LITMIR.BIZ

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the curve that would take her out of the path of the deadly flow. One frantic glance back assured her that her sisters had reached the trees and were clear of the onslaught. Seconds later she saw Paul plunge after them, barely escaping the edge of the swirling, heaving mass of destruction.

      The furious white wave was almost on her now, like a giant breaker in the rolling surf. The noise was deafening. Twenty yards. She dug her poles frantically into the soft snow, desperate for more speed.

      Almost there. She could see the edge of the trees, then suddenly lost sight of them as a cloud of wet snow enveloped her. The freezing air closed around her, choking her, blinding her. She fought to keep her balance as she felt the ground shift beneath her. Then something hit her hard in the shoulder.

      She went flying, rolling and tumbling at a terrifying speed inside the cold, wet suffocating blanket of snow. Just when she thought she would never draw breath again, the ground abruptly gave way beneath her.

      Barely conscious now, she realized she was falling. Her last thought was to wonder how long it would take for her grieving family to find her body at the bottom of a ravine. Then the darkness wiped out the world.

      Chapter 2

      At the first faint rumble of thunder, the spectators on the terrace looked expectantly up toward the mountain peaks. They could see nothing through the driving snow. Not even the skiers’ lights. Some of them grumbled that it wasn’t worth waiting outside in the cold.

      Only a handful stayed behind to witness the awesome sight of what seemed to be half the mountain bearing down on the lodge. Screaming warnings, the guests scattered and raced for shelter. Seconds later the terrace was torn from its supports, and the formidable roar of the avalanche swallowed up the splintering sound of shattered windows.

      In his room on the second floor, Dr. Tony Petrocelli paused in the act of removing his shirt and tilted his dark head to one side. The noise he heard sounded like a freight train coming out of a tunnel. He frowned at his wife, who sat on the edge of the bed, staring up at him with anxious blue eyes.

      “What is it?” Beth asked, her voice a mere whisper.

      Tony shrugged. “Beats me. Probably some kind of celebration—” He broke off, his words cut off by the sound of splintering wood and groaning timbers.

      Beth’s eyes grew round. “What’s happening?”

      “I don’t know,” Tony said grimly. “But I think we’d better find out.” He grabbed his wife’s jacket off the back of the chair and threw it to her. “I have a feeling you’re going to need this.”

      On her feet in an instant, Beth shrugged her arms into the parka. “Thank God we left Christopher with your family,” she muttered as she followed her husband out the door.

      Downstairs by the fireplace, Carol Parker thought she was imagining things as she stared at the snow piling up through the jagged remains of the windows. She turned to Dan, who looked as horrified as she felt. “The kids,” she said urgently. “What happened to our kids?”

      Dan wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t worry, they’ll be fine.”

      She heard the forced assurance in his voice and her blood chilled. “Dan, they were on the mountain. They were all on the mountain.” Her voice rose as she struggled to free herself from his hold. “Dear God, Dan, where are they?”

      Everything seemed to be a blur after that. She heard Dan’s voice, trying to calm her, but she was incapable of thinking clearly. People seemed to be everywhere, some rushing about, some sitting, some lying still on the floor. She saw Darlene Irving, crying and screaming, while a woman with auburn hair tried to comfort her. Recognizing Beth Petrocelli, Carol felt a moment’s relief that her husband would be somewhere around as well. Tony Petrocelli was a good doctor, and it looked as if some of those people would need his help.

      She thought about the girls and Paul, lying injured out there somewhere, helpless and alone. The agonized groan she heard was her own.

      Dan’s hands tightened on her shoulders and he gave her a little shake. “Snap out of it, Carol. I have to go outside and help dig out the people buried under the debris. I need you to stay with Dad. He’s insisting on helping and I don’t want him out there. Get it together, Carol. I need you.”

      Her mind cleared, and she stared at him, her feeling of dread threatening to overwhelm her. “We have to find them, Dan,” she whispered.

      His blue eyes stared back at her, and she found strength in the resolution she saw in them. “Doc Petrocelli is organizing a search party. As soon as it’s light I’ll go with them, and I won’t come back without the kids. Will you be okay here now?”

      She nodded and managed a stiff smile. “Just be careful out there. That snow is treacherous.”

      “Try not to worry. Just help out here where you can.”

      It was easier to be busy, she realized, as she herded Grandpa into the dining room where several people sat propped against the wall. The opposite wall had caved in with the weight of the snow, but the roof was still intact. Obviously the worst of the avalanche had missed the lodge.

      Obeying Beth Petrocelli’s instructions, she helped clean grazes and cuts and apply bandages. Grandpa, having accepted the fact that he would be more hindrance than help, was doing his best to cheer up the wounded with his ancient jokes.

      According to the comments Carol overheard, half the lodge was buried beneath the weight of the snow, and the avalanche had completely cut off the road to town. Dr. Petrocelli would have his hands full until help arrived.

      When Paul suddenly popped up in front of Carol, she let out a shriek of joy. When she saw Sharon and Elise behind him, she burst into tears. Swept up in her relief, it was a moment or two before she realized that her eldest daughter was not with them.

      Struggling to keep the panic at bay, she clung to Paul’s arm. “Anne,” she said urgently. “Where is she?”

      She knew at once by the agony on Paul’s face that she didn’t want to hear what he had to tell her.

      “She was right on the edge of it, Mom,” he said, his voice shaky. “I’m sure she’ll be okay. Dad and I will be joining the search party as soon as it’s light. We’ll find her. I know we will.”

      Her fingers tightened as she heard her daughters begin to cry. She had to be strong. For their sakes, she had to be strong. Paul was right. He and Dan would find her baby. They just had to find her.

      Hold on, my precious daughter, she urged silently. Just please, hold on.

      It was cold. So incredibly cold, and something wet and heavy pressed down on her head. The wall supporting her back felt like a jagged block of ice. Her right leg was jammed up against something hard that barely shifted when she tried to move it.

      Darkness enveloped her like a thick black blanket. She couldn’t see anything at all. For a moment she panicked, wondering if she was blind. She shook her head, trying to clear her fogged mind. Pain sliced across her eyes and she moaned.

      Her wool hat, headlamp and goggles were gone, and whatever was sitting on top of her head slid down with a plop onto her lap. Some of it seeped into her collar, freezing her neck.

      Snow. Now she remembered.

      Cautiously she tilted her head back. Above her she could see a patch of light gray. Nothing else. But at least she could see. Feeling a little better, she moved her hand and felt the cold, hard ground beneath her. She stretched her arm to explore a little farther, and her nerves received a nasty jolt when her fingers encountered thin air. Patting the ground on either side of her, she faced the truth. She was on a ledge. A very narrow ledge.

      The pungent smell of pine told her that the thing pressing against her right leg was a broken tree. She clung to it for a moment, aware that it had probably saved her life. So far, anyway.

      Her spirits plummeted as the reality of her predicament

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