Chapter One
Preston
“Don’t move!” I shouted, already dropping over the edge of the trail before the kid could look up. His sneaker slid over the loose shale, and he slipped again. For one terrifying second, I was sure I was about to watch him fall.
But that wasn’t going to happen. Not on my watch.
Again, he slipped; his arms pinwheeled as he worked to stay balanced on the ledge that was barely wide enough for a mountain goat, let alone a lanky teenager and his dog.
“I said don’t move,” I repeated, working hard to keep my voice calm and controlled the way I’d been trained. “I’m going to get you out of there, but you have to stay still.”
“I’m trying!” he called back, his voice cracking. He gripped onto a thin root jutting from the hill.
I lowered myself as fast as I could against the cold rock. The sky had started to spit snow that wasn’t in the forecast. Not that I was surprised. The only thing predictable about spring weather in the mountains was…nothing.
“You’re doing great,” I called down as I fed the ropethrough the belay device as I reached him. “What’s your name?”
“Pete.” His shoulders sagged in relief at my presence. The dog, a fluffy mutt, pressed so close to the kid’s legs that it looked as if he were trying to crawl into them.
“Rough day, Pete?” I anchored myself as I spoke, subtly checking the ledge to determine how stable it was. It would hold. For now. But the wind was starting to pick up, and we were way too exposed to linger for long. We needed to move.
“I was just going for a walk to clear my head after Susie…it doesn’t matter.” He shook his head. “I just…I slipped and now…”
The kid couldn’t have been much older than sixteen, but scared as he was, he looked a lot younger in that moment. On top of that, he clearly had girl problems. I couldn’t help but feel for him.
“Shit happens,” I said as casually as I could. “That’s why I’m here.” I clipped an improvised sling around his waist, noting that not only was he completely inappropriately dressed for a trek in the mountains, but he didn’t even have a pack with him. At least he’d had his phone to call for help. Lucky for him, there was enough service out here to get a signal. I bit my tongue. A lecture could wait. “What’s your dog’s name?”
Pete shook his head. “He’s not mine. I got him for Susie, but…”
“Let me guess.” I bent to pat the pup’s head. “She didn’t accept your apology?”
Pete nodded glumly. “I’m sorry. I never should have?—”
“Don’t worry about it.” I nodded toward the rope. “You’re going up first. Keep your weight against the rope and do what I say, okay?”
He gripped the rope as if his life depended on it—which, in this case, it did—and with my encouragement, started to climb.
I heaved on the rope, helping him up as I kept up a continuous encouraging stream of chatter until Pete reached the top, and then it was my turn.
I grabbed the puppy, tucking him as best I could into my jacket and zipping it up tight so only his little head poked out. He didn’t fight me, which honestly worried me more than anything else. Poor thing was petrified.
It was harder to climb with the weight of the pup, but we managed. By the time we reached the top, the wind had picked up, whipping the building snow into my face. The kid was shaking, and not just from the cold.
“I can’t believe that happened…what would have…I mean, if you weren’t?—”
“But I was.” I tossed him an extra sweater and an emergency blanket from my pack. “Put these on and let’s get out of here, kid.”
“My mom’s gonna kill me.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Probably. But at least you’ll be alive for the lecture.”
I kept the pup in my jacket. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry to get out, and I figured it would be easier to get off the mountain quickly if I didn’t have to worry about him, too.
I took a moment to radio our location and status to the Search and Rescue office, letting them know we were on our way out before we headed down the trail.
“If you want to learn how to be better prepared, and do these things safely,” I said to Pete as we walked, “come to my Saturday adventure skills sessions. You can bring your dog, too.”
As if on cue, the little fur ball burrowed deeper into my jacket.
