by Dale Mayer
“Right. I’m looking forward to this.”
Anders picked up his phone and once again dialed Angelica’s number. This time he heard a crackling on the other end as somebody tried to answer it.
“Hello? Hello?”
He walked over toward Harrison. “Hello, Angelica. It’s Anders. I’ve been sent by your father to collect you.”
“Hello? Hello? Collect? What’s the matter?”
He could hear her voice breaking up and knew his must be doing the same thing. She was clearly confused as to who and what he was calling about. He tried again. Instead the response was just, “Hello? Hello?” And then he heard a click, and the phone went dead. He groaned and said, “Apparently phone service doesn’t work so well with Angelica right now.”
“Just because it’s clear down here doesn’t mean it’s clear up there,” Harrison said, pointing to the gray clouds over the top of the mountain. “She could be in the middle of a storm.”
“At least we know she’s alive at the moment.”
“So let’s see if we can get a helicopter first thing in the morning. If we can do a pickup at the same time, that’s the easiest. It’s also the most expensive.”
“We need approval from Levi first.”
“True enough.”
At that, sounds came at the front of the cabin again. The two men looked at each other and slowly approached. With Harrison once again standing guard, Anders opened the door to find the rest of their team.
Reyes and Dezi unloaded their bags from their rented vehicle and walked up to the front door.
Inside, Dezi turned and said, “We did contact two guides,” he looked at his watch, “for the best route to take, given the current weather. Apparently the hillside is completely covered in trails, and it’s easy to get lost.”
“And here we were thinking it would be easy,” Anders said. “Because these trails are supposedly already well-marked.”
“That’s what we thought too originally,” Reyes said. “But then we realized just how many different trails there are.”
“We are also contemplating a helicopter,” Harrison said. “I have a call in to Levi.”
“Oh, that’s an interesting thought,” Reyes said. “It will be faster. It’s supposed to be a day up to the first camp and a second day up to their camp for nonpros. Although the weather is getting worse and could change that time line.”
“And that’s something to consider too. The helicopter issue is not just about cost. It’s also availability. And the weather.”
“Did anybody consider,” Dezi asked, “whoever is after her will have the same problems we are?”
All the men nodded.
“We considered it. The job is to retrieve her—and we need to do it before anybody else gets to her.”
“We also picked up groceries,” Dezi said. “I don’t know about you guys, but my stomach is already empty.”
Anders laughed out loud. “Now that’s your stomach for you. You’re always hungry.”
“What did you pick up?” Harrison asked with interest. “We’ve got a full kitchen, but we don’t have much in the way of food.”
“Pasta, ham, eggs,” Dezi said. “I brought ingredients for a prosciutto carbonara dinner, and ham and eggs for breakfast along with toast.”
“That works,” Harrison said, hopping to his feet. “Did you pick up onions and garlic?”
“Picked up shallots instead. Two for one there,” Dezi said with a laugh.
The two men wrangled gently as they walked into the kitchen to start dinner.
Anders watched them. “At least you two can cook.”
“You can too,” Harrison said. “I see you sneaking in to help Bailey every once in a while.”
Anders snorted. “Yeah. I’m sneaking in all right, and that’s to steal cinnamon buns every chance I get.”
“Man, I tell you,” Reyes said with a chuckle, “Bailey’s cinnamon buns have become legendary.”
At the mention of “legendary,” they laughed. Appropriate, since they all worked for Legendary Security.
“She fits in well,” Anders said.
“So the timing will be tight, depending on weather with the guides coming,” Anders said. “Did they say what we would need for supplies, special gear? Anything helpful?”
“They were perturbed we wanted to leave in the morning,” Reyes said. “They said they had some supplies, but their choice would be to go up the day after.”
Anders rapped his fingers on the wall he leaned against. “That’s a possibility,” he said. “We haven’t heard back from Levi about the helicopter. We thought that would be faster.”
“Yes, but, with the weather coming toward us, I doubt that’ll work, even if a helicopter is approved and available to us.”
“I’ve been trying to get an updated weather forecast,” Anders said. “But it’s taking time.”
“The guides said a storm is coming. They don’t like the idea of us going up at all.”
Anders frowned. “And that takes us back to the earlier question. Will anybody else try to take her out while we’re waiting for the storm to clear? The last thing we want is to get up there and find out she and her team have been massacred because we were being cautious.”
“True enough, but we also know what Levi says, that there’s no point in saving the client if we kill ourselves.”
Anders stared at him. “And yet, the motto has always been to live and to serve, so it’s almost second nature for all of us to put ourselves in harm’s way in order to save somebody else, especially a civilian.”
“Sure, but none of us are in the navy anymore,” Reyes said, smacking Anders on the shoulder. “But it’s damn good to see you. I figured by now you’d be married with a kid on the way.”
“Why the hell would you think that?” Anders asked in shock. “The last thing I’m doing is following in everybody else’s footsteps.”
Reyes opened his arms and said, “Hey, I’m open and willing. Michelle and I broke up about six months ago. I have to admit. It hit me pretty hard, but I’m ready to get back in the saddle.”
