Nothing.
As her throat throbbed and her head pounded, she grew angrier and angrier. She called the men’s names, her heart nearly beating out of her chest as the crackling sound of the impending avalanche drowned her shouts. Would this one fall right on their doorstep? Tears gathered at the back of her eyes. She couldn’t believe this was happening again.
She should go back into the cave and leave them to it, she fumed as despair threatened to suffocate her. Let Parker and Jake be caught up in another avalanche if that was what they wanted. How stupid and shortsighted of them to come out here in the first place without letting them know. She dismissed the fact that she had just done the exact same thing. For Jake and Parker to actually have–
Something landed on her shoulder and she screamed in terror, and would have fallen face first into the flaky snow if a firm hand hadn’t kept her upright and turned her around.
Jake stood in front of her, his face obscured with snowflakes, but it was him. It was his hand that had landed on her shoulder. He now rested both of them on her shoulders, keeping her firmly in place. Parker stood a few feet behind him, staring toward the avalanche, a disbelieving expression on his face.
Relieved and furious at the same time, Nina pulled back her fist and punched Jake solidly in the chest with all her strength, satisfied when he grunted and fell back a step, his hands dropping from her shoulders. “Where the hell did you two go?” she screamed. Snowflakes flew into her mouth as she spoke, making her even angrier. “We had an agreement. No one leaves the cave without telling the others. Remember? No one.”
“You’re right. We’re sorry.” But his eyes were smiling. “We’re sorry,” he repeated. “You shouldn’t have come out alone, though.”
The urge rose to hit him again and she had to clamp down on it. “We need to get out of here. Now.”
“Look,” he hissed, pointing over her shoulder. As usual his expression was difficult to read. “See for yourself why Parker and I are out here.”
She stiffened immediately. “I don’t think so,” she managed. What made him possibly think she’d want to see another avalanche?
Jake frowned and glanced toward Parker as the other man stepped forward.
“Nina...?” Parker began.
“We have to get back into the cave.” Desperate, she started back toward the cave. “We need to warn the others. We need–”
“It’s not another avalanche, Nina,” Jake called after her.
She stopped. Had she heard him right? She couldn’t have done. She didn’t dare turn around, and her shoulders remained rigid with tension. She knew what she’d heard. There was no mistaking it.
“It’s not another avalanche,” Jake repeated as he and Parker joined her. “Turn around, Nina. See what we’ve been unable to tear our eyes from.” When she still didn’t move, he said it again, his words ripe with urgency. “Look at it, Nina.”
Her hands shook but his urgency got through to her. Slowly she turned, followed where his finger pointed.
And fell to her knees in shock at the vision before her.
She blinked, then blinked again, stunned into speechlessness. “Oh my God,” she managed.
“Not quite what you expected, hmm?” Parker finally said in a strangled voice. With his good arm he helped Nina get back on her feet.
She barely heard his words. Her gloved hands clenched together. “I, but–” She couldn’t speak. Every word she had ever known had left her head.
Jake had been right. It wasn’t another avalanche. It was the same avalanche, but it was melting.
Melting right before their eyes.
“How?” she whispered.
Jake just shook his head, his eyes wide with wonder.
For days the avalanche that had fallen their first day out here had been like a tall white wall blocking any possibility of them leaving the area to find help. It had blocked all their paths to freedom and civilization. Yet here she was with Jake and Parker, watching it crumble like tumbling white sand, hundreds of feet of snow that had blocked their escape route for almost four days now fell effortlessly to the ground. “I–I don’t believe it,” she choked out. “Do...do avalanches melt like that?” she whispered. “So...so quickly?” She already knew the answer but felt she needed to ask it anyway.
“No,” Jake confirmed. “It takes months to melt. And the climate has to be a heck of a lot warmer than it is now.”
“I–I think.... let’s get the others,” Parker said.
