Tori's gaze fixed on the frozen image of the mountain on the laptop screen—a graveyard now. Her hands clenched involuntarily, imagining the sheer knowledge one would need to navigate, let alone orchestrate, such a catastrophe.
"Javi," she began, her tone low but carrying the weight of her deduction, "they didn’t just trigger the avalanche. They knew how to survive it, maybe even watch it happen."
"An expert in avalanches," Javi nodded, his eyes mirroring her own realization. "Someone who knows controlled demolitions too."
"Exactly." The word sliced through the tension between them, sharp and decisive. Tori stood up abruptly.
"Where's the deputy?" she asked, her voice urgent, slicing through the murmur of conversation and the whir of computer fans. Her eyes finally landed on the brown uniform weaving through the search teams outside the tent, the one who’d shown them to the viewing area—Deputy Harris, she recalled. As she approached him, her steps were purposeful.
"Deputy Harris," Tori said, her tone insistent yet composed. Her blue-gray eyes locked onto his, demanding attention. "I need information on anyone who’s worked in capacity as this town's avalanche control expert. Now."
The deputy turned to face her, his expression serious as he registered the urgency in her request. A flicker of discomfort flashed over his features, then he nodded.
"Of course, Agent," he the deputy replied, his voice steady despite the swirling tension around them. "Follow me."
Deputy Harris led Tori to a quiet corner of the viewing tent, away from the hum of activity. The confined space felt charged with an undercurrent of urgency that buzzed through the air. Tori's gaze was unyielding, her stance taut with anticipation as she watched the deputy’s face contort with discomfort before he abruptly spoke.
"I heard a rumor about you and your partner cornering the sheriff. First you want to put the precinct under the microscope, now you think it's the guys in mountain safety?" He shook his head, planting his hands on his hips. "I'm starting to think you're pulling at straws here."
Tori’s face hardened, her lips drawing in for a moment as she bit back a sharp reply. "I realize that this is a small town, a tight-knit region. I know you all look out for each other. But we have reason to believe the killer is an expert. They knew where to set their explosives to start an avalanche, and they knew how to avoid the snow's path. They stayed close enough to watch. This isn't just someone causing mayhem then fleeing. It's someone well-versed in the environment. Maybe geology. Someone who’s a professional. We can’t ignore that possibility, no matter whose name comes up.”
Harris's brow furrowed deeply, lines etching across his forehead like cracks in ice. His eyes flickered back and forth, indecision and memory wrestling as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, his gaze darting momentarily to the laptop screen where frozen frames of the mountain loomed silently, before returning to Tori's.
Putting a hand on the deputy’s shoulder, Tori tilted her head and met his eye. “This can’t go on. And every second we waste means the killer is preparing another mountain—another victim.”
"Let me just..." The deputy’s voice trailed off, fingers drumming against his thigh in a staccato rhythm. The silence stretched between them, filled only by the occasional crackle of radio static from elsewhere in the tent.
Letting go of the man, Tori shook her head. “Fine. We’ll find out on our own. You can deal with your own conscience when another young woman turns up frozen under an avalanche.”
"Wait," he said, the single word slicing into the tense quiet. "Yes, we brought someone in last year—an expert." His tone held a tremor, a blend of disbelief and dawning horror. "After the big snowstorm, we needed a specialist for controlled demolitions, avalanche prevention..."
Tori's heart hammered against her ribs in response, expectation mounting.
"Who is this expert?" Tori pressed, her voice edged with the steel of her resolve. The deputy's shock morphed into concern, reflecting the magnitude of what his recollection had unearthed.
"His name is..." Harris hesitated, the weight of consequence and lingering indecision heavy in his throat.
"Deputy," Tori interjected, her command unwavering, compelling him to speak.
"Karl Mercer," he finally released the name into the frigid air of the tent, his expression a complex tapestry of shock and concern.
"Mercer," she repeated softly, looking toward her partner as she did.
Javi nodded, his movements deliberate as he pulled out his phone, already making for the digital labyrinth of the FBI databases and for any information on the man using these mountains for murder.