by Jenna Brandt
“It’s going to be okay. We probably won’t need any of the survival items, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.” James climbed onto his snowmobile and gestured for Siku to jump up behind him. “Now that we have that settled, we should get going. I’ll take the lead once you’re ready to go.”
9
Matt and Nicole started to climb onto one of the snowmobiles while José and Britney used the other. Even though James would have preferred to have Nicole with him, he knew they didn’t have the time for him to fight with Matt over it. Getting Britney to the resort before the infection got out of control was all that mattered.
Just as they were about to take off, James heard a “whumph” sound. Warning bells sounded in his head at the all-too-familiar sound of the powder compressing and shifting. An avalanche was imminent.
“We need to take off now. There’s an avalanche coming,” James shouted, as he twisted the handle to make the snowmobile go. He continued to glance over his shoulder to make sure the rest of the group was following behind him. What he didn’t expect to see in the distance was a slab of snow sliding down the mountain towards his cabin. Within a few seconds, it engulfed his summer home, erasing any sign that it was ever there. He pushed the throttle to full speed, praying they could outrun the snowy torrent behind them, but as a rescue officer, he knew better. Avalanches could travel faster than 100 miles per hour, which far outpaced their snowmobiles.
James braced for the impact, knowing that at any moment they would be overtaken by the white fury. Even though he’d spent more than half his life in the snow, nothing prepared him for the feeling of the freezing cold ice smacking into him. It felt like a ton of bricks thrown at him.
James and Siku were flung from their snowmobile. The avalanche tossed him to and fro, almost like being in a wave at the ocean. By the time he finally stopped getting bounced around, his body hurt all over. He could feel the snow pushing in around him. He wasn’t sure how far below the snowline he was, but his first step was to create an air pocket around his face. Once that was done, he started to gingerly probe the area, trying to figure out how far he would need to dig out to get free.
A couple of minutes passed, and he heard faint barking. Siku. She’d be able to find him and dig him out. He wished he could call to her, but he knew it was impossible. Instead, he prayed her training would kick in and she would search for his scent.
The barking grew louder, telling him that his K9 partner must have figured out where he was. A few moments later, James saw Siku’s familiar snout coming towards his face. She licked him in excitement, then continued to dig around him until he was able to break free. James reached his arms around her neck, hugging her with all the gratitude he could muster. “Siku, you just earned yourself the biggest T-bone steak of your life.”
Even though every muscle in his body groaned in protest, James stood to his feet. He glanced around the area and noticed that one of the balloons had deployed. He dashed over to it where he could see Britney’s face sticking out of the snow. Siku started licking her and her eyelids fluttered for several seconds as she mumbled, “Can you get me out of this snow, please?”
James reached down and yanked her up. “Are you okay? Can you walk?”
She nodded. “Just a few bumps and bruises, but I’m fine other than my arm killing me.”
He was grateful that Britney was safe, but part of him was scared as he scanned the area and realized Nicole was nowhere to be found. He saw one of the other snowmobiles on its side and he rushed over and yanked out the snow probe and shovel. He gave Siku the signal to start searching again while he used the probe to do the same near the snowmobile. They had only a handful of minutes to find the other three people before the odds of them surviving diminished greatly. He couldn’t lose another person, especially Nicole.
James could feel the panic rising up inside him at the thought. “I don’t have time for this,” he chastised himself. “Get it together, James, you can do this. This is the most important rescue of your life.”
He took several deep breaths to calm himself as he searched the area for any signs of life. Several seconds later, he felt a tug on the probe. Did that mean someone was down there? He pushed it down again and felt the same thing. There was definitely someone down there. He unfolded the shovel and started digging. After a few moments, he saw José’s familiar face. He had a relieved look on his face as he scurried out of the snow.
“Thanks, man; I never knew I was claustrophobic until I was buried under that snow.” José scanned the area, then inquired, “Are we still missing Nicole and Matt?”
James nodded. “Nicole must have not had time to deploy her backpack. If anything happens to her…”
“We still have time,” José encouraged. “Don’t give up hope.”
They both started searching, moving in opposite directions and looking for any signs that someone might be under the snow.
From a few yards away, James’ K9 partner started barking. “Siku’s found someone.” Everyone rushed towards the area, eager to see who was buried below. James started digging while Siku did the same beside him. About five feet below the surface, Matt’s face came into view. He was shivering, and looked confused as they pulled him free.
José rushed over and grabbed a foil heating blanket from the survival bag and brought it back to wrap around Matt’s shoulders. After a few seconds, Matt’s eyes darted from each of them. His brows came together in a furrow of fear. “Where’s Nicole?”
“We haven’t found her, yet,” James admitted, “which is why we need to get back to searching. If you need to rest, you can go sit on the side of the snowmobile.”
“There’s no way that’s going to happen with Nicole still missing. I’m going to help search for her.”
