Unleash the Passion

by Karen Kelley

  “Without a safety harness of any kind? There’s no way we’re going to let you even attempt it.” Nash looked as if he was ready to argue with me the rest of the day.

  “He’s right,” Don said. “We’ll figure out something.”

  I socked my fists on my hips. “Fine. I’ll give someone an hour to think of a better plan, but if they don’t, I’m going to go up the side of the mountain whether you like it or not.”

  Nash walked nearer until he was standing right in front of me. “If I have to tie you up, then I will, but you are not going to attempt to climb the side of the mountain. You don’t even have a safety rope.”

  He was really starting to piss me off.

  He glared at me. I glared right back.

  “I’ll sit on you if I have to,” he warned.

  “Okay, fine. Find another way out, but if you don’t, then you have to at least let me try.”

  “Okay, we can do that,” Nash said.

  Why did I have a feeling he was lying through his teeth. There was no way he was going to give me a chance to climb the mountain.

  “He’s right,” Rachel said.

  Her face was pale. I knew she was thinking about her husband’s fall. I reached over and squeezed her arm.

  Nash looked around at the group. “If we can’t find another way out, I’ll try the climb.”

  Don raised his eyebrows. “You’ve never attempted anything of that magnitude. It would be like when you attempted the class six rapids. You’d crash and burn.”

  “But I have climbed harder than this,” I reiterated. At this rate, we’d be here until we were so starved that I wouldn’t have the stamina to make the climb.

  “I order you not to even think about doing something so idiotic,” Nash warned.

  He ordered me? Ordered me! “Okay, fine,” I ground out.

  The others agreed to try the river. They planned to go as far as possible, then reevaluate.

  “What direction is town?” I asked, looking toward the river.

  “North. Always north. About a two day hike, if we can find a way out,” Don said.

  I nodded.

  And when everyone made it to the river, maybe the sky would open and shine bright sunshine down on us and angels would begin to sing. Nash had already said there was no way out except up. Dammit, I was an experienced climber. I could do this. No one cared to listen to my plan, which was pretty simple: climb the fucking mountain, go get help.

  We agreed to meet back at the campfire in twenty minutes.

  I hurried to my tent, knowing what I had to do. I slipped my phone and my flashlight in my pocket. No service here, but I might have some closer to town. If I made the climb. I put on my water shoes. I figured they’d give me the best traction. I wasn’t just a good rock climber. I was a damned good rock climber.

  I had a sling-over-my-shoulder satchel, I added things I might need, but wouldn’t weigh me down.

  I raised the flap on my tent just enough to glance outside. All clear. If I stayed close to the trees and brush, I should have coverage in case someone was looking around. I slipped out of my tent and made my way toward the sheer cliff. I knew I had to hurry.

  Once there, I walked along the base of the mountain, looking up to judge the best place to begin. I didn’t want to get halfway up and realize there were no handholds and have to come back down. I really doubted Nash would let me out of his sight after that. When I found the perfect spot, I turned and looked toward the tents that were mostly hidden from my view. I had to do this. They were my friends now, and I never let my friends down.

  I took a deep breath, and faced the mountain.

  My nemesis.

  I am woman.

  I will conquer.

  And if I failed. I would die. I really didn’t want to fucking die.

  Chapter 11

  Nash

  Where the hell was she? The others were already gathered. I looked at Rachel. “Bathroom?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe. You want me to check?”

  “Five more minutes.” I really didn’t think she would hold the group up if she didn’t have to, but the minutes slowly ticked by. I finally nodded to Rachel. Unease worked its way through me. Surely she wouldn’t be stupid enough to disobey my order.

  Rachel returned a few minutes later, her face pale. “She wasn’t where we usually...uh...go. I called her name, but nothing.”

  My gut twisted. “Son of a bitch,” I muttered and turned toward the mountain.

  “Surely she wouldn’t try a climb like that,” Don said. “Especially after you ordered her not to.”

