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Makenna
I looked between Don and Nash. No one seemed to notice the silent exchange between them. I did, and I knew something was going on. There was more to this than met the eye.
“I think we all need to know what’s going on. We have that right,” I spoke to Nash and Don.
Everyone quieted and turned to the two men for answers.
Nash nodded to Don. “She’s right. What do you know that we don’t?”
Don sighed deeply. “I couldn’t sleep. This place always does that to me. I walked a bit, then went back inside my tent. I was about to go back to bed when I heard a boom.”
“The rock slide,” Scotty said.
Don shook his head. “I used to work with dynamite. I know the sound of a stick going off when I hear it. The rock slide came next.”
“Dynamite?” Jared asked.
“You think it was deliberate?” Nash asked.
“Yes, I think it was deliberate,” Don said. “I’m going to check it out.”
“No,” Nash said. “Not until it gets light. I doubt they’ll do anything more tonight.”
“I think they accomplished what they set out to do,” Don said.
“But who would do such a thing?” Rachel looked at the group. “As far as I know, I don’t have any enemies. Neither did my husband.”
Jared shook his head. “I’m not high enough up the food chain to make a difference one way or the other. No enemies here.”
Scotty and Chris shook their heads.
I kept remembering the last words Eric said to me. How I couldn’t live without him. Was that a veiled threat? Had he meant he wouldn’t let me live without him? My gaze met Nash’s. I looked at the others, and hoped I wasn’t inadvertently the cause of all this.
I drew in a deep breath. “I’m not sure.” I told everyone. “Eric was pretty pissed off when I divorced him.” I shook my head. “I don’t think he would go to this length to get even.”
“I’ve made a few enemies,” Don said. “But I don’t think they would want me dead.”
Nash shook his head. “It might not be anyone who knows us at all. It could just be some asshole who decided to go into the middle of nowhere to play with dynamite.” He pulled out his phone. “No service. Not that I expected to have any here.”
As ridiculous as some idiot playing with dynamite sounded, I hoped Nash was right. I’d hate to think that Eric would stoop this low.
Nash convinced us to go back to our tents, telling us we wouldn’t be able to check how much damage there was to the entrance until it was light outside. He and Don would take turns standing watch in case something else happened. I was pretty sure none of us would get much sleep, but I did manage to doze. By the time the sun was peeking over the horizon, I was dressed and out of the tent. From the haggard looks of everyone, they hadn’t slept well either. We didn’t talk much as we sat around the campfire and drank our morning coffee.
When the sun was high enough, we started back the way we had come to assess the damage.
Nash surveyed the group when we were standing in front of the rock opening. “Only one of us needs to go in. It’s probably not going to be stable. I’ll check it out and let you know something as soon as possible.” Without waiting for anyone to respond, he disappeared.
My pulse began to beat erratically. What if more of the mountain caved in on top of him? We wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing to save him. I looked around at the others and knew they were thinking the same thing.
At least we didn’t have to worry too long. When Nash walked out of the opening, there was a grim expression on his face.
“How bad is it?” Don asked.
“It’s not good,” Nash said. “There’s no way we’ll be able to go back that way. The opening is completely closed off.”
Jared looked at Nash. “We can’t just move the rocks?”
Nash shook his head. “I’m afraid it would take us years to get through that.”
“What about the river?” Scotty asked. “We can follow that out.”
“We tried once,” Don said. “We had to turn around and come back. It was impassable.”
“We’ll have to wait for help,” I said. “There are people who know we’ve gone hiking.”
“That could take weeks,” Nash said. “I’ve never told anyone about this place.”
“I haven’t either.” Don shook his head.
Chris paled. “Then they may never find us.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought everyone here. This is my fault,” Nash said.
“No,” Rachel said. “It’s the asshole’s fault who was playing with the dynamite.”
As we walked back toward the camp I glanced at the walls of the canyon that surrounded us. They were almost straight up. A mountain of sheer rock.
Don fixed more coffee.
“At least we can fish for food until someone does find us. Surely there has to be fish in the river. Maybe you just weren’t lucky,” Jared said.
“We’ve never caught any fish here.” Nash shoved his hands into his pockets as though he were trying not to hit something. “It’s as if all the fish disappeared.”
