AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We can’t get close to her,” I tell Wyatt. “The downwash will suck her out of her grip, and she’ll fall.”
“What do you want me to do, Mr. Hartley?”
“Fly to the top of the cliff. Keep the altitude. I’ll jump.”
“Clay, no…” Blake throws me a disapproving look.
I ignore him. There’s no other option. By this time, Wyatt has already executed my order.
I take another harness with me. “Have we got ropes?”
We look around, and we have about twenty yards of climbing rope. It’ll do. It’llhaveto do.
Wyatt approaches the cliff away from where Isabelle is hanging on. From here, we can see the dead body of the monster that doesn’t deserve to be described or named. Even a stray cat has more dignity than he did.
I scan the ground while Wyatt steadies the chopper. As soon as I’m down, I’ll have to know exactly where I need to go and what to do.
We’re hovering at twenty-five, thirty feet. I was never a paratrooper, but I’ve learned to perform a landing fall—and my training soon kicks in. My body buckles almost automatically, absorbing the impact, thus protecting my spine. Not a perfect ten landing, but I swallow the impact pain and get back on my feet. I rush toward the tree closest to the edge of the cliff. I secure the climbing rope around it and then fasten the other end onto my harness.
Wyatt is keeping a distance. Although having my team close by would’ve been my preference, with the wind from the weather already swirling, he knows the presence of the chopper will only make it worse.
The other harness which I’ve reserved for Isabelle is hanging on my shoulder. I haven’t got much rope, but I’ll have to make it work. I don’t care if I have to get to her upside down!
“Isabelle, I’m coming!” I yell as I descend along the cliff wall.
“Clayton… I can’t hold on much longer.”
The strain on her face tears me apart. When she says she can’t, I believe her. She’s been hanging on for too long!
“You can, Isabelle. Hang on. Please, hang on.”
She howls in agony. I peek down. Shit! Her only leg that was supporting her has slipped. Her arms are now the only difference between survival and falling.
I’m running out of rope, but I can get to her with just enough slack. I anchor my footing on a couple of small but stable rocks, so I can use both arms to reach and secure her.
“Isabelle. Baby, I’m here.”
I can see every vein and muscle swell on her hands and arms. There’s no way I can put the harness around her when she’s clinging like that.
How the hell am I going to ask her to let go?
I’ve held her so many times, but at this moment, what’s at stake is no less than her life. I put my arm around her waist, holding on to her with all I’ve got. If she falls, I’ll go down with her.
“Let go of the rocks, baby.”
“I can’t.” Her voice tears from her mouth painfully. “I’ll fall.”
“Trust me, Baby Belle. I’ve got you.”
Her head carefully deviates from the rocks, and she releases her grip. She dips. But my arm banding around her is unmoved. Not even Earth’s gravity can take her away from me.
“I’ve got you.” I breathe on her crown while planning my next move. Somehow I’ll have to put her legs into the harness loops.
The rope Fletcher tied around her wrist is still there, but I’ll have to ignore it for now. While my foot is still planted on a rock, I turn her so her back is leaning against the cliff face, balancing her on an indent.
Her every limb is trembling, but she clings to me, her face buried in the curve of my shoulder. With one arm still holding her, I reach down to lower the loops of the harness, and then, one by one, I slip her legs into them. Her teeth grit, stifling her cry as the strap travels up her broken leg.
“Sorry, baby. I’m almost there.”
