Page 25 of The Duke's Brother

“Hmm. What are you doing here, Jorge?”

“I’m going to work out, same as you.”

Tripp shrugged. He was not going to let Jorge’s annoying presence disturb his hopeful day.

“I haven’t heard from Jenneca.”

Tripp hid his smile. “Oh?”

“Don’t look so smug. I mean, I really haven’t heard from her. She wasn’t at breakfast. No one knows where she is.”

A ping of worry bothered Tripp. “It’s still early.”

Tripp broughthis phone out of the sleeve zipper where he kept it. He added his own text to the others.

“She’s a big girl, Jorge. But if you wouldn’t mind sharing if you do hear from her, I’d appreciate it.”

“Same from you.” Jorge’s eyes held concern and Tripp reached his hand out. “I will.” They shook and he felt an odd sense of camaraderie.

Tripp lifted his ski tips and exited the chair, anxious to start his runs for the day. Jenneca stayed at the back of his mind, wondering if she was hiding, if his interference last night had really been too much and now she was avoiding training because he was here. If that were the case, he would leave. He couldn’t jeopardize her position or her opportunities.

At the top gate, he waited for the buzzer, pulling back and forth and back, ready to fly out of the chute.

He tore down the hill, the world whipping by him while he watched the flags. He took the first, hugging it as tight as was allowed. He tore across to the second, almost reckless in his speed. He took it at just the right angle and tore back across to the next flag. His concentration was precise, his vision clear, sharp. He took flag after flag. When he flew across the line at the bottom, a small group of people cheered. He spun to a stop and whipped his eyes up to the digital board. “WOOP!” He pounded his fist in the air. His best time yet. And a few cameras clicked, phones out, trained on him.

His phone pinged. That was a different noise. He took off his gloves, unzipped the cellphone pocket and brought it out to his front. Jenneca had shared her location with him. He smiled. Take that, Jorge. He zoomed out to see where she was and frowned. If the location was accurate, she was pinging him from the middle of a mountain wilderness area. She’d done a heli-drop, looked to be the same mountain range they were on the last visit. He whipped out a text to her, asking about her position.

He texted his assistant, told him to arrange for a helicopter in fifteen minutes on the back helipad. And for emergency supplies to be delivered there. And asked that he contact the emergency response teams at the resort. Then he texted Jorge.

Chapter 16

Jenneca’s breaths were shallow. She couldn’t move. Everywhere she looked was white. She had a space directly to her front, and light came down from above. She tried to lean her head back so she could look up, but the snow behind her head wouldn’t budge. She was crouched, poles in her hands in a hole. She could move her arms, but not her legs. Her toes wiggled in her boots. That was a good sign. Did anything hurt? Yes. Everything hurt, and her head ached. And her teeth. She had a metallic taste in her mouth.

She reached across to her shoulder pocket, and pain shot through her arm. She gritted her teeth and unzipped the pocket, grabbing her phone. She pulled her gloves off and tried to text anyone, but the service had one bar. Tripp, her mother, Jorge, her coach, everyone she could think of she sent an SOS. Then she shared her location with Tripp. She pinged him until she was afraid her phone would run out of batteries. Then she put the phone on high volume and put it back in her shoulder pocket to wait. She felt like she wasn’t getting enough air. And her breaths became deeper and deeper. She started to panic, but her kicking and swinging of her arms did nothing for her except send a shower of snow down on top of her head.

She leaned back her head and concentrated on slowing her breathing. She must be deeper in this hole than she thought. After a time, she felt calmer and her brain darkened as she slipped from consciousness.

* * *

Tripp toldthe pilot to circle back. “She has to be here.” The ping for her location widened its circle the closer they got. Her service was not as powerful up here in the mountains. At least she had some. The helicopter got as low as it could, flying over the runs that he and Jenneca had taken just two weeks ago. They hugged the right side, seeing her tracks, then the spot where it looked like she stopped, then her hiking tracks and exit into the trees. With dread, Tripp knew she headed over to the left. He directed the pilot.

Jorge’s voice in his earphones jarred him. “What are you doing?”

“We were just here last time. I know where she went next.”

The copter flew up and over the trees and then lowered at the spot Tripp directed. His breath caught, and his heart pounded. The ledge had been stripped of snow. He could see rocks, with evidence of a slide. The ravine off to their side was narrow. He didn’t know if a helicopter could fit in a descent.

“She went over.”

The pilot swore and Jorge looked at him with wide worried eyes. “Are you sure?”

Tripp nodded. “Yes.”

The pilot edged closer to the drop and they lifted the hatch, the glass bottom showing them a clear view of the two hundred foot drop.

Much of it was in shadow. He grabbed the binoculars and tried to focus. “Stay here.”

The pilot kept them steady.

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