  I glanced over my shoulder. “That’s precisely why I think she would. Stubborn damned woman.” I strode toward the mountain, skidding to a stop when I spotted her. My heart jumped to my throat. She was high enough that I wouldn’t be able to pull her down. I began striding forward again, jerking out of my backpack, and letting it fall to the ground.

  “Come down, Makenna,” I called out to her.

  She paused, but didn’t look down at me. “Not happening. I can do this.”

  I got a hand hold, then a foothold, and began to climb. I only made it a few feet before I lost my grip and began to slide back down. Hiking boots weren’t made for rock climbing. I sat on the ground and began removing them.

  “She looks as if she knows what she’s doing,” Don said.

  “It doesn’t matter,” I told him. “She doesn’t have a safety rope. If she manages to get very high, then slips, the fall will probably kill her.” I came to my feet, got another hold, and began climbing again. I made it a little farther this time before I missed another hold and came sliding back down. The rock burned my arms like a son of a bitch.

  “It’s no good,” Don said, grabbing my arm. “You know as well as I do that none of us can do it. We’ve scaled mountains before, but nothing like this. We’re still amateurs. Makenna said she would surprise us. I think she has.”

  “You mean if she doesn’t fall and kill herself?”

  “Look at her,” Don said with frustration. “This isn’t the first time she’s climbed. She’s not rushing up the side. She’s taking her time, weighing her options.”

  When I didn’t say anything, Don continued.

  “I don’t think you’re giving her enough credit. She’s damned good.” He studied me for a moment. “Or maybe you care a little too much?”

  “She’s my responsibility,” I ground out. Of course I didn’t care any more than that. Yeah, I wanted to get her in bed, but that was different.

  “She’s part of the group,” Don reminded me. “We all do what we have to do when it comes to survival. Besides, you’ll never catch up to her. You’ll only get hurt, or worse, get yourself killed, then where would the group be? We need you here.”

  “He’s right,” Rachel said. I heard the fear in her voice and knew she remembered the day her husband fell.

  “Fine,” I finally said, knowing when to give up. I watched Makenna climb. Don was right, this clearly wasn’t her first time. But even experienced climbers could make one misstep and come plunging down. I had a feeling she wouldn’t stop until she made it to the top. Or died trying. It was the latter that had my gut in knots.

  She lost her footing, hanging on by her fingertips.

  I stepped forward. My heart began skipping beats.

  She swung her body until her feet reached just enough of a ledge that she could get a foot hold, then brought her hands over to another handhold and continued, sometimes going sideways as the holds presented themselves, but always inching upward.

  A foot higher, then another.

  I knew I wouldn’t be able to catch her if she fell. She was too high now, and getting higher all the time.

  I hadn’t prayed in a long time, but I did now.

  And I continued to watch her slowly make her ascent as everyone else went back to camp. I had a feeling the stress was too much.

  Stubborn damn woman. I knew I shouldn’t have brought her. My dick outtho
ught my brain.

  Don shoved a protein bar at me. “Eat.”

  “Not hungry,” I said, never taking my gaze off Makenna.

  “You haven’t eaten all day,” he said.

  I frowned and glanced at my watch. Where had the day gone? Then it hit me. My insides began to churn.

  I shook my head as the sick feeling inside me increased. “She’s not going to make it up the side before it gets dark, is she?”

  “No,” he quietly confirmed.

  I suddenly felt as if I was going to throw up. If she was trapped on the side of the mountain after dark, she would die, or be so exhausted by morning that she wouldn’t be able to finish. Either way, she was fucked.

  “Maybe she’ll realize she can’t make it, and start back down,” Don said.

  My gut said that would never happen. “Not Makenna. She’s the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met. She would never think about stopping. The mountain challenged her.” And I knew I’d challenged her when I ordered her not to even try. If something happened to her, this was my fault.

  Rachel silently joined us. She might not have said anything, but I could feel her anxiety. One by one, they all joined me to watch.

