JADE
Our last day at the mountain resort was bittersweet for me. I wished we could stay longer, but Eli had been true to his word, and we weren’t hiking at all today. Instead, he’d made me pick out an activity that would involve more people in one spot.
I knew he’d been scared about the bear encounter, and I also realized that he’d been terrified for my safety.
For some reason, his worry had touched me more than it really should have, considering we had been facing an enormous grizzly. But I had sensed his fear, and I could feel that he wasn’t worried about himself getting mauled.
His concern had all been for me, so I wasn’t about to complain about not hiking.
I’d chosen a beginner class to learn how to rappel down a rock face.
I’d done some easy free climbing, more out of necessity to view wildlife than as a hobby. As I glanced up at the rappel spot, I realized why Eli had chosen to sit this one out. I estimated the height to be no more than forty feet, and Eli was an experienced aided climber who had taken on some of the toughest rock faces in the world.
The relative ease of the task didn’t dampen my enthusiasm. I was elated to start learning to climb, and rappelling was a skill I needed to have if I was going to take on some bigger cliffs.
I looked over at Eli as he spoke with the instructor. They appeared to be deep in conversation, and I had to wonder again why he wasn’t very thrilled about this particular class.
Is it because he’s already an expert climber? Or is there something else bothering him?
He’d been reserved since we’d had our bear encounter yesterday, and he seemed even more distracted this morning.
Maybe he’s just anxious to get back to work.
I had no doubt that he’d fallen behind because of the time we’d spent together, but I was determined to be there to help him catch up when we returned to San Diego. I was learning so much during our morning sessions, and I was convinced I could keep learning while I was acting as Eli’s unofficial intern. My hope was that I could take the load off him just a little once I got up to speed on his businesses.
I looked at my classmates for the rappel. There were three others who were standing around finishing their morning coffee, and I smiled as two of them looked up and waved at me before resuming their conversation.
I zipped up my coat after I’d tossed my empty coffee cup into the trash. It was still early, and it was kind of frigid. The temperatures were starting to get colder, especially during the night. Not that I really noticed until I got outside. The lodgings were warm and toasty, and came complete with a wood-burning fireplace.
I put my hands in my pockets to warm them up as I glanced again at Eli and the instructor. They were still having a conversation, and neither one of them looked all that happy.
Eli had made some phone calls last night after I’d called the local wildlife biologists who kept track of the bears in the area. I didn’t remember him getting into bed because I’d drifted off before he’d even gotten to the bedroom.
But I did recall waking up sprawled on top of him. I was pretty sure my body was like a heat-seeking missile when it came to Eli. If he was close, I’d find him.
The biologist I’d talked to had pretty much confirmed that seeing a grizzly near our location was unusual, and they caught me up on what was happening with the bear population. Although the sighting was an isolated incident, the grizzlies were starting to get farther and farther away from the park. So biologists and conservationists had their work cut out for them with the local ranchers and farmers to prevent the conflict that would inevitably happen.
I let out a sigh. I didn’t envy the people working on the issue. While they were rejoicing about the possibility of the Yellowstone grizzlies possibly meeting with the Glacier National Park grizzlies someday to ensure better genetics, the fallout from the big bears expanding their territory was daunting.
I walked around the rock face and discovered a makeshift set of stairs behind the incline, obviously an easy way up for new climbers. My classmates were slowly making their way up the steps, but I scrambled up the rocks, needing some activity to keep my blood circulating.
Once on top, I viewed the area. I could see the cabins and so-called tents. We hadn’t wandered very far from the resort, a fact that I was certain Eli had planned.
There were maybe twenty dwellings, each one extravagantly furnished, I was certain. It was definitely a boutique-type place, a location that catered to people who could afford to vacation in the wilderness but retain all the conveniences of the city.
I’d nearly gagged when Eli had told me the price to rent one of his glam tents, and I’d been even more surprised when he shared that they were pretty much booked up year-round with an enormous waiting list.
The lodging we were using was generally kept open for the partners. When they knew nobody was going to be using it for a while, they’d rent it out for an enormous price.
Honestly, I was beginning to think that the resort was a pretty savvy investment. If it was so exclusive that Eli had a huge waiting list, it made people even more willing to drop a fortune for some relaxing time in the woods. Granted, the only people who could really afford to come here had some pretty deep pockets, but there were plenty of wealthy people across the country.
“Are you experienced?” a curious voice asked from behind me.
I turned to see a middle-aged woman who looked terrified.
I smiled at her, hoping to reassure her. “I’ve never rappelled, but I’ve hiked and climbed up plenty of mountains in California.”
“Are you scared?” she asked.
I shook my head. “No. And you don’t need to be, either. I’m sure our instructor will make sure we’re all safe.”
I didn’t want to dismiss her trepidation. Maybe I wasn’t afraid, but everyone had different fears. For me, it was just a bunch of boulders stacked on top of each other, but it might look like a scary cliff to her.
“I’m afraid of heights, but my husband thinks it’s silly to worry,” she said, verifying my suspicion that being on top of anything made the woman wary.
“Nobody is going to force you to go,” I said gently.
“My husband will never let me hear the end of it if I don’t. We’re trying to start pushing our boundaries. I might be afraid, but I guess I’ll do okay.”
“If you want to do it, you’ll be great,” I told her.
She patted my forearm and said, “Thanks, honey. You be careful going down,” she warned before she took a few steps back into the group that I assumed contained her unsympathetic husband. By the apparently easy conversation that was going on, I was guessing the other young man was her son.
I decided to go see what was holding Eli and the instructor up when I spied an enormous bird flying over my head. Distracted, I watched it land on a tree at the edge of the woods.
Shading my eyes, I stepped forward to get a closer look, noting that I was close to the edge of the drop. Keeping my feet steady, I reached into my pocket for my camera. With the zoom, I was pretty sure I could get a decent picture.
“Jade! Get away from that fucking edge now!”
I was so focused on getting a photo that Eli’s extremely loud bellow from beneath me startled me. It wasn’t a casual warning. He’d sounded like he was terrified, his voice booming out across the resort.
My foot went a little bit forward as my body startled, and before I could completely correct my balance, I felt myself tilting over the edge.
I flapped my arms like I was the bird I was just watching, but inevitably lost the fight to regain my balance.
I was no bird.
And I was totally unprepared for the fall.
The first thing I felt was the pain from my body hitting the unforgiving rock.
Then there was Eli’s hoarse cry as I hit the hard ground.
After that, there was only darkness.