Whiteout

Chapter 1 #2

Three loud pops sounded behind her, and she froze, her mind whirling back to Afghanistan before her platoon was ordered to withdraw. She stood still. “It’s not bullets. It’s not bullets, it’s not bullets.” A branch, weighted by the snow from the night before, crashed to the ground.

A man stepped out from behind a pile of snow and right into her path. She yelped and jumped back. He wore a heavy coat like hers and a ski mask. A red scarf was wrapped around his neck. Two more pops sounded. The man gasped and flinched.

“Who are you?” she asked. “Can I help you?”

He didn’t speak, just stood there. Frozen. Watching her.

She took another step back.

Run? Or . . . what?

“Hello?” she said. “What do you want?”

Another branch cracked, the sound echoing around them.

He lunged at her, grabbed her arm, and pulled her to the ground.

Gideon Price heard the scream just ahead of him on the snow-packed path to the lodge, and he broke into a run to see a man holding a woman on the ground. “Hey! Let her go!”

The man still thrashed, holding the woman down. Gideon grabbed him and pulled him away from her. And the man still fought. Gideon punched him in the solar plexus and the attacker went down. Then curled into a ball. Gideon ripped the mask off and gasped.

“Vance?” He grabbed the man’s arm, but Vance pushed him away, then covered his head with his arms.

“He’s having a PTSD episode, I think,” the woman said. “Vance, it’s okay. It was just snow popping tree limbs. Repeat after me, ‘It’s a tree. I’m okay. I’m safe.’ Say it.”

Gideon blinked. He knew that gentle voice.

“It’s a tree” came the faint whisper from Vance. He repeated it several times before he stilled, staying frozen in his fetal position.

“Maya Sullivan?”

At the voice behind her, she rose to her knees, turned to him, and gaped. “Gideon Price?”

He had only a brief second to stare at the dark-haired, dark-eyed woman he’d never forgotten before Vance looked up and groaned, then wiped the sweat from his face with the sleeve of his coat.

“Hey, take it easy,” Gideon said.

Vance’s eyes cleared and widened when he saw Gideon. “Gid? What? How . . .”

“I know. It’s a shock to see you too.”

Vance rose to his feet.

So did Gideon.

Maya stood gaping at them both. Then she snapped her lips shut and turned her attention to Vance. “Are you all right now?”

The man flushed and his jaw tightened. “Yeah. I’m so sorry. I just sometimes . . . whatever. I’ve got to go. Ellie is waiting on me.” Ellie Harland, Vance’s wife.

“Hold up, man. This is amazing we’re all here at the same time,” Gideon said, then frowned at Vance. “I tried to call you a number of times after you were discharged. Left a few messages, but you never called me back. What’s up with that?”

“Uh . . .” Vance blinked and the flush in his cheeks darkened.

Gideon kicked himself and softened his expression. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. I just wondered what happened to you.”

Vance scowled, then sighed. “It’s a long story. I . . . things happened and I didn’t handle them well.”

“Yeah, I get it,” Gideon said. “I had things happen too.”

“We all had things happen,” Maya said, her voice soft.

Silence fell for a brief second. “What brought you two here?” Gideon asked, his gaze bouncing between his two former friends.

Vance didn’t seem interested in answering, but Maya shrugged. “I have some personal things to work out, and this seemed like the perfect place to do it. Revisit the happy place of my childhood and teen years.”

Gideon nodded. “Same.”

Vance raised a brow. “The three musketeers back together again?” he asked, his momentary embarrassment over his episode seemingly gone.

“For sure,” Gideon said. It was still weird. “How long has it been since we were all here?” he asked, wanting to put Vance at ease with some small talk.

“I don’t know,” the man said. “A while.” Vance shifted like he was ready to bolt once more.

“Senior year of college,” Maya said, “just before we all went off and joined the army.”

At the mention of the army, Gideon tensed and Vance’s nostrils flared. “Where are you living now, Vance?” Gideon asked, needing to change the subject.

After a brief hesitation, Vance’s jaw loosened.

“Ellie and I moved back to Whitestone about six months ago. We live in town in the old general store. We renovated the upstairs into a living area, and the downstairs is our office. Ellie’s an interior designer and I have a security consulting business.

” He frowned. “Where’ve you been since—”

“Since I got out?” Gideon wasn’t sure what Vance knew about his departure from the army and his life since, but he didn’t need him saying too much in front of Maya.

Not that he should care. But he did. “Bouncing around from town to town trying to figure out some things. Which is how I ended up here. What about you, Maya?”

“I’m back living on Gramps’s ranch. Grandma still lives there, of course, and I commute to a hospital in Nashville where I’m a part-time surgeon.”

“Part-time?”

She shrugged. “For now.”

“And you’re here because . . . ?”

“At the moment, I’m helping in the clinic.” She hesitated. “Why not meet for dinner? Take some time to catch up before I have to go relieve Del?”

“Del?” Vance asked.

“One of the resort docs who’s stranded here with the rest of us. She and I and some of the others have been taking shifts to care for those who need medical attention.”

“I’m going to be helping try to dig out the medical clinic and do whatever else needs to be done,” Gideon said. At the flash of disappointment in her eyes, he found himself adding, “But we all have to eat. Sure. That sounds nice. Vance?”

Vance hesitated, then nodded. “All right. I’ll let Ellie know.”

“It’ll be good to see her again,” Maya said.

