“I’m going to kill them,” she whispered to the Subaru, which must have been in as much pain as she was.

A wet guttural rattle from Jessie reminded her the seat belt wasn’t that far out of reach.

River was used to being in close quarters with the pair. Still, the SUV reminded her of a coffin, squeezing the life out of her with every snort and whack of Bree’s elbow into the seat back. Yep, lack of sleep or not, she was done.

Escaping the vehicle through the back hatch door, River resisted letting the door close with a loud thump.

Freed of her confines, River could finally take a deep breath, relaxing and appreciating the scenery around her. The sun never set this time of year, but within the shadow of the mountain range, they’d managed to sleep in a semblance of darkness. Now, as dawn approached, the dark grays and hazy blues of night had lightened, the sun rising higher in the sky. She had plenty of natural light to make her way across the parking lot and down to the road.

Yesterday had been tough, but things were looking better. They’d regrouped and decided to take Easton’s advice to film outside town. The guide service he’d suggested had been booked, but they’d been referred to someone else closer to Moose Springs. A local.

She really hoped this one was more welcoming then the ones they’d encountered so far.

After some research, they’d learned that Mount Veil was the most impressive and exciting geological location near Moose Springs. Something worth making a documentary about, something that could bring more attention to the town. Few people climbed it, but those who did all came down saying the experience had been amazing. And it was either that or film River walking along the road some more. Since River loved to climb, this documentary was exactly up her alley. Bree was instantly on board, but it had taken some convincing to get Jessie to agree to filming on a mountain.

He liked climbing, but he’d never summited a fourteener before.

“Not like we have a choice,” River said to herself, rolling her shoulders to try to ease the strain of the last few days.

She was standing on the precipice of one more failed project, and River wasn’t sure her career could survive much more. Standing there, worrying herself into a stomach ulcer wasn’t going to help anything. Muscles aching to be used, River considered going for a run. But with Mount Veil fresh in her mind, what she really wanted to do was climb. Climbing had always been a source of stress release for her. When things got too tough, River would head for the hills…literally. She’d always been able to find a calmness when climbing that no other form of exercise could match.