“Ouch. Sorry, dude. You and Michelle were together what? Four years?”
Reyes nodded. “She decided we were just friends, and she wanted more excitement in her life,” Reyes said with a shake of his head. “Here I thought being good friends meant you knew each other inside and out. Who knew it just meant all the spark had worn off.”
“I think she’s wrong. I don’t think the spark was there to begin with if it wore off like that.”
“I sure as hell don’t understand any of it,” Reyes said with a snort. “I’m up for a lot more excitement in life than anything I’ve seen so far. So I thought Michelle and I were doing just fine. It’s a shock to see what I thought versus what she thought of our relationship.”
“I think that’s all too common,” Anders said, getting up to watch Harrison work his magic in the kitchen. “Let’s see if the guys need a hand.”
“You guys talking girl talk?” Harrison asked as they walked in.
“Just that I’m single,” Reyes said. “Now that we’ve joined Levi’s group though, maybe I’ll get lucky.”
Dezi said with a smirk, “I tell you, his team is becoming legendary for matchmaking too. It’s as bloody bad as Mason’s group. Although it’s more like Cupid has chosen to sit in residence within those two groups and to play matchmaker himself.”
“It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?” Harrison said. “On the other hand it doesn’t really matter because, when fate dumps the right person in front of you, you can fight it all you want, but it’s already over.”
“Maybe,” Reyes said, the doubt evident in his tone. “That doesn’t mean you’ll recognize the right thing just because it’s in front of you.”
Harrison nodded. “That’s quite true. It’s not that easy to always know what you’re supposed to do, what you could do, what’s the best thing to do. I think, once you know it though, you know it.”
>
“No regrets?” Anders asked Harrison. “You guys have found some pretty special women.”
“We have, indeed,” Harrison said. “We’ve been very lucky. And more single women are out there for you single guys, and we’re quite happy to have more couples join the fold.”
Dezi smirked as he walked to the fridge. “Good thing you got beer.” He brought out four and popped the caps on all of them. “I’m okay to meet up with somebody. But, with my luck, it won’t happen to me.”
“Why is that?” Harrison asked.
“Because it’s never me,” Dezi said. “Probably will be Reyes next.”
Reyes shook his head. “Nope. This job is Anders’s assignment. It’s his turn now.”
Anders held up his beer bottle and clinked it with the others. “We’ll see.” Inside he smiled. If they only knew.
*
Angelica pocketed her phone once again. The storm was coming in. On a clear night they sometimes could get reception up here, but the minute the storm arrived, they lost all telecommunications. She walked the few steps back to where the team was. The wind howled enough that they could hardly hear their own voices.
They were roped together and looking for the turnoff they needed to get down to their hut for the night. They hadn’t expected the storm to appear so hard or so fast. She was in the lead, taking over a good hundred yards back. It was just the three of them today as they took the turnoff to where they would stay for the night, to join their fourth team member.
And Angelica couldn’t wait to get inside. As much as she loved her work, she had to wonder sometimes about the psychotic nature of always working in such harsh winter temperatures. But thankfully she did a nice balance of field work versus lab work. If she could keep the report-writing at bay, she’d be even happier.
The wind picked up again, howling and whistling. With the ropes between them keeping them steady, they made their way slowly down the trail. They’d done this trip many, many times over the years. But this time she had a fourth person on her team, who had stayed at the cabin. Hannah hadn’t felt well that morning and had decided to stay in the hut rather than stress her body more in the extreme temperatures. She stayed inside the cabin, cooking meals and keeping the place warm for them.
Up ahead the smell of woodsmoke tantalized their nostrils as they headed toward the cabin. But the way was treacherous. Angelica had picks and spikes keeping her moving forward steadily. She kept the line taut behind her, not dragging anybody but not allowing any slack either. It was too hard to rein in a researcher when the slack picked up and someone fell.
They walked at a steady pace as the fog rose and the storm raged in. In whiteout conditions, this mountain was a killer. It was too easy to get lost and to freeze to death in minutes. But she had a great internal navigational system, and she had already taken stock of where they were going, so she kept her feet pointed in the right direction, and they trudged forward. As long as she kept the cliff edge to the right of her, she held steady.
And just enough of an indent remained in the snow from their morning trek to give her a bit of a trail to follow as well. She could hear somebody yell something from behind her, but the rope hadn’t jerked, so she didn’t worry about it. She kept moving. If the rope had been jerked back hard, that was a different story.
Up ahead the smoke smell got stronger and more welcoming. She could almost feel the heat reaching for her. Finally, after another fifty yards, the cabin came into view. The relief coming from the two men behind her was almost palpable. Continuing forward, she made it alongside the cabin. There they untied the ropes around their waists and then kicked their heavy boots to knock off some of the snow before she entered the initial part of the cabin, which was mostly a boot room. It was a necessary space to take off the snow gear before stepping into the inner recesses of the cabin.
