“She has the blasted helmet on,” Bodhi said, his voice rising with desperation. “Surely she can hear me!” He smacked the side of the radio, as though brute force could will Capri’s voice to respond.
Nothing.
“We have to do something!” Charlie Grace snapped, gripping Reva’s arm.
“What are we supposed to do?” Reva’s calm veneer was cracking, her voice shaking as she scanned the horizon. “We’re down here. They’re—” She gestured helplessly toward the mountain, her throat tightening.
The sound of approaching footsteps cut through the panic. A small group of onlookers from the parking lot began to gather, murmuring in hushed tones as the spectacle unfolded. Nicola Cavendish, ever the town gossip, clutched her yappy Yorkie to her chest. “An avalanche?” she gasped, looking from the girlfriends to Bodhi. “Oh, Lord, are they trapped up there?”
Reva spun on her heel. “Nicola, that’s a given. Either help or go home.”
Nicola, affronted but obedient, stepped back with an indignant huff.
Lila grabbed Bodhi by the shoulders. “Try again. Try her again. Keep trying.”
“I’m trying!” Bodhi shouted, his voice raw with frustration. “I don’t even know if she—” He cut himself off, unwilling to say the words out loud. His hands trembled as he pressed the button again. “Capri, it’s Bodhi. Please, tell me you’re okay. Just… tell me something.”
The static hissed and popped, cruel in its silence.
The girlfriends stood huddled together, eyes fixed on the mountain as the snow finally began to settle, leaving an eerie quiet in its wake. The once-pristine slope was now a jagged scar, the path of destruction painfully clear.
“They could’ve been anywhere,” Lila said, trying to sound hopeful but failing miserably.
“Maybe they made it out of the way,” Charlie Grace added, though tears rimmed her eyes.
“Yeah,” Reva murmured, though her gaze didn’t waver from the mountain. “Maybe.”
Bodhi dropped the radio to his side, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “I’m going up there,” he said, turning toward the transport vehicle.
“Bodhi, no,” Lila said, grabbing his arm. “You don’t even know where they are. You’ll get yourself killed.”
“I can’t just stand here!” he shouted, pulling away. “I should’ve stopped her—I knew this would happen!”
Reva stepped forward, her voice frantic but firm. “Bodhi, listen to me. You’re not going to help Capri by getting yourself caught in the aftermath. We need to wait for the rescue team.”
As if on cue, the wail of a distant siren pierced the air. The girlfriends turned toward the sound, hope flickering in their eyes as a snow rescue vehicle crested the hill into the parking lot.
“Thank God,” Charlie Grace breathed.
Bodhi didn’t move, his hands curling into fists. “I should’ve done more,” he whispered. “I should’ve?—”
“You couldn’t have stopped her,” Lila said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Capri does what she’s going to do. You know that as well as we do.”
The siren grew louder as the vehicle pulled in, its doors swinging open. A team of rescuers jumped out, gearing up for the climb. The girlfriends and Bodhi watched as the rescuers moved with efficiency, their calm demeanor a stark contrast to the panic rippling through the small group.
“We’ll find her,” one of them said, meeting Bodhi’s frantic gaze. “We’ll find all of them.”
The words hung in the air, a fragile thread of hope as they turned back to the mountain.
The rumble of an engine cut through the voices shouting and equipment clattering as rescuers prepared for action. A cloud of dust and snow swirled in the air as Jake Carrington’s pickup tore into the lot, skidding to a stop just feet from where the group had gathered. The door flew open, and Jake climbed out, his usual composed demeanor replaced with a frantic energy none of them had ever seen before. His rugged frame moved with purpose as he scanned the group and shoved gloves and a radio in his pocket. His gaze landed squarely on Bodhi.
“Is it true?” Jake’s voice was rough, barely controlled. His eyes flicked to the distant mountain, then back to the others. “Is she up there?”
The silence that followed was answer enough.
Reva gave a small nod, her face pale and drawn.
Jake’s jaw tightened, his breath coming out in quick, sharp bursts. He turned back to the mountain, his expression dark with determination.