––––––––
Nina clung to Rita, both of them needing the support of the other. They all stood–six of them– shoulder to shoulder outside the cave watching as the avalanche continued to melt.
“If it continues falling like this we could have enough clearance to leave first light tomorrow,” Jake told them.
“Rita.” With a warm smile, Parker rested a hand on her shoulders. “This was because of you. Thank you.”
She shook her head, trying to hold back tears of joy. “I didn’t do anything.”
“He’s right.” Jake’s eyes were dark and thoughtful as he turned to her. “Your prayer. It worked. Nothing else explains this...this...” He turned back to the melting avalanche.
“Miracle,” Justin supplied. “Avalanches don’t melt as quickly as this, and definitely not in these cold conditions. It was your prayer, Rita.”
“Then it was our prayer,” she corrected, and pulled away from Nina to wipe her damp eyes. “It was our prayer,” she repeated.
Neil’s eyes held conflicting emotions, and Nina watched as Rita went to comfort him before turning back to the rest of them. “It wasn’t me we all prayed to,” she reminded them.
Silence fell as they all digested that.
“Let’s go back inside,” Justin said.
As soon as they were all cocooned back in the warmth of the cave, Parker let out a long breath. “So...when are we leaving?”
Jake rubbed a hand over his face. “We’ve got a way out,” he confirmed. “But the question is whether we can take it. Any option we choose is a risk.”
Nina tried and failed to hold back her panic. “What do you mean? We now have a clear route to get help. If it clears–”
“Yes,” he cut in, “but now we have two of our group who are injured. Plus, it’s still snowing, which makes it harder. I don’t know how long it’ll take us on foot to get to the nearest town out here.” He huffed out a breath. “So we have two choices...” He paused. “We can either wait here for the rescue planes to eventually come back and find us...but it’s still snowing and so it’s a guess as to when they’ll be able to come back.”
“You actually want to do that?” Justin demanded, aghast. “Stay here and wait?”
“I’m merely outlining our options,” Jake pointed out patiently.
“None of which are ones I want to hear,” Neil said with a rueful twist of his lips.
“It’s not what any of us want to hear.” Parker sighed. “What are you saying, Eu...I mean Jake?”
“Ange isn’t getting better,” Nina put in before Jake could respond. “She needs help. Medical help. We can’t wait. It’s still snowing, which means the rescue copters may not return until it stops. And who knows when that will be?”
“But she needs to stay warm or she’ll get worse.” Jake’s eyes were apologetic. “If we remove her from the cave and take her with us she could die out there. If she stays here and doesn’t get help...”
She could die anyway. Torn, Nina squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t realize she’d moaned out loud until Justin curved a comforting arm around her shoulders. Grateful, she wrapped an arm around his waist, amazed at how comfortable she felt doing so.
“There’s no guarantees,” Jake stated. “But there’s never any reward without a risk. It could be hours...or it could be days.”
Nina pulled away from Justin and straightened her spine. “Whatever we decide, we’ll decide as a team.”
“Of course,” everyone agreed.
“So...” Nina drew a deep shuddering breath. “Do we stay...or go?”
Chapter 18
––––––––
“It depends.” Face drawn with exhaustion, Neil leaned against the cave wall. “And if they do come back, we would’ve left the cave for nothing, risked our lives out there in that frigid cold for nothing...with two injured people.”
“Yes, they could come back,” Jake agreed, running a hand over his hair. “But they might not, due to the adverse weather.” He cast a quick look over his shoulder, towards the outside of the cave where it continued to snow. “What if there’s another blizzard?”
Nina shuddered. “We don’t want to be out there in a blizzard either.”
“No we don’t,” Jake agreed. “The best option may be for us to wait until tomorrow morning before we decide what to do.” He cast his eyes around the group, gauging their reactions. “Tomorrow we can see how much the avalanche has disintegrated. By then we can see how Ange is doing too.”
