WHITEOUT: Above And Beyond (Beauty 0f Life Book 10)

by Laura Acton

  Loki’s head bowed, and a single tear ran down his cheek, realizing Dan left because he tried to escape his torturers. “Please, Lord, bring help soon. Dan’s endured too much and deserves to experience the beauty of life now.”

  Unexpected Help

  28

  November 24

  Ski Lodge – Main Entrance – 2:10 p.m.

  I made it! Scott sighed as the ski lodge loomed in front of him. Reaching his destination took much longer than anticipated. A little over seven hours since he left the cabin, but now he would be able to get help to Dan soon.

  After stopping the snowmobile, he switched off the ignition and pocketed the keys. He pulled the old cane which Landry lent him from where he tucked it between his back and rucksack. Easing off the Ski-Doo, Scott braced himself against the wind. The morphine’s analgesic effects had diminished, and now his thigh throbbed so severely that walking became exceedingly difficult. Slower than he wished, he trudged through knee-deep drifts to the lodge door.

  When he pushed open the door, various muffled groans and yells to shut the damned door greeted him as ice-cold air and snow blew into the warm and toasty lodge. With effort, Scott closed the over-sized door and limped inside. He halted, then tugged off his goggles and face mask. Peering around the room, Scott noted at least two dozen people, each holding a steaming mug of something, turned curious eyes towards him.

  Unsure who might be in charge, and unable to walk much further, his leg threatening to buckle, Scott announced loudly to those gathered, “I need to contact emergency personnel.”

  Surprised anyone dared be out in this potentially deadly storm, Bob Albertson, the lodge’s manager, came forward. “What’s the problem?”

  Leaning heavily on the doc’s white oak cane, Scott said, “I have a medical emergency. My—”

  “We have a person trained in basic first-aid. How are you hurt?” Bob interrupted, noticing the pain lines etched in the handsome face and the use of a walking stick. He increased his pace to the injured man.

  “Not me. My cousin. He’s in bad shape and needs a med-evac. We’re staying at Emmett Haley’s cabin.” Scott eyed a chair across the room, needing to sit but uncertain he would be able to take another step without falling. He sucked in a breath and forced himself to stand, relying on the cane to keep him upright. Scott went on to describe Dan’s condition and requested to use the phone.

  Ski Lodge – Near Fireplace

  Nestled warmly by the fireplace, far away from, but still within view of the entrance, Willow nudged Mindy. “Hey, isn’t that Dan’s twin cousin Scott?”

  Mindy peered at the blond man favoring a leg as he spoke with the manager. “You sure that isn’t Dan? He’s the one with the hurt leg.”

  “No, can’t be Dan, there’s no cut on his head.”

  Confused, Ron asked, “What do you mean? Twins can’t be cousins.”

  Willow smiled at the handsome ski patrolman she hooked up with to warm her bed during the storm. “Ronnie, do you recall the poor guy I accidentally ran into on the slope?”

  Ron nodded.

  “Well, Dan and Scott might look like identical twins, but they’re actually cousins. Scott’s older and married.”

  Miffed and believing the hot Italian lied to her when Scott appeared, Mindy grumbled, “Loki said they didn’t book rooms at the resort.”

  Striding over to Mindy, a tall, muscular college student stopped and handed her a mug of hot chocolate. He overheard part of the conversation and had been close enough to the door to catch some of the newcomer’s words too, so shared what he learned with the others. “He’s not staying here. Apparently, someone needs a doctor. Must be serious because the dude risked his life skiing twenty or so miles to find help.”

  “Christ! I’m gonna go ask if they need my help.” Ron stood.

  “You can’t leave me to go into the freezing weather,” Willow pouted.

  Ron peered down at Willow. Though fun for a few days, she turned out to be shallow, clingy, and needy. Being snowed in with nothing to do resulted in hanging around her longer than he would’ve normally. But now there might be an opportunity to ditch her. In the tone he used to deal with difficult people, he stated, “Duty calls. My employer doesn’t pay me to sit around all day.”

  “But he’s not a guest, Ronnie.” Willow reached out to grab his arm.

