Page 21 of Mountain Challenge

Ry and Hugo exchanged a look. Though there was water below, it was over sixty feet down, and there were plenty of rocks in the way. The chances of a person surviving such a fall were infinitesimal. They had to get them away from the edge. “Please step away from the edge now,” Hugo commanded, coming to stand beside Ry.

“I’ll step away if you give me a cigarette,” Richard said petulantly.

Ry’s head pounded. He prayed for patience. “I have some in my bag back in town,” he lied. “I’ll bring you some as soon as we’re there.”

“Really?” Miles asked, sounding hopeful. “I’d like a cigarette as well.”

“Let’s get back to town and get you some cigarettes, then,” Hugo said. He typed something quickly on his device, no doubt letting Beau and Alex know they had found the missing hikers.

Ry held his breath as the two hikers crawled back from the edge. Hugo’s voice had done the trick. Now that the men wereaway from the edge, Ry felt marginally better. He kept his eyes on the pair but lowered his voice so the words wouldn’t carry to where the two men sat.

“Those two are in no shape to walk down,” Ry began.

“We’re not carrying them out of here, either. Not on our own.”

“What do you think they’ve taken? The girlfriend didn’t mention any drugs.”

“Maybe she didn’t know.” Hugo shrugged. “Or she thought we wouldn’t come find them if we knew. Anyway, there’s no way they came up here to shoot up, not in this weather. I think it’s something they smoked.”

“Well, they’re toast. We need to find a way to get them out of here.”

“What if we take them across the bridge? Meet up with Alex and Beau on the other side, and get them to the Plateau des Sacres. Tristan should be able to find us there when the weather clears.”

Hugo shook his head. “I already told you. That bridge won’t hold our weight. We’d end up pulverized on the rocks below.”

“Not if we use the cables on top of the bridge,” Ry said.

“Are you crazy?” Hugo said, shaking his head.

“Hear me out. The wood isn’t safe, but the cables are drilled deep into the stone walls. They should be able to hold our weight. We have emergency harnesses. We could strap them in with us, and bring them to the other side.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“Or we wait for the weather to clear, until Beau and Alex can get here,” Ry whispered. “And hope they don’t freeze or decide to jump in the meantime.”

As if on cue, the slimmer man—Richard—looked back towards the edge. “Look at the way the water shimmers,” he oohed. Ry stepped forward and eased himself between the twomen and the water. Hypothermia was their friend in this case—it would stop the men from making any sudden moves—but, even so, Ry didn’t want to risk it.

“Cigarettes are that way, gentlemen,” he said.

Hugo sighed, coming to join him, his boots spread wide on the ground, ready for anything. “Okay. We’ll do it your way, Ry,” Hugo growled, softly enough that the men wouldn’t hear them.

Ry nodded, but inside, his mind was going a mile a minute. A technical rope rescue of two intoxicated adults was not how he’d been hoping to spend the early morning. His mind thought back to the night before. He could have woken up next to Isla. He could have?—

He forced his mind back to the present and dug in his pack for the equipment they would need. “Gentlemen, we’re going to put these harnesses on.”

“And you’ll give us the cigarettes?” the one called Miles said sluggishly, looking confused. His hands were shaking something fierce, and Ry knew they had to get him off the mountain soon. Before it was too late.

“Of course,” Hugo said easily. Then, in a lower voice, “Call Beau and tell him what we’re going to do.”

Ry snorted. “What kind of friend are you, mate?” Their boss was not going to like this plan at all.

“Tell him it wasyouridea,” Hugo said, a rare smile crossing his face.

“What are youdoing?” Richard complained nervously.

“Just checking your pulse rate,” Ry explained, though he didn’t think the man was in any shape to understandhim. His heart rate was slow, but not half as sluggish as his friend’s. Miles was the one who worried Ry the most.

“How are they doing?” Hugo asked quietly.

---