Page 37 of High Seduction
“The plane’s not secure,” Devon shouted.
“She’s the lightest,” Tripp cut in, not a slap down at Devon, but a reminder of the goal. “Alisha, single rope on each, but we’re not going to take anyone out until you’ve got them chained together. I don’t want to tip the balance more than adding your weight.”
Tim caught Devon’s eye. Confidence was there, but fear as well, as Devon had to watch his fiancée move into terrifying danger. He caught the rope Devon tossed him and waited for the moment he could guide it carefully to Alisha.
She moved with a steady grace, even half buried under her equipment. A hushed silence fell over the area. Excited voices stilled as the plane rocked, a horrifying metallic moan rising from where the metal rubbed the granite mountainside.
One person. The next. Alisha used a strange sort of hands-on comforting and gentle manipulation, but she was getting ropes around each passenger. After she’d done the first, chatter sprang up again as the passengers realized what she was doing. They worked eagerly to help her, arms rising slowly, fingers wrapping around ropes.
The plane settled a foot, and the low murmuring turned to screams. Tim bolted forward as well, unable to stop the knee-jerk reaction.
“It’s okay. It’s okay. Just stop moving.” For a tiny thing, Alisha could sure shout when she had to.
Tripp passed Tim a rope end. “Tie on. I want you ready to move if needed.” He spoke softly enough not to be overheard.
There wasn’t enough oxygen in the air. Not until Alisha turned from securing the final person and gave the signal.
“I’m going forward,” Tim announced. “I can help get them out of the wreckage.”
Tripp nodded, then belayed him down the edge. Tim took the time to set his own anchor in the rocks at his feet. A short rope, just enough room on it to manoeuvre.
A dangerous version of a child’s playground game began. Standing on the teeter-totter, attempting to balance it, but with the additional stress of working with shifting weights, Alisha directed the passenger farthest from safety to move toward Tim.
Everyone’s eyes were wide as he shuffled slowly toward a safer perch. As the first civilian passed him, Tim looped an additional carabiner around the harness Alisha had fastened, and Tripp took control, lifting the man rapidly to a secure ledge. Rinse, repeat. None of them had time for a break, one muscle-aching moment following another.
On the opposite side from where they were removing passengers, Devon held Alisha’s rope ready. She turned to the final tourist, and their luck vanished. The plane began a slow, grinding tilt that was too determined to end in anything but a complete disconnect from its perch. Chunks of rock supporting the plane broke away with horrifyingly loud cracks that echoed off the wall behind them.
Tim regrasped the cable he had waiting and made a decision. He snapped the carabiner into his palm, kicked his anchor rope free, and gave Tripp as much heads-up as he could.
“Free fall,” he shouted.
Tim jumped, aiming for the open space in front of the two bodies left in the plane. A loud shout rang in his ears as Tripp responded, almost too quickly. Tim slammed the carabiner through the chest loop around the last passenger, then twisted and held on tight to Alisha. She grabbed him with one arm and caught her rope with the other, and the mountainside gave way, taking the empty remains of the plane with it.
Tripp pulled the final passenger over the cliff lip. Alisha and Tim ended suspended in midair, Devon securing them in place. Their ropes slowly twisted together.
A deafening roar rose from the base of the mountain as the plane settled into its final resting place.
CHAPTER11
Tim eased back awkwardly in the plastic seat and let weariness take hold. It was no use pretending he wasn’t beat.
After his little leap of faith it had taken an hour to get his and Alisha’s feet on solid ground, plus get the entire group of passengers onboard the chopper. Erin pulled off another flying miracle and kept the chopper level in nearly impossible conditions, reducing the panic in the group as they were winched onto the chopper.
They’d shifted the rescued into a medical transport, passing over responsibility at that point, done a quick debrief with the local SAR team, and then Tim had offered to stay behind until Erin completed her paperwork. The rest of the team were shuttled to a nearby hotel for a chance to recover.
That was what seemed like hours ago, and he’d been floating between sleep and consciousness the entire time since. But he wasn’t leaving Erin, no matter how much he longed to crash for a few hours.
Soft, warm fingers stroked his arm, and he opened his eyes to discover Erin hovering over him.
“Hey, you.”
Tim didn’t fight the yawn that welled up as he pulled himself alert. “Hey yourself. You done all your postflight checks?”
“Uh-huh. Plus, I’ve got amazing news—I get to fly her to Calgary when we leave. They need her out there, and since we’re available, we get the gig.”
He smiled at her enthusiasm. “That is awesome. Congrats.”
She laughed. “You’re still half asleep. Come on, we’re good to go.”
