Page 12 of Mountain Trial

“Seriously, I’m impressed. Now I’m really glad I didn’t hurt you the other day when I ran you over.”

That got a laugh out of him, as she’d expected.

Suddenly, she realized a group of snowboarders was making their way towards them. She couldn’t be sure, but thought Jacques might be among them. She really didn’t want to run into him again.

“I have to go,” she said.

Luc took the hint quickly. “I guess I’ll see you around, then.”

“We’re going to Bar Barracuda tonight after work,” Jens said. “Why don’t you join us?”

Kat forced herself to keep her expression neutral, though her heart hammered hard inside her chest.

Luc thanked Jens for the invitation, but his eyes never left hers. Though he didn’t say a word, she knew he was waiting for her approval before replying.

Finally, Kat nodded. “Seven p.m.”

A smile illuminated his face, making her wish she’d spoken faster.

“I’ll be there,” Luc said.

Chapter 5

Kat

“What if there was an air bubble in the fuel line for one tank?” Kat muttered to herself. “Switch the gas tank after checking―”

The what if game was one her flight instructor had taught her, to help her identify potential risks and learn how to manage them. Eight years and over four thousand flight hours later, she still liked to play it every so often, just to see how many scenarios she could come up with.

“Did you say something, Kat?” Jens asked from the back of the helicopter, where he was sitting with Damien and Hiro. His voice was loud and clear over the headset.

“Nope. All good here.”

“You certainly seem to be in a better mood than you were this morning.”

“That’s because we’re working, instead of sitting around the slopes watching some idiots risk their neck for a trophy,” she said pointedly. She couldn’t turn to look at her boss, but she hoped he got the hint.

Damien didn’t laugh. “I heard Jacques Peres is back in town. You’ve seen him already?”

Just the mention of the man’s name raised her hackles, but her hands stayed steady on the controls. Smoothness was important when flying―it kept her and her passengers safe, and she wasn’t about to endanger that safety.

“Yeah,” Kat said. “He came up to me yesterday, on the slopes.”

Damien’s voice dropped an octave. “Did he bother you? If he did―”

She shook her head before realizing nobody could see her doing so. “No. I have it under control, Damien.”

“If he bothers you, Kat, you need to tell us. We can help,” Hiro said.

Clearly somebody’s brought him up to speed.

Kat heard a soft snore and pictured Bailey, the Dutch shepherd, lying beside her handler. Bailey was a sweetheart, but she could be fearsome as hell as well.

“Thanks, but that won’t be necessary,” Kat said, eager to change the topic. “I’m approaching the Goûter Refuge.”

The refuge stood at three thousand nine hundred meters above sea level, on the snowy ridge of the Aiguille du Goûter, where winds often exceeded three hundred kilometers per hour.

The solar panels on the roof glinted in the afternoon sun, forcing Kat to look away. Even at high season, those panels generated all the electricity that was required by the guests. It was awe inspiring―a technical and structural feat.