“I’ll go looking for them,” I say.
Walter makes a sweeping gesture. “This beautiful blanket of snow is the most deceptive, treacherous thing. Underneath are sharp rocks, deep ravines, frozen lakes, and what have you. If you go searching now by yourself, you’ll probably die.”
Elise takes a step forward. “What would you suggest we do?”
“I can take you down to the village, where you’ll eat and recover.”
I begin to object that every hour counts, but he flashes a palm at me.
“I’m calling our local rescue team.” He pulls a walkie-talkie from his pocket. “They’ll head out immediately. In addition, our mayor will mobilize the national gendarmerie.”
And I’ll mobilize the Mount Evor search and rescue team. Walter is right. Keen as I am to search for Darrel and Jordan myself, his plan is better.
I show him the approximate site of the crash. He calls the rescue team. Elise and I grab our personal items from his cabin. We all get on Walter’s snowmobile. He straps his dog onto the seat, and down we glide to Vosier-en-Bas.
THEO
By the time the houses come into view, the sky has cleared completely. The sun is shining on a picturesque valley, with snow-covered chalets and gardens nestled against the slope. This could easily be a valley in Mount Evor, what with the snow concealing the differences in architecture.
“The village at the base of the mountain is Vosier-en-Bas,” Walter says. “The other one to the right and higher up is Vosier-en-Haut.”
“They’re delightful,” Elise comments, her eyes bright.
“They are, aren’t they?” Walter shoots her a proud glance. “The two other villages in this valley are just as pretty, but you can’t see them from here.”
“Does Vosier-en-Bas have a hotel?” I ask.
He gives me an offended look. “What do you think, with so much charm, and a winter sports station nearby?”
“I think it’s a yes.”
He turns to Elise. “Even now during the lull after the Christmas season, we have many tourists. But wait until the February school break!”
“So, which one is the best hotel in the village?” I ask.
“Le Vosier, if you can afford it.”
A few more minutes of gliding down the snow-packed slope, and we pull over by a house on the edge of the village. Walter gives us directions to Le Vosier. We thank him, and I write him a fat check. He resists at first, but ends up taking it.
Elise and I head to the hotel. Just before we turn into the village center, I pull my phone from my pocket.The signal is back!Half of the principality has been trying to reach me, from my grandmother Gertrude to Mother to my siblings to Uncle Richard to the prime minister to the chief of police to Carlo. I try Darrel and Jordan, but their phones are off.
“Can you give me a minute?” I ask Elise.
“Take five.” She whips her own phone out. “I’ll call my mom and my grandpa.”
I walk far enough to be out of earshot and dial Max.
The first few minutes of our conversation consist in my brother’s freaking out. They learned about the crash last night. A search and rescue op is already underway around the site. Parts of our helicopter were found, but no bodies. I inform Max that Elise and I are unharmed, but Jordan sustained gun wounds to his chest, and I have no idea what shape Darrel is in.
He tells me that the accident hasn’t been leaked to the press yet. The royal family is in shock. The palace, the PM’s office and MESS are on high alert.
“Where exactly are you now?” Max asks, once he’s gotten a grip. “I’ll send a team to bring you home.”
“I’m in a local village called Vosier-en-Bas, and I’ll stay here for a day or two, while the search is ongoing.”
“If that’s what you want… But Mother, and Uncle Rich, and Gigi will demand to talk to you as soon as I tell them you’re fine.”
“I’ll call them tonight.” I hesitate before adding, “Are you in the palace at the moment?”
