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Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Later, he would not remember how fast he went or how long it took to reach the summit. Less than five minutes, he thought, but a lot could happen in thirty seconds, never mind a few minutes. What he remembered was tearing up the switchbacks, grabbing the guide rope for balance and jamming the point of his crampons into the icy path, pushing off with all his weight, digging in with one foot before catapulting himself forward with the next step and the next and the next.

Then he was at the top, swinging around from the path, passing the icy wooden stairs on his left but keeping himself in a low crouch so as not to become a target. The screams, which hadn’t stopped, were very loud now, coming in blasts, at regular intervals, as if the screamer paused only to haul in the next breath—and then a fourth shot followed by the almost instantaneous ping of metal against metal above his head. For all he knew, that bullet had just drilled a hole in the cargo container’s roof.

He threw a quick look with his flashlight at the path. No tracks but his own, nothing new. Crouching, he shuffled fast to the shipping container’s door that was still open because of the paraffin heaters. Inside, the boy, Matvey, was still screaming and now that he was close enough John understood what the boy was shouting—and the words chilled his blood.

“Pomogi!” Matvey screamed. “Chawn, Chawn, pomogi!”

Help! John, John, help!

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