CHAPTER 7: WHAT THE SNOW HID

For one second, neither of them moved.

The empty room seemed unreal, as if Noelle might suddenly appear from behind the curtains laughing at her own joke.

But the overturned chair near the fireplace said otherwise.

One of the curtains had been pulled halfway down, and beside the window, a small red mitten lay on the floor.

Noelle’s mitten.

Sebastian crossed the room in two strides and picked it up.

His hand closed around it so tightly that his knuckles whitened.

Nyra watched him carefully. His face had gone still in a way that was more alarming than anger.

“Sebastian,” she said quietly.

He didn’t answer.

The silence around him felt sharp enough to cut.

Then he lifted his phone again and reread the message.

Midnight mass wasn’t the event. It was the invitation.

He inhaled once, slowly.

When he finally spoke, his voice was frighteningly calm.

“They had people inside before the shooting began.”

Nyra moved toward the window. Outside, snow fell harder now, thick white sheets swallowing the view of the lodge grounds.

“No signs of forced exit,” she said. “Which means whoever took her knew the building.”

Sebastian turned toward the door. “Security footage.”

They left the room immediately.

The corridor outside was crowded now—security staff, frightened guests, voices layered over one another.

Sebastian ignored all of it.

One of his men approached, tense. “Boss—”

“Later,” Sebastian cut in.

The man stepped aside instantly.

They reached the security office in less than a minute.

The guard at the monitor stood up quickly. “Sir—”

“Replay this corridor. Ten minutes ago.”

The footage rolled.

Nyra leaned forward, eyes fixed on the screen.

There—two guards outside the sitting room.

Then the lights flickered.

A man in staff uniform appeared from the service corridor, pushing a cart.

Normal.

Too normal.

He stopped beside the guards.

One second later, both guards dropped.

Injected.

Fast.

Before either could react, the man opened the sitting room door.

Noelle came into view.

She wasn’t struggling.

She looked up at him, said something, then walked out willingly.

Sebastian’s jaw tightened.

“He spoke to her,” Nyra said.

“He told her something she believed.”

The footage continued.

The man bent slightly so Noelle could climb onto the lower shelf of the service cart.

Then he covered it with folded linens and wheeled her away.

Clean. Efficient.

Professional.

Nyra looked at Sebastian. “No panic. No force. Whoever he is, he knew exactly how children respond.”

Sebastian’s expression darkened further.

“Freeze his face.”

The guard obeyed.

The image sharpened.

Nyra stared for a second longer.

“I know him.”

Sebastian looked at her immediately.

“Former courier,” she said. “Used to work under Viktor years ago. Quiet type. Good at blending in.”

“Name?”

“Leon.”

Sebastian’s gaze shifted back to the screen.

“Where would he take her?”

Nyra thought fast.

“If Viktor is involved, he won’t stay inside the main lodge. Too exposed.”

“One of the cabins?”

“No.” She shook her head. “Too obvious.”

A pause.

Then both of them understood at the same time.

“The old service station,” Nyra said.

Behind the lodge, half buried in snow, there was an abandoned maintenance building once used for ski equipment storage.

Far enough to stay hidden.

Close enough for control.

Sebastian was already moving.

“Seal every exit,” he ordered his men. “Nobody enters or leaves the property.”

His tone left no room for questions.

Nyra followed him into the storm.

The cold hit immediately.

Snow crunched under their boots as they crossed the rear grounds of the lodge.

The wind had sharpened, carrying frozen air hard enough to sting exposed skin.

“Three possible entries,” Nyra said as they moved. “Front door, side hatch, rear loading access.”

“Leon won’t expect all three covered.”

She glanced at him. “You planning this with me now?”

“I’m listening because you’re right.”

“That’s new.”

“This is not the moment.”

Despite everything, the corner of her mouth almost moved.

The service building came into view through the snow—dark, low, half hidden under ice and shadow.

No visible movement.

Too quiet.

Sebastian raised a hand, stopping her.

“I go first.”

Nyra looked at him as if he’d said something ridiculous.

“No.”

“If they hear two entries, they move her.”

“And if you go in alone, they trap you.”

He turned toward her fully.

“This isn’t negotiable.”

“Neither is this,” she shot back. “You’re not the only one who cares whether she comes out alive.”

