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First Chapter of the Jagged Edge of Broken Glass
Chapter One
Daniel shoved his chalk-covered fingers into a small crack in the rough rock just to his left and balanced his weight over his right foot as the side of his big toe pressed into a small indentation in the granite. Scanning the smooth rock surface, his eyes latched onto a long, thin fracture perhaps six feet above him that appeared strong enough to hold an anchor. Smearing the bottom of his left foot against the nearly smooth rock wall, Daniel gave a low moan as his shoulder muscles pulled him upward while his hands shot towards a small vertical ledge just above him to his right. Centering his body over his nearly spread-eagle feet that were now balanced on two tiny bumps in the rock wall, Daniel reached into his rack and pulled out a spring-loaded cami. He shoved it into a small crack just above his left shoulder and then looped his rope through a carabiner that was attached to the cami. His sinewy body continued moving towards a long two-foot crevice to his right one foothold at a time. Once securely wedged into the crevice, he worked to set up three anchors that would allow him to bring his clients up another ten feet.
“On belay,” he said, once he was tied in. “Ready whenever you are.”
Stephen, a young kid with bleached blond hair and the creamy white complexion that told of way too much television watching stared up at Daniel with wide eyes. Daniel could tell by the look of terror in his face that this multi-day climb was definitely stretching this city boy to the max. When the kid leaned over the small ledge he was standing on and looked towards the thick cluster of pine trees below, Daniel thought he was going to freeze up.
Daniel forced a smile to hide his frustration and said, “Relax. You’re doing great.” Last thing he needed was to have this kid start freaking out!
“Come on, son,” his father, a man with thick brown hair flecked with grey said. “We’ve come this far. Just one foot at a time, remember?”
TJ, the kid’s father, had been a vacation climber for nearly a decade and had joined Daniel on many shorter climbs over the years, but this was the first time he’d brought his kid along. This was also the first multi-day climb he had been on. Normally, Daniel would have said no to the kid coming, him being as inexperienced as he was, but Stephen was pretty level headed and seemed to follow directions well enough…for the most part. Besides, Daniel was the best of the best. If he couldn’t get them up this mountain, no one could. And they both knew the risks involved. Rock climbing was a dangerous, and at times, unpredictable, sport that could lead to death in even the most experienced climbers. Although, much to his credit, in all his climbs— even the most dangerous alpine climbs—Daniel had not lost
a client yet. And he planned on keeping it that way.
“No worries.” Daniel flashed the kid another smile while he gave the rope a tug. “This thing’s as sure as cement.” Stephen swallowed hard, turned to look at his dad
one more time and then began to inch his way up the rock. Daniel kept his eyes on the kid while he worked methodically to keep the rope that was attached to both of them taut.
“You’re doing great!” TJ said.
The kid gave a low grunt and continued to inch his way higher and higher. After a few tentative moves upward, the kid began to relax enough to stop the rapid shaking in his
legs. He focused a little too much on his hands and not enough on his feet, but overall, he was doing great, and so long as his dad followed his example and the calm weather remained, they stood a good chance of reaching their campsite by dusk. Which was important. The last thing Daniel wanted was to be leading these greenies up the mountain in the dark. But worst-case scenario, he’d do what he had to do.
Stephen was just about to make it to the next ledge when his right foot slipped on a patch of loose rock, sending his wiry body scraping against the wall. Daniel snapped his wrist down causing the gri-gri to lock on the rope. The kid slid against the rough rock for a foot, maybe two, and then dangled in mid-air while both of his sweaty hands grasped at the granite in front of him.
“Relax,” Daniel said, knowing the kid would never regain his grip if he didn’t calm down. “I got you.” Daniel let the rope out inch by inch until he lowered the kid to a rougher area with more foot-holds. Stephen grabbed on to the rock with both hands, his chest heaving up and down. He looked up at Daniel with wide eyes.
Daniel shot him a wink. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
The kid offered a nervous smile and then turned his attention back to the rock, but the shaking had retuned to his legs and his arms and hands were so tight Daniel thought briefly about lowering him down to the ledge once again, just long enough to allow the poor kid to calm down a little, but he figured that would only freak him out more. Best thing to do was help him along as best he could. Using his body weight for leverage, Daniel gripped the rope with both hands and pulled it up bit by bit. Every time the kid reached for a new handhold, Daniel gave the rope a powerful tug, carrying most of the kid’s weight. His muscles bulged with the strain and a thick sheet of sweat began to pour down his face despite the cool mountain temperatures. The last thing he wanted to do was sweat—a man could get hypothermia if his clothes got wet—but he’d strip down to his core layers once he got this kid up.
