Nina stroked a hand over Luke’s warm forehead. He looked like an angel. “You couldn’t have foreseen this, Rita. No one but Hugh Drayton is responsible for what’s happened. You simply wanted to spend time with your husband. That’s not a crime, especially when he puts in so many hours at the office.” All three of them – her, Neil, and Angela were guilty of working crazy hours.
“Where’s Neil now?” she asked Rita.
“With Ange.”
“Get a good night’s sleep.” Pressing a kiss to Rita’s cheek, Nina left her.
He and Angela were talking in muted tones when she joined them. Angela lay stretched out on one of the sleeping platforms in the small space while Neil perched on the edge of the platform which would be Nina’s. All the rooms had a small walking space between the sleeping platforms.
They both looked up when she entered.
“I’ve been speaking with Rita.”
“She’s awake?” Neil frowned. “She was half asleep when I left her a few minutes ago.” He helped Nina onto her sleeping platform and she stretched out, pleased to find the surface comfortable and lump free beneath her. Justin had done a good job smoothing out the surface, she acknowledged. She sighed in relief for the first time all day, able to relax fully.
“Are you okay?” Nina asked him. “Need any medication?”
He threw a grim smile over his shoulder as he walked slowly towards the door. “What medication? There was barely enough to begin with. We can’t be too quick to finish what we have.”
Her brows furrowed. “That’s the first time I’ve seen you limp.”
“Because I’ve made a point not to let it show.” His mouth twisted.
“Oh, Neil,” Angela moaned. Rising from her sleeping platform, she went to him and curved an arm around his waist. “Come on, I’ll help you back.”
When Angela returned a few minutes later, she stretched out on her sleeping platform again.
With a sigh, Nina pressed her ungloved fingers to her temple. “Do you have any of that water left that Jake gave you?”
“A little.” Angela pulled it out and handed it to her.
Trying to make as little noise as possible, Nina pulled out a foil packet.
“What’s that?”
Nina sighed; Angela had ears like a cat. “Nothing important.”
“Really?” The lack of conviction in Angela’s tone made Nina wince. “Why don’t you share it then?”
Nina eyed the packet of Saranax. It wasn’t something to share. “How’s your back?”
Angela huffed out a breath. “I don’t think building this cave helped it.”
With a sigh, Nina took out two tablets and swallowed them with the water. Handing the water back to Angela, she ran a hand through her matted hair, trying to work out the knots with her fingers.
“None of us should have agreed to this trip.” Angela bit out. “We should have done something really mundane like bowling. What am I doing here?”
––––––––
Jake kept asking himself the very same question as he sat at the edge of his sleeping platform. Emily slept curled in a protective ball on her platform opposite, her brows drawn together and her mouth tight. Even in sleep she found no respite. Every few minutes, she jerked or gave a soft groan. Reliving, Jake guessed, what had happened to Ben.
Finding the candle that Emily had salvaged from the jet’s kitchen, he headed out to the corridor. The snow block he’d placed at the entrance door was doing its job, keeping the cave warm and cozy. Reaching up, he inserted the candle into the ventilation hole he’d carved out, and then cursed in frustration when he realized he didn’t have a lighter to light the candle. “Great. Just...great.”
“What now?”
Jake jumped, then turned. Parker Drayton stood behind him, the older man frowning up at the hole. “Did no one ever tell you not to sneak up on people?” Jake snapped.
Parker arched a brow in obvious amusement. “I wasn’t sneaking.”
Jake turned back to the hole, effectively dismissing him.
“I came out here for two things,” Parker informed him.
Jake didn’t turn around. “Fascinating.”
The other man ignored that. “First, I wanted to talk to you.”
Jake held back a rude retort with difficulty. “About what?” he asked instead.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“I wouldn’t be asking if it was. Enlighten me.” From the corner of his eye, he saw Parker rub his free hand over his face before leaning against the cave wall for support.
“I want to apologize for Hugh, for what he did. I need to speak to the others, too. Not to mention Emily, but they’re all asleep.”