The group spanned out again, making sure to avoid the areas they’d already searched, ensuring they spent their time in new sections of the snow. The longer they went without finding her, the worse James started to feel. He glanced down at his watch to check the time. They were reaching the end of the critical time of rescue. If they went much longer, her survival rate would drop to less than 30%, and even those found after that time had severe hypothermia. They often didn’t make it to the hospital before succumbing to their injuries. What would happen if she didn’t survive this? James didn’t realize how important Nicole had become to him in such a short amount of time, but the thought of her never making it off this mountain made him feel sick to his stomach. He couldn’t imagine a world without Nicole West in it.
Siku barked from several yards away. James turned and hurried towards his K9 partner. “Did you find her, girl?”
Siku shoved her snout into the ground, rooting around, then came up and started barking again as she dug down into the snow. James used the shovel to do the same, praying that Nicole was alive just a few feet below him. When he saw the first glimpse of her gorgeous face, immense relief flooded him. He fell down onto the ground and scooped her up out of the snow. “Nicole, speak to me. Tell me you’re all right,” he begged, the fear clear in his voice, but he didn’t care if it revealed how much he cared. Even though he’d tried to deny it, he was taken with her the moment he saw her, and it was only confirmed further when he saw her face in the snow. “Please, say something.”
“James?” she mumbled as her eyelids fluttered before her gaze came to a rest on his face. “What happened?”
“We got caught in an avalanche, and you were buried under the snow.”
“That explains why I’m so cold,” she whispered as her body started to shake in his arms.
“José, Nicole needs a blanket,” James called out without taking his eyes off her.
“Here, she can have mine,” Matt said from beside them, placing the blanket over Nicole’s body.
“Is anything broken?” James asked, inspecting her body with his eyes for any visible injuries.
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’m just really tired.”
“That’s
because you were in the snow for about thirty minutes. I think you might have hit your head on something, too. I see a bump right here.” James gently touched her forehead.
“Can I lay down now and go to sleep?” she mumbled as her eyelids drifted shut.
“No, don’t do that,” James shouted, worried if she fell asleep, she’d never wake up again. “You have to stay awake. If you have a head injury, you’re most likely suffering from a concussion.”
“What do we do now?” Britney whined with fear. “It’s getting dark and we’re pretty far from the resort, aren’t we?”
James didn’t need anyone to start panicking. It was important to keep the group calm so he could guide them to safety. “First, let’s check to see if the snowmobile that didn’t get buried is working.”
José and Matt went over to it and pushed it upright, then José tried to start the vehicle. It made a clicking noise, but nothing happened. He tried several more times with no luck. “It’s dead. We aren’t going to be able to use that to get the injured to the resort.”
“Then I guess we’re walking,” James stated. “If we start now, we can make it in a little over an hour, which means we’ll make it before the coldest part of the night sets in.”
“What about Nicole? Is she in any condition to make such a hike?” Matt asked with concern.
“I don’t know. Do you think you can walk, Nicole?” James asked as he tried to set her down. The moment he did though, she cried out in pain. “What’s wrong? Is it one of your legs?”
She nodded. “This one hurts when I put any pressure on it.”
James placed her on the snowmobile and inspected her leg. Underneath her pant leg was a dark bruise at her ankle. “You might have fractured your leg. You’re not going to be able to walk on that, so I’m going to carry you.” James wasn’t sure how long he could do it, but there was no way he was going to let anything happen to Nicole now that he found her again.
“We can take turns,” José offered. “Between all of us, we can get her back safely.”
They grabbed the survival kit from the back of the snowmobile, then headed towards the direction of the resort. James continued to talk to Nicole, wanting to keep her alert so she didn’t drift off to sleep.
“You gave me a real fright there for a while. I thought I might never get to talk to you again.”
“A couple of days ago, you wouldn’t have minded that,” she teased with a small laugh.
“A couple of days ago, I didn’t care about anyone besides myself. That’s changed now.”
“Really? You care about me?”
He nodded. “Never knew it could happen this fast, but it’s true. I’m so glad Siku found you when she did.”
“Remind me to buy her a giant steak for that.”
James chuckled. “I told her the same thing when she found me.” Nicole’s eyes started to drift shut, and he knew he needed to keep her talking. He figured if he asked her about her work, it would be a good way to keep her distracted. “Why don’t you tell me about the movie you’ve been working on? What drew you to the role?”
“She’s a strong, independent woman, who is thriving in a career that is dominated by men with big egos. A lot of people don’t know this about Hollywood, but it’s a lot like that there, too. I want to be that type of woman—willing to stand up for what I want, and if it doesn’t exist, make it exist.”
“You could do that, you know, if you started your own company. You can make the kind of movies with the kind of roles you want.”
“I do have enough money saved up to take on a project like that. Plus, I could help other women in the industry be able to do far more than I was ever allowed. I just don’t know if anyone would take me seriously enough for it to work.”
“Make them. You’re tougher than anyone gives you credit for. I’ve gotten to know the real you, and you can do anything you set your mind to.”
