CHAPTER 8
Amir quickly went to his room. He put all of his climbing gear into a bag. He wrote a note to his mom, telling her what was happening and where he would be. Then he and Officer Roberts left.
Officer Roberts turned on the lights on his police car. They drove out to the town where William lived. It was about thirty minutes away from Amir’s apartment building.
On the way, Amir told the officer about the instant messages from William the night before. Officer Roberts looked worried.
“I’m pretty sure he’s trying to climb Widowmaker,” Amir said. “And I know he’s doing it without equipment.”
Officer Roberts sighed. “It sure sounds like it,” he said. “I just hope we can make it in time.”
Soon, Officer Roberts parked his squad car at the base of a steep cliff. Amir couldn’t believe his eyes. The cliff had no slope at all — it was a sheer wall of rock that stretched up for what seemed like miles.
There were some rocks sticking out that a person could use to free climb, but Amir didn’t think there were enough.
Plus, the cliff was hard and rough. Any fall down the side of the cliff, even just sliding down the rough surface, could hurt someone.
Amir walked around the base of the cliff, looking up.
“What are you doing?” Officer Roberts asked.
“I’m looking for something,” Amir said.
“Looking for what?” Officer Roberts asked.
“William told me about a crack in the cliff,” Amir said. “He said it was big enough to hide in. There! There it is!”
Amir pointed up. Officer Roberts looked up the side of the cliff. He saw a large crack in the side of the rock, about halfway up.
“That’s where he is, I bet,” Amir said.
“All the way up there?” Officer Roberts said quietly. “That’s so dangerous.”
“William!” Amir yelled. “Are you up there?”
A soft voice called back. “That was him,” Officer Roberts said. “I’m sure of it.” He headed toward his squad car. “I’m calling the fire department,” he said.
“Wait! What’s that?” Amir asked. He pointed at the side of the rocky cliff, about ten feet above their heads. “Is that what I think it is?”
Officer Roberts asked, “What is it?”
Without another word, Amir ran to the squad car and grabbed his climbing equipment. Then he started getting into his harness.
Before long, he was all strapped up, with ropes attached, and wearing his helmet.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Officer Roberts asked. “I don’t need two of you crazy kids stuck up there. There’s no way I’m letting you do this, Amir.”
Amir stopped. He stared at Officer Roberts. “Officer Roberts,” he said politely, “here’s the deal. No fire truck’s ladder can reach that high. And that thing right there, sticking out from the cliff? That’s a bolt. A climbing bolt. Do you know what that means?”
Officer Roberts’s frown turned into a smile. “Yes, I do,” he said. “It means that real climbers use this cliff.”
“Exactly,” Amir said. “And they do it the right way. That’s what I’m going to do.”
Officer Roberts quickly called for an ambulance and the fire department to help them.
“You should tell them to bring an extra harness,” Amir said. “I have an extra one, but you need to wear it so that we can attach my rope to you.”
“Got it,” Officer Roberts said.
“Just make sure to keep the rope tight,” Amir added. “With each climb I make, you’ll have to pull a little bit, to make sure the rope will hold me if I fall. And I have an extra rope, so we can help William get down.”
“Okay,” Officer Roberts said.
Amir started up the side of the rock. He left one end of the rope for Officer Roberts to use to belay for him.
As he climbed, Amir moved from one bolt to another. At each new bolt, he hooked up the belay rope. After only a few minutes, he had reached the huge crack in the side of the rock.