  Ron shrugged out of Willow’s grasp as he inwardly cringed. His ex-wife, a controlling witch who ran off with a surfer saying she preferred beaches to snow, called him Ronnie, and he hated the name now. As Ron hurried away from Willow and toward the man leaning on a cane, he noted Scott’s death warmed over appearance, so snagged a chair and dragged it with him.

  Ski Lodge – Main Entrance

  Setting the chair behind Scott, Ron said, “Take a seat, you appear tired enough to drop. We haven’t been introduced, but I pointed your cousin Dan to the first-aid shack after Willow crashed into him. I’m Ron Jenkins, head of the resort’s ski patrol. How can I help?”

  Scott winced as he gingerly lowered into the welcome chair. “Thanks. I’m Scott Broderick. I was telling Bob I need to call for help for Dan.”

  Bob turned his worried expression on Ron. “I informed Scott the landlines and cell towers are down. Nothing’s getting through on the CB either.”

  “The ranger station has a satellite phone,” Ron offered.

  “How far is the station?” Scott’s hand involuntarily rubbed his aching thigh.

  “About twelve miles.” Ron glanced down, wondering what caused his injury because Scott had not shown any signs of needing a cane while skiing a few days ago. And the white oak staff looked familiar to him. Doc Landry used one like it before Maisie gifted him a hand-carved one on their last anniversary.

  Scott pulled out his map. “Show me where.”

  Ron pointed to the location. “You’re in no shape to ski there.”

  Pushing himself to a standing position and wobbling, Scott responded, “Not gonna ski. Borrowed Dr. Craig’s snowmobile.”

  With a shake of his head, Ron remarked, “No, you’re too exhausted to go the distance, even riding a snowmobile.”

  Scott’s tone came out harsh and determined as his eyes flashed icy heat. “Not letting my cousin die. I’ll make it.”

  Ron put up his hands defensively. “Whoa, not saying you shouldn’t go. Only suggesting an alternative plan. We can use the resort’s six-passenger snowcat. Faster than Doc Landry’s ancient snowmobile, and equipped with a heated cab. I can drive us there in less time, and you wouldn’t freeze to death.”

  Scott sunk into the chair. His prayers answered with unexpected help. Aware helicopters couldn’t operate in these winds, he still worried if he contacted rescue services, they wouldn’t arrive in time. Another idea came to him. “What’s its top speed, and how far is the nearest hospital?”

  Bob interjected with the details, “Twenty miles per hour.” He tapped the map lying on Scott’s lap. “And the local hospital is right here.”

  Doing the calculations, Scott mumbled, “If we go directly to the cabin, backtrack eight, and take the route to the hospital that is another twelve. God willing, I can have Dan to a hospital in a little over two hours.”

  Scott peered at Ron. “Can we leave now?”

  Ron put a hand on Scott’s shoulder. In a concerned yet authoritative tone, he declared, “You rest while I suit up and bring the snowcat to the main entrance. Only take me about fifteen minutes.”

  Turning to Ron, Bob smiled. “Go. We’ll take care of Scott while you prepare.” Bob called to one of his staff and instructed, “Nancy, please go to the kitchen and fetch something warm for Scott to eat and drink. Ask Winston to grab the first aid kit too.”

  Scott sighed. “Thanks.”

  Ron rushed to his room to dress appropriately and obtain his snowshoes since they would keep him from slogging through the deep drifts while traipsing to the garage.

  A few minutes later, Nancy brought Scott a plate filled with poutine mon
key bread, packed with chunks of country-style biscuits, cheese curds, and savory chicken gravy along with a bowl of steaming lobster corn chowder, a mug of coffee, and a glass of water. She moved a small table to him, so he did not need to rise. The room fairly buzzed with excitement as the news of what was going on spread like wildfire among the bored guests.

  Bob kept all the guests away from Scott so he could eat in peace. As Scott finished the chowder, Bob observed the young man pull out a bottle, shake two pills out, pop them into his mouth, and chase them with water. Pulling over another chair, Bob sat to keep Scott company. “Are you in pain?”

  “I’ll survive. Thanks for all your assistance and the food.”

  Bob scanned the man, noting his military haircut and bearing. “Army, Navy, or Air Force?”

  Scott swallowed the last mouthful of his coffee. “Navy.”

  A smiling Nancy refilled his mug as Bob shared, “Airman myself, years ago. Are you any relation to Colonel Ryan Broderick?”

