Page 24 of Mountain Security

God, no.

She had to get her skis off. She unclipped them awkwardly and ran as fast as the boots allowed her to towards the teenagers.

“What did he say?”

They looked at her, fear in their eyes, and she realized she must look like a crazy woman to them.

“Alex! What did he say to you?”

The taller boy recovered his voice first. “He said we should stay here. That he would bring the man back, and that help was coming.”

And still, there was no sign of Alex.

Oh God.

They needed a rope. They needed—

Alex’s head broke the surface, gasping for breath. His face, paler than she’d ever seen it before, was a pained grimace. But he was dragging something heavy up to the surface.

He found him.

He found the man-

Alex gritted his teeth, pulling upwards until the man’s head was fully out of the water. Alex held on to the edge, tried to grab on with his gloves, but the ice crackled and broke around them. Once he realized he couldn’t gain any purchase, he stopped trying and went back to treading water with the man in his arms.

Though he hadn’t made a sound, Yvette could see by his sluggish movement how much it was costing him.

We need to get them out.

“Alex!” she shouted, taking a step forward.

Alex looked up and their gazes crossed. His gaze didn’t waver. “Stay there,” he ordered. “We’re okay.”

Yvette smothered her cry.

There was nothingokayabout any of this.

And then Beau, Ry and Lorenz were there, and she could have wept, she was so relieved to see them—even happier when she realized what Lorenz was holding in his arms.

A rope.

The men seemed to communicate without the need for words. Beau and Ry half-walked, half-slid until they were close to the edge of the pond, careful not to put their weight on the ice.

“On three, Alex,” Beau shouted. “One. Two. Three.”

On three, Lorenz let the rope go. It flew through the air, past his teammates’ heads, then touched the ice, sliding closer and closer to Alex.

No.

The rope was going to sail right past them.

Suddenly, Alex rose out of the water, one hand in the air, and grabbed the rope. Then he was back in the water, gasping for breath.

She saw Alex’s lips move. He was saying something to the man in his arms. His words seemed to rouse him, somewhat.

“Ready?” Beau shouted.

Ready for what?

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