Free Denali Dreams by Ronie Kendig, Kimberley Woodhouse

wind.
    Karon surveyed her situation. The two sleds were overturned. Which meant poor Lionel was face-first in the snow. She anchored her rope with the axe and raced down the slope toward him. After righting his sled, she found him to be unconscious still. No blood or cuts that she could see. And he was still breathing. Hopefully all the layers protected him from any injuries. The supply sled was a little worse for the wear, but nothing major was damaged.
    One horrible question remained.
    What had happened to her brother?

    Zack checked his gear one final time as John approached. “I’m ready to go, sir.”
    His boss nodded. “Keep your head, Zack.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    The blades of the helo were already whirring as Zack ran to it and jumped in. The weather wasn’t terrific, but at least it had calmed down some. Three other rangers were prepared to drop since a couple other expeditions had been caught in the blizzard. The goal was to get everyone who needed medical attention out, and get everyone else safely back on course.
    Easier said than done, but Zack’s attention was focused. He wouldn’t be letting go of the rope again.
    As they flew the forty-five-minute flight to Denali, Zack prayed for all the climbers. And he sent up an extra prayer for a tiny brunette.

    The wind calmed, and a break in the snow gave Karon a better sense of her bearings. She decided to take advantage of the weather and look for Clint. She checked on Lionel one more time and tugged on the rope to ensure her anchor held. Taking tentative steps away from her supplies, she called out for her brother, each time taking a moment to listen for any reply. She followed the rope she hoped was still attached to him for several steps and almost followed it into a hole.
    Every climber’s nightmare. To fall into a crevasse covered by a snow bridge.
    Karon lay on her stomach and crawled to the edge, hoping not to follow in her brother’s footsteps. As she peeked over, she spotted him lying in a heap at the bottom. She was a terrible judge of distance, but it seemed a long way away. No wonder she’d felt dragged up the mountain. As his weight fell into the crevasse, the rope had pulled her along. His leg looked crumpled underneath him. She swallowed the bile threatening to rise in her throat. “Clint!” Her voice was hoarse and strained. “Clint! Wake up!”
    He moaned.
    “Clint!”
    Nothing.
    Karon tugged on the rope. It was still attached to his harness. She glanced up at the sky. It didn’t look as ominous as before. How long before they were hit with another storm?
    Lord, I need help. And strength would be nice. Superhero strength.
    Another moan came from below. “My leg. It’s broken, Karon.”
    “Other than that, are you okay?”
    “I think so, but the pain’s pretty bad. I’ll probably black out again. So don’t do anything stu—”
    She looked down. He was passed out again. And without his leg, how would he ever be able to climb out? The crevasse was a sheer drop of ice.
    A glance around gave her an idea. If she could just get enough leverage, maybe she could get Clint out of the crevasse herself. But then what? She was still alone, with two unconscious men.
    Men! They were all worried about
her
climbing Denali, and look at who was unconscious. She laughed out loud at the thought. Bunch of wimps.
    At least her sense of humor was intact. God was with her. Her adrenaline surged. She could do this. Karon Granger. Cancer survivor. Denali climber. And add guide and brother rescuer to the list.
    Bracing her legs against a large rock ledge, Karon pulled with everything in her. “Clint!” she yelled into the crevasse. “You lazy bum. Wake. Up.”
    She pushed with her feet, and pulled on the rope. Inch by inch. “Clint, so help me, you are going on a diet when this is over.” Each word oozed through gritted teeth. Didn’t some statistic say that grunting or yelling improved your strength by 30 percent? Well, she would yell at her brother