Apparently, bringing up her work did the trick. Nicole was excited about the idea of creating her own production company, and started discussing all the different ideas she had. The time passed quickly, and though the other two men offered, James didn’t have the heart to hand Nicole over to anyone else.
“Look, I see lights in the distance,” Britney shouted with joy as she jumped up and down, then grabbed her arm in pain.
“Is it the resort?” Matt inquired with hope.
“It is,” José confirmed. “The generators must be on, so that’s a good sign.”
The group started to move faster towards the resort, but they didn’t get very far before the unwanted, familiar “whumph” sound echoed through the snow-covered grove. James’ eyes looked over to the side, and to his utter shock, a second, larger avalanche was starting to come down from a different part of the mountain, heading straight for them.
10
Nicole’s heart seized with fright as she heard the eerie sound she wished she never had to hear again. “It’s an avalanche, isn’t it?”
James nodded, his eyes scanning the area as they all started to sprint towards the resort. “We won’t be able to make it to the resort before the avalanche catches up.”
“What are you looking for, then?”
“We might be able to take shelter in the abandoned mine if I can find it. It’s somewhere near the resort; I just can’t remember where it is exactly.” James yelled over his shoulder, “José, where’s our old hideout?”
“This way.” José pointed to the east of them as he ran past them and led the way.
“You should just put me down and leave me behind,” Nicole whispered. “I’m just slowing you down.”
“That’s not going to happen. We either make it to the mine together, or we go under together. I’m not leaving another person behind.”
They crossed the threshold and pushed all the way inside against the back wall. James just hoped the mine was deep enough that the snow wouldn’t fill it up and bury them inside.
“Everyone, brace for the impact,” James ordered, clutching Nicole.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, knowing that if she was going to die, at least she was going to be in the arms of someone who cared about her, and she cared about in return. She buried her face in his chest, not wanting to see the white death coming towards them.
The mine started to shake around them. There was a deafening sound that engulfed the area. It sounded like balls being released from a pool table and hitting the bottom all at once, but a thousand times louder. She grasped James’ shirt, petrified that any moment she would feel the snow slam into them.
“You can open your eyes now,” James whispered against her ear. “We’re safe now. The snow didn’t come in all the way.”
Nicole let out the breath of air she didn’t even know she was holding in. “Thank goodness.”
He gently set her down on the ground, then sat down beside her. “José, set the beacon so anyone looking for a signal will know we are in here.”
His friend did as he requested, then returned and joined the group that was huddled at the back of the mine.
“What do we do until someone finds us?” Britney asked with concern. “My arm is hurting something fierce.”
“I have some pain killers in the survival kit that both you and Nicole can take while we wait.” James pulled out a bottle of pain killers and handed it to Britney. “In the meantime, José, let’s go check where the snow stopped and see how packed it is. Maybe we can dig our way out.”
The men took off, and Matt scooted over next to Nicole. “How are you doing?”
“I’m tired, and my ankle hurts, but nothing that can’t wait. I’m more worried about Britney. The longer she goes without antibiotics, the worse that infection is going to get.”
“I noticed that you and that rescue officer are getting pretty close. Is it something I need to be worried about? I don’t want another repeat of Hank.”
“James is nothing like Hank,” Nicole defended.
“No, he’s worse. He does
n’t even come from our world. He’ll never understand how it works, or what you have to do to survive in it. The two of you could never work in the real world.”
Nicole wanted to argue with Matt, but part of her wondered if he was right. Was she wishing for something with James that could never be?
The other two men came back with frowns on their faces.
“We can’t dig out. There’s no light on the other side of the snow, which means it’s packed thick,” José explained.
“Why don’t the women wait here while we men see if there’s any section that might be thinner. We can gather up some wooden planks to use as shovels,” James suggested.
“I’ll be back soon, and then we can get you out of here and to a hospital.” Matt kissed the top of Nicole’s head before standing up. “I’m glad you’re okay, Nicole. We still have a lot of work to do together.”
Once the men were gone, Britney moved over to sit next to Nicole. “I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop on your conversation with Matt, but this is pretty close quarters. He’s wrong you know. James brings out the best in you, and I think he’s exactly what you need.”
“You really think so?” Nicole asked, a little bit of hope filling her heart as her friend’s encouraging words sank in.
“I do. He’s a good guy, and you deserve to have one of those in your life.”
“You know, the same could be said about José. I think the two of you would make a really great couple, too.”
“I think you’re right. He’s really good to me, plus he’s got those adorable dimples.” Britney wrapped her arm around Nicole’s shoulders. “Who would have thought by coming to a movie set in Colorado, we’d both end up with mountain rescue officer boyfriends. Life sure has an odd way of working out.”
An hour later, the men came back to take a break and check on the women.
“We just need a few minutes, and then we’ll head back to the entrance.” James leaned back against the wall, frustration clearly written across his face. “I can’t believe we survived two avalanches to get trapped in a mine.”