“You’re almost there.” Daniel gave the rope another heave when suddenly his eyes began to blur. He shook his head and scrunched his eyes closed. When he opened them, they wouldn’t focus. Everything was spinning. The next thing he knew, his right arm went completely numb and the thick rope slipped from his grip.
“Ahhh!” Stephen’s terrified voice filled the air.
“Stephen!” TJ cried out.
Daniel’s heart thrashed against his chest as his mind registered the blurred image of Stephen plummeting towards the valley below. There was a fierce jerk as Daniel’s gri-gri locked into place. The rope stopped. Daniel stood on shaking legs and stared at the hazy image of his clients below. Pins and needles shot through his arms. What was going on? What was going on? He turned and stared at the steep mountain peak ahead of him and then down into the valley below. Only two hundred more feet to their campsite. Only two hundred more feet.
“Is everything OK?” Daniel heard TJ’s shaking voice call out, but the words barely registered. What was he going to do? What in the world was wrong with him? If they continued and a storm hit…. He had to make a decision and he had to make it now, before the impending darkness made it for him.
“We gotta turn back.”
Stephen and TJ stared at him with wide, questioning eyes, but Daniel didn’t have any answers for them.
Daniel shoved his chalk-covered fingers into a small crack in the rough rock just to his left and balanced his weight over his right foot as the side of his big toe pressed into a small indentation in the granite. Scanning the smooth rock surface, his eyes latched onto a long, thin fracture perhaps six feet above him that appeared strong enough to hold an anchor. Smearing the bottom of his left foot against the nearly smooth rock wall, Daniel gave a low moan as his shoulder muscles pulled him upward while his hands shot towards a small vertical ledge just above him to his right. Centering his body over his nearly spread-eagle feet that were now balanced on two tiny bumps in the rock wall, Daniel reached into his rack and pulled out a spring-loaded cami. He shoved it into a small crack just above his left shoulder and then looped his rope through a carabiner that was attached to the cami. His sinewy body continued moving towards a long two-foot crevice to his right one foothold at a time. Once securely wedged into the crevice, he worked to set up three anchors that would allow him to bring his clients up another ten feet.
“On belay,” he said, once he was tied in. “Ready whenever you are.”
Stephen, a young kid with bleached blond hair and the creamy white complexion that told of way too much television watching stared up at Daniel with wide eyes. Daniel could tell by the look of terror in his face that this multi-day climb was definitely stretching this city boy to the max. When the kid leaned over the small ledge he was standing on and looked towards the thick cluster of pine trees below, Daniel thought he was going to freeze up.
Daniel forced a smile to hide his frustration and said, “Relax. You’re doing great.” Last thing he needed was to have this kid start freaking out!
“Come on, son,” his father, a man with thick brown hair flecked with grey said. “We’ve come this far. Just one foot at a time, remember?”
TJ, the kid’s father, had been a vacation climber for nearly a decade and had joined Daniel on many shorter climbs over the years, but this was the first time he’d brought his kid along. This was also the first multi-day climb he had been on. Normally, Daniel would have said no to the kid coming, him being as inexperienced as he was, but Stephen was pretty level headed and seemed to follow directions well enough…for the most part. Besides, Daniel was the best of the best. If he couldn’t get them up this mountain, no one could. And they both knew the risks involved. Rock climbing was a dangerous, and at times, unpredictable, sport that could lead to death in even the most experienced climbers. Although, much to his credit, in all his climbs— even the most dangerous alpine climbs—Daniel had not lost
a client yet. And he planned on keeping it that way.
“No worries.” Daniel flashed the kid another smile while he gave the rope a tug. “This thing’s as sure as cement.” Stephen swallowed hard, turned to look at his dad
one more time and then began to inch his way up the rock. Daniel kept his eyes on the kid while he worked methodically to keep the rope that was attached to both of them taut.
“You’re doing great!” TJ said.
