weapon could have set it off and killed her or Cade.
Liam tried to come inside, too.
“Go with Jason,” Zach said. “There’s not enough room here.”
Heidi sent Isaiah a soft smile, the strain of a restless night in her face. She crawled over next to him, took off her gloves and shrugged out of her coat. “It’s warm in here. How are you holding up?”
“Good.”
She slid her hand over his and squeezed.
Isaiah tried to ignore what her touch did to his heart. He pulled his hand away.
God, I have to get her out of here.
Maybe if he could save her—and Cade, too—then Isaiah could redeem himself. Although he knew that wasn’t true. Only Christ was the true Redeemer. But maybe if he could right this wrong, it would be something. Although he hadn’t been arrested or convicted, hadn’t killed anyone, he knew in some roundabout way, he’d played a role in that murder.
SIX
B undled in her winter gear, Heidi exited the tent.
They’d stared at the maps long enough.
Conserving what water they had, Heidi had used the camping stove to melt snow to drink, and portioned out the energy bars. When the wind had died down, the quiet drew them outside to assess the damage.
Cade, Isaiah and Zach stood next to the snow wall. The tents were nearly buried again, even though the men had taken turns scraping off the snow. Liam, Jason and Rhea were still eating their energy bars, their gazes drawn to the exquisite splendor surrounding them—a pristine but deadly beauty that had threatened their lives.
Indescribable.
The clouds thinned enough that the sun tried to break through. Heidi wanted to celebrate, but she knew the lull in the storm might not last.
“Let’s get going.” Zach started taking down the tent closest to him.
Everyone followed his lead, that is, everyone except Isaiah.
“I don’t think this is the end of the storm.” Isaiah followed Zach. “We could get stuck out there, in the thick of it, and this time we could all die.”
Zach turned on him. “Do your job, man. Pack up the camp and let’s move.”
Unfortunately, Heidi had made the mistake of watching the exchange, and caught Zach’s attention. Isaiah must have noticed, too, because he looked ready to take Zach down. At some point, they should definitely do that, but not like this. Not without a plan to overpower their captors. She had to intervene before Isaiah did something stupid.
“Isaiah, help me pack the sleeping bags. You know we need to hurry.” She searched his intense, fury-filled gaze, pleading with her own.
Rhea approached and leaned into Zach, kissing him and turning his head. Heidi sighed with relief and gestured for Isaiah to join her.
Isaiah climbed inside the tent with Heidi and they started packing up the bags and gear as quickly as possible.
“What were you doing back there?” Heidi hissed.
“You know we’re in the best place to wait out a blizzard for miles. This isn’t over yet. Not by a long shot. That’s why we brought the tents and food and water. We knew it was coming. So what are you doing, giving in to him?”
Heidi stopped rolling up the bag and looked into Isaiah’s eyes. Something pinged in her heart—she’d missed seeing him at the Mountain Cove Avalanche Center ever since they had traded shifts and no longer worked together. Especially his eyes. The contrast of the striking hazel color with his dark brown hair, and the essence of all that was Isaiah in the depths of his gaze, stirred a crazy longing. But it also stirred other emotions like sadness. Regret.
She shoved those unbidden and unwelcome thoughts aside. “We have to pick our battles with Zach. We can’t just survive the storm. We have to survive him and his friends. I don’t know about the others, but I know Rhea is crazy. My guess is a person would have to be a certain kind of irrational to commit a crime like that. I wouldn’t want to risk setting any of them off.”
Her throat constricted. She reached toward Isaiah, pressing
Liam tried to come inside, too.
“Go with Jason,” Zach said. “There’s not enough room here.”
Heidi sent Isaiah a soft smile, the strain of a restless night in her face. She crawled over next to him, took off her gloves and shrugged out of her coat. “It’s warm in here. How are you holding up?”
“Good.”
She slid her hand over his and squeezed.
Isaiah tried to ignore what her touch did to his heart. He pulled his hand away.
God, I have to get her out of here.
Maybe if he could save her—and Cade, too—then Isaiah could redeem himself. Although he knew that wasn’t true. Only Christ was the true Redeemer. But maybe if he could right this wrong, it would be something. Although he hadn’t been arrested or convicted, hadn’t killed anyone, he knew in some roundabout way, he’d played a role in that murder.
SIX
B undled in her winter gear, Heidi exited the tent.
They’d stared at the maps long enough.
Conserving what water they had, Heidi had used the camping stove to melt snow to drink, and portioned out the energy bars. When the wind had died down, the quiet drew them outside to assess the damage.
Cade, Isaiah and Zach stood next to the snow wall. The tents were nearly buried again, even though the men had taken turns scraping off the snow. Liam, Jason and Rhea were still eating their energy bars, their gazes drawn to the exquisite splendor surrounding them—a pristine but deadly beauty that had threatened their lives.
Indescribable.
The clouds thinned enough that the sun tried to break through. Heidi wanted to celebrate, but she knew the lull in the storm might not last.
“Let’s get going.” Zach started taking down the tent closest to him.
Everyone followed his lead, that is, everyone except Isaiah.
“I don’t think this is the end of the storm.” Isaiah followed Zach. “We could get stuck out there, in the thick of it, and this time we could all die.”
Zach turned on him. “Do your job, man. Pack up the camp and let’s move.”
Unfortunately, Heidi had made the mistake of watching the exchange, and caught Zach’s attention. Isaiah must have noticed, too, because he looked ready to take Zach down. At some point, they should definitely do that, but not like this. Not without a plan to overpower their captors. She had to intervene before Isaiah did something stupid.
“Isaiah, help me pack the sleeping bags. You know we need to hurry.” She searched his intense, fury-filled gaze, pleading with her own.
Rhea approached and leaned into Zach, kissing him and turning his head. Heidi sighed with relief and gestured for Isaiah to join her.
Isaiah climbed inside the tent with Heidi and they started packing up the bags and gear as quickly as possible.
“What were you doing back there?” Heidi hissed.
“You know we’re in the best place to wait out a blizzard for miles. This isn’t over yet. Not by a long shot. That’s why we brought the tents and food and water. We knew it was coming. So what are you doing, giving in to him?”
Heidi stopped rolling up the bag and looked into Isaiah’s eyes. Something pinged in her heart—she’d missed seeing him at the Mountain Cove Avalanche Center ever since they had traded shifts and no longer worked together. Especially his eyes. The contrast of the striking hazel color with his dark brown hair, and the essence of all that was Isaiah in the depths of his gaze, stirred a crazy longing. But it also stirred other emotions like sadness. Regret.
She shoved those unbidden and unwelcome thoughts aside. “We have to pick our battles with Zach. We can’t just survive the storm. We have to survive him and his friends. I don’t know about the others, but I know Rhea is crazy. My guess is a person would have to be a certain kind of irrational to commit a crime like that. I wouldn’t want to risk setting any of them off.”
Her throat constricted. She reached toward Isaiah, pressing
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