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‘I’ve got a photographic memory,’ I lied desperately. ‘If you can get me up there, I can tell you where they are.’
‘That whole side of the mountain could come down,’ Willie shook his head. ‘It’s too dangerous.’
‘I know exactly where they are,’ I said. ‘Honestly. Give me five minutes – that’s all I need.’
I didn’t have a photographic memory of course; that really was a lie. What I did have was a gift all witches shared – an ability to tune into others’ thoughts. I wasn’t very good at it, but I knew I had to try.
‘Five minutes,’ he said. ‘Then we’re pulling out.’
Together we trudged our way up the sloping snow. He took the blanket from my shoulders then slung a belt round my waist and clipped on a rope, which was attached to their truck.
‘If it falls,’ he said. ‘We’ll find you.’
I was shaking like a leaf but I couldn’t forget the people I’d seen engulfed by the snow. In front of me was the pile of ice created by the avalanche. It was about as high as a house at its tallest part. It loomed up ahead of me like the prow of a ship. I gulped.
‘We’ll go up with you,’ said one of the other rescuers. He was younger, with reddish hair and freckles all over his face. I knew him.
‘Bobby McGill,’ I said, remembering him as a troublemaker from primary school.
He grinned at me, showing dimples.
‘Esmerelda,’ he said. I winced at my childhood nickname but couldn’t help returning his infectious grin, despite my fear.
‘This is Penny,’ he said, gesturing to the woman next to him. ‘She’s coming up too.’
Penny handed me a hard hat.
‘Your boots should be okay,’ she said in an accent I couldn’t place exactly but thought might be from New Zealand. ‘I’ll go first, you follow and Bobby will come last.’
I put the hat on my head, on top of my fleecy beanie, like Penny had done.
‘Ready,’ she said.
I nodded.
‘Ready.’
Slowly we part walked, part climbed up the side of the glacier-like ice. Some bits were steep enough that we had to use our hands to hang on, others sloped more gently. It was mostly soft and difficult to walk on, but some bits were more solid. It was hard work and my legs felt like jelly, but we carried on and eventually we stood, breathless, on top of the heap of snow.
I could see the town down below and sent up silent thanks that somehow the snow hadn’t reached the houses beneath us. It seemed to have run out of oomph before it reached the slope down to Claddach and now the mountain rescuers were busy building up a stack of thick bags, which I assumed would act as a barricade if more snow fell.
‘Over to you,’ Bobby said. ‘Can you get your bearings? Where do you think they are?’
I had absolutely no idea.
Chapter 7 (#ulink_bd9dd712-fb2e-56d2-a26c-47987b4132a0)
I stared round at the blank landscape. The familiar scenery had changed so massively that I had no chance of getting my bearings. But of course I had a secret weapon.
I turned away from Bobby and Penny, opened the witchy part of my mind and concentrated hard. At first I could hear nothing and I felt a lurch of fear. I knew I wasn’t as good as Harry was at listening in on others’ thoughts but I just hoped the adrenaline would help me.
I blocked out the background noise, took a wobbly step towards the middle of the ice and closed my eyes. At first I couldn’t hear anything, just the general cacophony of lots of people, wondering if the snow would hold, if I was mad, what they were having for their tea. I tried harder to focus on the people I’d seen and shut my eyes.
‘Cold,’ I heard a voice whisper. ‘So cold.’
I knelt down on the snow and put my hand on the crunchy surface.
‘Cold,’ I heard again. Louder this time.
‘Over here,’ I yelled. ‘They’re over here.’
Penny and Bobby were at my side in two strides.
‘Right here?’ Bobby asked.
I patted the snow.
‘I think the man was here,’ I said. ‘One of the walkers.’
Bobby crouched down, pulled a tool from his belt and began carefully digging into the snow, using his hands as well.
‘What about the other walker?’ Penny said.
‘Hold on,’ I said. I pretended to be thinking but I was actually listening really hard.
‘Robert,’ I heard a faint voice say. ‘Where’s Robert?’
I scrambled to my feet and crouched down again close to the edge of the massive pile of snow.
‘Here,’ I said.
Penny looked doubtful.
‘Really?’ she said.
I nodded firmly but she shook her head.
‘Surely if she’d been that close to the edge she could have got herself clear?’
‘Maybe she panicked.’ I shrugged. ‘Whatever happened, I know she’s here.’
A shout from Bobby made us look up.
‘I’ve got him,’ he yelled. ‘Some help here would be good.’
The other mountain rescuers began swarming up the snowy hill, all thoughts of clearing the area forgotten, as Bobby dug some more.
Penny watched for a moment, then looked at me with narrowed eyes.
‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Here?’
I nodded and she started digging too, clearing the snow away with her hands.
I walked towards the middle of the snow again, looking out towards town. I could see an ambulance driving slowly up the hill and I was glad.