  “She’s really high,” Scotty said, sounding as sick as I felt.

  “She said she was experienced,” Jared reminded us. “She’s done well so far.”

  “It’ll be dark soon,” Rachel’s voice trembled.

  I had a feeling she wasn’t thinking about Makenna as much as she was remembering that her husband had fallen, then later died from his injuries.

  Dusk settled over us.

  A small beam of light appeared on the side of the mountain. I frowned as I stared up at it. It took a moment to realize she’d taken a small flashlight with her. “Dammit, she knew she wouldn’t be able to scale the mountain before it grew dark, and still she went.”

  “She said she was experienced, and she went prepared.” Don was grinning.

  I was pretty sure he felt as relieved as the rest of us that she had thought to take a flashlight. “She’s still only three quarters of the way up. It’ll be harder in the dark.”

  I don’t think anyone thought about leaving, no matter the outcome. They were there to support her. We all watched as the light inched its way up. Slowly, methodically.

  “She’ll make it,” Jared tried to reassure me as the night moved to the early hours of morning, but still casting us in darkness.

  “Yeah, of course she will,” I agreed. I refused to believe she wouldn’t.

  “She has to be getting near the top,” Rachel said.

  We were all watching the side of the mountain when the little light that had been moving steadily upward, suddenly began to move downward. I knew it was falling fast, but to me, it fell in slow motion. I jumped to my feet.

  “Oh my God,” Rachel gasped and sank to the ground sobbing.

  “No!” I yelled. The sound echoed in the silence.

  My heart stopped when I saw the flashlight falling down the side of the mountain. All I could think about was how this was my fault. I looked around at the group, hoping that what I’d seen wasn’t true. Rachel was crying. Chris began to throw up. Don and Jared muttered curses.

  So it had happened. I needed to find her...body. I couldn’t move. My feet didn’t want to take me to her, because I knew she was dead. There was no way in hell anyone could survive that kind of fall. Still, I forced my legs to move forward.

  I drew closer to the area where she would’ve landed. “Makenna?” I don’t know why I said her name. She wasn’t going to answer. I wanted to yell out at the injustice of it all. The idiot who’d used the dynamite to block our exit, and God for letting Makenna fall to her death.

  “Maybe she’s not dead, only hurt,” Rachel said as if she were in the daze.

  I knew she wasn’t thinking straight. She started past me. I grabbed her arm to stop her.

  “No one could survive that fall.”

  I dreaded when it would be light enough to see. I wasn’t sure I could even look at her broken body. I willed the sun not to come up, but it did. By that time, the others had joined me, ready to search the underbrush.

  Chapter 12

  Makenna

  “Well fuck!” I mumbled as I pulled myself the rest of the way over the side of the mountain and laid there. Stupid flashlight. I’d held it in my mouth to light my way all that time, and it felt as if my damn jaw had locked. Now I know how a prostitute who made her money on her knees felt. I’d transferred the light to my hands, and it had slipped from my cramped fingers.

  I wiggled out of my satchel and rolled to my back, staring at the darkness that surrounded me. I trembled from head to feet. I don’t think my body had ever ached this much, or that I’d been this exhausted. Talk about pushing yourself to the limits of your endurance.

  About halfway up the side of the mountain, my arms and legs began to cramp, and I was pretty sure that my fingers were raw. I had been in so much fucking pain, but every time I’d thought about giving up, I pictured everyone in the group. I had to keep going.

  I made it, though. I grinned. Nash certainly couldn’t say I was soft now. I told him I would have him eating crow.

  I moved to a sitting position, stretching my arms out in front of me, easing the ache in my back. Rice Krispies had nothing on me. Every time I moved I snapped, crackled, or popped.

  It was a good thing it would be daylight soon. If I didn’t keep moving, I’d probably have spasms. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be going anywhere until then.

  Stupid flashlight.

  I would have to make sure that I stopped tonight before it got too late. The last thing I wanted to do was stumble around in the dark and step on a rattlesnake or something. That would suck.

