He nodded, and Brady and Devon bolted for the tree line while his cousin Scott and Heath helped widen the hole—giving him room to work.
Joel draped his coat across Cassie, her teeth chattering. “Hey, Cassie,” he said, trying to get her to focus her gaze on him. It took a moment, but she did. “I’m going to get you out of here, okay?”
She gave a nod, the movement stiff.
“You trust me, right?”
She dipped her chin an inch.
“Good.”
The guys returned with sticks more reminiscent of poles.
“Perfect.”
They handed them to him in turn, then taking their coats, he fashioned the gurney parallel to Cassie on the snow.
Stabbing bolts of ice streamed down with the falling snow.
“Okay,” he said, his voice full of emotion, full of love. Even if she didn’t love him back, he still loved her. “You ready?”
She gave a slight nod.
“Okay. I need you to be the fierce woman I know you to be. We need to lift you onto the gurney, then up out of this hole.” Six feet under the snowline. So very close to death. He shook the cobwebs of thoughts from his brain and refocused his attention on getting Cassie out of the hole. “Moving you is going to hurt, but I know you can handle it. You’re my tough girl.”
She nodded once.
“All right.” He took a deep breath and blew it out. “Be as still as you can.” He turned his attention to the guys. “Okay, Jayce andI will lift her onto the gurney, then we’ll each take a corner,” he said, addressing Brady and Devon, “and lift her up and you two help pull her out of the hole.”
“Roger that,” Brady said as he and Devon perched themselves at the edge of the hole, ready to pull the gurney up and out.
Jayce dropped in the hole beside his brother.
“All right.” Joel rested his hands on Cassie’s shoulders for a moment. “You’ve got this,” he assured her before turning his attention back to Jayce. “Grab her ankles, and I’ll get her upper body. We move on three.”
Jayce nodded.
“I’m going to slip my hands under your arms, okay?”
A murmur escaped her lips, his heart warming at the first sound she’d made since they’d found her. It was a good sign, even if she couldn’t form words yet. He shifted, slipping his hands under her armpits, then looked up at Jayce. “Nice and smooth. One, two, three.”
They lifted.
A cry tore from Cassie’s blue lips.
“I’m sorry, honey.” He and Jayce lowered her onto the gurney.
Her pained face softened as Jayce released his hold on her ankles.
“All right. One more time, sweetheart,” Joel whispered. “It shouldn’t be as painful, but we have to lift the gurney up and out of here. Remember, deep breaths in and out of your mouth.”
She nodded, her neck moving with more ease.
Jayce hiked his end up as Joel stabilized Cassie by bracing one hand on her shoulder. Devon and Brady hauled her out, resting the gurney on the snow.
“Good to see you,” Devon said. “I can’t tell you how glad I am that you didn’t become a crime scene for me to work.”
“You and me both,” she chuckled at her coworker, but it came out as more of a cough. Her gaze pinned on Joel. “Good to see you all.”