The man paused, then walked over to Gideon and embraced him in a bro hug. “It really is good to see you. I’ve missed you.” He stepped back and looked at Maya. “And you, Maya. I’m sorry about the tackle. I just—”

“It’s okay,” she said. “You don’t have to talk about it.”

He gave her a short nod. “Thanks. See you at dinner.”

Then he was heading back down the path, pulling the ski mask back over his face. Gideon shivered. The cold this morning was biting. He wouldn’t mind a ski mask himself. Or at least a scarf.

“You headed to the lodge?” he asked Maya.

“Yes, I’m starving.”

“Same. Do you mind if I walk with you?”

She shot him a smile, and her fingers played with the small cross she’d worn ever since he’d met her. “Don’t mind at all,” she said. “You can tell me how you’ve been.”

Talking about himself wasn’t going to happen. “How’d you know he was having a PTSD moment?”

She raised a brow at him. “Seriously?”

Right. “You too?”

“Yes. I don’t have moments like that, but there are things that trigger me.”

“Okay.” And that was enough said about that.

“I’d love to catch up and have some time if you do.

I just put in a couple of hours digging, so I won’t go back for a while.

Everyone who is able is taking two-hour shifts.

Most people want out of here, so they’re willing to put in the work around the clock.

” The shifts were short to prevent exhaustion and injuries.

It was mostly effective. “I think it’s hopeless, to be honest. I know a bit about avalanches, and while the fresh, powdery stuff on top is easy enough to dig through, we’ve hit the compacted, cement-like stuff at the base.

Without proper tools, I’m not sure it’s worth the energy or effort.

Even the Bobcat isn’t strong enough for that stuff. ”

“That sounds awful.”

“Not awful, just tiring—especially when I think it’s a waste of time. I’m not the only one who thinks so, but most are still willing to dig because of the desperation of others.”

“And that’s why you’re continuing to help?”

He shrugged. “What else am I going to do? Besides, hope is a powerful thing. If I can offer it in some small measure, then why not? How about you?”

“I had the night shift too.”

“Don’t you need sleep?”

“I need food more.” She laughed and shrugged. “I could use a nap at some point, but the patients mostly slept, so I was able to set my watch alarm and nap in between checking on them.”

“How many do you have?”

“Twenty-seven.”

“Anyone serious?”

“Heart attack victim could be. He’s stable right now but definitely needs a hospital.

He needs meds we don’t have here, so I’m worried about him.

If we could find the sat phone, we could call for a chopper to come haul him out.

The others are mostly broken bones, several concussions, lacerations and cuts, a few dislocations—the list goes on.

Most we’ve treated and sent back to their cabins. The more serious ones we’re watching.”

He helped her around a slippery patch of ice, and his hand on her arm sent shivers coursing through his veins that had nothing to do with the weather.

He’d always had a bit of a crush on her, but she’d never seemed to return the attraction, so he hadn’t pushed for it. And he definitely wouldn’t now.

It wouldn’t be right to saddle someone with all his baggage. Especially not after some of the stupid things he’d gone and done. The people he’d gotten involved with. He shuddered and stayed by Maya’s side, wishing he’d made different choices in life.

If wishes were nickels . . .

His grandmother’s voice echoed in his head and he shoved it away. Nothing he could do about the past. The future . . . yeah, he was working on that one. “Where’s the sat phone?”

“We don’t know. Some were destroyed—or at least buried—in the avalanche, but the one at the desk? When I asked about it, the staff person looked for it but couldn’t find it. She was dumbfounded. Truly shocked that it wasn’t in the box where they keep it.”

He shot her a frown. “Did someone else have the same idea about calling for help and just didn’t return it?”

“Well, help’s not here, so I doubt it.”

True enough. “And they said the landlines weren’t working either.”

“To be expected, I suppose.”

The Silver Pines lodge came into view. It was an imposing structure that had gone through some recent updates.

Not only was the stone chimney and fireplace the centerpiece, they’d added a restaurant off to the side called The Pine Hearth.

The addition definitely gave the place an upscale feeling, and mouthwatering aromas came their way as they walked up the steps.

The inside was warm, and they shrugged out of their heavier coats.

“The restaurant or the café?” he asked, hanging his coat on the rack just inside the door.

Some would say the fact that the power wasn’t knocked out was a blessing from God.

He wasn’t willing to go that far. Sometimes people just got lucky.

“Don’t forget, my love, ‘every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.’”

Again with his grandmother’s voice. She wouldn’t approve of his straying from the Lord she loved—and had raised him to love. Gideon loved him, he just wasn’t sure the affection was returned. He’d made too many bad choices in—

“Gideon?” Maya was waving a hand in front of his face. “You okay?”

He blinked and chuckled, forcing the bad memories away to focus on the good. “Yeah. I was just thinking about my grandmother.”

Her face softened. “Well, she’s a good one to think about.”

“She is. And let’s do the restaurant if that’s okay with you.”

“Perfect.” They made their way to the hostess stand and were led to a table. Once they were seated, with the food ordered and drinks in front of them, Maya smiled at him. “Does she still make those amazing chocolate chip cookies with icing?”

“Oh yeah. I stop in and grab a dozen every chance I get.” Which wasn’t often, because he avoided going home as much as possible. It was too painful, thanks to the distance between him and his parents.

But for his grandmother, he made the effort.

“I miss those cookies,” Maya said.

“I miss a lot of things.” He swallowed and avoided her gaze.

A small glint of sympathy flashed for a moment, then she nodded. “Maybe one day we’ll get to enjoy those cookies together again.”

“I’d love that.”