Behind me, the male walker was pulled out of the snow. He was completely covered, his frosty eyebrows making him look like a yeti. He was shivering, but he seemed fine. One of the rescue team helped him down the slope to the waiting paramedics.
His companion wasn’t so lucky. She’d not been buried nearly so deep, but she’d obviously broken her leg and as soon as Penny and another rescuer pulled her out, she fainted. Within seconds they’d hoisted a stretcher up to her and Penny began strapping her on. It was a very slick operation; I was really impressed.
There were lots of people below me now. I could see paramedics, police, more mountain rescue teams, and above us a helicopter hovered like a fat dragonfly. I was pleased they were all there but the only person I really needed was Harry. I knew it would be harder to find whoever had been travelling in that car and I wanted her help.
‘Esme,’ a shout made me jump. It was Harry. Of course it was Harry. She had a knack of showing up whenever I needed her. She was below me, on the ground, waving madly and talking to Willie. He’d been reluctant to let me up, but Harry had obviously worked her own brand of Jedi mind trick on him, because he was already wrapping another belt round her waist and plonking a helmet on her head.
Harry began scaling the sloping side of the mound, more nimbly than I had. Soon she was by my side.
‘There’s someone in a car under the snow,’ I gasped at her. ‘I’ve found two walkers but I need your help for this.’
Harry nodded, taking it all in immediately and not looking fazed in the slightest.
‘Okay,’ she said. ‘We can do this.’
She turned away from me, then thought for a moment, turned back and gave me a quick hug.
‘I’m glad you’re all right,’ she mumbled.
I gripped her hand.
‘It’s harder, isn’t it?’ I said. ‘If they’re inside.’
Harry nodded.
‘Nothing we can’t handle,’ she said through chattering teeth, taking my other hand so we faced each other. I was aware of Penny watching me intently, but no one else paid us any attention. They were mostly watching Willie, who was on his radio. From the way he was looking up, I guessed he was talking to the helicopter. Everyone looked very grim-faced.
‘Don’t worry about them,’ Harry said. ‘Concentrate.’
Together, we reached out with our minds. I was so much stronger with Harry by my side, but it still took a while for us to find a small energy – a tiny pulse that meant someone was alive under the snow. There was no voice this time, just a faint beating heart.
Harry felt it at the same time. She pulled me over the icy surface to where the pulse was stronger.
‘Unconscious?’ I said.
‘I guess so,’ Harry agreed.
‘I think it’s just one person,’ I said.
But Harry frowned.
‘I’m not sure,’ she said. ‘There’s something else.’ She was concentrating hard.
‘There’s definitely someone here, though,’ I said. ‘Let’s get them digging.’
I waved to Penny.
‘Here!’ I called. ‘The car is here. There was just one passenger, I think.’
‘And a dog,’ Harry said in a rush. ‘It’s a dog,’ she said to me.
The mountain rescuers flocked round and started digging, using shovels this time. Harry and I stood still, our arms around each other, watching.
It felt like time slowed down as the team dug, but eventually one of the men shouted.
‘We’ve got the car! It’s upside down.’
The rescuers huddled round, obviously working out the best way to get the driver out.
Down below us was a hubbub of activity. I could see people in their yellow jackets going from house to house along the road closest to the avalanche, knocking on doors and hustling groups of people down the street towards the town square. I felt a flicker of fear. What was happening? Why were they evacuating?
‘Harry?’ I started. She turned to me, her brown eyes large in her white, scared face.
‘Harry!’ another voice called. We both looked down at the ground. Louise stood there, wearing a fluorescent vest and waving madly.
‘She came down with me to help out,’ Harry said, a flash of pride in her eyes. ‘She’ll have been organising everyone.’
‘You need to come down,’ Lou called. ‘It’s not stable.’
Harry and I exchanged a glance.
‘We’ll be down in a minute,’ Harry shouted. She looked over to where the team were clambering into the hole they’d dug in the snow in an attempt to free the driver.
‘Now!’ Louise shouted. I caught the fear in her voice.
‘Harry,’ I said again. ‘I think we should go down.’
Below, Willie was talking into his radio. Bobby stood up from where he was crouching near the hole, and came over to us.
‘We’re all going down,’ he said. ‘Except a couple of people.’
‘What about the driver?’ I asked.
‘And the dog,’ Harry said. I gave her a look and she shrugged.
‘Go down,’ Bobby said firmly. ‘The chopper says the snow is shifting. That lot could all come down. You need to go.’
My legs started shaking violently.
‘Come on H,’ I said, tugging her hand. ‘Let’s go.’
We joined most of the rescue team as they trooped down the steep side of the heap of snow. There were ropes to hold on to now, but I still lost my footing a couple of times. I was exhausted, emotional and shaking like a leaf.