Jake kept his gaze on the ventilation hole. “And I told you before that it’s not your place to apologize. But either way, no apology will bring Ben Denny back. Or get us back to London.”
“I know it. I –” Parker drew a deep breath but plowed on. “Hugh has...” He paused. “Issues that he’s... he’s dealing with.”
Jake did turn then, widening his eyes in mock disbelief. “I never would have guessed.”
Parker’s mouth tightened. “I don’t expect you to under–”
“He’s a spoiled brat with a crippling level of self-esteem.”
Parker’s face flushed with anger. “Look–”
“No, you look.” Jake’s face was hard; his eyes flat and unyielding. “Hugh had to try and prove himself in that cockpit. Apparently he couldn’t rest until he’d proved that he could fly the thing. He caused our jet to crash. We could all have been killed. One man already is. I’m no psychologist, but I know that your son has a serious self-esteem issue. That issue has landed us here. I’ve been in a plane crash and just about didn’t survive. I care that my friend didn’t. I care that a good friend is in pieces because she’s lost her husband due to no fault of hers. I care that I’m holding onto a very faint piece of hope that we make it out of here in one piece without anyone else getting hurt.” His voice was getting louder with his anger but Jake didn’t care. “Do you have any idea how much of a miracle it is that we’re both standing here with all our body parts?”
Parker swallowed. “You said that earlier.”
“Because it’s true,” Jake bit out. “Jeez.” He stared at Parker with pity. “You have no idea what happens to some people in plane crashes do you? They’re often left with only one arm and leg.”
Parker closed his eyes. “Please.”
“Hugh should apologize for himself because he’s the one who got us into this mess,” Jake continued mercilessly, “and you’re responsible for doing a lousy job of bringing him up. Why don’t you apologize for that? ” Parker flinched at his words, and Jake jerked his head in the direction of the other rooms in the cave. “Those lawyers won’t tell you this because you’re their big-wig client, but you’re not mine. I couldn’t care less if I never see you again. But you want to see the result of your parenting skills? Look at our current situation. Hugh’s got Ben’s blood on his hands, and so have you.”
Parker had gone white. “You’ve said enough.” His voice shook.
Jake was breathing heavily. “I haven’t even started.”
“Quit while you’re ahead.” Parker’s free hand had clenched into a fist, and the arm in the sling seemed to vibrate. “You don’t know anything about me or my boys.”
Jake raked the older man with a scornful glance. “What I’ve seen so far is more than enough. The fact that you have a son who doesn’t give a rat’s ass who he hurts speaks volumes to me. Ben’s dead, and Hugh merely has a dodgy leg. You do the maths.” He started back toward his room. “Your sons aren’t people to be respected,” he tossed over his shoulder, “and neither are you.”
He wouldn’t let the younger man’s animosity get to him, Parker told himself, even if shame and guilt burned a hole in his gut. Jake’s words had hit a nerve; several in fact. His gaze connected with the ventilation hole. “What’s the problem with the hole
here?” he called out.
With obvious reluctance, Jake stopped several feet away and turned to face him. “The candle needs lighting. I don’t have a lighter.”
“Why does it need lighting? It’s warm enough in here.”
“It’s not for heat, it’s for oxygen,” Jake explained with strained patience. “If the flame flickers for a long time, we’re in trouble. It’ll mean there’s no oxygen in here.” He arched a cynical brow. “Any suggestions?”
“How about this?”
Jake eyed the gold lighter Parker held up.
“A smoke was the second thing I came out for.” Parker smiled; more to ease the tension he felt than to appease the younger man. “I hadn’t intended on smoking during the trip, but then I found myself sleeping on snow.”
Jake walked back to him and took the offered lighter. Without ceremony he lit the candle. The flame initially flickered for a moment before strengthening and becoming steady. “Thanks. Good enough,” he murmured. He tossed the lighter back to Parker who deftly caught it. Jake then cleared the hole around the candle.
Intrigued, Parker moved forward to inspect. “What are you doing now?”
