Should I have?”
“She just got back from her trip yesterday and seemed a little off. I just wondered if she had said anything to you.”
“No, not a word, but now you mention it, she hasn’t returned my last two calls. That’s not like her.”
“I’ll make sure she calls you. I’m just heading down to talk to her now.” I stuck my phone in my pocket and opened the door to the Tin House.
“Hey, Sloane, where are you?” I called and waited for a response. When she didn’t answer, I took the loft stairs two at a time and checked the bathroom, but there was no sign of her anywhere. The towels were dry, and the bed was made, but I noticed she had changed. Her clothes were lying on the bed. I heard Tripper whine outside the door and raced down to meet him on the porch.
“What’s wrong, Trip?” I leaned down and moved my gaze to his eyes and tried to read his thoughts. “Trip, do you know where Sloane is?” At the mention of her name, he started to whine again. He trotted down the path a few feet then turned back to look at me. “Okay, you’ve got my attention. Lead the way, buddy.”
Tripper had spent a lot of time at Camp Green training and learning search and rescue techniques. He’d proven time and time again how smart he was, so I knew not to ignore his behavior. As we came around a bend, Mike was checking a camera and replacing the battery.
“Mike,” I called as I jogged closer, “have you seen Sloane?” He heard the urgency in my voice and pulled out his radio.
“Beta Eight, step out.” The soldier dressed in white and gray camo stepped out and removed his sunglasses.
“Have you seen Sloane Harlow this morning?”
“Yes, sir. I approached her at zero six hundred in this very spot to make sure she was all right. She seemed jumpy but fine. Said she just needed a walk.”
“That’s it?” I asked, confused as to why she was out so early.
“Yes, sir, but I did watch her head toward the bottom of the peak.”
“Are you sure you don’t mean to the east of the peak?”
“No, sir. She went south.”
I looked at Mike, confused. There would be no reason for her to head that way, as it was the hardest route. It was my route.
“Oh, my God.” Mike covered his face with his hands, while Beta Eight disappeared back into the trees. I folded my arms and waited for my brother to spill it.
“It was supposed to be a surprise,” Mike uttered in disbelief. “We had a deal that she wasn’t supposed to climb without me there, and we always used ropes.”
“Climb?”
“She wanted to feel the rush and release that you feel when you climb. She wanted to be able to share that with you.”
Before his last words were out, I hurried past him and headed south at a flat-out run. Tripper raced ahead and beat us there. About eighty feet up from the ground, I saw her clinging to the cliff face.
“Holy shit.” I turned to look at Mike. “Get a rope up there.” As Mike raced off, I dug into the gear we kept at the base of the mountain and fastened my harness on. I didn’t have time to do my ropes but knew Mike would drop us one. I began to climb.
I knew this side of the mountain like the back of my hand. No one but Mike and I had ever attempted to climb it free solo. Even with ropes, she would have faced many challenges.
Minute by minute, I pulled my way up the mountain, avoiding the slippery parts where the iced had formed. Internally, I cursed her for being so reckless, but this was not Sloane’s normal behavior, and I wondered where it was coming from. I was confident Mike would never have put her on the mountain without proper direction. I forced all thoughts from my mind and concentrated on the climb. Just as I reached the forty-foot mark, I planted my feet and shouted up to her.
“Sloane? Just stay still. I’m coming up behind you.” I heard her say something but couldn’t make it out. I continued to talk to keep her calm as I made my way toward her. I was careful to keep a distance between us until we were at eye level.
“Sloane, look at me. Open your eyes.” It took her a second, but her lids fluttered open,