“Hey, Han. Relax. I’m still strapped in, and I’m on a tether.” I show him the three clips at the back of my rappelling harness that are bolted into the back wall of the helicopter. “The farthest I’m going to fall is four feet.”
He lets go of my knee reluctantly and nods.
“You ready?” I ask, grinning like an idiot as Logan gives me the signal and I light the fuse.
Another nod.
“Bombs away!” I yell with glee as I toss the explosive out of the helicopter. It really never gets old. I feel Logan start into a turn, and I know he’s trying to give Hanlon the best view possible. Even over the roar of the blades, we hear it shake the mountain below us upon impact.
“Holy shit,” Hanlon whispers. Logan throws a thumbs up as Hanlon adds, “Did you see that slab? That shit’s dangerous as hell!”
I smile a genuine smile at Hanlon for the first time since he arrived. “That’s why we do what we do. Better to trigger it now, while everyone’s asleep, than to put ten thousand skiers and snowboarders on the mountain and havethemtriggerit.”
“Who does the forecasting for this area?” he asks, coming out of his anxiety-riddled shell a little bit.
“We do.Youdo. Remember when I called in those findings from the western boundary that day? In the backcountry, it’s usually someone from the U.S. Forest Service, but some of our territory overlaps.”
Logan holds up another hand.Two-Two-Two-Okaysign.
Immediately, I get to work on preparing two charges and lighting two fuses. Thirty seconds later, I toss them both out of the door, one right after the other.
The look of awe and wonder on Hanlon’s face as he watches the power of the cascading snow below creates an avalanche inside my chest that matches the one on the ground. It’s like years of resentment and bitterness are sloughing off, allowing the organ to beat once again.
Chapter 12
Hanlon
Okay, so the helicopter ride was pretty incredible once I was able to get myself under control. When we get back to the office, it’s only seven a.m., but I can tell Stone is wired. It’s a hell of an adrenaline rush, that’s for sure.
I do my part to unload the helicopter and prepare it for the next trip.
As I’m carrying one of the supply bags back into the office, I don’t pick my foot up all the way and stumble forward.
How embarrassing.
When I don’t get enough sleep, my fatigue goes straight to my motor coordination. My movements are slower and clumsier. I think that happens to everyone, but it’s more exaggerated for those of us with CP and happens a lot faster. When it’s really bad, I walk as if I have a condition calledfoot drop, which is how my toe just got caught on the threshold.
I slam into someone, dropping the bag as hands clutch my shoulders, steadying me.
“Fuck.Sorry,” I mutter, my face far too close to Stone’s. Hedoesn’t let go as he talks to me, and I swear to God, that helicopter ride rearranged my neurons becausewhy am I noticing how blue his eyes are?
I slam my eyes closed to shut him out.
“Han?” My name is a concerned question.
“I’m fine. Just haven’t been able to get much sleep.”
“Go home and get some rest then. You’ve had a big day,” he says, totally pissing me off.
“Absolutely not. The shift doesn’t end until twelve-thirty.”
“Hanlon, you need?—”
“Donottell me what I need, Stone. You don’t fucking know me,” I bite way too harshly for how kind he was to me in the air just now. Butdamn, I’m tired.
“I know that when you’re exhausted, your entire body starts to shut down. Out here, that could put my team at risk. So, I’m not trying to tell you what you need out of the goodness of my heart, Hanlon. I’m giving you an order to protect my crew.”
That’s fair. I can respect that.