The kid gave a low grunt and continued to inch his way higher and higher. After a few tentative moves upward, the kid began to relax enough to stop the rapid shaking in his
legs. He focused a little too much on his hands and not enough on his feet, but overall, he was doing great, and so long as his dad followed his example and the calm weather remained, they stood a good chance of reaching their campsite by dusk. Which was important. The last thing Daniel wanted was to be leading these greenies up the mountain in the dark. But worst-case scenario, he’d do what he had to do.
Stephen was just about to make it to the next ledge when his right foot slipped on a patch of loose rock, sending his wiry body scraping against the wall. Daniel snapped his wrist down causing the gri-gri to lock on the rope. The kid slid against the rough rock for a foot, maybe two, and then dangled in mid-air while both of his sweaty hands grasped at the granite in front of him.
“Relax,” Daniel said, knowing the kid would never regain his grip if he didn’t calm down. “I got you.” Daniel let the rope out inch by inch until he lowered the kid to a rougher area with more foot-holds. Stephen grabbed on to the rock with both hands, his chest heaving up and down. He looked up at Daniel with wide eyes.
Daniel shot him a wink. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
The kid offered a nervous smile and then turned his attention back to the rock, but the shaking had retuned to his legs and his arms and hands were so tight Daniel thought briefly about lowering him down to the ledge once again, just long enough to allow the poor kid to calm down a little, but he figured that would only freak him out more. Best thing to do was help him along as best he could. Using his body weight for leverage, Daniel gripped the rope with both hands and pulled it up bit by bit. Every time the kid reached for a new handhold, Daniel gave the rope a powerful tug, carrying most of the kid’s weight. His muscles bulged with the strain and a thick sheet of sweat began to pour down his face despite the cool mountain temperatures. The last thing he wanted to do was sweat—a man could get hypothermia if his clothes got wet—but he’d strip down to his core layers once he got this kid up.
“You’re almost there.” Daniel gave the rope another heave when suddenly his eyes began to blur. He shook his head and scrunched his eyes closed. When he opened them, they wouldn’t focus. Everything was spinning. The next thing he knew, his right arm went completely numb and the thick rope slipped from his grip.
“Ahhh!” Stephen’s terrified voice filled the air.
“Stephen!” TJ cried out.
Daniel’s heart thrashed against his chest as his mind registered the blurred image of Stephen plummeting towards the valley below. There was a fierce jerk as Daniel’s gri-gri locked into place. The rope stopped. Daniel stood on shaking legs and stared at the hazy image of his clients below. Pins and needles shot through his arms. What was going on? What was going on? He turned and stared at the steep mountain peak ahead of him and then down into the valley below. Only two hundred more feet to their campsite. Only two hundred more feet.
“Is everything OK?” Daniel heard TJ’s shaking voice call out, but the words barely registered. What was he going to do? What in the world was wrong with him? If they continued and a storm hit…. He had to make a decision and he had to make it now, before the impending darkness made it for him.
“We gotta turn back.”
Stephen and TJ stared at him with wide, questioning eyes, but Daniel didn’t have any answers for them.
* * * * * * *
Fifteen long, exhausting, and terrifying hours later, Daniel stood in his boss’s office confused and totally defeated. He squeezed his hands into tight fists in an effort to hide the tremors that seemed to take over his entire body as Mr. Ecker tore into him.
“What were you thinking, Daniel?” A large vein pulsed in the center of Mr. Ecker’s forehead like a ticking time bomb. His face was red. “TJ’s one of our best clients! And you turned back?”
Daniel stared at the row of climbing helmets dangling from old rusted hooks that were attached to the wall across from him. Piles of duffel bags were shoved in a far corner and harnesses of every size were heaped in a small, untidy mound a few feet away, ready for their next group of clients. Daniel shifted his weight from one foot to the next. His rack clanked as the metal holds and carabiners jostled against one another. His right arm still tingled slightly. He clenched and opened his fist a few times, hoping to pump some fresh blood through his numb fingers. He couldn’t look Mr. Ecker in the eye. He knew that his boss was waiting for an explanation—deserved an explanation, but Daniel didn’t have any to offer. How could he explain something he didn’t understand himself?
