Page 57 of Mountain Impact

He winced but didn’t make a sound.

“Thanks.”

Overhead, lighting flashed, followed by thunder. The storm was right on top of them.

“What are we going to do now, Drake?”

He was already on his radio. “Kat, I found them. They are both fine but it was a close call.”

“Thank God, Drake. Where are you now? The storm is getting worse. The colonel has grounded all birds until tomorrow at oh six hundred.”

Isolde’s stomach sank.

How are we going to get Amélie off this mountain?

Drake’s voice remained calm. “I understand.”

There was a pause, then Kat’s voice said quietly. “But if you need me―”

Drake didn’t hesitate. “No. We’ll be okay. I’ll share the coordinates with you so you can pick us up tomorrow morning.”

“We’ll be here if you need anything.”

Isolde bit her lip to keep from crying out loud. Her fear had kept the cold and exhaustion at bay for a little while, but in the aftermath of the crisis her body was starting to crash, and the thought of spending the night out here in the storm filled her with terror. The white towel she’d given him was already soaked red.

She hoped Drake had a plan.

“Don’t worry,” he said, putting the radio back in his pocket. “It’s going to be okay, Isolde. I’m trained to handle this.”

As if in response to his reassuring words, the skies opened up. The constant drizzle of the last hour became a downpour.

“Fuck,” he said. “We can’t stay here. This volume of water can easily cause a landslide up here.”

He was right. Small rivers of mud, carrying larger rocks and other debris, were already making their way down the slope. If it rained hard enough, soon it would be larger rocks, and even trees.

Isolde shivered.

Drake took her hand in hers. “There’s a cave near here where we can stay until the morning.”

“A cave? Won’t other animals have had the same idea?”

“I’ve never seen any animals there before. But I’ll check before we go in, I promise.”

“What about Amélie?”

Drake crouched in front of Amélie’s unconscious body and pulled on her bound arms gently, lifting her onto his shoulders in a fireman’s carry. He straightened easily to his feet, balancing Amélie on his shoulders.

“How far is this cave?” she asked carefully.

Chapter 18

Isolde

He’d lied to her―by implication, at least. They’d been walking for what seemed like hours, and there was still no sign of the cave.

Drake shifted the unconscious woman on his shoulders. Though he didn’t make a sound, his jaw tensed. Isolde flinched in sympathy. He’d all but admitted he’d raced up the mountain to find her, and his arm must be hurting.

The small towel she’d wrapped around it was drenched in blood. Isolde wasn’t that kind of doctor, but she knew enough to know they’d need to stop and take care of it sometime soon.