Alphas in the Wild (17 page)

“So how many did you climb?” Craig tried not to sound as if his teeth were gritted together.

“Don’t recall exactly. How far is camp? I’m about done in.”

Craig took hold of Ted’s arm. “Let the rest of them go on by. Camp’s close.”

“What? Let go!” The other man tried to shake his hand off, but Craig held tight.

When the last of the five mules had clomped past, he said, “I’m trying to give you some privacy.” Craig inhaled sharply, the thin cold air bracing. “I need the truth about how much actual mountain climbing you’ve done. From the look of things, this is the first mountain you’ve ever been on. Am I close?”

Ted, all overweight five-foot-ten of him, jerked his arm away. His short, black hair was hidden by a wool cap. “Why is it important?”

Craig rounded on him, any semblance of hanging on to his temper gone. “Because I’m responsible for your life up here. If you give me bogus information about what you can do in the mountains, it’s the same as lying to your doctor about your medical history. It puts your life at risk. Unfortunately, it puts mine on the line too. And everyone else on this trip. I’m giving you an opportunity to tell me the truth.”

Ted turned his head away. “You’re pretty close to right. I’ve never really climbed anything.”

Damn, damn, damn! Fuck!

“Why’d you want to come on this expedition?” Craig forced the words out.

“It said on the Internet these mountains were easy.”

Craig’s jaw clenched. “They are—compared with the Himalaya or Alaska. Try again. Why’d you decide to begin climbing mountains on peaks that are over twenty thousand feet?”

“Midlife crisis?” Ted laughed, but it came out more like a squawk.

“Come on.” Craig started walking. “We’ll sort this out in the morning. I think Joe has the beginnings of pulmonary edema. If Tina agrees, he’ll be going back to La Paz with Gunter, and you’ll be going down with them.”

“You can’t force me—”

Craig balled his hands into fists inside his mitts. He wanted to land a punch right in the middle of Ted’s overfed face, but he swallowed his anger. “It says on page four of the contract you signed that I can. Now, are you coming?”

Ted stomped along the trail beaten into the snow.

Craig was grateful the other man didn’t try to talk. It would’ve been a struggle to be cordial.

“Craig.” Tina met him a few feet from camp. “I need to talk with you.” He noticed the men had started setting up the other tents, including the larger mess tent. Good.

“Thanks for getting them moving setting up camp. Or did Gunter do that?” He followed her behind a group of good-sized boulders which would shield their conversation.

“Not a problem. Someone needed to. Gunter blew through here muttering in German. I haven’t seen him since.”

“Shit! I told him he’d probably have to escort some clients down. He got mad. Bet he’s gone off halfcocked to climb the mountain by himself.” Craig grappled in his pocket for the radio, keyed it, and called Gunter’s name.

Static crackled. The German didn’t answer. “Damn it!”

Tina grunted. “Well, it’s what you or I would’ve done at his age. To be this close to the second highest peak in Bolivia and have it snapped out from under—”

“Not the point. I’m paying him to do a job,” Craig growled. He rubbed his jaw to ease the tension in his facial muscles. “What did you need me for?”

“Joe has pulmonary edema. He’s got to go down. Brice may have the beginnings of cerebral edema. His headache is worse, and he’s not tracking well.”

“I figured as much when I heard Joe hacking. Bummer about Brice. Can we wait until morning, or do I need to radio for a chopper?”

She cocked her head to one side. “I shot both of them up with Dex. Joe’s propped up in his bag with a warm drink. Robert’s in the tent with him. I described specific things to watch for. Brice is sitting up wrapped in a sleeping bag. He got an opiate along with the Dex. Give me an hour, and I’ll let you know.”

Craig tried not to stare at her. Tina was one of the most striking women he’d ever met with her long, red hair, dark blue eyes, and lithe, six-foot frame. It had been the saddest day of his life when she refused his marriage proposal.

She turned to go.

“Wait.”

“Yes?” She looked over one shoulder without actually turning around.

What he wanted to do was sweep her into his arms and feel the press of her body against him.

Don’t be a fool. She doesn’t want me.

“Just wondering if you’d help with guiding after I send Gunter down. Assuming the clients can wait until morning, that is.”

