Free Untraceable by Elizabeth Goddard

straight. “Radios don’t work out here.” Depended on the radio, of course.
    Zach shot a look at Rhea. Isaiah feared she would argue with him, try to convince Zach that Isaiah was the liar, but terror filled her eyes instead. The control this guy had over his people should be more than terrifying, but Isaiah hoped to use it to his advantage.
    Heidi tromped up behind him.
    His gut clenched.
    I told you to stay in the tent.
    He wanted to whirl on her and send her back, but he stood his ground. Didn’t move. Didn’t flinch. Didn’t act as if he cared.
    Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to fool Zach. The smirk that Isaiah was growing to hate filled out Zach’s face as he studied Heidi.
    “What was with the gunshot?” Isaiah hoped to distract him.
    “I fired off a shot to bring you back from wherever you’d gone, and to remind everyone who is in charge. And it worked. You showed up, and everyone is shaking in their snowshoes.”
    “Come here, sweetheart.” Zach motioned for Heidi to come closer.
    Isaiah almost threw his arm out to stop her. Push her behind him. But doing that would only put her in more danger. Zach was becoming drunk on his sense of power and the money he lugged around with him. Isaiah had to bide his time until he could take Zach down for good.
    Though he hated that someone had died, there was one less person for him to fight. When would Zach bring up his friend? Mourn his loss? Did he even care?
    Heidi hiked over to Zach, and Isaiah didn’t miss Rhea’s hateful look.
    Zach snatched her to him. Cade flinched at the same moment Isaiah stepped forward, reacting before he could catch himself. And that was the worst thing he could do. Zach would take that and run with it. Toy with them in painful ways Isaiah didn’t want to imagine.
    The man pulled her even closer and smelled her hair in an overly dramatic fashion. “I love the smell of lavender.”
    Zach’s gaze stabbed Isaiah. It took everything inside him not to take the bait.
    Isaiah clenched his teeth, squeezed his gloved fists and stared Zach down. They would have their moment to face off.
    “Rhea, bring me the radio.”
    Rhea glared at Zach and Heidi, but did as she was told, handing off the device.
    Isaiah thought he’d been as discreet as possible earlier when he’d tried to establish radio contact with the command center. Everyone had been snoring. He’d taken a risk, yes, but what else could he do? He’d lied when he’d said the radios don’t work here. Sometimes they did. Same with the SAT phones. It all depended on a lot of factors. But he still hadn’t been able to reach anyone.
    In the silent winter wonderland around him, in the terror of the scenario unfolding, his heartbeat resounded in his ears. Isaiah prayed hard. God, please. I know what I said earlier, begging You to let the radio work, but I want to reverse that request now.
    Zach tried the radio.
    They all listened to the static as the sun peeked over the mountains from the east.
    “If we have any chance of making the ice field, we don’t have time for games.” Cade dug their bags and packs filled with supplies and gear out of the snow. “Like Isaiah said, radios don’t always work out here. We’re in the mountains in a dead zone.”
    “Why’d you take the radio, then?”
    “I told you, I didn’t.” Okay, so that was a lie, but it was unavoidable. He stood his ground.
    Cutting Zach’s interrogation short, Isaiah ignored him and hiked over to help dig their gear out, keeping his head down. Cade was right to bring Zach’s focus back. Another storm could come through and bury them for good this time. They had to make it all the way out of this gap between the mountains that created another ferocious wind tunnel before it began all over again.
    When Isaiah knew that Zach had lost interest in grilling him about the radio, or using Heidi to taunt him, he blew out a breath. In his peripheral vision he saw Zach, Jason and Rhea breaking down the tents. He and