Justin shook his head. “I’ve already made my decision.” Anxiety laced his voice. “I want–”
“I wouldn’t.” Jake laid a hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “Don’t rush into making a decision because your vote will count. Sleep on it, first.” Jake’s eyes held understanding even as his voice brooked little opposition. “We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Let’s get through tonight.”
Justin took a deep breath, clearly struggling with his need for departure, but eventually he nodded in acceptance.
Nina met Neil’s gaze. Jake’s idea made sense, they knew that, but they could only hope – or pray – that Ange didn’t get worse while they slept. They would yet again need to pull more patience and resilience from their already depleted resources.
“We’ve got a way out now,” Jake reminded them all, smiling for the first time in a long time. “We’ve been given that. But we need to make sure we’ll be making the right decision if we use it.”
“I don’t see why it wouldn’t be the right decision,” Rita said in clear confusion. “Why would the Most High create a way for us to leave, for us to only remain stuck in this cave?”
It was a question Nina wondered too. She still couldn’t believe what her eyes had seen out there. Like Jake had said, avalanches melt with the weather – a warm turn of weather –not when the weather remained at subzero temperatures. She almost wanted to climb back out the cave and ensure the avalanche was still melting, that it hadn’t been a figment of her tortured imagination.
Justin smiled. “Maybe if we keep believing that it will continue to melt, Rita, it will.”
Nina smiled and glanced over at Neil; his expression was thoughtful.
“If we do leave tomorrow,” Jake began, his eyes becoming unfathomable. “My guess would be that our best bet won’t change; it would still probably be best to head north.”
“Straight into the mouth of the avalanche,” Nina whispered, and bit her lip.
“The avalanche that’s melting,” Rita pointed out with a wide smile.
“I know, but...would that be okay? To walk directly into, or near where and avalanche has been?”
“It’s the avalanche that blocked our escape route to begin with,” Neil reminded her.
“So we’ll sleep on it tonight and then vote tomorrow?” Parker spoke now, the first thing he had said in some time.
“Yes, okay.” Nina huffed out a breath. “Okay,” she repeated, “until tomorrow then.”
––––––––
Hugh stared at Justin and Parker in disbelief. “It can’t be melting. That’s impossible.” He sat up against the wall on his sleeping platform as straight as his bound legs would allow. “Is that where you’ve both been? Outside? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“We’re telling you now,” Justin now sat at the edge of his sleeping platform. His eyes were wide and dazed with wonder.
“Yes,” Parker seconded. “We’re telling you now.” Like Justin, Parker sat on the edge of his own platform, eyes unfocused.
“I can’t believe it’s just melting like that,” Justin breathed through lips that barely moved. “I can’t...I just can’t believe it.”
Hugh stared at the looks on both Parker and Justin’s faces, then cast a look towards the exit of the cave and wet his lips. “I want to see it for myself. It could be something else.”
“A melting avalanche is a melting avalanche,” Justin said simply. “And I’m not lifting you out of here to see it; you’re too heavy. You’re just going to have to believe us.”
Hugh shook his head. “I want to see with my own eyes, Justin. I won’t believe it until I do.”
“Please, Hugh,” Parker begged, his tone laden with weariness, “we’re all exhausted. Besides, like Justin said, we’d have to carry you out, and neither Justin or I have the energy right now. Just believe it when we say that it’s melting. It’s incredible, unexplainable, but undeniably true. I can hardly believe it myself, but it is what it is.”
Hugh’s mouth tightened. “You’ll have to forgive me if I struggle to believe anything you say from now on, dad.” He said the last word with contempt.
“But I don’t lie,” Justin reminded him with an understanding glance.
“I understand how you feel about me not being your biological father, Hugh. I’m–”
“You would never have told us would you?”
Parker flinched at the harsh delivery of Hugh’s question, but answered honestly. “No I wouldn’t have. Right or wrong, Hugh, I don’t see you and Justin as anything but my sons. All three of you: Justin, Hugh, and Euan – I mean Jake.”
