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Before Thaddeus could come up with a way out of the mess, he spotted the killer raising the rifle. Upright on the skis with his arms out, Thaddeus tried to make his body a wide target and block Jana.
A rifle shot cracked through the air then a sharp pain tore into his arm. But Thaddeus didn’t slow or check for blood. He was still on his skis and Jana hadn’t been hurt. It was vital that he stay behind her, obscuring the shooter’s view.
Another shot sounded, then Jana looked back, probably to see if Thaddeus was okay. Her reaction was one of horror, and she waved her pole madly. At the same time, the ground rumbled. A glance back told the story. A bullet was no longer a threat.
The damn fool had shot again, and probably hit a rock or a branch, triggering the snowpack—because he’d started an avalanche. In such events, a skier had only a few minutes to escape, if it could be done at all.
Snow cascaded down the mountain in enormous, billowing clouds. The booming descent warned of its danger. It was impossible to get out of the way, but Thaddeus made it to Jana and put his good arm around her waist.
When the mass of snow hit, skis and poles were ripped away. Jana slipped from his arm, and Thaddeus prayed that she had a clue how to survive an avalanche. The snow piled around like an icy embrace with the force of an elephant.
Flailing her arms as though in the water, Jana struggled to swim to the top of the drift, and Thaddeus did the same. He caught sight of her red parka and her black gloves. He fought to stay above the sheets of white and ignored the pain in his arm, while thrusting toward Jana.
Thaddeus reached her, just as another mass of white enveloped them. He grabbed her hand and thrust upward, reaching as high as he could, even as the avalanche tossed him around. When the snow covered all, it would be a way to know which direction was up.
Jana violently thrashed about, kicking her legs and waving her one free arm, anything to keep from sinking. And Thaddeus did the same. It was vital to stay on top of the sliding cascade and avoid being trapped under debris. Swimming to the top of the avalanche was their best chance.
With Jana’s hand in his, Thaddeus kept it above his head. If all else failed, it would be easier for rescuers to spot them. He stayed calm, despite the crisis. The worst thing he could do was panic, as it would speed his breath and shorten the window he had for air. If he could keep his wits, he could stay alive and save Jana. He’d have a few minutes to carve out areas under the snow where they could breathe.
The roar of the avalanche seemed to go on and on. Thaddeus fought against being buried alive and kept a grip on Jana. Then the rumble stilled, and deathly silence followed. Now buried, the best approach was to calmly work on digging their way out.
Trapped under the snow, Thaddeus reacted by spitting. The instant he’d stopped moving, he quickly worked to open a space in front of his face, and trusted that Jana would do the same. The warm saliva would melt the snow, just a little, and give him space to breathe.
The trick could save his life, giving him enough air until he could get out. Also, Thaddeus observed where gravity carried his spit, then dug in the opposite direction. Tunneling upward, he was aware of Jana’s movements near him. She was probably doing the same thing.
Using every bit of strength, Thaddeus pushed upward, sensing Jana’s movements nearby. When his hand poked out of the snowbank, he kicked harder and dug with his other hand until his head surfaced. Then he pulled his body up and looked to where Jana had to be.
Thaddeus dug furiously at the snow, making an opening. Motion below the surface urged him on. Then he saw Jana’s helmet and dug faster. Her face appeared, and she gasped for air. Reaching down, he dragged her up.
Jana fell against him, panting. He looked up at the mountain, drowned in massive snow drifts. He put his arm around Jana, thankful that she was still with him. He reached for his zippered pocket, then opened it to retrieve his avalanche beacon. Any back-country skier carried one. The small radio still worked, so he signaled the ski patrol. The rescue team would be on site soon.
The mountain was still, as though the snow hadn’t just tumbled down, smothering any creature in its path. In an eerie way, it was beautiful. The air smelled sweet and the clouds overhead were welcome. Thaddeus hadn’t been sure he’d see them again.
Most precious of all was Jana. She was living and breathing, with no serious injuries that he could see. She reached out. “You’re bleeding.”
It was only then that Thaddeus realized his sleeve was soaked in blood, a small price to pay if that was the worst of it. He untied his neck scarf then, with Jana’s help, wrapped it around the wound. He’d been numb to the pain during the disaster.
Thaddeus held Jana’s hand. She looked fine, if shaken and exhausted. “You did great,” he said.
Jana smiled then kissed his hand. “You too.”
Sirens in the distance announced that help was on the way. Thaddeus was anxious to get Jana someplace warm and safe. It seemed that had become increasingly difficult to do lately.