Mr. Ecker shook his head. “I just don’t get it. The weather’s great. You had plenty of gear.” Daniel swallowed hard as Mr. Ecker’s voice grew louder. “You’re acting like this was your first go!”
“I’m sorry, sir. I’ll make up the loss. Take it out of my paycheck.”
Mr. Ecker gave a snort. “It’s not just this trip I’m concerned about. Those guys come out at least once a year, but after the way you wussed out on them, I’ll bet this was the last time they’ll ever book a trip with us.” He flung a slip of paper across his desk. “We’ve got a reputation to uphold. People come to us to test their limits, to push themselves harder and further then they’ve ever gone before.” He shook his head. “I need my guides to have grit.”
“Yes, sir. I understand.”
“Answer me this: Who’s going to trust a climbing guide who turns back halfway up a mountain?”
“I don’t know, sir. It won’t happen again.”
“You’re right it won’t happen again,” Mr. Ecker spat.
“Daniel, you’re fired. Take your gear and go.”
Daniel felt the blood drain from his face. Fired? “But sir—”
“Out!”
Daniel’s mouth went dry. His feet felt like they were cemented to the floor. Fired? Mr. Ecker was firing him?
“I said out!” Mr. Ecker bellowed again.
Daniel’s head spinned. This couldn’t be happening. He walked over to a small shelf in the far left hand corner of the office and began to gather his things. After ten years as the Cascade Climbing Expedition’s Adventure Expert, he had accumulated quite a bit of gear. Enough to fill every loop on his harness and then some. He had carabiners, quickdraws, quad cams, tri cams, top-dollar climbing shoes and 5-10’s for long hikes, over 200 feet of dynamic rope and enough webbing to make a tangled mess. He was going to have to make a couple trips to get it all—which was good. It’d give Mr. Ecker time to cool off. But what about his arm? And vision? Daniel picked up a small four by six picture frame and stared at the photo for quite some time. It was of him and Aaron, a fellow guide and very close friend. What a day that had been! After seventy-two hours of straight climbing, fighting the biting wind and brutal rain, they had finally made it to Calline Summit. And their wide smiles and windburned faces said it all. Daniel closed his eyes and let the memory of that day flood his mind. When he opened them, the image that stared back at him seemed almost surreal, like he was catching a glimpse into someone else’s life, someone stronger, tougher. Standing there with the photograph in hand, he studied his own image—every dark curl, tightly coiled from the high mountain humidity, the sinewy jaw muscles that always made him look like he was gnawing on a really tough piece of steak, the sun-baked skin that was so tanned the dark brown remained all winter long—as if he was seeing himself for the first time.
Oh, well. It had been fun while it lasted, he thought bitterly. He grabbed his duffel bag and headed towards his car. His mind raced faster and faster with every step. What in the world was going on with him? Altitude sickness? Dehydration? It had never happened before, and he had been climbing since he was fourteen! He could ascend a 5.13 without breaking a sweat! In fact, he was in the best shape he had ever been in. He didn’t drink or smoke. He’d had plenty of food and water. It just didn’t make any sense!
Daniel jammed a CD into the compact disk player and cranked up the volume until his eardrums felt like they would burst. He didn’t know which was stronger, his fear about what had happened to him while on the climb or his anger at Mr. Ecker for firing him. After ten years of faithful service! And only one mistake in all those years. Not that this had been a mistake. More like an unavoidable detour. He had to turn back. He had had no choice. You can’t belay someone with blurred vision. And you definitely can’t climb with a half-numb, tingling hand. You’d think Mr. Ecker would be happy about his choice—if he had known why Daniel had turned back. Maybe he should tell him. No. No, he couldn’t do that. It’d only make things worse. Climbers never showed weakness. As Mr. Ecker had said, climbing guides had to
have grit. They needed to be the top of the top. But to toss him out like that, without so much as a second chance?
Daniel slammed his foot against the gas pedal. He couldn’t drive fast enough. He needed to get home. He needed Mariah. His black pick-up truck spun around the winding mountain road, the thick green pine blurring into one long band of color. He didn’t slow until his wheels hit the loose gravel of their long driveway an hour later. By the time he made it to the front door, his pulse raced and sticky sweat dripped down the sides of his face. Mariah met him on the porch with a look of concern on her face. Noting his clenched jaw and pierced brow, she ran to him and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck. Daniel pulled her close and buried his face in her long, golden-brown hair as the sweet smell of her vanilla shampoo filled his lungs. Ten minutes later they were both sitting in their living room, Mariah’s gentle hands on his, his fierce anger overshadowed by a thick blanket of fear and confusion.
