Gary walked up behind her, his gear already in place. “Andrew said he’d take special care of you, since you’re afraid of heights.”
“I’m not afraid of heights,” Katie said. “I’m afraid of falling from up high.”
Gary rested a casual hand on her shoulder, his fingers caressing the skin on her neck. All her fears were occluded by the rush of shivers that came from that touch. In truth, her current nervousness was more from being close to Gary than thoughts of impending death. But she had to hide her reactions, especially with Steven around. She was way too embarrassed to let her boss see her acting like a schoolgirl with a silly crush. He might even remind her that she swore she was going to remain single the rest of her life. And at the moment, she didn’t want to hear it.
For now, all she wanted to do was keep her mind on ziplining. Since broken bones seemed a likely alternative to paying attention to their guide, it shouldn’t be a problem.
She followed Andrew and their other guide, Sasha, around a winding path, climbing upward to the first ziplining platform. Sasha quickly climbed up the stairs and strapped herself onto the cable. Within seconds, she was zipping through the tree canopy at a speed guaranteed to make a person swallow their tongue.
Katie’s heart raced as she watched Sasha, wishing she’d never agreed to come. The line was as high as the treetops and as long as a football field. Miraculously, Sasha managed to stop herself and stood up on the opposite platform, unharmed.
No way I can do this.
“What’s going to keep me from crashing into the other end?” Katie asked.
“I’m going to show you exactly where to put your hands,” said Andrew. “Your right hand will be your brake, to slow you down. But don’t slow down too much, or you’ll get stuck in the middle.”
“Watch me,” said Steven, as he climbed the stairs and stepped onto the box to allow Andrew to lock his harness onto the zip line. Then he sat back and let his legs lift up, with Andrew holding onto his harness to keep him from sliding away.
“When you get to the end, Sasha will signal for you to start slowing down. Your right hand goes here and you put pressure on the cable.” Andrew pointed to Steven’s gloved hand. “Always keep it behind the roller so it can’t get pinched.”
“What if I don’t slow down enough?” Katie asked.
“We’ve got a brake system to stop you. It’ll just be more abrupt. But you’ll be fine, no matter what.”
“And during the ride, you can keep both hands on the harness, right here,” Steven said, demonstrating.
“What if I want to go a little slower the whole way?” Katie asked.
“You don’t want to slow down on the way, or you might not make it to the other side,” said Andrew. “Just let it go fast, and it’ll be fun.”
On the other end, Sasha raised her hand and whipped it in a circle.
“Ready?” Andrew asked Steven.
Seconds later, Steven was gone. With his knees drawn up into a tight ball, he flew at breakneck speed across to the other end.
“Your turn.” Gary urged her to climb the ladder.
Her arms and legs shaking with adrenaline, she made her way up to the platform. Andrew connected her harness, but she couldn’t get up the nerve to sit down.
“Why don’t you hold onto the line with your brake hand, so you feel more in control,” Andrew suggested.
“Okay.” She grabbed the line with an iron grip and sat down, letting her legs swing up.
“I’ve got you,” said Andrew. “Let me show you how to use your brake hand. You don’t squeeze the line. Put your palm over it, like this, and pull down, putting friction on top of the cable. Got it?”
“I think so.”
“For now, hold onto the harness, right here.”
“Okay,” she said, with her heart thumping hard enough to break her ribs. “I’m not sure I want to do this.”
“Have a great trip,” said Andrew.
Before she could protest again, she was flying through the air, both hands squeezing onto the harness for dear life. She was halfway across before she realized the eerie sound in her ear was coming from her own mouth—a cross between and moan and a scream. Then she saw the other platform approaching, and Sasha lifted her hands, giving her a signal. What was she supposed to do?
Oh my gosh! I need to slow down. But I can’t let go of the harness.