“He doesn’t want you to go,” Pappy shouted to be heard over the whirling rotors. “He thinks you aren’t going to come back.” He now looked helplessly at Sam, who wasn’t understanding any of this.

Sam took off her gloves and dropped to her knees. She whispered in the big dog’s ear. She hugged him, then got up. She bent over one last time to rub noses with the dog. The dog looked up at her with his strange yellow eyes. Whatever he saw, satisfied him. He trotted off, Sam’s gloves between his teeth.

His eyes wide as saucers, his voice sounding strangled, Pappy said, “He crashed through the front window to get to you.”

“What do you want me to do?” Sam shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Get on the damn helicopter. Now!” Pappy roared.

Sam climbed in, buckled up, and the helo lifted off. She strained to see if the huge dog would do an encore.

“What the hell was that all about?” Lukash barked.

“The dog loves me. Watch it, Lukash, or I’ll have him bite your ass when you aren’t looking. From now on when you talk to me, use a little respect.”

Team Five’s leader glared at Sam, but he closed his mouth.

Sam settled back, trying to make sense out of what had just happened. It was easier to think about the dog than it was to think about Pappy. Loved by a dog. It doesn’t get any better than that, she thought glumly.

It took all of thirty minutes for everyone to settle into their new rooms at the Ritz-Carlton. Another thirty minutes were used up making reservations for massages, facials, manicures, and pedicures. Slick was permitted to make a phone call to her designer friend requesting outfits for the New Year’s Eve gala with no explanation of why she needed them or where she’d been. Donovan not only listened but taped the call. This was all done in the lobby.

Then they separated. “I don’t want to see any of you till it’s time to leave,” Kayla said as she peeled out of the lobby, the others right behind her. Hawkins held back, as did Slick. He motioned her to the side.

“Ah, Sam, I…”

“The rules on the mountain don’t apply here, Hawkins. I don’t care what you or Slick do. Go! Hey, can I borrow your laptop?”

Hawkins handed over his small duffel. “Sure. It’s probably going to need a charge.”

Then Slick and Hawkins were gone, holding hands as they swished through the revolving door.

Left to her own devices, Sam took the elevator to the eighth floor and her room. She set out her toiletries, charged the laptop, drank a Coke, then left her room to go to Bergdorf Goodman.