Efficiency built from years of training and working together had Alisha slipping out of sight as the morning sun peeked above the low mountain ridge to their east. Shadows reached crooked fingers toward the rock slide, creating patterns of light and dark emphasized by variations in rock. Pale grey slabs and darker black chunks mixed with clumps of freshly exposed soil and ragged splashes of green pine needles. Devon ignored the strange beauty found even in the middle of the devastation and focused on the changing weight on the rope in his hands.

“Take,” Alisha called from below. “Devon, tie off and descend to meet me. I’ve found something. There’s a tunnel opening to one side. I want you to anchor me from here before I try it.”

“On my way.” Devon signaled Anders to his side. “Alisha’s got a lead. I’m going down.”

Anders nodded. “Xavier’s dealing with the two victims we spotted from the air at the edge of the slide. I’ll take over up here.”

A few quick adjustments switched his ropes from belaying to rappelling. Devon twisted his headlamp to high before leaning back on the ropes and allowing them to support his weight. A ray of sunshine hit him like a spotlight a second before he stepped over the edge.

The walkie-talkie link on his chest allowed him to hear Alisha without her shouting. “You’ve got a thirty-foot path—nice and clear. If you move slightly to the right when I warn you, you’ll find a set of footholds to get you to my ridge.”

“Let me know. What did you find?”

“Jacket shreds and a shoe. Some blood.” Report was clear and precise, but there was a touch of disgust in her voice any time she had to discuss bleeds. “I’m guessing someone got carried along with the rubble for a bit of a ride before they hit the crack. This is a fresh opening—I haven’t found any old growth.”

Devon agreed. He worked his way down the slope rapidly, even as he flipped on his speaker. “You’re not going to believe this. The research team was testing for seismic activity. They have clear records that show when the slide happened, and yeah, there was a bit of underground quiver.”

“Head right. And really? Tell me they’re not expecting any further activity.”

Devon followed her guidance, rock dust hanging in the air between him and the wall, blurring his vision. “Agreed. In a fresh hole while things are still shifting? Not a great idea, but there’s nothing on the equipment. Like zero activity. We’re safer down here than up top where the fall is still shifting and finding its balance.”

He landed beside her, the glow of his headlamp highlighting her cheekbones and making the bits of her hair that were visible under her helmet shine like an angel’s.

Alisha checked him over quickly, then pointed to the left. “This way. I set anchors already, but I’ll need to swing around a gap, then get some lights in place.”

Devon tied off to the wall anchors she’d set. “Nice and bombproof. Well done.”

“Thank you.” Alisha pulled a rope from her shoulder and passed him the loop he needed. “I’ll check the needed length. Hold me tight so I can lean out.”

He motioned for her to wait as he hooked the safety line in place. Once they brought back their target, or if they needed it themselves, the way out would be a matter of grabbing the rope and signaling Anders to haul them to safety.

Devon adjusted his footing and slipped in directly behind Alisha, tightening the ropes to hold himself in place, fine-tuning the ones attaching them together. Then he threaded his fingers into her climbing harness. “Lean away.”

Alisha had grabbed a high-power flashlight, the backup strap leashed around her wrist. She pushed forward, upper body hanging over the inky blackness at their feet. Light reflected from closer protrusions, skipped out into eternity in other spots as the holes ended too far back for the light to reveal the depth.

Dust particles hovered in the air around them. The taste of dirt skidded over his tongue. Peering through the haze caused by the wide dilation of his headlamp didn’t help him see much better. “Anything? Worthwhile going forward?”

Alisha stretched a hand to him, holding out the flashlight. “There’s a part of the wall to the left that’s got . . . skid marks? I need to slide around the corner to be sure.”

That would put this rescue one step further up the danger scale. Devon took the lamp and placed it aside, pulling her to vertical, their bodies tight together as they rearranged gear.

At some point soon he needed them in this position when they weren’t covered from head to toe. Naked. Naked would be marvelous.

He slapped himself mentally, pulling back on track and thinking about the four rules his team had been built on. The first two were opposites, seemingly. Have patience, or move decisively. Was this a time to wait or move? “Do we have what we need to proceed?”

“We do for me to go around the corner. I’ll know more at that point.” Alisha took a deep breath. “On belay.”

