Part 9 (2/2)

”Forget that advice. You need to find someplace else to take shelter while the storm rages. Get yourself into an overhang or some other piece of shelter close to the mountain itself, out of the wind. If you can do that, then you can survive this thing.”

”The man may not survive.”

”How is Annja?”

”She collapsed unconscious twice, but seems all right now. She apparently has two broken ribs but is mobile enough.”

The man paused again. ”I understand what you've told me, Tuk. I wish I had better news. As long as Annja lives, that is the priority. Do you understand me?”

”Yes.”

”Then you don't have any time to waste. Find a shelter and get as many of the supplies into it as you can. Wait this thing out. Keep the phone with you.”

”I'm amazed I got any reception at all.”

”It's not a cell phone, Tuk. Merely designed to look like one. You can reach me from anywhere on earth with that little thing. It's tremendously powerful despite its size. Just like you.”

Tuk looked up into the sky. The wind was increasing. ”I've got to go or I'll lose precious time.”

”Understood. Call me tomorrow if you can.”

”The woman doesn't know about you yet. I've kept it from them both. But I may not be able to much longer.”

”Do your best, Tuk. That's all I can ever ask.”

Tuk disconnected and frowned. The news that there would be no rescue irked him, but life had dealt him bad cards before and somehow he'd always managed to come out ahead.

The most important thing just then was finding them an adequate shelter. And fast. It would still take the time to reach it from the wreckage once Tuk found something.

The wind felt stronger on this side of the mountain. The storm appeared to be blowing in from the northeast so Tuk went around toward the other side. As soon as he cleared a large outcropping, the wind died down.

There'd be no guarantee that it would stay blowing in only one direction, but if they could minimize their exposure, then it would be better on this side of the mountain.

His legs kept churning beneath him and he glanced back at his own trail in the snow. If it started to snow, he would be in serious trouble. A rapid snowfall would erase his lifeline back to the plane. And then he would truly be alone.

He pushed ahead for another two hundred yards when he caught a glimpse of dark color in the field of grayish white twilight. He hurried over and felt a small depression in the side of a large rock face.

Tuk pushed his hand into the s.p.a.ce and felt a rush of excitement as it seemed to open up into a larger area. The opening itself was barely twenty-four inches across and hardly a cave mouth.

But it would do. Tuk ducked inside and couldn't make out much in terms of detail. But it had a roof and it would offer them protection during the storm.

He had to get back to Annja and Mike.

Back outside, the first snowflakes swirled through the air. It would only be a matter of time before the storm would embrace the mountain in earnest. Tuk revved himself up and, with lungs already burning, trudged back hard through the snow toward the airplane.

As he came around the side of the mountain, the wind returned and slammed him so hard he fell on his back. He bent forward and made himself as low as possible, then kept fighting to make his way to the plane.

Finally, after another thirty minutes, he saw the tail of the plane ahead.

”Annja!” he called out.

His voice was barely audible over the encroaching storm, but after shouting two more times, the woman's head appeared and waved him on.

Back at the plane, she had a bottle of water ready for him. Tuk sucked it down, amazed at how hot and sweaty he was.

Annja eyed him. ”Any luck?”

Tuk nodded and put the top back on the bottle. ”It's a fair hike on the other side of the mountain, but there's a place we can use.”

”Is it big enough for all of us?”

Tuk nodded. ”I think so, but I couldn't be sure. I was just concerned with getting back. There's no time to waste. We've got to get going.” He looked at Mike, who actually seemed better now. ”Can you make it?”

Mike tried moving and gritted his teeth. ”I'll make it.”

Tuk glanced at Annja. ”We don't have any time. We'll all die if we stay here. That storm is going to be ma.s.sive.”

Annja looked at Mike. ”I'll carry you,” she said.

Mike laughed. ”Give me a break, Annja. I'll be fine. The bleeding's stopped and I'll make it on my own.”

Tuk reached into the back of the plane and started gathering supplies. ”I can carry two bags.”

Annja took another and the first aid kit. ”I arranged the contents so we've got blankets, food and the water,” she said.

Tuk hefted the bags and found that, while they didn't weigh a whole lot, they made his walking c.u.mbersome. ”You'll need to help Mike. If the bleeding begins again, he might die,” he said to Annja.

She nodded. ”Start leading the way, Tuk. We're getting critical on time.”

Tuk led them around the front of the plane and then started walking back through his own tracks. The snow increased and more flakes fell. Walking with the two bags strapped to his back made things even tougher, but he couldn't complain. The choice was clear-march or die.

They gradually managed to limp their way around the bend in the mountain and got out of the direct wind blasts that had a.s.sailed them since leaving the plane. Tuk called a halt and checked on Annja and Mike.

Annja looked cold and tired, but still in fairly decent shape. Mike looked pale and winded. He was limping along with Annja as a support for him.

Tuk cupped his hand over Annja's ear. ”How is he?”

”He can make it. I think the bleeding started again, though. How much farther is it?”

”A few hundred yards,” Tuk said. ”You'll see the outcropping and that's it.”

Snow continued to fall on them as they clawed their way those final few hundred yards. At last, Tuk spotted the outcropping, relieved that it hadn't been covered over with snow yet. His tracks made just thirty minutes earlier were already mere depressions in the snow.

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