Chapter Thirty-nine

Jessie paced nervously in the ranger station, finally stopping to meet Roger's eyes.

"You know she didn't turn around, don't you?" she asked Roger.

"Yes, the damn fool," he said. He had known all along that there wouldn't be enough time for them to get up the mountain and back down before the storm hit. Chris had known it, too.

Jessie had heard the updated forecast on the radio and had tried to call Chris. When she couldn't find her, she had even called Annie to see if she'd heard from her. She finally drove into town, relieved to find Chris's Jeep at the ranger station. Only Chris wasn't there. Roger told her that Chris and Bobby were out on the mountain looking for a skier.

Roger paced, too. He would wait a few minutes, then contact her again. God, she could be so stubborn sometimes. He looked around the room, seeing the worried look on Matt's face and the near frantic look in Jessie Stone's eyes. Only Hatcher remained impassive. When he met Jessie's eyes, he gave her a reassuring smile, then turned away. He didn't want her to see the worry in his own eyes. Blizzard conditions, whiteout, temperatures near zero. How would they survive the night?

"Roger, come in," McKenna's voice called urgently and he quickly snatched up the radio.

"Here."

"We found him. Unconscious but alive. Hypothermia for sure, maybe a concussion. He's got a pretty nice gash on his forehead. Probably hit a rock when he fell."

"Where are you?" he asked, not bothering with the radio code.

"We're still in the forest, about a half-mile off the trail," she said.

"Shit." He shook his head and met Mart's eyes. "Now what?"

"I don't know, Roger. We're going back to the trail and see how it is. We need to get down a little lower, the wind is hell up . . ." The radio crackled static over her voice.

"You're breaking up, McKenna. Ten-nine," he said, asking her to repeat her previous transmission.

"I'll check back after..."

"I'm not picking you up, McKenna. Ten-nine," he said again.

"Later. I'm out, Roger."

The static ended and silence hung between them in the room. Roger looked at the others and shrugged.

"I guess we wait."

"Man, I'm glad it's not me out there," Robert said.

"You know what, Hatcher? We're all glad it's not you out there. Because if it were up to you, you'd be sitting at a nice fire right now not giving a damn about anyone."

Matt stared at Roger then turned to Robert.

"Why don't you get out of here, man? We can handle it."

"Hey, I didn't mean anything," he said.

"Go home, Hatcher," Roger said. "The roads are getting bad. I'd hate for you to be stuck here with us."

"Fine with me."

After he left, Matt turned to Roger.

"Just once, I'd like to deck the guy. No wonder McKenna can't stand him."

"Yeah, he's a piece of work."

Jessie watched the exchange in silence, just barely able to hold her own tongue.

"Can they make it, Roger?"

"I don't know, Jessie. They'll be carrying an extra man," he said, letting his voice trail off. He didn't know how they could make the night. They were probably damn near exhausted as it was. Put up a tent and tie it down? Maybe, but neither of them carried a tent big enough for three. He shook his head. It was damn foolish to have sent them up there to begin with. The desperate feelings he felt last spring settled over him, and he prayed the outcome would not be the same.

"I want to stay here," Jessie said.

"No. There's nothing you can do here. Go to Annie's while the roads are still passable. Sit by the fire. I promise I'll call the minute I hear something. Promise."

"She means a lot to me, Roger. An awful lot," Jessie confessed.

"She means a lot to me, too. But there's nothing we can do now. They're on their own."