Page 75 of Mountain Impact

Her face was the color of chalk, but she nodded bravely.

“I’ll hold on, Drake.”

They were almost at the next pylon. Drake felt the cable car slow down almost imperceptibly.

Come on, slow down a bit more.

Drake crouched, waiting until the last possible instant before jumping. He let go of Isolde’s legs, trusting her to hold on to him―he was going to need both arms free in order to grab on to the pylon.

For a long, horrifying instant, he thought he might not make it. The pylon stretched beyond his reach, and he realized he was moving too slowly, their combined weights pulling them down.

Drake grunted, stretching his arms towards the metal. If he missed, they’d drop thirty feet. The fingers of his left hand found the hand hold he needed but slipped. Drake rotated his body in the air, his right hand now the only thing that could stop them from plummeting to their deaths.

Still moving in what felt like slow motion, Drake prayed like he’d never done before. His right hand closed against the metallic hold, and he clamped his fingers around it.

Yes.

Isolde clung to his shoulders and neck. Her hold was tight, her breathing unsteady against his ear, but Drake knew she was doing her best not to choke him.

His left arm finally found the purchase it hadn’t found before. For a moment, Drake hung there, his legs in a dead hang. His shoulder muscles strained. Drake groaned. He couldn’t hold this position for long. He needed a foothold.

From his position, he could see the ladder that led all the way to the bottom of the pylon. To safety.

That’s where you need to be.

Eight measly feet away.

Isolde’s left arm slipped from his neck. She flailed, her hand poking his lower back as she struggled for purchase.

Drake saw stars. Black spots filled his vision. He was instants away from passing out.

Her fearful gasp brought him back from the edge. Her hand was back up by his neck.

“Drake? Were you shot?”

Her voice held a note of hysteria.

Drake clamped his jaw together―he couldn’t afford to respond. He pushed the pain to the back of his mind. He ignored the cramping in his fingers, ignored everything except the ladder up ahead. The only thing that mattered was getting Isolde to safety.

Hand over hand, he began inching forward. His entire body shook with the effort. Time slowed to a crawl as he moved.

He felt Isolde’s soft breath on his neck. It was exactly what he needed―a reminder that, if he passed out, they were both dead.

Keep going.

His muscles screaming in agony, Drake summoned every ounce of strength as he moved his hands forward along the bar. Finally, he was close enough to the ladder that he could twist his legs and put them against each side of the rung.

He exhaled in sharp relief. His arms and hands shook.

“Do you think you can climb down the ladder, Isolde?”

If she said no, he didn’t know what he was going to do.

“Yes. Yes,” she said quickly. “What should I do?”

“Lean over on my right side until you can grab onto the ladder. Don’t let go with your left hand until you’re sure you’re stable.”

Now that she knew he was hurt, she was careful to avoid his injury.