24. Edgar

Edgar stepped out of the Jeep, his boots crunching on the gravel as he surveyed the small town of Darchen. The two vehicles that had collected them from Shiquanhe Airport were now parked in front of a modest hotel, which would serve as their base for the time being.

Darchen was a small, unassuming town with simple buildings and dusty streets. But it had a certain charm, a sense of timelessness and spirituality that permeated the air. In the distance, he could see the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, their jagged silhouettes cutting into the clear blue sky. Somewhere out there, amidst those towering mountains and deep valleys, the Kra-ell pod lay waiting to be found.

Edgar took a deep breath, feeling the cold air filling his lungs and nipping at his skin. He glanced over at Jasmine, who was bundled up in a thick coat and scarf, her cheeks flushed from the cold.

She seemed to be struggling to catch her breath, and Edgar felt concerned.

"Are you okay?" He wrapped his arm around her.

"Yeah, I"m fine." She smiled at him. "I just need to stretch my legs after the long ride."

"It was damn bumpy." Margo stomped her feet. "I feel like taking a walk around. Do you want to join me?"

Their guide must have overheard her because he came rushing their way. "We need to check into the hotel. In the meantime, I will reserve a table at the restaurant."

Edgar cast a questioning look at what Tenzin called a hotel. He wouldn"t even call it a motel, but as long as it had running water, preferably hot, and a bed, he didn"t care.

And heating. At night, the temperatures in this place plummeted even lower.

As the drivers unloaded their luggage, they gathered their belongings and entered the hotel.

The ladies" faces looked apprehensive, echoing Edgar"s. The accommodations were basic at best, with simple rooms and limited amenities. But they had all known what to expect when they signed up for this mission, and no one voiced their reservations. The other option was to erect a tent encampment for the group, which would probably be the cleaner route, but Edgar preferred a real toilet to a field one, and he had no doubt that Jasmine felt the same.

As they put their things in the room, Jasmine eyed the bed with suspicion. "What do you think about using our sleeping bags on the bed?"

"That"s an excellent idea. But we should eat first." He took her gloved hand and led her out of the room.

The hotel restaurant, as their guide had called it, was housed in a large tent, but it was warm inside, and the aromas were appetizing. The menu was limited, with dishes like yak meat stew, steamed dumplings, and yak tea.

"Is everything here made with yak?" Frankie asked quietly. "Even the dumplings are stuffed with yak meat."

"That"s what they have here," Ella said. "I love trying local cuisine, and since I don"t need to worry about food intolerance, I can be adventurous, but I just can"t stomach their tea."

After they ordered, Edgar turned to their guide. "When can I check out the helicopters?"

"Tomorrow," Tenzin said. "One was already delivered, and the pilot got a ride back to get the other one."

"Thank you." Edgar leaned back as the first course was served.

It was a steaming dumpling soup that seemed hearty and smelled delicious.

As they ate, he considered getting an aerial reconnaissance of the area. The plan was to scope out the region by hopping by air in ten-mile intervals, with Jasmine using her scrying abilities to guide them at each landing site. It would be time-consuming, and once they progressed beyond the hundred-mile radius, they would need to move their base forward to continue due to the helicopters" limited range. It would be tents and field toilets from there on.

Both choppers were small because of the expected need to navigate rugged terrain, steep slopes, and possibly tight spaces. Plus, once they moved their base out of the small town, one of the helicopters would be used to shuttle fuel to the other, allowing them to extend their range and continue their search.

As the meal ended, Edgar noticed that Jasmine looked even more uncomfortable, and her breathing was becoming shallower and more rapid.

He leaned over to Aru, who was seated on his other side. "I think Jasmine"s having trouble with the altitude," he said quietly. "She doesn"t look good."

Aru glanced over at Jasmine and frowned. "You"re right. Julian can give her oxygen."

Jasmine shook her head. "I"m fine," she said, but her voice was strained. "Just a little tired after the long ride, that"s all."

Edgar shook his head. "Don"t be silly. Pretending that you are fine is not doing anyone any good. Let Julian help you."

Jasmine hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "Okay."

As Aru got Julian"s attention and pointed at Jasmine, the doctor frowned, pushed away from the table, and walked over.

He checked her pulse and breathing. "You"re feeling the effects of the altitude," he said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a small oxygen canister. "Here, breathe this in. It"ll make you feel better."

Jasmine took the canister and inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as the pure oxygen flooded her lungs. Almost immediately, the color returned to her cheeks and her breathing became more even.

"Thank you." She handed the canister back to Julian. "I feel better, but that was a temporary fix. What if I need more oxygen?"

Julian smiled. "I brought plenty, and they also sell them here in the general store, so don"t worry about it."

Edgar nodded in agreement. "You should pack some canisters in your backpack while trekking."

Aru cleared his throat to get their attention. "Tomorrow morning, Edgar, Jasmine, Dagor, Negal, and I will take one of the helicopters and start our aerial search. We"ll fly to the first location we marked on the map and continue in ten-mile intervals. Hopefully, Jasmine"s unique research method will point us in the right direction, and if we get lucky, our equipment will pick up the rest."

Aru was mindful of the other guests and staff who were within earshot, and that was why he was using the terms he had. A shrouding sound bubble wasn"t advisable when it was obvious that they were being spied on. Their group suddenly going silent would have been even more suspicious than the mention of scrying sticks and alien technology.

Aru turned to the others. "The rest of you will have to stay here, ready to provide support if we need it."

Edgar couldn"t imagine what support they could provide, but Aru had probably said that just to make them feel less useless. The only reason that Gabi, Frankie, and Margo had joined them was that they were all newly mated and couldn"t stand being away from their mates. Ella had the slim excuse of having emergency response medical training and her ability to assist Julian if needed. Still, the real reason she was here was because of her mate.

Edgar didn"t mind—on the contrary. Traveling with a large group was more fun, and the ladies made it look less suspicious.