Page 24 of Nothing But Air
Voices drifted from the propped-open door. She stepped to the threshold, her hand finding the familiar wooden frame.
Maps covered the conference table inside, weighted down with coffee mugs and scattered carabiners. Red dots marked locations in different parts of the canyon. Some had been crossed out with a black X. Must be narrowing the search even more.
Marcus Roosevelt stood with his back to her, pointing at the nearest map. His dark hair was disheveled, his expensive hiking clothes wrinkled, and everything about his posture screamed barely contained desperation.
Virgil leaned against the desk nearby, arms crossed, exhaustion carved into his weathered face.
And Teague?—
Teague stood with his hands braced on the table, studying the topographic lines with that focused intensity she’d learned to recognize. His auburn curls were noticeably longer than the other two men’s, tumbling over his forehead. He’d trimmed his beard to heavy scruff—long enough for that rough, rugged edge, short enough to highlight the strong cut of his jaw. Ready for the day.
But shadows carved deep under his eyes, and the rumpled state of his ranger shirt told a different story.
He’d been at this all night.
Something twisted in Eden’s chest. Something she refused to name.
Virgil glanced up. “Eden. Come in. We’re going over logistics.”
She stepped into the room, acutely aware of Teague’s stillness. His green eyes flicked up for a half second—long enough for something to pass between them—before returning to the map.
Like it held all the answers he needed.
Like she wasn’t even there.
Charming.
Eden stopped by the table and sipped her coffee, letting the burn ground her. “Any updates?”
Virgil gestured to the marks. “With this much to cover, we need two search teams. Teague will lead one. Liam will lead the other—he made that decision last night. And Xander has agreed to help.” He nodded toward the wall.
Sure enough, Xander leaned against the wall, partly shadowed, his blond hair tucked under his cap as he nursed a steaming cup of coffee. He lifted his chin in greeting.
“Noah’s anxious to get out there too, but he’s not a hundred percent yet, so he’ll help you run communications.” Virgil sent her a slight smirk. “I know you can handle it alone, but if I didn’t assign him somewhere, the guy would drive us all crazy.”
Made sense. But it also made her role somewhat…redundant. “But four isn’t really enough for two teams.”
“We’re working on that. We’ve narrowed it down to two main clusters of potential sites. Teague will take these with Marcus.” Virgil pointed to four marks clustered east of their position. “Liam takes his group to these.” He pointed to a set of marks southeast of where Teague would go.
Eden’s stomach dropped.
More people at risk. And Teague still going out there with Marcus—just the two of them, alone in the backcountry, with nothing but rope and rock between them and a thousand-foot fall.
Absolutely not.
“You can’t send them out in teams of two.” The words came out sharper than intended. “If there’s an injury or?—”
“I want teams of four.” Virgil rubbed the back of his neck, the gesture weary. Defeated. “Problem is, we need more climbers. Jake’s being reassigned to Arches and leaving tonight—he’s the only staff with climbing experience besides the backcountry team. We’re stretched thin. I know I said this isn’t an emergency, but I have people breathing down my neck to get the search done.”
Marcus looked up. “What about outside help? Professional climbers with search and rescue experience?”
Virgil shook his head. “Other parks are maxed out. And we’d need people we trust. This situation’s already volatile. Adding strangers…”
Liam’s voice came from the doorway. “Most of my climbing buddies are still in Europe.” He stepped into the room with Nimue beside him, her dark hair damp. “Anyone else know of anyone? Friends, contacts—anyone with the right skills?”
The question hung in the air.
Eden glanced at Teague—waiting for him to say something. To look at her. To acknowledge what they both knew.
