Page 62 of Deadly Peril

Chapter 19

Jana sat in the back of an ambulance with a blanket around her and sipped hot tea. Her medical examination hadn’t revealed any injury, except she was cold and hungry. It could have been worse.

Next to her, Thaddeus tolerated the medic’s ministrations. “It’s just a nick.”

“The bullet grazed you, and you bled a lot,” the medic said. “You should consider going to the hospital, as you might require a transfusion.”

“Nope, don’t need it.”

Thaddeus could be stubborn. He looked at Jana while his left arm was being bandaged. “It’s all cleaned up, but I suggest seeing your doctor. And be careful of infection.” The medic handed over an instruction sheet, then stored his supplies and moved away.

“You were shot, you know,” Jana said. “It wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.”

Thaddeus moved his injured arm. “This scrape?” He smiled. “I’ve been shot before, and trust me, this isn’t it.”

Jana shook her head. “Any word from the rescue team?”

“While you were being examined, I checked. The ski patrol has the dogs out looking. If there’s any hope of finding the guy, they’ll sniff him out.”

“Doesn’t sound hopeful.”

“He was buried, and it has been too long. He ran out of air long ago.” Thaddeus rolled his shoulder. “There’s a good chance he got hit on the head…falling rock or other debris.”

“Yeah, he was above us. When that snow collapsed, he’d have been hit first,” Jana said. “Didn’t have any warning.”

“Well, it doesn’t break my heart. The dude shouldn’t have been shooting up there.” Thaddeus looked up at the mountain. “And who the hell was he?”

Jana wrapped the blanket tighter. “I just hope it’s over now.”

Thaddeus put his arm around her. “What about you, honey?”

“I’m warming up.” Jana smiled. “You’ll need to feed me, though.”

“I saw that one coming. Let me help you down. We don’t have to stay here. That search team will be up there for a while,” Thaddeus said. “We should get you indoors. That snack bar must have something edible.”

Jana was a little dizzy, but she wasn’t about to share that bit of information. She didn’t want to camp out in the back of an ambulance any longer, and food sounded pretty darn good. With the shooter out of commission, her mind should be at ease.

But it was difficult to let her guard down. After so many days of waiting and wondering, it would take a while for her to feel safe again. Jana would think about that later. For now, food and hot drinks were all she could think about.

On wobbly legs, Jana went to the main building. Thaddeus was headed to the snack bar. “I’ll just duck in here.” She pointed at the ski rental shop. “I know the clerk, so I’ll assure him that we’ll cover the cost of the lost gear.”

Thaddeus nodded. “Be quick about it.”

If Rakel had been around, it would have been a simple matter to let him know. But he hadn’t been in the crowd at the base of the slope. After she’d regained her senses, she’d asked about him, sure that he’d be freaked over the disaster.

But her ex had left much earlier—probably shortly after Jana had spoken to him. When the news of the avalanche surfaced, she was certain he’d contact her. She believed that he cared, in his own way. He certainly hadn’t wanted to kill her.

Jana was weak from the trauma. She needed to find the clerk and get over to the café. But the shop was deserted. Not surprising. The avalanche had drawn a crowd, and club members were hanging around, waiting for the rescue team to return.

There was a small chalkboard propped up by the register with a message: No skiing today – avalanche

Paying for the missing gear would have to wait. Lightheaded, Jana turned to leave and head over to the café. She wondered what Thaddeus had found to eat. She was so shaky and hungry that she wasn’t about to be picky.

Jana turned to see a tall man standing inches from her. She was about to tell him that the desk was closed. Then she recognized the guy.

“Ross…I didn’t know you were here. I didn’t see you earlier.” Jana paused. “You’re aware that there was an avalanche?”

Roston Vang hadn’t been a likeable guy since she’d known him. His weathered look, narrow eyes, and unfriendly demeanor did nothing to enhance her opinion of him. Instead of replying, he stared at her, and she didn’t care for the look in his eyes.

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