Tina spun to face him, the movement so rapid it caught him by surprise. “Sure. Be glad to help, but I’m afraid you may be facing bigger problems. For one thing, I’m not all that certain Gunter will be back.”

“Why wouldn’t he be? Even if he’s sneaking in a summit bid, it’s only another five thousand feet or so. He’s young and strong. He’ll be back before we get up tomorrow.”

She looked away. Watching her in the flickering light from his headlamp, Craig sensed she wanted to say something. He considered prodding her, but kept his mouth shut. Tina could be stubborn. He gave her lots of space.

The line of her jaw tightened. She looked up. “There’s something wrong with this mountain.”

“Huh?”

“You heard me. Something...strange happened last time I was here.” She laughed. It sounded hollow—and haunted.

Craig reached for her, but she shook her head. “I haven’t lost my mind. And I can’t tell you anything else. I’m afraid if I do, I’ll put you at risk. Shouldn’t have said what I did. Uh, I really need to get back to my patients.” She turned on her heel, her boots making a squeaky sound in the snow, and strode toward camp.

He stared after her retreating back. What the hell? Tina was the most level-headed person he’d ever known. Quick and sure, her decision-making was impeccable in life and death situations. It was what made her a good doctor. The Tina he knew would never have made a blanket statement that something was wrong with the mountain.

They’d met when they were twenty and undergraduates at Colorado State, drawn together by a mutual love for the outdoor life. Their love for one another sort of crept up on them. She’d started medical school two years later, and he’d thrown his full energies into building credibility as a guide.

He still wasn’t certain what went wrong between them. He’d been so sure she wanted to spend her life with him...

A familiar sadness washed over him. He’d married on the rebound after Tina dumped him. Predictably, it hadn’t even lasted a year. He winced. He still remembered Jessica screaming at him, “I’m not Tina, goddammit,” just before she slammed out the door for the last time. Since then, he’d kept his heart to himself. It wasn’t fair to offer such a damaged item to another woman. He’d had his share of one-night stands, but they’d been sex, pure and simple. And only when his balls ached so badly he had to have the feel of a woman around him again.

Craig kicked at the snow. He needed to get his head out of his ass. Emotions had no place in the mountains. He’d always prided himself on being cool and calm when things were going to hell. Gunter’s unauthorized solo trip nagged him. He’d never hire the German again. Craig only gave assistants one chance. If they proved untrustworthy, that was it. He blew out a breath, and then another, seeking a calm center as he jogged back to camp.

Once there, he made the rounds, chatting with the six men, or trying to. Ted had very little to say. Brice seemed better, but he said he wanted to go down. The specter of cerebral edema had scared the crap out of him. Craig found Tina in the larger mess tent. “Joe and Brice seem well enough to wait until daylight. Do you agree?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I’m thinking Brice just had a really severe headache, exacerbated by altitude. He lives in Seattle—sea level. Joe’s lungs are sounding a little clearer. I gave him some more Dex. He should be able to walk out of here tomorrow. Speaking of which—”

Craig held up a hand. “Hold on to that thought. I need to see to the mules. Gunter usually does that. Wouldn’t do to have one wander off and get stolen by the locals. Keep some water hot for me.”

She smiled. “Sure. Not sleepy, anyway.”

“You still don’t sleep well?”

Tina shook her head. “Nope. Collateral damage.” She made shooing motions with her hands. “Doesn’t matter. You probably still sleep like a stone. Better get moving so you can get some rest. Stove’s going, so leave the door cracked.”

He stepped back into the night and went to hunt down the mules. Like horses, they’d scratch through snow to get to the grass beneath. But they also carried a couple days’ worth of feed for themselves in their packs. Normally, that’s all it would take to climb Illimani. One day to get to high camp, five or six hours to summit and then back to Estancia Una the same day.

Craig thought about the conversations he’d just had with his clients. Only two, Robert and Peter, felt strongly about going on. Red-haired twin brothers from Colorado Springs, they were fit and well-acclimatized. Both admitted they’d stayed with the other four because they didn’t trust Gunter to take care of them. Craig hobbled another mule and did a nose count. Yup, all five present and accounted for.

