Saving Amber - Zoe Dawson Page 0,75

the stream, the water icy against her waterproof boots, chilling her already aching feet.

Walk along the river until you get to a rocky outcropping. There will be three stones at the entrance.

Whose voice was that? It was important and very sexy.

She stumbled along and fell down and lay there. She knew she shouldn’t, that it wasn’t a good idea, but she couldn’t seem to muster the energy it took to even lift her head.

The cold enveloped her until she felt she was burning with it. It was consuming her.

Amber! Stay alive!

With her last ounce of strength, she pushed herself up, and that’s when she saw the rocks. She headed toward them. Opening. She needed to find the opening. Finally, she discovered a depression in the rock, then an opening covered by heavy brush. She looked back over her shoulder and saw that there were no footprints to cover on the rock.

She slipped inside and pulled the brush over the opening. Heading to the back of the cave, she breathed a sigh of relief. She fell to her knees and pushed the little red button on the heater. There was a whirring noise and then blessed heat started to pour out of the wide face. Huddling as close as she could get to it, she sat there for a long time.

Slowly she came back to herself. She realized that the water and the food were gone and there were two empty propane tubes. Someone had been here and cleared out most of the stores. She rose, stumbling to the back of the cave and the overhang of rock. She reached beneath…into empty air.

Her breath hissed out and she felt something snap inside her. Despair and fear overwhelmed her. Exhausted, she rolled into a ball. The heater sputtered and shut off. The dark inside the cave was absolute. Tears trickled down her face as she squeezed her eyes closed.

Tristan.

Tristan jerked awake just as the sun was sinking into the horizon. He moved gingerly, realizing that, surprisingly, he was okay. His elbow hurt and his back felt bruised as hell, but he was intact. He was on a small ledge just below where he and the chief had gone over. He got to his knees, completely chilled and shivering. Looking up, he assessed the cliff. Climbable. It didn’t matter. He was going to attempt it. If need be, he’d freaking sprout wings and fly out of here. Nothing was going to keep him from Amber.

“Hang on, baby,” he whispered as he fit his boot into a crag in the rock and hauled himself up. Bit by bit, hand over hand, he traversed the rock wall until he reached the top. He hauled himself over, then, inch by inch, pulled himself up. As soon as he got to his feet, he headed for the cabin.

He got there just after dark. Breaking in, he closed the door behind him. He searched frantically for a phone, but no landline. Garza had smashed both of their cells. When he tried the computer, he noticed the router was gone. No internet. He had to get warm before he went out again. He would be no good to Amber if he died from exposure. He paced and downed warm water straight out of the tap rather than the cold in the fridge. He grabbed several energy bars and stuffed them in his pockets. He ate a few and drank some more water. When he was sufficiently warm, he headed for the door.

The whole time he debated with himself. If he could get his car going, he could go down the mountain and get help, but they’d taken his keys. By now, there was sure to be a full-out search and rescue, but there would be no way Colonel Jacobs or Amber’s boss could know where they were.

He decided against it. If he went down the mountain and Amber died from exposure or Garza, he would never be able to live with himself.

Decision made. Committed. He ran off, heading directly to the cave.

Amber woke in the dark. The cave was holding some of the heat from the heater, but she couldn’t stay here and had no idea how long she’d been sleeping. Either Garza would find her, or she’d die from the cold. She had to move, and her best bet was heading back toward the cabin and the road down the mountain. She rose but was hit with indecision. Something had happened to Tristan and it could be just