He adjusted his hands. “Belay on. Careful, Alisha.”

She glanced over her shoulder, teeth flashing white as she smiled. A second later she was gone, the rope twisting in his hands as she used him as a fulcrum to find footing and scamper deeper into the darkness.

“Give me slack, Devon.”

He let out a foot of rope. Then another. Tension remained on the line, and everything was going well, when his earlier uneasiness returned in a flash.

“Alisha, what’s happening?”

“I found a trail. Correction. I found him.” Excitement rocked her voice, not only over the microphone now but shouted into the darkness. “Hello. Are you okay? I’m coming to help you.”

A muttered reply, nothing comprehensible, but thrilling to hear nonetheless. Devon hit his mic to the surface. “Alisha’s found the mark. Anders, get in position. We’re not far from the surface.”

“Stretcher?”

“I’ll let you know.”

Alisha had continued to talk to the lost, now found, researcher. Devon fed out line and worked to get extra ropes in place for Alisha to secure the victim.

The speaker connection between them crackled. “Conscious and alert. He’s been bumped around but he’s good to move without a stretcher. Bring him up, Devon.”

For the next fifteen minutes Devon pulled and worked his muscles to the maximum as he lifted the man to the midlevel platform. He was dirty from head to toe, his jacket and pants cut in places from the rocks he’d slid over. One foot in a boot, the other in a dirt-streaked sock. Blood marred one side of his face, the wound on his temple already covered with a quick bandage Alisha must have slapped in place.

Devon checked him over quickly, shining his light into the man’s eyes to watch his pupils react. “What’s your name and how are you feeling?”

A momentary flash of panic faded as the man pulled himself together. “Paul, and dark places aren’t my favourite. Otherwise, I’m okay.”

Devon nodded. “We’ll get you out of here as quickly as possible. Hold tight.”

He wasn’t going to leave Alisha waiting in the dark any longer than he had to, either. It was a bit of a teeter-totter, making sure the researcher was roped to the wall, then adjusting lines to get back to Alisha to hoist her up. Devon worked as rapidly as possible, the occasional comment over the microphone the only thing assuring him Alisha was safe.

It seemed like forever before Devon finally was in position. “You ready?”

“No worries. I was doing my nails.”

The researcher chuckled, and Devon smiled. Yeah, everything would be—

Static shot out from his handset followed hard by Xavier’s overly loud response.

“Crap. Lock into position guys, incoming.” His breathing increased in tempo as if he were running. “We lost another chunk of the mountain and it’s rolling in.”

Devon held a hand to Paul, keeping his voice calm and controlled in spite of the unknown factors barreling toward them. “Don’t panic. We’re good here. Let me get my partner, and we’ll all bunker down.”

Paul nodded, his fingers white around the ropes holding him to the wall.

“Haul ass, Alisha,” Devon ordered.

“Already halfway there, sugar.” Alisha peeked around the corner, her bright purple helmet shining at him. “I’m ready to fly.”

Fly she would. Devon gave her the word, then put all his strength into not just supporting her as she headed into the wide arc between them. He lifted her, making her cover the distance in half the time it had taken for her to leave him.

The rock underfoot shook slightly; sounds of the secondary rock fall carrying to them from the surface. Deep underground in the darkness where they were—that was all he concentrated on. On getting Alisha to safety. Like he’d promised . . . like being a partner always promised.

His biceps were screaming, but he brought her all the way up until he could catch her chest harness and lock her against him.

She blinked, half in surprise, half delighted, it seemed. “Well now, that was a lot of fun.”

God. Devon would have laughed at her enthusiasm if they hadn’t had a wide-eyed witness. They hurriedly shuffled toward Paul. “Anders, what’s happening up top?”

“We had to retreat for a minute. Cover your heads, and I’ll be back as soon as the leading edge settles.”

“We’re all fine.” Alisha answered this time, totally calm, as if she’d been suntanning on the beach all afternoon with a relaxing cocktail in hand. “Anders, Devon and I are going to take a break for a minute, then you can lift Paul, okay?”

“No prob.”

Devon stepped around Paul, putting the man into the middle of the huddle. Even as he worked like crazy to secure them all, Alisha carried on talking to Paul. She caught Devon’s eye for a second and winked before teasing Paul about his girlfriend and the added value this adventure would give him.