Page 8 of Crossroads of Betrayal
Grace kneeled beside a patch of high grass. “Joan, can you come here?”
Joan stood over Grace and peered into the foliage. “What is it?”
“Do you recognize this phone?”
Joan leaned closer. “Looks like Tessa’s. But why would she be on her phone? I doubt there’s even service all the way out here.”
“I made a call yesterday in this spot,” he said.
Grace stood and kept her gaze trained on the forest floor as she walked closer to the edge.
Joan took a step forward, and Grace held up a hand. “Don’t come closer. The grass around here is all pressed down, like its be stomped on. And the earth is turned up.”
Zeke stayed put but noted the spots Grace pointed out. He and Tessa hadn’t gone that far toward the edge of the mountain. Heights were never his thing. He preferred to look out onto the beautiful scene, not down to a deadly fall.
Grace continued toward the steep drop off, and his stomach muscles clenched.
She peered down, and the set of her shoulders went rigid.
He knew her too damn well. “What is it?”
“I think I found Tessa.”
CHAPTERFOUR
Close to fifty feet and a smattering of scraggly trees separated Grace from what she assumed was Tessa’s body. A shock of blond hair peeked between the canopy of leaves blocking her view of the woman’s face.
Joan surged forward. “Tessa! Oh my God! She fell? Is she okay?”
Zeke hooked an arm around Joan’s shoulder to secure her in place. His eyes met Grace’s.
She gave a tiny shake of her head.
He let out a long breath. “Joan, just take a step back.”
“But Tessa. We need to get to her. She’s hurt and probably scared.” Her voice hitched high.
Grace’s throat went dry, and she forced the quivering in her limbs to stop. “I’ll go down and check on her. See if she’s…” she couldn’t finish her thought. Not when she already knew what she’d find. But even though the possibility was slim Tessa could survive a fall from this height, she still had to make sure. Had to be one hundred percent positive of her condition.
Tears flowed from Joan’s eyes, and she covered her mouth with her knuckles. “How could this happen? I don’t understand.”
The commotion drew the attention of the rest of the group, who slowly made their way over.
“What is it?” Darrin asked, shoving his way to the front. “Did you find her?”
Grace didn’t have time to explain. She needed to make her way down the face of the mountain as quickly and safely as possible on the off chance she could still get help for Tessa. “She must have fallen. I’m headed down. I need you all to stay right here.”
As she headed for her pack to retrieve what she needed to repel down the cliff, she grabbed her phone. One bar lingered at the top of her screen. Enough to get through to Brooke. She made the call with her phone squeezed between her ear and shoulder while fetching her supplies.
“Grace? Why are you calling me?” The urgency in Brooke’s tone spoke louder than her words.
“There was an accident. One of the guests went over a cliff.”
“What’s her status?”
“I’m going to find out now.”
“Tell me how I can help you. What do you need?”