He considered what to do. If Gunter returned, it was simple. He’d send the German back to La Paz with Ted, Joe, Brice, and maybe Sam, depending on what the retired attorney decided in the morning. If Gunter didn’t come back, his options thinned dramatically. He’d have to escort the clients to Estancia Una, radio for transportation for them, and then go back up the mountain to find out what happened to Gunter.

Craig walked slowly back to camp. Tina was waiting. For a moment, his spirits lifted, then reality took over. “Yeah, she may be waiting,” he muttered, “but not that way.”

Watch it. I have enough problems on this trip. I don’t need to add to them by pretending we could make a life together after all this time.

“Craig?” Tina’s voice carried through the still night air.

“Coming.” He hastened his steps and ducked into the mess tent. She had a lantern lit, so he doused his headlamp.

“I was getting worried about you. Thought you might need some help with the mules.”

His heart did a small flip flop. “Nope, just thinking.”

“You always were a planner.”

He snorted. “Me? You should talk, Miss Don’t-Let-Anything-Get-in-the-Way-of-My-Career.”

Tina laughed. “Guess I was pretty intense.”

He looked at her, surprised to see her blue gaze right on him. “I’m thinking
was
isn’t the proper verb tense.”

“Maybe not. I’ve been doing some thinking of my own. If Gunter doesn’t show up, you need to take everyone down.”

“I’d come to the same conclusion.” His lips twitched into a smile. He and Tina had always been on the same page when it came to mountain safety. “The twins can come back up the mountain with us if they want to try for the summit. You could take them while I see if Gunter had some sort of accident.”

His smile faded. “Not feeling terribly kindly disposed toward him at this point, but if he doesn’t come back, I have to try to help him if I can.”

“You don’t need me to take the group down the hill.”

“What? You’re going to stay here?”

She shook her head, looking grim. “No. I have business up there.” She gestured toward Illimani’s summit, hidden by darkness and the tent wall. “I suspect I’ll run across Gunter, so there’s no need for you to come back.”

He kicked a three-legged stool open with his boot and sat heavily. “You’re talking in riddles.”

“Here.” She handed him a mug of instant soup and a handful of crackers. Craig drank and ate. He was hungry and held out the mug for seconds.

“You could probably close the door if you’re done cooking. It will stay warmer in here. Anything sweet handy?”

She dug out a package of Mother’s Taffy cookies. “Your favorites.” At least the dour expression on her face softened a bit.

For a time, the only sound in the mess tent was his chewing. Something was wrong, and if he knew Tina, there was a whole lot she wasn’t saying. He looked right at her. “You used to trust me. Please tell me enough so I understand. I’m guessing you would’ve come here even if I hadn’t had an expedition on the books.”

She nodded and bit her lower lip. After a while, she seemed to come to an internal decision. He recognized it in the defiant tilt of her chin.

“Okay. I suppose someone ought to know since it’s not likely I’ll ever leave this mountain.” A hesitation. “I’m worried.” She blew out a tense breath. “More than worried. Scared shitless. If I tell you about him—or it—you might be in the same kettle of fish I’m in.” She stared hard at him through narrowed eyes. “Believe me, you do not want this kind of trouble.”

He came to his feet and held out his arms. To his amazement, she dove into them. Her body trembled. More than anything, her distress gave him pause. The Tina he knew wasn’t afraid of anything.

He tightened his hold on her. “I’ve been cheating death for years. Whatever’s eating at you, let me help. We made good partners once.”

He felt her nod against him where her head nestled in the hollow between his shoulder and neck. Her scent, something uniquely Tina, with hints of cinnamon and vanilla, enveloped him. His cock hardened where their bodies pressed close. She must’ve felt it, because her hips pushed against him, and she threaded her arms around his back.

Craig moved away a little so he could look at her. Tina’s face was turned up, her lips parted.

“If I’m going to die here,” she murmured, “I’d like to make love one last time.” A half-smile flitted across her face. “We were always good together.”

A warm spark ignited in his belly and moved outward. “The best. But now’s not the time.” Reluctantly, he disentangled her arms from around him. He needed a clear head, not a sex-fuzzed brain. “Tell me what happened last time you were here. Between us, we’ll be able to beat whatever it is. I know we can.” He placed a gloved finger under her chin and tipped her head up to meet his gaze. “Once we’re safe, we can make love all you want.”

If she’s still interested then.
He pushed back hope flaring painfully in his heart.