Chapter 213: Entering the Valley
We piled into this beat-up minibus, with a couple of covered trucks tagging along behind us. No clue what they were hauling—probably some rescue gear and supplies.
The vibe in the bus was heavy, like, no one said a word.
We rolled out of the city and hit this narrow dirt road. Looked like we were heading into the mountains.
Man, that mountain road was a mess—narrow, muddy, and the rain just made it worse. It was like driving through a swamp; you couldn't tell if it was road or puddle.
Even though we were crawling along, the constant swaying had me feeling queasy. Almost lost my lunch a few times.
Brad's phone was still dead. Two days and nights, and not a peep from him.
I stared at the never-ending road, tears threatening to spill, but I sucked it up.
I kept telling myself, now's not the time to cry. Gotta save my energy to find Brad.
The further we went, the worse the road got. Every now and then, someone would mutter a curse or start griping about the bumps.
Besides our crew, there were a few local volunteers and some staff from the relevant departments on the bus. The ones whining were a couple of volunteers.
"If you don't wanna be here, get off the bus. No one's begging you to stay. Killing the vibe like this—some volunteers you are. If you can't handle it, don't come. This ain't the place for glory seekers. You all look pretty young, from a nearby college, right? What year and what's your name?"
Adam stood up, looking pissed, glaring at the kids in the back. His jaw was clenched, and his face was sharp.
Hearing this, the students got scared their complaints would get back to their school and mess up their trip. They shut up and pretended to sleep.
The minibus finally stopped at the mouth of a valley between two mountains, and we all got off.
The guide told us the accident site was up ahead, spread out over a big area, and the bus couldn't go any further. We had to hoof it from here.
Everyone got their gear together, ready to head into the valley.
When we got there, we checked in with the local authorities about going into the mountains but didn't get the green light. They already had pro teams in there and told us we might just make things worse since we were untrained and unprepared.
Larry and a few teachers had to negotiate with the local officials a bunch of times, promising we'd take care of ourselves and not get in the way. Finally, the guy in charge grudgingly agreed.
Adam asked the guide, Derek Rivera, who was also running this rescue op, "Derek, how much further?"
"Seven or eight miles, not far, but it's gonna be tough. It's getting dark, and there's supposed to be light rain today. We need to hustle and try to get there before it rains. Also, a heads-up: the situation's unclear. No matter who you're here for, don't do anything stupid. Keep yourself safe first. Each group needs at least two people, follow orders, carry comms, and save your battery. And keep your flashlights safe; they could save your life."
Larry came over, checked my gear, helped me with my backpack, and patted my shoulder. "Let's go. You're with me."
I felt a warm fuzzy feeling and said, "Thanks, man."
With him around, I felt way more chill.
"No worries. This whole exchange program thing wasn't even Brad's idea. I pitched it to the school. Brad's a rockstar in every way, and adding some social responsibility to his resume would be a win. Don't think I'm just using him; even scholars gotta hustle. It's normal to look out for my students' futures."
So that's how it went down. No way Brad would've done this without a heads-up.
I whispered to Larry, "I would've done the same."
Larry looked bummed out and said, "I just hope Brad's okay. If something happens to him, it's on me. If I hadn't pushed for him, he wouldn't be in this mess. He's my best student, and his safety is everything."
"Don't beat yourself up, Larry. Risks and rewards go hand in hand. This is a challenge Brad's gotta face. Let's go. I believe in him; he's out there waiting for us."
Seeing me trying to cheer him up, Larry gave my shoulder a solid pat and nodded. "Yeah, we gotta have faith. Let's move."
Larry and I stuck together, following the guide, while the folks in uniform lugged all sorts of heavy gear behind us.
Adam caught up, wanting to join our little group.
I wasn't too thrilled about it.
Brad knew about Adam's confession to me, and it took a lot to calm his jealousy. If I found Brad with Adam, who knows how he'd react? I couldn't risk it.
Adam, being sharp, seemed to get why I was hesitant. He didn't push but said that I was a woman and Larry was old, so we might struggle with any sudden issues. At least he was young and strong, which could be handy. Plus, Larry would be with us, so it wouldn't just be the two of us. What was there to worry about?
Larry thought Adam had a point and agreed. I couldn't go against Larry, so I had to roll with it.
The sky started to darken, and those dark clouds on the horizon were creeping in, hinting at more rain.
The already rough mountain road was now a total mess—mud, rocks, broken branches everywhere. Each step was like sinking into quicksand, draining our energy.
We couldn't find the original path and had to follow the faint footprints left by the team before us.
The ground was a thick sludge, with the shallow parts reaching our ankles and the deeper parts up to our knees. I almost lost my shoes in the mud a few times. After a bit, my legs felt like they were on fire.
At first, I could still chat with Larry, but soon I had no energy left for talking, focusing all my attention on my legs.
Larry led the way, Adam took the rear, and I stuck in the middle, trying to step in Larry's footprints to keep my balance.
After an hour and a half, the guide said we'd covered a mile. The road ahead was gonna be even tougher and take more time.
This slow pace was driving me nuts. My throat felt dry and sore, and I couldn't stop coughing.
Hugh and Daniel caught up from behind. Daniel passed Adam and walked beside me, asking, "You okay?"
"I'm fine. Look after Hugh," I didn't feel like chatting.
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