Chapter 8 - The Frozen Trail
The mountain air was knife-sharp, slicing into their lungs with every ragged breath. Sleet had turned into heavy, wet snow, covering their footprints almost as quickly as they made them. Julian supported most of Olivia’s weight, her arm slung over his shoulder, while Lucy clung tightly to his belt, trudging through the drifts.
Behind them, the cabin was an island of light in the forest. Julian knew the first operative would recover quickly, and there was likely a second vehicle patrolling the base of the mountain road. They couldn't use the car; they were trapped on foot in thirty square miles of state wilderness.
""Julian... leave me,"" Olivia gasped, her knees buckling under her. ""I can't... my chest... it hurts too much.""
""I left you once because I was a coward who believed a lie,"" Julian whispered fiercely, scooping her entirely into his arms despite the burning agony in his back and shoulders. ""I will die before I let go of you again.""
""Dad,"" Lucy whispered, tugging his coat. She pointed toward the ridge above them. ""Look. There's a light up there.""
High on the crest of the hill, shielded by granite boulders, stood an old fire lookout tower. Built in the 1940s, the steel-framed structure rose sixty feet above the canopy, accessible only by a steep, zigzagging wooden staircase.
""It’s an old ranger station,"" Julian said, his mind racing. ""It has a telegraph line and an old radio relay. If the emergency generator still has fuel, we can send an SOS to the state police.""
They pushed up the steep incline, their boots slipping on ice-glazed rocks. Every step was a battle against gravity and hypothermia. By the time they reached the base of the steel tower, Olivia had slipped into unconsciousness, her head lolling against Julian's chest.
""Lucy, climb first,"" Julian ordered, his teeth chattering from the cold. ""Don't look down. Keep two hands on the rails.""
The little girl nodded bravely, her tiny, red hands gripping the frozen steel steps. Julian followed close behind, holding Olivia with one arm and using the rail with the other, his boots ringing hollowly on the metal treads.
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As they reached the top platform, thirty yards below them in the tree line, flashlight beams swept across the snow. A laser sight flicked across the metal rungs beneath Julian's feet.
""They're on the stairs!"" Lucy screamed.