The huts were small and compact, and they packed in a lot of people with multiple bunks up and down the walls. Climbers came here and stayed overnight. The only rules were to be kind and to help each other as needed and to leave the huts in good shape for the next occupants. Most of the time the system worked well. As she stepped in, she lifted her nose and sniffed. “I can’t say I’m sorry you weren’t feeling 100 percent today,” Angelica said to Hannah. “Nothing like coming back to a hot meal at the end of the day.”
Chapter 2
The next morning Angelica looked out the window. There was absolutely nothing to see, just more white. The blizzard had hit in the middle of the night. They had supplies for three days, which could be stretched to four if need be. There was no phone reception, and none of the electronics worked under these conditions. They were all huddled around a small fire. She’d been up here in weather similar to this but not for a few years. The temperatures were dropping rapidly. They had fuel and firewood for several days, but it had to be conserved.
She got up and put more water in the pot. Staying hydrated and using soup to warm them would help. With the pot of water heating, she listened for sounds of any of the others getting up. But they were all tucked into their bunks and sleeping bags, happy to wait out the storm. She would be too, but her time up here was meant for research. It was frustrating not being able to go out and to get the information she needed. They’d finished drilling for cores but needed more measurements.
The forecast had initially been great. Only after they got up here had it changed rapidly. They were lucky to have reached the cabin when they did last night, but that didn’t make it any easier for her to see the time passing and her work hindered. She had her laptop out, knowing the battery would only last for so long. But she’d rather keep working and get some of the material and data logged in as needed. She had it on Power Saver and had brought several spare batteries with her. But, if the storm lasted for a week, she couldn’t do anything at that point, having expended all the portable power she had with her. Sitting at the table with a lit candle, the light turned low on her laptop, she worked away until she heard someone call out, “Is that coffee?”
“It is,” she called back in a light voice. “We’re not going anywhere today.”
“I was hoping that whiteout wasn’t a blizzard,” Nate said.
“It so is. If we’re lucky, it’ll pass soon.”
“I don’t think we’ll be that lucky. It looks like it’s settling in for a good one.”
“Then we should be grateful we’re inside, warm. And we have fuel and food for the next few days.” She could hear rummaging behind her as Nate got up and dressed.
He approached the fire, holding out his hands. “I guess we’re on limited rations though, aren’t we?”
She looked up with a smile. “Absolutely.”
He groaned and sat down beside her. “As long as we have coffee.”
“I brought lots. How about you?”
“I brought a pound with me.”
“And I bought three,” Angelica said with a chuckle. “I planned on leaving some up here. We had used up more than our own last time we were here. There’s often instant to be found at the cabins too, but I prefer the real stuff.”
“I remember that, but I forgot about a spare to leave behind. You need a refill?” With the shake of her head, he poured himself a cup. “I guess we’re percolating pots of it now. Aren’t we?”
“Absolutely. No power up here, so it’s back to campfire coffee.”
“Well, it’s better than instant.” He held the cup with his hands and blew the top gently.
“We’ll be fine,” she said. “At least for two or three days.”
“I was hoping to get back out on that ice field this morning,” Nate muttered. He stared out the window and shook his head. “Whiteouts up here completely suck.”
“It’s a death sentence to step out there in this,” she said. “The good thing is, we don’t need to.”
He glanced at her and nodded. “And, if we get all the data logged in, it’s less to do when we get back.”
She nodded. “So set up yo
ur laptop for Power Saver mode, and we’ll see how far we get.”
He sat and finished his coffee, then got up, went to his bunk, pulled out his laptop and settled across from her at the table.
She glanced at the other two researchers, but they slept solid. She checked the clock. “It’s nine already.”
“I know. Time has no meaning when you’re caught out here,” he said. “The days just blend into each other.”
She nodded. “And yet, it’s kind of nice. It’s a forced holiday. And maybe something I need to do more often.”
“I don’t think there’s any maybe about it,” he said. “You work too hard.”
“True, but it is what it is. It makes me happy, gives me something to do.”
“You could work on that relationship thing a little more.”
She shook her head. “Yeah, that’s not happening.”
“Not all men are like your ex-fiancé.”
“No,” she said cheerfully. “That’s a good thing. But most of them are either like my ex-fiancé or Carlo.”
“Your father is an interesting case.” He never knew what event had caused her to call her father “Carlo.” And she had never brought it up in all the years they had worked together.
She snorted. “Is that the word you would use?”
He chuckled. “If I didn’t know you better …”
“The thing is, you do know me,” she admitted. “And quite well actually. How long have we worked together?”
“Eight years I think,” he said. “It’s been a pretty exciting eight years too.”
“Well, don’t make it sound like it’s our last day,” she said with a smile. “We have lots more years ahead of us yet.”
He gave her a cheeky grin. “Something about being caught in this kind of weather makes you question that though.”
“No, nothing to question at all. We’ve been here before. We’ll be back again.”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I was thinking about changing to less field work and more office work, now that Katrina has the twins. I stayed home for a few months on paternity leave, and, I’m not ashamed to admit, it was hard leaving them this time.”