Page 67 of Mountain Struggle

He turned to speak with Drake. “Tess and I will get off and walk to the hut. I want Kat to keep the helo out of sight but stay close.”

Drake nodded tightly. “Where do you want me?”

“Do you have your climbing equipment?”

“You know I do, Damien.”

“I’d like you to climb up the north face. We’ll be wearing our ear pieces, so you’ll be able to hear things.” It was a big ask—though a competent climber, rock climbing wasn’t one of Drake’s favorite pastimes.

Drake didn’t hesitate. “I can do that.”

#

Tess

“Are you sure about this, Tess?” Damien asked. He grabbed on to her hand so hard she thought she might bruise. It was the only outward sign that he wasn’t completely in control.

It was ironic that she—who was so out of her element in this world—would have to be the one to reassure Damien, but she knew him well enough by now to know what was going on in his mind.

Damien was a protector—it was in his nature, and it was also his job, what he’d trained his whole life for. He wouldn’t hesitate to lay down his life for her or Jamie—but that wasn’t what was being required of him now.

Tess fought to steady her breathing. Though Damien looked like he was merely out for an early afternoon stroll, the hike to the abandoned hut had taken a toll on her.

“I trust you, Damien. I know you’ll do everything you can to get us home safely, and I wouldn’t want any other man by my side,” she said carefully. If things didn’t go according to plan, she didn’t want to say anything that would make it harder for him to move on.

His nostrils flared on a sharp inhale. He was about to say something else when his phone rang again.

Upon hearing the man’s voice on the other end of the phone, her knees started shaking. The expression “quaking knees” was one she’d used before in her writing, but not one she’d ever experienced in real life. Her hands, too, were shaking—she pressed them roughly against her thighs. If Damien learned the true extent of her fear, he’d never let her go on with it.

Tess pressed herself closer to Damien—she needed to hear the other end of the conversation.

“… into the hut. You stay outside.”

“She’s not going anywhere until we see Jamie,” Damien said firmly. “We need to know he’s okay.”

The man clucked and did something that had Jamie screaming in the background. “Daddy!”

“Stop, don’t hurt him—” Damien begged. Tess pressed herself against his hip, steadying him, lending him her strength.

“She has sixty seconds to walk inside, or the boy dies,” the man said roughly, disconnecting the call.

“Jamie’s inside,” Damien said.

“I promise I’ll do everything I can to keep him safe, Damien,” she whispered.

“I need both of you safe,” he said, hugging her to him. His expression was agonized.

And suddenly Tess felt calm. Her knees, which had been trembling seconds before, were still—even her breaths seemed to have settled into her belly.

It was time to take back control of the situation.

“Anything else I need to know?” she asked, surprised by her almost casual tone.

Damien shook his head. He held on to her hand and caressed it gently. “I don’t want you carrying any weapons. Just try to keep him talking, and know that I’ll come for you.”

She wanted to kiss him, to press her lips against his and feel his strength, but she didn’t want to risk losing her newfound courage. She turned around and walked towards the hut.

Should I be raising my arms?