Chapter 9

The beautiful mountain lodge was surrounded by fresh snow. The castellated ridges beyond had just caught the dawn and the tips had turned an incredible pink. The pink was similar to the pale flush of cold cheeks.

As the day began, the pink light descended down the breathtaking mountain landscape every couple of minutes. Slowly at first, and then slightly faster, the light crept towards the wooden chimney of the stunningly situated property, the only sign of human habitation in this very remote valley.

Any sounds would carry. Whilst at first glance the scenery might have been considered a poor habitat, it managed to support a surprising number of species. The marmot type rodents nibbled away at fallen bark, scampering across the snow at night, yet they always made sure they were back in their burrows before sunrise. The huge birds of prey adorning the rocky crags had panoramic views and used the air currents to move with ease. Occasionally, wild deer would venture up to these higher areas, but this was usually during the short summer season.

A light plume of smoke emanated from the top wooden chimney of the mountain lodge. A clear visible sign that the property was occupied. The lodge was indeed inhabited and, for the purposes of the French Alpine Authorities, this was just another holiday home being rented out.

The seclusion of this lodge was special, considering its general location within the French Alps. The neighbouring valleys contained much of the French winter skiing heartland. The resorts of La Plagne and Les Arcs, joined for the first time in 2004 by a super lift called the Vanoise Express, lay just over the rise where the light had first hit the highest peaks. The nearest valley in the opposite direction held Les Trois Vallées with the popular favourites of Courcheval, Meribel/Mottaret and Val Thorens, with La Tania nestled at their base.

It was a beautiful spot. The chalet’s privacy had allowed the man currently chopping wood in the small alpine forest, approximately three miles – or since he was in the Alps, five kilometres – from the mountain retreat, to carry out his duties over the last few weeks. His forehead started to perspire as he brought the axe down on yet another fallen trunk. His manner was no-nonsense. He wore walking boots which could strap onto snow shoes for moving across this terrain and the previous weeks had honed his physique. The walking boots were old-fashioned leather and his deer-stalker hat and overcoat, removed to chop the wood, gave him a hunter’s appearance. He was middle-aged. The type of appearance where it would be difficult to tell if he was thirty-seven or in his early fifties, yet the alpine air and sun had weathered the hardy face. He had a distinguishable scar on his forehead and his forearms, now exposed since the removal of the overcoat, hinted at the power of the man.

He had brought along a flask, and a small rucksack held his sandwiches. The tranquillity and serenity of the surroundings meant that he was more than satisfied just gazing away from the edge of the forest to the landscape beyond. If he stood and climbed onto the pile of logs that he had chopped that morning, he was able to glimpse the Mont-Blanc massif. Mont-Blanc, at over four thousand eight hundred metres, was the Queen of the mountains within the French Alps.

For a hunter and wood-chopper he was extremely well equipped. In fact, the mountain lodge was a veritable electronic paradise. The ultra-modern, lightweight, small gadgets that adorned his temporary home meant that reception of any type of communication, despite being in the heart of the mountain range, was surprisingly clear.

Whilst day-dreaming, gazing at the beautiful view, his pager went off. Normally, a surprisingly piercing beep in the heart of this uninhabited mountain valley, thank goodness he had just set it to vibrate in his pocket. The screen was small but the type was clear: “Go to Code White”. The Woodcutter picked up his snow-shoes and fastened them onto his old-fashioned leather walking boots. He trudged off back to the stunningly-situated, wooden mountain lodge.