“The curse.” Chris looked as if he was about to be sick. “How long does it take someone to starve to death? I only brought enough food to last a few days.”
If Eric had something to do with this, then it was my fault. It didn’t matter that no one was blaming me. I blamed myself. I was the one who had to right the wrong. “I can climb out of here,” I told them.
“We could try the river again,” Scotty said as if I hadn’t spoken.
“I really don’t think that’s an option,” Nash told him, also ignoring me. “Don and I didn’t get very far the last time we tried, and it wasn’t that long ago.”
“Is there any way we can swim down the river?” Rachel asked.
“Not a chance,” Nash said.
Had they not heard a word I said? “I’m an experienced climber,” I repeated.
Nash wore a grim expression. “No way are we going to let you attempt to scale the mountain. Look at it. It would be a vertical climb. No one can get up it. One slip and you come crashing down. I won’t have that on my conscience. No, we’ll think of something else.”
“Without even hearing me out?” I held up my hands. “I know exactly what everyone’s thinking. I look soft. Well let me tell you, I’m not.” I grit my teeth. “I’m an experienced rock climber,” I repeated.
“Without a safety harness of any kind? There’s no way we’re going to let you even attempt it.” Nash looked as if he was ready to argue with me the rest of the day.
“He’s right,” Don said. “We’ll figure out something.”
I socked my fists on my hips. “Fine. I’ll give someone an hour to think of a better plan, but if they don’t, I’m going to go up the side of the mountain whether you like it or not.”
Nash walked nearer until he was standing right in front of me. “If I have to tie you up, then I will, but you are not going to attempt to climb the side of the mountain. You don’t even have a safety rope.”
He was really starting to piss me off.
He glared at me. I glared right back.
“I’ll sit on you if I have to,” he warned.
“Okay, fine. Find another way out, but if you don’t, then you have to at least let me try.”
“Okay, we can do that,” Nash said.
Why did I have a feeling he was lying through his teeth. There was no way he was going to give me a chance to climb the mountain.
“He’s right,” Rachel said.
Her face was pale. I knew she was thinking about her husband’s fall. I reached over and squeezed her arm.
Nash looked around at the group. “If we can’t find another way out, I’ll try the climb.”
Don raised his eyebrows. “You’ve never attempted anything of that magnitude. It would be like when you attempted the class six rapids. You’d crash and burn.”
“But I have climbed harder than this,” I reiterated. At this rate, we’d be here until we were so starved that I wouldn’t have the stamina to make the climb.
“I order you not to even think about doing something so idiotic,” Nash warned.
He ordered me? Ordered me! “Okay, fine,” I ground out.
The others agreed to try the river. They planned to go as far as possible, then reevaluate.
“What direction is town?” I asked, looking toward the river.
“North. Always north. About a two day hike, if we can find a way out,” Don said.
I nodded.
And when everyone made it to the river, maybe the sky would open and shine bright sunshine down on us and angels would begin to sing. Nash had already said there was no way out except up. Dammit, I was an experienced climber. I could do this. No one cared to listen to my plan, which was pretty simple: climb the fucking mountain, go get help.
We agreed to meet back at the campfire in twenty minutes.
I hurried to my tent, knowing what I had to do. I slipped my phone and my flashlight in my pocket. No service here, but I might have some closer to town. If I made the climb. I put on my water shoes. I figured they’d give me the best traction. I wasn’t just a good rock climber. I was a damned good rock climber.
I had a sling-over-my-shoulder satchel, I added things I might need, but wouldn’t weigh me down.
I raised the flap on my tent just enough to glance outside. All clear. If I stayed close to the trees and brush, I should have coverage in case someone was looking around. I slipped out of my tent and made my way toward the sheer cliff. I knew I had to hurry.
Once there, I walked along the base of the mountain, looking up to judge the best place to begin. I didn’t want to get halfway up and realize there were no handholds and have to come back down. I really doubted Nash would let me out of his sight after that. When I found the perfect spot, I turned and looked toward the tents that were mostly hidden from my view. I had to do this. They were my friends now, and I never let my friends down.
I took a deep breath, and faced the mountain.
My nemesis.
I am woman.
I will conquer.
And if I failed. I would die. I really didn’t want to fucking die.