Tyler had mentioned that those were some of the more common slides and they were rarely deadly. But from where Erika was standing, watching the snow pick up speed and size as it cascaded down the mountain, it didn’t exactly look safe for anyone standing beneath it. A broken bone or being trapped beneath may not be deadly, but it wouldn’t be much fun.

Reed checked the area for more loose snow and a few minutes later, they continued their slow-moving upward trek.

Had anyone ever told her that she’d be climbing a mountain in the middle of an avalanche warning, she’d have said they were insane.

Six hours in and her body felt the exhaustion of their efforts. The higher they climbed, the thinner the air and the worse the visibility. Snow was still falling in big, thick flakes, the wind tossing them around in swirling loops before they could land on the ground. Milder temperatures that week had made the snow damp and heavy but as it started to get dark and the temperature dropped below freezing, things were getting slippery.

“Wade is calling families now. It’s officially time to call this a search,” Reed said, his anxiety evident in his voice and stress etched on his handsome face.

As they slowly, cautiously moved higher, Erika could hear the deep rumbling of more sluffs in the distance, and her confidence waned. She wasn’t trained to be out there. Tyler’s crash course in avalanche safety had practically gone in one ear and out the other in her worried state.

Would I remember any of it if I needed to use it?

She clutched the straps of her backpack, hoping that at the very least, she didn’t hinder the search. She didn’t want to become a liability to the group. Everyone was exhausted and worried and the weather was really taking its toll. During the day had been difficult enough, but now as a heavy dusk settled over the trees and the temperature plummeted, their hopes of finding the group were waning. She’d heard Tyler mention something about setting up camp and resuming in the morning, but Reed was pushing on.

Tank was quiet, his fear written on his face.

Man, if Cass could see the guy now, it would erase all doubt about how he feels about her.

“I see red,” Tank said, breaking his silence seconds later. “Over there, beyond that peak.” He pointed to the left of them, several feet higher. “It could be a jacket.”

Reed moved closer, climbing higher for a better view, and a second later he was waving them all forward. “I see the group. That was Cass,” he said.

Tank’s face, which had yet to show anything other than a deep fear, relaxed into a look of relief. Then, it quickly turned to one of determined focus as they hurried toward the group.