  “He’s my uncle.”

  “Dan’s father?”

  “No, sir. That would be General Broderick of Special Forces.”

  Bob’s eyebrows raised. “Wow, a real military family. Your father in the service too?”

  “Yeah. He’s a Navy commander, and my other uncle is a major in the Army. Could say it’s the family business.” Scott chuckled.

  Aware he was prying, but attempting to distract Scott from his worries, Bob inquired, “Dan in the military too?”

  “Nah, he’s the black sheep.” Scott laughed before clarifying. “He served in JTF2, but when his second tour ended, he left to join the Toronto TRF.”

  Relaxing as he spoke about bits and pieces of his family, Scott finished his poutine just as the main door opened, and Ron came stamping in and called out, “Ready when you are.”

  Scott pulled on his face mask and gloves. He shook hands with Bob, who wished them luck and speed. Ron grabbed his arm when he swayed a little and assisted his climb into the snowcat.

  Snowcat Arriving at Cabin – 3:20 p.m.

  Ron grinned at Scott as he slowed the fully-tracked vehicle when the bright headlights illuminated the cabin. “We made excellent time. Think I got her up to twenty-five miles per hour.”

  Distracted and worried about Dan, Scott absently answered, “I only hope Danny is hanging in there. It took me way too long to return, and he is still an hour away from medical assistance.”

  “If Dan’s anything like what you described, or like you, he’ll be tough enough to hang on. I still can’t believe you skied fifteen miles in this whiteout. Been on this mountain since I was fourteen, and in the past ten years, I never experienced a storm quite like this.

  “Thank goodness you reached the Craigs’ place, and Landry patched you up. Their snowmobile is unreliable at best, so another plus that the thing worked. Tried several times, but I can’t talk them into buying a new one.”

  Ron halted the snowcat as close to Haley’s cabin as possible and unlatched his seatbelt. He left it running so the interior would remain warm. “Hang tight a moment. I’ll come around and help you down. That leg of yours ain’t gonna hold you up too well.”

  Scott unbuckled before pulling on his gloves. “Thanks, Ron. Appreciate all the unexpected help. Remember what I told you about Loki. Don’t be surprised if he bowls you over.”

  Ron laughed as he tugged his full-face mask down and opened the door. He looked forward to meeting Loki and Dan. The hour drive here had been rather interesting. Scott’s tales about Dan and Loki enlightened him and passed the time. Going around to the passenger side, Ron helped Scott down and to the cabin door.

  Cabin – Main Room

  When the lights alerted him of the impending arrival of someone, hopefully, Scott, Loki began to dress Dan. Unable to gauge the time available to him, he started with socks, then slipped the sweatpants on while keeping Dan’s torso covered. Luckily, he managed to clothe the lower half, successfully protecting Dan’s modesty from whoever might be entering.

  He rocked back and sat on his heels, after cautiously tucking the blanket around Dan’s legs right before the door opened and brought a blast of frigid air in with snowflakes. Turning to find out if Scott was among those who entered, he beamed with relief as Scott lifted his mask. “Thank God you’re back!”

  As Ron shut the cabin’s door behind him, Scott hobbled in several steps, halted, and asked, “How is Dan?”

  “Bad, real bad. He crawled outside when I went to the bathroom. If I took a moment longer, he might’ve frozen to …” Loki rubbed his face trying to dispel the negative thoughts. He did not want to say … death.

  Scott noted Danny on the floor instead of where he was on the pull-out bed when he left this morning. Limping forward, he used the wooden cane as leverage as he lowered to his knees near Dan. The aspirin he took for the pain at the lodge was as effective on his agony as using a bottle cap to scoop water out of a sinking ship, but Scott ignored his own discomfort as he reached a hand out to brush Danny’s flushed cheek, needing the physical contact. “How long was he out there?”

  “Long enough for his lips to take on a bluish hue. He hasn’t roused since … which in a way is better. He’s been inundated with bizarre and terrifying hallucinations. I believe Dan’s excursion was an attempted escape from the place where the terrorists tortured him. I have a button-down shirt, jacket, and gloves set out, but I need a hand dressing him, so I don’t reinjure his shoulder.”

