Chapter One – Nicholas
WHEN ALONE in the snow-covered mountains, peace prevailed. Outside noise fled, and silence was a constant companion. It wrapped its cold arms around all it touched, offering the feeling of being the only person to have ever walked the path before you.
To Nicholas, it was paradise.
He smirked. Funny how those feelings reversed in an abandoned building. There was something sinister about a structure that was obviously erected at great expense, then simply left unused. And in the dark of night? Well, the mind played tricks, asking what monster skulked through the corridors just waiting to sink its greedy claws into unprotected flesh.
Nicholas was that monster.
Satisfied he heard only one beating heart, he crept forward. After dodging barbed-wire fencing, he pushed his way through thick foliage, moving soundlessly toward the towering, decrepit warehouse. Finding an unlocked side entrance, he slipped into the building.
It had been allowed to fall into disrepair and suffered from vandalism. Trash littered the floor, and every window he passed had been shattered. Broken beams of moonlight fought the darkness as Nicholas walked the maze of twisting corridors toward the open, main floor.
As he drew closer, he expanded his senses. Good. All he heard was the one beating heart in all the silence, along with the stench of cigarettes now. Good gods, such a nasty habit. But it did have its uses—like disguising scent. He lifted his hand, and a rather strong blast of Arctic air flooded the immediate area.
“Fucking hell! Dammit, Frost.”