“He fired you?” Mariah asked. Her eyes were soft and warm yet searching. “But why?”
Daniel swallowed hard. He looked into her pale grey-blue eyes framed by long, thick lashes and wondered just how much he should tell her. Her thin eyebrows were raised and her tiny little lips looked like they were ready to quiver, the tell-tale sign that she was fighting off tears. He hated to make her worry, but he knew he couldn’t keep anything from her. It was part of their vows—to always be completely open and honest with one another, no matter what.
“I turned back,” Daniel said in a low voice.
Mariah’s eyes widened and he knew a million different scenarios were racing through her head. “Did something happen?” she asked.
Daniel shook his head. He stared at the thin brown carpet in front of him. “Kind of. But not with my clients.” He paused. “It was with me.” Mariah leaned forward. Her eyes studied his. Daniel continued. “I was halfway up Forbidden Peak, anchored into the rock, on belay. Stephen, a young kid from the city, was making his way up to where I was, when all of a sudden my vision started to blur and my hands got all tingly. I tried to shake it off, but it only got worse. Next thing I knew, my right arm went completely numb!” Daniel clenched his fist again and watched as the skin grew taut over his rock-scraped knuckles. The numbness was gone, but his fingers still tingled slightly.
Mariah gasped. “You didn’t let go of the rope, did you?”
“No. I was hooked in tight. And I had my gri-gri.”
This was one time when Daniel was glad that Mr. Ecker made his guides use an automatic locking gri-gri. It made lead climbing much more difficult, even dangerous, but in this instance, it had saved Stephen’s life.
“Was it the altitude?” Mariah asked.
Daniel shook his head. “I don’t think so. I’ve been up there too many times.” He stared at the duffel bag slumped on its side in the middle of the floor. “I have no idea what happened. Doesn’t matter anyway. Mr. Ecker’s got his mind made up.”
Mariah placed her hands on Daniel’s face and brought him closer to her. “Shake it off,” she said. “You’ll find another job—a better job. Besides, maybe this is a blessing in disguise. You know how much that job scared me—especially when you went on those multi-day glacier climbs!”
Daniel’s jaw clenched. A better job? Better than getting paid to climb the most beautiful mountain peaks in the world? “Yeah, no problem,” he said, letting his head fall against Mariah’s shoulder.
“What were you thinking, Daniel?” A large vein pulsed in the center of Mr. Ecker’s forehead like a ticking time bomb. His face was red. “TJ’s one of our best clients! And you turned back?”
Daniel stared at the row of climbing helmets dangling from old rusted hooks that were attached to the wall across from him. Piles of duffel bags were shoved in a far corner and harnesses of every size were heaped in a small, untidy mound a few feet away, ready for their next group of clients. Daniel shifted his weight from one foot to the next. His rack clanked as the metal holds and carabiners jostled against one another. His right arm still tingled slightly. He clenched and opened his fist a few times, hoping to pump some fresh blood through his numb fingers. He couldn’t look Mr. Ecker in the eye. He knew that his boss was waiting for an explanation—deserved an explanation, but Daniel didn’t have any to offer. How could he explain something he didn’t understand himself?
Mr. Ecker shook his head. “I just don’t get it. The weather’s great. You had plenty of gear.” Daniel swallowed hard as Mr. Ecker’s voice grew louder. “You’re acting like this was your first go!”
“I’m sorry, sir. I’ll make up the loss. Take it out of my paycheck.”
Mr. Ecker gave a snort. “It’s not just this trip I’m concerned about. Those guys come out at least once a year, but after the way you wussed out on them, I’ll bet this was the last time they’ll ever book a trip with us.” He flung a slip of paper across his desk. “We’ve got a reputation to uphold. People come to us to test their limits, to push themselves harder and further then they’ve ever gone before.” He shook his head. “I need my guides to have grit.”
“Yes, sir. I understand.”
“Answer me this: Who’s going to trust a climbing guide who turns back halfway up a mountain?”