  As Scott shifted to assist, a hiss escaped.

  In his excitement to see Scott, Loki failed to notice the cane but did so when Scott hissed. “What happened? Are you okay?”

  Scott nodded. “Yeah. Don’t worry about me. Only stiff from skiing.”

  Ron came further into the room and held out his hand to Loki, who still knelt on the ground. “I remember you from the slopes. I’m Ron Jenkins.”

  Loki shook the offered hand. “The ski patrol guy from when Dan hit his head on the tree?”

  “That’s me.” Ron smiled. He peered at Dan for a moment, wondering about Loki’s comment about torture. He pushed that away and turned his attention to Scott. “Let me give you a hand up, and you can sit on the bed while I help Loki dress Dan. Then he and I can put your cousin in the snowcat, and I’ll come back for you since you can barely walk now.”

  As Ron slipped his hands under Scott’s armpits and lifted, Scott grimaced, and a low moan eked out as he hobbled to the couch bed and sat.

  “Stiff my ass. What’s going on with you?” Loki glared at Scott.

  Ron shared before Scott could explain, “He impaled his thigh with his pole after skiing for five hours in this godforsaken storm. He’s lucky to be alive. If it weren’t for Landry and Maisie, he would’ve been dead.”

  His concern spiking, Loki blew out a harsh breath. “Lily’s going to murder me for letting you go.”

  Gaining control over his pain, sitting less uncomfortable than kneeling, Scott half-laughed. “You’re gonna be standing in line. She’s gonna kill me first.” Using a diversion technique which seemed to be a Broderick staple, Scott said, “You packed our stuff. Smart. Let’s dress Dan and load up. There is a small hospital about an hour away.”

  “Okay. Toss Dan’s shirt to me. Ron, we need to be careful with his right shoulder. It dislocated earlier, and I might’ve done more damage when I dragged him back inside.” Loki lowered the blanket.

  Ron’s eyes almost bugged out at the sight of Dan’s chest. “Son of a biscuit! What caused—” Ron abruptly halted when both men scowled at him. He swallowed hard. “Sorry, just … oh!” He understood Loki’s torture remark. Clamping his mouth shut, he took a knee to help with Dan’s clothing.

  He glimpsed Dan’s back, and though not a violent man, Ron wanted to seek retribution for what he viewed. Whoever did this to Dan needed to be six feet under. Once the top clothing was on, he rose. “I’ll load the bags first. We want to keep him out of the elements for as long as possible.”

  Loki reali
zed his anger had been misplaced and offered an apology. “Sorry for scowling at you.”

  “I understand. I’m protective of those I care about too.” Ron picked up two bags and headed for the door.

  “I’ll give you a hand in a moment so we can leave sooner.” Loki slipped on Dan’s gloves, stood, and grabbed a few items.

  Scott peered at Dan, who remained in the clutches of a fever-induced sleep, which might be best for now, especially if he continued to experience nightmarish delusions. He sighed and rubbed his thigh. “We make quite a pair, don’t we, Doppelganger? Some vacation? Bet Loki’s phobia of the woods isn’t gonna subside any time soon, particularly after all this.”

  Catching Butterflies

  29

  November 24

  Snowcat En Route to Hospital – 4:35 p.m.

  Dan’s head lay nestled in Scott’s lap in the backseat as the elder cousin’s eyes stared out at the darkness lost in his thoughts. Torn between a fierce need to maintain control, and his desire to release pent-up tears, Scott’s emotions rode a roller coaster. Though going out in this storm had been foolhardy and almost cost him his life, he would do it again without hesitation to save Dan.

  His attention returned to his cousin when he let out a soft moan and shifted on the seat for the fifth time. Picking up the damp rag, Scott gently wiped Dan’s face. “Shush, now.” When he settled again, Scott adjusted the blanket.

  The elevated temperature, evident in the heat radiating off Dan, deepened Scott’s concern for Danny, hoping he didn’t experience any more terrifying deliriums. In the first few minutes of the drive, Loki expounded on what happened after he dragged Dan back inside and shared some details of the day. Though, Scott surmised not all the experiences were a by-product of the other hallucinations. Scott wanted to apologize to Loki for enduring that alone. And his heart ached for Dan to be mentally stuck in that hell hole again.