  Right now, I didn’t care about anything except taking a breather. I took a long drink of water, then brought out one of the two protein bars I’d brought with me. I chewed slowly and only ate half, just in case I was on the trail longer than I expected.

  The sun suddenly burst above the horizon casting an orange glow across the sky. I looked toward the camp, but didn’t see anyone moving about. I caught some movement closer to the mountain. They looked as if they were searching for something. I yelled out to them, but they apparently didn’t hear me, so I picked up a small rock and tossed it toward them. I still didn’t get their attention. I picked up another rock and threw it toward Nash, then bit my bottom lip when I almost hit him. That was close. This high up hitting someone with a rock could do some damage.

  I watched as he glanced around, then looked up. I waved both hands at him. He said something to the others, and they stepped away from the mountain, also looking up. Then Rachel began jumping up and down and clapping her hands while the others waved wildly.

  It was Nash who kept my attention. Once he’d spotted me, it was as if I was the only one he saw. His gaze never wavered away from me. I waved back at them, then pointed toward the sun, then waved again to let them know I was leaving now. Still, for a moment I couldn’t move. These people had become my lifeline, now I was separated from them, but I knew they still had a tight hold on me. I wouldn’t let them down.

  The burning in my fingers didn’t go away. I studied them. I was right, they were raw, but I knew they would heal. I carefully brought out my compass and found North, then came to my feet. I had a feeling it was going to be a long day.

  As the morning stretched, I felt as if I was the only person in the world. If we ever had an apocalypse, I knew what it would feel like. If I didn’t run into a wild animal who thought I would make a great meal, I should be okay.

  Or the person who set off the dynamite. Hopefully, it was just some asshole fooling around, and not someone who intentionally wanted to harm us. As I walked, I thought about Eric. He was a bastard, but I still didn’t think he would go to this length to take his revenge just because I’d divorced him. Besides, he should still have plenty of money, if he managed it right.

  When the sun wa
s almost directly overhead, I stopped for lunch, sitting on a fallen log. I ate the rest of my protein bar, and drank a little more of my water. When I checked my phone, I still didn’t have service. I would love to be able to punch in 911 and get some help. I had a feeling it wouldn’t be happening until tomorrow.

  I began walking at a brisk pace, but it didn’t last long. My body protested the lack of sleep, and being pushed beyond its endurance. I couldn’t stop, though. I had to keep moving. I wouldn’t even let myself take another break because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to go any farther if I did. My survival instincts kicked in.

  So I kept walking. I thought about Nash and the kiss we’d shared. How his lips were firm against mine. I knew we would make love. It was probably only a matter of time. Funny, that thought didn’t seem to bother me as much now as it had before. Maybe because deep down, I knew he wasn’t Eric. Nash was a good and decent man.

  Except he was bossy, and he hadn’t thought I could climb the mountain. I’d shown him, though. Well, except maybe when I’d almost fallen. It was a tiny slip, that’s all. Maybe he hadn’t seen me.

  The guy was way overprotective, too. I don’t think I would have ever convinced Nash that I could do it. I wondered if he was angry with me?

  I stumbled and fell, reaching out with my arms so my face wouldn’t pound the ground.

  Fuck! Was the universe conspiring against me? I pushed up and looked around, then looked behind me. Nothing there. Great, I’d tripped over my own two feet. That was brilliant, just brilliant. I sat up, sucking in a sob. I was all alone, in the middle of nowhere, and I was fucking tired.

  I scanned the area. Yep, I was still alone. I glanced at my watch. No wonder I was exhausted. I’d been walking all day. I hadn’t even noticed the sun was sliding behind the horizon. It would start getting dark soon. I wanted to go a little farther, but it wouldn’t help the group if I collapsed somewhere along the trail.

  I gathered some firewood, then some rocks that would circle it. When it started getting darker, I started my fire and prayed someone would see the flames and come check it out. I ate half of another protein bar and drank some more of my water—which was almost empty.