Page 1 of One Last Shot

CHAPTER 1

Boo couldn’t think of a worse way to die.

The kid was buried under tons of snow, lost in a crevasse, the snowy mountainside simply opening up to gobble the ten-year-old skier whole.

Yeah, no. “I’m going down there.” Boo slammed her ice axe closer to the edge, testing the snow near the side of the crevasse where she sat. Overhead, the sun gleamed, no help at all to forestall the peril on the backside of one of the Copper Mountain resort ski area bowls. Just a little more heat and the entire snowpack might release.

And of course, kill them all.

But that’s why she was here. And frankly, hanging off the side of a mountain beat sitting in front of a warm hearth, watching reruns ofChicago Fire.

Boo looked over at Axel, her fellow rescuer and the man holding her on belay. “I need you to rig up a rappel system.”

He sat also, his feet dug into the snow, harnessed and anchored with three points, his expression grim. He wore awool hat, a pair of snow pants, a bright red Air One jacket, helmet, and gloves. “I’m not sure this entire crevasse won’t collapse if you do that. For sure, that snow bridge won’t hold you.”

“It won’t have to. I won’t step on it. But Macie is frozen in fear. No matter what I say, she can’t get that harness on. And I can guarantee you that she can’t climb out on her own. So she needs help. Me.”

“Wait for the chopper, Boo.” This from London. The female climbing expert had set up more anchors above them in case, indeed, the snowpack decided to let loose and careen down over them all. Avalanche.

That’s what happened when you went skiing outside the boundary only a day after the Alaskan sky dumped fresh powder on already melting snow. A slippery, unsecured foundation that could turn lethal.

Macie’s parents refused to leave, of course, and they stood with Shep, the team lead, some fifty feet away, out of the slide path. Shep barked into his walkie, arguing with Moose, piloting the Air One chopper. So far, no joy.

She’d heard Shep’s dispatch on the radio only moments ago. “The winds are still too high for him to come in, and if he does, he’s going to loosen this pack up with the rotor wash.”

She’d never been great at waiting anyway. So they needed to get creative.

Crying found her, despite being muffled thirty feet down in the crevasse where Macie lay, her leg twisted. They needed a splint, and a litter, and frankly, luck.

Because beyond the snow bridge, into the depths of Copper Mountain, the crevasse fell thousands of feet. And that snow bridge could give way any moment.

Boo looked at London. “Either rig up a rappel system, or let me goand I’ll climb down?—”

Screaming cut off her words. Boo rolled over and peered down into the hole.

Macie’s ski careened down the never-ending spout only to land at an angle some hundred feet below.

“Macie!”

“I didn’t touch it—it just fell!” Her voice shook.

Her other ski remained on her twisted leg. Bindings too tight, clearly, but worse, she had a precarious hold on the edge of the bridge.

What was a ten-year-old doing out here in uncharted territory?

Probably following her parents. Or maybe they’d given in to her whims, because according to Mom and Dad, Macie was some sort of youth champ on skis.

Now she was just a terrified kid.

“Give me slack. I’m going down there.”

“London—give me the descender.” Axel held out his hand. London was working through the gear slung on her webbing, over her shoulder.

“Too late. I’m climbing down.” Boo stood up even as Axel fed out slack. “London, Axel, get ready to pull her up. You can feed the rope back to me—I have ascenders.”

Axel was shaking his head, but she ignored him, got up, and even as he held the rope, she stepped over the edge, holding tight to her ice axes.

Her crampons bit into the snow, and she looked down.

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