Jake stopped. “Drayton,” he warned. “I don’t like people breathing down my neck.”
With a mutter, Parker stepped back. “What are you doing?” he repeated.
“Making sure the hole is clear of debris,” Jake said shortly. “It’ll avoid carbon monoxide build up.”
“Did Gwynne teach you all this stuff?”
Jake turned and saw Parker’s admiration. “Yes. But all this stuff can also be found in good survival manuals.”
“Maybe that’s where Justin learned about building snow caves.”
Jake’s jaw clenched. “I don’t want to discuss your toxic offspring, Drayton. It’s likely to bring on an ulcer.”
“Jake–”
“I’m done,” Jake stated. “And so is this conversation.”
“If we want to get through this we have to all work together,” Parker stated. “I understand how you feel about Ben, about Hugh, and how Emily feels, and I’m sorry. More sorry than I can ever say.” Parker’s eyes were shadowed with remorse. “But we need to get through this. We can only do that together.”
Jake shook his head in amazement. “Do you have any idea how cold it is out there?” He jerked his chin towards the cave entrance. “While we were digging this thing, I checked Emily’s thermometer. Minus seven, and that was three hours ago. It’s only getting colder.”
“It’s warm in here.”
“Snow caves are always warm, but the size of this thing will shrink a little each day; that’s what they do. We have no food, medical supplies are dwindling, and we’re stuck in the middle of nowhere. Plus, no one yet knows that we’re out here. Are you getting it yet?” Jake’s voice had risen steadily until he was almost shouting. With an effort he took a deep breath and fought to wrestle back his self-control before anger made him deck the older man where he stood. “Like I said,” he concluded softly as Parker stared at him with dawning horror, “this conversation is over.”
––––––––
“Enjoyed your chat with Alpha Pilot?” Justin derided as soon as Parker returned to their room.
Having had three much-needed cigarettes, Parker moved stiffly past Justin who stood, body tense, at the entrance of their small room. Cold and on edge from being outside for over twenty minutes, Parker shivered. “Heard the pleasant conversation I had with Jake, did you?” He sat down on the edge of his sleeping platform and closed his eyes.
“Every word.”
Opening his eyes, Parker looked across to where Hugh lay across from them on his sleeping platform. Parker frowned. “I’d thought he’d woken up?” Hugh was breathing but shallowly.
“He did, briefly, but Hugh’s never been one to willingly leap into solving a problem, especially ones that he creates. You know that.”
Parker threw Justin an annoyed look, then realized it probably went unnoticed in the dimness of the room. “That’s not very positive, Justin.”
“Nothing I heard Alpha Pilot say gave me reason to be.”
“His name is Jake,” Parker said with a weary sigh. “Why are you calling him Alpha Pilot? Show some respect, Justin.”
“Why? He hasn’t shown you any,” Justin scorned. “And I was calling him Alpha Pilot because of the way he swans around as if he’s in charge of everything. It pisses me off.”
For a man to break his annual leave as Jake had done, and then be faced with this was situation unforgivable, Parker thought. And, though he knew that he wasn’t to blame for what Hugh had done, he felt responsible nonetheless. As, he imagined, any parent would. And Jake seemed to know that. “I understand his anger, Justin.”
Justin began pacing. His hands were jammed into the pockets of his smoke stained ski suit.
“You’re lucky you weren’t heavily injured,” Parker remarked, and frowned at his son. “But aren’t you tired? All I want to do is sleep.”
“Adrenaline I guess.” Justin shrugged, face grim. “Besides, I’m too angry to sleep. I’m just as resentful as that captain.”
“Well, he broke his annual leave to find himself stranded in the backcountry. He’s lost a good friend, and he probably hasn’t eaten for longer than us. Do you really expect him to stroll around whistling?”
Justin approached Hugh’s bed and stared down at his younger brother for a moment, his hands balling into fists. “Why didn’t you stop him?” he demanded of his father.
Parker’s brows snapped together. “What? What are you talking about now, Justin?”
