Spiral (The Salzburg Saga Book One) by D. U. Okonkwo Page B

stopped, Nina sighed in relief. Tentatively, she rolled her aching shoulders.
    “Let’s take a short break,” Neil panted, his chest heaving. His suggestion was met with relieved sights and nods of agreement. Within moments, they had all lowered themselves onto the snow in a small circle. Hugh, more alert now but still groggy, opened and closed his eyes, his head resting on the rucksack Justin had placed behind him.
    Justin glanced up at his father. “He’s no lightweight.”
    You should have just dumped him,” Jake responded before Parker could reply.
    Nina shared his sentiment, as did everyone else it seemed. Only Parker contradicted him.
    “That’s not the attitude to have to get through this, Jake.” Parker’s face was haggard, the toll of the last few hours having added ten years to his countenance.
    The pilot’s eyes frosted over. “Don’t lecture me about the right attitude,” he snapped. “The reason we’re all in this mess is because of the one your son’s displays.”
    “I-” Parker began.
    “Forget it,” Jake cut in, and pulling out a large bottle of water, took a swig before passing it to the rest of the group to drink and quench their parched throats.
    Nina pressed her chin to her raised knees. Though the avalanche was behind them, the way Jake kept flicking his eyes around told her that they weren’t yet out of trouble. From where she sat, miles and miles of snow was their only company; it seemed they could walk for a month and not see anyone. “How much longer do you think we have to walk for?” she asked Jake.
    “A while.”
    A similar response he’d given Ange earlier, she noted. Fine, he was angry, she got it, but they all were. None of them had asked to be here. “Jake–”
    “The most important thing is to hope there won’t be any more avalanches,” Justin interrupted.
    “More avalanches?” Shayna clutched a sleeping Luke tighter to her. “What do you mean?”
    Everyone looked at each other.
    “Yes, what do you mean?” Neil demanded.
    . “Ignore him,” Jake suggested, but avoided everyone’s eyes that had turned toward him. “He was rambling.”
    “The hell I was.” Justin’s face flushed with anger. “I’m going to tell them what they need to know so they can be prepared.”
    Disdain filled Jake’s eyes. “Prepare them? With what? All we have are the clothes on our back. What you’ll do is send them all into a tailspin of panic.”
    “There’s…there’ll be more than one?” Angela asked in a small voice.
    “They’re known to come in twos or threes,” Justin answered bluntly. “Each one is usually stronger than the last–”
    Nina could only stare at him. Could things get any worse?
    “That’s unlikely to happen this time,” Jake said in a clipped tone.
    “How do you know?” Parker demanded.
    Jake didn’t answer.
    “How much longer do we have to walk, Jake?” Emily asked tautly. Tearstains streaked her face and pain and fatigue clouded her eyes.
    Jake glanced at his watch. “Forty-five minutes give or take,” he said reluctantly, and expelled a breath as a groan of protest rose up from the rest of the group. ”We have no choice. We’re further from the avalanche area than we were before, but...”
    “What’s the time?” Nina asked, though she couldn’t have said why that was important.
    Jake consulted his watch. “Just gone four o’clock London time, which means it must be about five o’clock out here.”
    “And we’re definitely not in England anymore?” Parker asked.
    Jake didn’t bother to dignify that with a reply, which just made Parker appear more agitated.
    The baby awoke with a gurgle, and Shayna pressed a kiss to his forehead before turning bruised eyes to Neil. “My back hurts.”
    Neil rubbed the base of it gently. “I know, baby. I’m sorry. When we find shelter, I’ll give you a longer back rub.”
    “What the hell are you doing, Justin?” Jake suddenly hissed as the other