Into the Mist (Into the Mist 1)

CHAPTER

7

SWEAT SLID DOWN Mercury’s face, into her eyes, and pooled between her breasts as she wrestled with her edge of the tarp. She was too focused on dragging the wounded people around the cracks in the parking lot, the bodies, and the wrecked vehicles that she didn’t get a good view of the lodge until they were at the edge of the parking lot that used to lead to the grand front stairs and stone facade of the charming lodge-like hotel.

“Hang on a sec, y’all.” Mercury halted and wiped her hand across her face. All of the women were breathing hard, and she could see Stella jogging as she hurried to rejoin them. “Let’s wait here for Stella to—” Her gaze, finally clear of sweat, swept over the lodge, and her words stumbled to a stop.

The view was a shock—and not just because the lodge had been torn apart, with half of it lost within a huge fissure in the earth. The biggest shock was the bizarre change in what was left of the summit of Mt. Hood behind Timberline. Just hours before it had been a majestic, snow-covered crown on the lovely ski resort, with a series of lifts and slopes running like arteries from the heart of the mountain. Half of that summit had crumbled and sloughed off—and carried with it part of the lodge as it avalanched down to fill the impossibly large mouth that had opened in the earth.

“It looks worse than I thought,” Stella said between panting breaths as she caught up with them.

“It’s like those re-creations of the sinking of the Titanic,” Mercury said. “How half of it broke off and went under before the other part joined it.”

“I guess we should be glad some of it is still standing,” said Jenny.

“I wonder if it’s actually safe to go inside, though,” Karen added.

“Well, we can’t stay out here,” said Stella grimly. She gestured overhead at the dark clouds. “It’s hard to tell because of smoke and crap up there, but that line of gray says snow to me. Getting caught outside during snow mixed with”—she paused and grimaced—“whatever is not an option.”

“I don’t know,” Marge said from the makeshift stretcher. Her face had no color and was covered with sweat, but she bared her teeth in an attempt at a smile as the women turned to her. “I’m having a great time out here.”

Gemma went to her and retucked part of the tarp around her. “You’re in shock,” she said.

Marge closed her eyes and patted Gemma’s hand. “And you’re a very good girl.”

“Hey! Do you folks need help?” A voice from the lodge startled them all. A man was standing in front of the right section of the building—the part that hadn’t been swept into the fissure with the avalanche.

“Yes! We have wounded people with us!” Stella cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted back. Then she turned quickly to Mercury. “Take this. The .38 is in it and I made sure the safety is on.” She handed Mercury the big, fringed purse she usually carried with her everywhere.

Mercury nodded tightly and hefted the purse over her shoulder as the noise of an engine had all of them turning in surprise. One of the many ATVs the hotel staff used to shuttle people back and forth roared around a pile of snow. The man who had called to them was driving. Beside him was another, younger guy. Their clothes were torn, dirty, and blood spattered, but both men appeared to be unharmed and healthy.

The ATV slid to a stop on the snowy asphalt in front of them. It looked like a golf cart on steroids. There was room for two people up front, two behind, and it had a mini pickup bed in the rear. The little vehicle idled and the two men jumped out and hurried to them.

“If your wounded can squeeze together, we can fit all three in the back there,” said the older man. He had a round face, soft belly, and a kind smile. His glasses were broken, and hung precariously on his nose so that he kept pushing at them.

Mercury stepped forward with her hand out. “Hi, I’m Mercury Rhodes. My friends and I were staying at the lodge the past four nights and—”

“Hey! You’re teachers! I remember you,” said the younger guy. Mercury recognized him as the bellhop their principal had been bossing around earlier that morning.

Goddess! Was that just this morning? It seems like a lifetime ago.

Mercury nodded and smiled as she turned her attention to the younger man. “Yeah, that’s right. The four of us were here for the conference.”

“Oh my God! Mercury! Stella!” The group looked up to see a woman waving at them from the broken steps of the lodge.

“Imani!” Mercury shouted, and their friend began to sprint to them. She slid down a mound of snow and raced around bodies, debris, and cracks in the parking lot until she reached them and hurled herself into Mercury’s arms.

“You’re alive! Thank God! You’re alive!” Imani clung to her for a moment before she stepped back. “Where were you? Did you see what happened?”

Mercury felt Imani’s gaze like it was a lead weight. “We were on highway 26,” she began slowly. “We’d, uh, stopped so Amelia could pee.” Mercury had to pause then as Amelia’s death rushed back and overwhelmed her.

Imani looked around. “Where is Amelia?”

“Dead,” said Stella. “Along with our principal and the coach who was with us.”

“And a whole lot more people,” added Jenny.

“How about here?” Mercury asked quickly. “Did the blasts kill people?”