“Hugh.” The word flew out from Justin’s mouth like a snowball. “Why didn’t you stop him from going into that cockpit?”
Parker gaped in disbelief. “For heaven’s sake, Justin, give me a break. Both you and Hugh are adults; he should know how to behave. And if I recall correctly, I was the one trying to make him see sense. It was you who sat back, unwilling to get involved.”
Justin swore and went to sit down on his own platform. “I didn’t know he was going to do what he did.”
“And I did?” Going out for cigarettes in this cold had agitated Parker’s already aching muscles, and this conversation with Justin wasn’t helping. “You need to have some empathy for what he and Emily are going through. How would you feel if someone caused Hugh to die?”
Justin only grinned. “I’d inherit the entire hotel chain, lock, stock, and barrel, so it wouldn’t be all bad.”
“Justin!”
He snickered. “Relax; I’m kidding. But look, I’m not dying out here. No way.”
“Jake pointed out the facts to me; they aren’t pretty.”
“He doesn’t have all the answers.”
“He has more than us.”
“Someone from the hotel is bound to notice when you don’t get back as scheduled,” Justin insisted. “Everybody knows when the boss is returning. Someone’s bound to start asking questions.”
“That’s speculation, Justin. Nobody may ask. It’s not unusual for me to take a few days extra holiday without telling anyone. I'm not accountable to anyone.” The beauty of running one’s own business, he knew. But for the first time in twenty-two years he resented his own independence.
“What....” Justin swallowed. “What are you saying?”
Parker turned to lay on his back. His mouth had set in a grim line, and despite his efforts, he couldn’t relax it. “I’m saying...I’m saying that this time...Hugh has got us into something that money can’t fix.”
Chapter 10
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Cold, merciless hands kept Nina pinned to her seat on the plane. Smoke clogged her nose and throat, making her choke and sputter. Desperate and frantic screams drilled through her ears while her head crashed against the back of her seat.
“No, no. Stop it,” she sobbed.
“Neen, wake up. You’re having a nightmare.”
Nina fought her way out of
the nightmare. Her cheeks were damp and her vision blurry as she stared up into Angela’s anxious face. Angela leaned over her, her own face drawn and scared as she laid a comforting hand on Nina’s quaking shoulder.
“Bad dream?” Angela asked. She looked shaken herself.
Nina swallowed twice. Her back throbbed and she gingerly sat up to rub the base of it. “Yeah,” she croaked. “Bad dream.”
Angela pursed her lips, her hand still gentle on Nina’s shoulder. “About... the crash?”
Nina sucked in air. “Yeah. But I’m okay now.” She would say it until she believed it, she decided. “I’m okay,” she repeated.
Angela slowly returned to her own sleeping platform. “One good thing about me fainting on that flight was that I’d already passed out and so missed the horror of it.”
“Yeah.” On a deep breath, Nina settled back down. She was still shaking.
“Sure you’re okay?” Angela whispered. “We can stay up and talk if you like.”
Nina managed a shaky smile. “No it’s okay, but thanks. Go back to sleep.”
When Angela settled back down and turned onto her side, seeming to ease easily back into slumber, Nina drew a deep sigh. The nightmare had jostled her, unsettled her, and now awoken her so that she had no choice but to think and worry about their situation. She’d wanted so desperately to reach Hazel, she remembered. Despite what Angela said about delivering heartbreaking news, the fact that her family didn’t know of her predicament made her uneasy.
Such emotions made falling asleep virtually impossible.
Her preferred position to sleep had always been with her legs bent up against her chest, but the stiffness in her legs now made that impossible. Angela had fallen asleep, and she envied her friend the ability to sleep so soundly, temporarily escaping the chronic anxiety that Nina found battering her. All she could think about was what if? What if Jake and Justin hadn’t known how to build snow caves? she wondered, not for the first time. What if Jake had died along with Ben? What if she had?
Spiral and Torn Books 1 and 2 of The Salzburg Saga Trilogy Page 8