The words landed harder than either expected.

For half a second, neither spoke.

Then Sebastian exhaled once.

“Side door together,” he said.

That was the closest thing to compromise she was getting.

They moved carefully along the wall.

The side hatch was half frozen shut.

Sebastian forced it open slowly.

Inside, darkness.

Cold metal shelves.

Old tools.

And voices.

A child’s voice first.

Noelle.

“...I said my dad is scary, so this is not smart.”

Nyra’s chest loosened for the first time since the room.

Then a man laughed softly.

Leon.

Sebastian entered first, weapon raised.

Nyra followed.

The room opened wider inside than expected—old machinery, crates, hanging chains.

Noelle sat on a wooden chair near the center, hands tied loosely in front of her.

Leon stood beside her.

Another man near the far wall.

Both armed.

Leon smiled when he saw them.

“Right on time.”

Sebastian’s gun never lowered.

“You have three seconds.”

Leon looked down at Noelle.

“Your father really is dramatic.”

Noelle frowned. “I told you.”

Nyra almost would have laughed if the situation had been different.

“Untie her,” Sebastian said.

Leon tilted his head. “Viktor says he wants conversation first.”

“Viktor isn’t here,” Nyra said coldly.

“No,” Leon agreed. “But he likes anticipation.”

The second man shifted his weapon.

That tiny movement was enough.

Sebastian fired first.

The shot hit the man’s shoulder before he could aim properly.

Chaos exploded.

Leon shoved Noelle sideways and fired back.

Nyra moved immediately, knocking over a steel stand for cover as bullets struck metal.

“Noelle!” Sebastian shouted.

“I’m okay!” came her voice from behind a crate.

Leon ran for the rear exit.

Nyra saw him first.

“He’s leaving!”

She sprinted after him through the back opening into the snow.

Outside, visibility was worse now.

Leon slipped once but kept running.

Nyra caught him near the side wall, forcing him hard into packed snow.

He swung at her.

She ducked, drove her elbow into his ribs, and knocked the gun free.

Inside, another shot echoed.

Then silence.

Leon laughed breathlessly even with her knee pressed against him.

“You’re too late.”

Her grip tightened. “Where is Viktor?”

He grinned through blood. “Closer than you think.”

Back inside, Sebastian had already cut Noelle’s wrists free.

She launched herself into him instantly.

His arms wrapped around her so tightly it looked like he might never let go.

“You okay?” he asked, voice rough.

“I told him kidnapping was rude.”

He actually shut his eyes for one second, forehead against her hair.

Then opened them again when Nyra came back inside dragging Leon.

“No injuries?” she asked Noelle.

“I’m fine,” Noelle said, then looked at Sebastian. “He was angrier than you.”

Nyra dropped Leon to the floor.

Sebastian stood slowly, still holding Noelle with one arm.

Leon looked up and smiled despite the situation.

“He said tonight was only the beginning.”

Sebastian stepped closer.

“Where is Viktor?”

Leon said nothing.

Then smiled wider.

The lights above flickered once.

Nyra saw it first.

“Move!”

She grabbed Noelle just as Sebastian turned.

An explosion tore through the rear side of the building.

Metal screamed.

Wood shattered.

Snow burst inward.

The force threw all of them forward.

For a second there was only sound—violent, deafening sound.

Then smoke.

Dust.

Cold air.

Nyra coughed, holding Noelle against her.

Sebastian pushed himself up immediately.

“You hurt?”

“I’m okay,” Noelle said weakly.

Sebastian’s eyes moved to Nyra.

She nodded once.

Alive.

Leon, however, was gone.

The blast had opened the rear wall enough for escape.

Sebastian stared through the smoke into the snow beyond.

Nothing visible.

Only storm.

Nyra looked too.

“He planned that,” she said.

“Yes.”

“He wanted us here.”

Sebastian’s jaw hardened.

“And now he knows exactly how far he can reach.”

Noelle looked between them.

“Can we please go somewhere that people stop exploding?”

Neither answered immediately.

Because for the first time that night, both understood something far worse than the kidnapping itself.

Viktor had not just taken Noelle.

He had tested them.

And he had learned they would break every rule for each other.

Outside, the snow kept falling.

And somewhere in it, Viktor was still watching.