“I don’t know, sir. It won’t happen again.”
“You’re right it won’t happen again,” Mr. Ecker spat.
“Daniel, you’re fired. Take your gear and go.”
Daniel felt the blood drain from his face. Fired? “But sir—”
“Out!”
Daniel’s mouth went dry. His feet felt like they were cemented to the floor. Fired? Mr. Ecker was firing him?
“I said out!” Mr. Ecker bellowed again.
Daniel’s head spinned. This couldn’t be happening. He walked over to a small shelf in the far left hand corner of the office and began to gather his things. After ten years as the Cascade Climbing Expedition’s Adventure Expert, he had accumulated quite a bit of gear. Enough to fill every loop on his harness and then some. He had carabiners, quickdraws, quad cams, tri cams, top-dollar climbing shoes and 5-10’s for long hikes, over 200 feet of dynamic rope and enough webbing to make a tangled mess. He was going to have to make a couple trips to get it all—which was good. It’d give Mr. Ecker time to cool off. But what about his arm? And vision? Daniel picked up a small four by six picture frame and stared at the photo for quite some time. It was of him and Aaron, a fellow guide and very close friend. What a day that had been! After seventy-two hours of straight climbing, fighting the biting wind and brutal rain, they had finally made it to Calline Summit. And their wide smiles and windburned faces said it all. Daniel closed his eyes and let the memory of that day flood his mind. When he opened them, the image that stared back at him seemed almost surreal, like he was catching a glimpse into someone else’s life, someone stronger, tougher. Standing there with the photograph in hand, he studied his own image—every dark curl, tightly coiled from the high mountain humidity, the sinewy jaw muscles that always made him look like he was gnawing on a really tough piece of steak, the sun-baked skin that was so tanned the dark brown remained all winter long—as if he was seeing himself for the first time.
Oh, well. It had been fun while it lasted, he thought bitterly. He grabbed his duffel bag and headed towards his car. His mind raced faster and faster with every step. What in the world was going on with him? Altitude sickness? Dehydration? It had never happened before, and he had been climbing since he was fourteen! He could ascend a 5.13 without breaking a sweat! In fact, he was in the best shape he had ever been in. He didn’t drink or smoke. He’d had plenty of food and water. It just didn’t make any sense!
Daniel jammed a CD into the compact disk player and cranked up the volume until his eardrums felt like they would burst. He didn’t know which was stronger, his fear about what had happened to him while on the climb or his anger at Mr. Ecker for firing him. After ten years of faithful service! And only one mistake in all those years. Not that this had been a mistake. More like an unavoidable detour. He had to turn back. He had had no choice. You can’t belay someone with blurred vision. And you definitely can’t climb with a half-numb, tingling hand. You’d think Mr. Ecker would be happy about his choice—if he had known why Daniel had turned back. Maybe he should tell him. No. No, he couldn’t do that. It’d only make things worse. Climbers never showed weakness. As Mr. Ecker had said, climbing guides had to
have grit. They needed to be the top of the top. But to toss him out like that, without so much as a second chance?
Daniel slammed his foot against the gas pedal. He couldn’t drive fast enough. He needed to get home. He needed Mariah. His black pick-up truck spun around the winding mountain road, the thick green pine blurring into one long band of color. He didn’t slow until his wheels hit the loose gravel of their long driveway an hour later. By the time he made it to the front door, his pulse raced and sticky sweat dripped down the sides of his face. Mariah met him on the porch with a look of concern on her face. Noting his clenched jaw and pierced brow, she ran to him and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck. Daniel pulled her close and buried his face in her long, golden-brown hair as the sweet smell of her vanilla shampoo filled his lungs. Ten minutes later they were both sitting in their living room, Mariah’s gentle hands on his, his fierce anger overshadowed by a thick blanket of fear and confusion.
“He fired you?” Mariah asked. Her eyes were soft and warm yet searching. “But why?”
Daniel swallowed hard. He looked into her pale grey-blue eyes framed by long, thick lashes and wondered just how much he should tell her. Her thin eyebrows were raised and her tiny little lips looked like they were ready to quiver, the tell-tale sign that she was fighting off tears. He hated to make her worry, but he knew he couldn’t keep anything from her. It was part of their vows—to always be completely open and honest with one another, no matter what.
