Mountain Rescue Lion by Zoe Chant

Author:Zoe Chant [Chant, Zoe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-10-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Cora woke up before her alarm even sounded. She reorganized her bag in silence, adding everything she thought she might need on a rescue mission. Eric slipped out of bed while she worked. He came over to give her a quick, silent hug good morning before he went to deal with his own bag.

Cora looked at the box of condoms on the bedside table. She tucked one back into its usual spot on her wallet. For all she knew, Carpenter had shown up overnight, no recue needed; maybe Eric and her would take another hike together, instead…

But even as she had the thought, she was pretty sure it was wishful thinking.

They met up with the others at Basecamp when the sun was just creeping over the horizon. Eric and Cora, Tashi and Tenzing, a few other people she didn't know. All of them looked pale and worried in the grey light of early dawn.

"We'll go up together, then split up once we hit Camp Three—" Tashi started, laying out the plan. Cora looked up at a flash of movement in the periphery in her vision. She squinted against the glare of the rising sun. Two figures were coming down the trail towards them at a staggering, unsteady pace, one leaning heavily on the other.

"That's Carpenter!" Eric said, following her glance. "Dammit, why's there only two of them?"

He was already moving, the two of them hurrying up the trail side by side, the rest of the group hard at their heels. The two men looked near collapse. They'd need help getting the rest of the way down.

The steadier of the two climbers wore a yellow jacket she recognized even from a distance as belonging to Carpenter. The other one was all in black. Cora's hands clenched into fists by her side. Andrew's parka had been red.

Carpenter hadn't brought him back.

Carpenter started waving, arms crossing above his head, as soon as he saw them: Help!

Beside him, the other man sagged heavily to his knees.

Now that she was closer, Cora recognized him: Everhart, Carpenter's condescending client.

Cora quickened her steps, Eric speeding up beside her. Everhart collapsed forwards in slow motion, his gloved hands sinking into the snow. His chest heaved like a bellows.

"Don't let him fall—Carpenter! Keep him up!" Eric bellowed, his deep voice carrying across the snow. Carpenter, who'd slumped in obvious exhaustion, jerked up just in time to grab Everhart by the shoulders and stop him from falling face-first into the snow.

Eric was flat-out running now, Cora just a step behind him when they reached the exhausted pair. Eric pulled Everhart up, forcing him to kneel upright.

"Please… tired," Everhart muttered, struggling for breath between the words.

"I know. But you gotta stay upright. If you lie down, it'll only get harder to breathe." Eric's voice was gentle but firm. He eased Everhart back against his own chest, taking his weight.

Everhart coughed, a horrible wet sound. Cora winced. She'd heard that kind of cough before.

"How much Dex have you given him?" she asked Carpenter.

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