“And what’s going to happen with you and Jake?” Hugh asked, exchanging a look with Justin. “As if what you told Justin and I wasn’t enough. Now all this about Jake.” He closed his eyes briefly. “’Great. Just...great.”
“I don’t know what’s going to happen between Jake and I,” Parker admitted and hated how vulnerable that admission made him feel.
“What you said about mother...what she did...” Justin’s hands balled into fists. “I didn’t know, but I guess I should’ve realized. She was never big on honesty. Even to herself. But Hugh and I can’t pretend we don’t know you’re not our real father.”
Parker swallowed, desperately wishing they could just stick to discussing the miracle of the avalanche. He couldn’t stomach these conversations about bloodlines and birthright; they made him tense and antsy. It was unreasonable of him to feel this way, he knew it, and deep down, he knew the boys deserved to know who they really were, but darn it, that meant compromising his position. “Nothing has to change if you don’t want it to.” He strived to keep his voice neutral as he looked from Justin to Hugh. “To me, I’m Jake’s father as much as I am yours.” Nothing was worth anything if what mattered most to him was lost. Yes, they could escape this place and find civilization, and with that a return to their normal lives, but what would be the point if all of his relationships became fractured? “I don’t see why we all can’t – us and Jake – try and all get along, get to know each other.” It was his deepest wish.
Justin and Hugh exchanged another look. Justin rolled his eyes.
Parker winced. “Justin–”
“Jake can’t stand me for a start,” Hugh pointed flatly. “How on earth are we all supposed to get along?”
Parker rubbed a hand over his face. “You’ve given him good reason to dislike you, Hugh. He just needs to see your good side.”
Hugh flushed. “So you think I have one?” He looked both surprised and grateful but quickly tried to hide it.
“Of course you do,” Justin said on a weary sigh. “But our first priority is getting out of here and reaching his place in Kitzbűhel.” He jerked his chin at Parker. “Then finally getting home. Let’s focus on that.”
Parker hesitated. He didn’t’ want to say these next words but knew he must. “And if we do get home, back to London...do you, will you want to find out who your biological fat
her is? Does it really matter?”
Justin looked at him in disbelief. “The truth always matters. You may be comfortable living under lies, but I have more self-respect than that. I like truth, not continual deceit.”
Parker squeezed his eyes shut briefly as pain sliced through him. The disdain and contempt in Justin’s voice ate at him like stabs on an already open bleeding wound. Taking a deep breath, he straightened his shoulders. “We can talk properly when we get back home, back to London.” His eyes were imploring, but Justin just looked away.
“Home.” Hugh breathed the word out wistfully. “I wish I could’ve helped to find a way out of this.” He flushed when both Parker and Justin turned their eyes towards him. “I’m sorry.”
“Hugh–” Parker began, but when Parker rose to go to him, Hugh shrank back, and Parker returned to his platform. “You do need to get help with your drinking, Hugh. And stick with it.”
“I can stop drinking anytime I want,” Hugh insisted.
Justin sighed. “Right,” he said, and rubbed his hands through his hair.
Hugh’s bottom lip trembled. “I haven’t had a drink since being on the jet.”
“Hugh,” Parker began patiently, “we all know that’s only because there’s been no drink to have out here. We’ve been stuck in the middle of nowhere.”
Hugh studied his fingers. “I bet Rita wishes you had all prayed earlier.”
“Don’t try and change the subject,” Parker said. “I want your word on this. I want you to promise me that once we get home you’ll get help.”
Hugh’s eyes flashed with bitter resentment. “I don’t owe you anything, you’re not my father, remember?”
Parker blanched.
“Do it for yourself, Hugh,” Justin put in as Parker remained silent. “Do it for yourself, because it’s your life.”
Spiral and Torn Books 1 and 2 of The Salzburg Saga Trilogy Page 26