“I turned back,” Daniel said in a low voice.
Mariah’s eyes widened and he knew a million different scenarios were racing through her head. “Did something happen?” she asked.
Daniel shook his head. He stared at the thin brown carpet in front of him. “Kind of. But not with my clients.” He paused. “It was with me.” Mariah leaned forward. Her eyes studied his. Daniel continued. “I was halfway up Forbidden Peak, anchored into the rock, on belay. Stephen, a young kid from the city, was making his way up to where I was, when all of a sudden my vision started to blur and my hands got all tingly. I tried to shake it off, but it only got worse. Next thing I knew, my right arm went completely numb!” Daniel clenched his fist again and watched as the skin grew taut over his rock-scraped knuckles. The numbness was gone, but his fingers still tingled slightly.
Mariah gasped. “You didn’t let go of the rope, did you?”
“No. I was hooked in tight. And I had my gri-gri.”
This was one time when Daniel was glad that Mr. Ecker made his guides use an automatic locking gri-gri. It made lead climbing much more difficult, even dangerous, but in this instance, it had saved Stephen’s life.
“Was it the altitude?” Mariah asked.
Daniel shook his head. “I don’t think so. I’ve been up there too many times.” He stared at the duffel bag slumped on its side in the middle of the floor. “I have no idea what happened. Doesn’t matter anyway. Mr. Ecker’s got his mind made up.”
Mariah placed her hands on Daniel’s face and brought him closer to her. “Shake it off,” she said. “You’ll find another job—a better job. Besides, maybe this is a blessing in disguise. You know how much that job scared me—especially when you went on those multi-day glacier climbs!”
Daniel’s jaw clenched. A better job? Better than getting paid to climb the most beautiful mountain peaks in the world? “Yeah, no problem,” he said, letting his head fall against Mariah’s shoulder.
* * * * * * *
Mariah sat in the cold leather seat and stared at the clock in front of her. Mrs. Cromwell would be here any moment, and she’d have five minutes, ten at the most, to make her case.
“Good morning, Mrs. Lawson.” Mrs. Cromwell’s low voice startled her. Mariah jumped to her feet instinctively. “What can I do for you?”
Mrs. Cromwell glanced at her watch before walking swiftly to her desk. Pulling the thick, leather chair forward, her dark brown eyes stared at Mariah through her wire-rimmed glasses.
Mariah pressed her hands firmly against her knees as if doing so would give her courage and squared her shoulders. She looked Mrs. Cromwell directly in the eye and said, “I wanted to talk to you about the North Cascade Glacial Climate position.”
Mrs. Cromwell raised her eyebrows. “Yes?”
“I know I have only been here a short while—”
“Now, Mrs. Lawson, what could you, less than two years out of college, possibly bring to the table that would be of use to us? When so many of our candidates have years of climate control experience and training?”
Mariah’s hands felt wet and cold at the same time. With Daniel out of work, she needed this job, and the pay increase it offered. “But that is precisely why I would be of benefit, Mrs. Cromwell.” She spoke in a steady and controlled voice. “Not only am I current on all the latest research and global temperature measuring technology, but I can bring a fresh set of eyes, unclouded by past methods or preconceived ideas, to this project.” Mariah watched Mrs. Cromwell’s face closely. It was unreadable. She continued. “Past methods, as far as I can tell, have proven to be ineffective. If we are ever to make progress, we will need new and innovative techniques. And with my creativity and problem solving skills, I cannot think of anyone else who would be better suited for this job.”
Mrs. Cromwell leaned back in her chair and studied Mariah, her thin, precisely-plucked blonde eyebrows pinched together in her customary frown. “Yes, yes, I can see your point. Perhaps a fresh pair of eyes would do us some good.” She grabbed a large manila file off the corner of her desk and began to flip through it. Mariah watched in silence, her heart racing. After what felt like an eternity, Mrs. Cromwell snapped the file shut, folded her arms over her chest, and leaned forward. “This is unprecedented, to say the least, but I will pull a few strings, see what I can do.” Mariah let out a long breath of air. Mrs. Cromwell’s eyes narrowed. “Do not let me down.”
Mariah shot to her feet. “No, Ma’am!” she said, and then scurried out of the office before Mrs. Cromwell could change her mind.