Chapter - 335
The mountain groaned. It was a deep, tectonic sound, a bass note felt in the teeth rather than heard by the ear. Above them, the Warner Chateau, a fortress of stone and ego that had dominated the peak for fifty years, finally surrendered to gravity and high explosives. The foundations cracked with a sound like a gunshot, and the entire structure began to slide.
Millions of tons of rock, steel, and snow detached from the peak. The avalanche wasn't coming; it was here.
"Put them on!" Rick roared, shoving the collapsible skis into Sharon's trembling hands. "Boots lock in automatically! Just step and click!"
Sharon fumbled with the high-tech gear, her fingers numb inside her tactical gloves. "I don't know how to ski! I grew up in Detroit!"
"It's just falling with style!" Rick yelled over the roar of the collapsing mountain. He stepped into his own bindings. Click.
"System," he thought, panic clawing at his throat. "I need a skill book. Fast."
