Page 11 of Mountain Void

Her pulse roared in her ears. She was suddenly, absurdly aware of the wedgie she’d been ignoring for what seemed like hours. A crazy, vain part of her rebelled—their meeting had to happen now, of all times, with her thighs bulging beneath her jeans, trapped by the too-tight harness.

It registered, briefly, that he looked shocked to see her. Shocked and pale. Like he might pass out any moment.

That thought gave her the courage to step forward, even though she wasn’t ready. She might never be ready.

“Lorenz,” she began, but didn’t get any further.

“Ms. Charlie?” a little boy said from her left. “Théo’s not here.”

The world snapped back into focus.

“What do you mean he’s not here?”

The little boy—Jonas—blinked. Worry grew in his blue eyes. “He was right there. And then he wasn’t.”

Charlie’s stomach tightened. She searched the group, but the boy was right. Théo wasn’t with the group any longer.

“Thank you for telling me, Jonas.” She forced her voice steady, calm. Her teacher-voice. “Don’t worry. We’re going to find him.”

Lorenz was moving towards her—eyes alert now. Purposeful. Professional.

Their gazes met again, briefly.

Later, his look seemed to say.

“Let us help,” Kat asked, stepping up beside her.

Lorenz

It was absurd.

A missing child, at a helicopter base full of gendarmes.

A few feet away, Beau barked into his phone. “And you didn’t step away?”

Whatever he heard must have reassured him. Moments later, he ended the call.

“The kid’s got to be inside the perimeter. Let’s grid the area. Starting at the hangars and working inward.”

There was no need to wait for the rescue team. Not at Les Bois. Within minutes, the search snapped into place.

Lorenz stood near the edge of the activity zone, scanning faces, movement. If the child hadn’t left through the main gate, he was still here—somewhere.

The remaining children clustered around their teachers, all thoughts of climbing forgotten now. Parents had started arriving. That could help, if they took their children and left. Or it could make everything harder if they decided to stay and watch. Lorenz hoped Beau could push them toward the former decision.

Suddenly, Charlie appeared in front of him.

“Let me come with you. Please.”

“Stay with the other kids. We’ll find him.” He stopped just short of adding the words I promise. He knew better than to do that, and still, the words burned at the back of his throat. Because it hurt to see her looking so pale and shaken, even as she tried valiantly to hold everything together.

“Please. There are enough adults with the other students. I know Théo. He’ll be scared. I can help.” Her lower lip trembled.

They’d signed the divorce papers in their lawyer’s office. A single lawyer, because they hadn’t disagreed about anything. They’d signed, and then she’d gotten up and left the room. And that was the last time he’d seen her.

Until now.

He took her in. She’d always been beautiful. That wasn’t new. But now, with her curls still flattened in places from the climbing helmet, springing loose everywhere else, and her cheeks still flushed from the climb, she looked … like herself. The version of Charlie he’d loved the most—the one who always stepped forward to help others.