Chapter 390 Race Against the Avalanche
Meanwhile, Teresa, guided by her instructors, had reached the base of the mountain. As she stopped and looked back up, her eyes widened in absolute terror.
"Oh my God, avalanche, run!"
One of the instructors turned, saw the approaching avalanche looking as formidable as waves under a typhoon, let out a shriek, and took off her skis to run. The other, snapping to reality, quickly started to remove her skis as well.
"No!" Teresa yelled in panic, her eyes reddening, thinking of Gabriel still on the mountain. She couldn't think of anything else, so in a split second, she turned and slid back towards the danger.
"Madam Garcia, you're out of your mind; come back!" the female coach, who hadn't yet fled, saw Teresa and immediately chased after her, grabbing her and shouting, "Run! The avalanche is massive; if you get buried, you won't make it out alive."
"No, my love, my dear is still up there," Teresa replied, her eyes glistening with tears as she forcefully shook off the coach's hand. "Let go of me. I need to find my love."
"You're crazy; in this situation, you can't save your dear one; no one can unless he saves himself," the coach screamed, lunging again to grasp Teresa.
Teresa still had her snowboard strapped to her feet and, in a moment of carelessness, fell to the ground.
She hurriedly unstrapped the snowboard from her feet and, breaking free from the coach's grasp, attempted to rush forward once more.
Fortunately, this female coach was a good samaritan and extremely responsible. She lunged again, wrapping her arms tightly around Teresa's thighs to stop her, and yelled in English, "Madam Garcia, going there is a death wish! If your husband lives and you die, he'll be in pain for the rest of his life."
With her thighs held tight, Teresa stumbled and fell once again onto the snowy ground, but she showed no sign of giving up. Turning around, she struggled fiercely to pry the coach's hands from her legs while sobbing and yelling in English, "If my husband dies, life won't be worth living for me either!"
"God will look after your husband; he will; we need to leave now," the coach held Teresa tightly, refusing to let go.
"No!" Teresa shook her head fiercely, and in a moment, her face was streaked with tears. "Let me go. You can leave if you want. I have to find my dear. I..."
"Get down!"
As Teresa's cries of struggle echoed, the coach threw herself on top of her, pressing her into the snow just as a deluge of snowflakes came crashing down, engulfing them...
...
"My love, my dear!"
Teresa had a long dream, and when she woke screaming from the nightmare, she bolted upright in bed. The first thing she saw was the blinding white walls, and the strong smell of disinfectant assaulted her nostrils.
"Madam Garcia, you're awake. How are you feeling?" The female coach sat unscathed, diligently watching over Teresa.
Hearing the voice, Teresa turned swiftly to look.
Upon seeing the familiar face, she lunged forward, gripping the coach, "Where is my love? Where is my husband?"
Looking at Teresa, the coach shook her head calmly and said, "I don't know! The avalanche has trapped many, and the rescue teams are still searching."
—No idea!
—Many are trapped; rescue teams are ongoing.
So, no sign of Gabriel yet?
Suddenly, Teresa glanced out the window again. Outside, the sunset had faded, and the heavy curtain of night was beginning to descend.
They had been skiing in the morning, and now it was already evening.
Without further questions, Teresa let go of the instructor and immediately flung off the covers to get out of bed.
"Where are you going?" The instructor quickly stepped in front of her.
"I'm going to find my husband," replied Teresa, putting on her shoes with tears reddening her eyes.
"It's dark already. If you go now, you won't be able to do anything and will only disrupt the rescue team," the instructor continued to object.
"I don't care; I have to go!" After quickly putting on her shoes, Teresa stood up, her eyes fierce red. She looked at the instructor with unwavering resolve.
The instructor felt helpless and said, "We are over twenty miles away from the ski slopes hit by the avalanche."
"I have to go!" Teresa cried uncontrollably, and she grabbed the instructor again, almost pleading, "Please, help me, take me to the ski resort."
"But..."
"Madam Garcia!" Just then, one of their bodyguards, James, strode in.
"James, where's Gabriel? Where is he?" Teresa's eyes lit up with hope as she saw the bodyguard, frantically asking.
James looked at Teresa, his brows furrowed as he shook his head, "We still have no news of Gabriel."
—What?!
Teresa was stunned, feeling an iron grip suddenly tighten around her throat in an instant, cutting off both her breath and her heartbeat.
"What about Luke and the others?" Regaining her composure, she quickly pushed further.
"They are all with the rescue teams looking for Gabriel," James replied, lowering his gaze.
"Then why aren't you there?" Teresa roared, tears flooding down like a torrential storm.
"Ma'am, I..."
"To the ski resort, now, hurry," Teresa interrupted James before he could finish and dashed out, followed by James and the instructor hurriedly.
...
James drove with Teresa and the instructor in the back seat.
Because it was night, the road was already covered in snow, and patches had turned to ice. To their dismay, the sky above them was unleashing more heavy snow, which meant their car couldn't possibly move fast.
Staring at the road ahead, Teresa kept dialing Gabriel's number, but in the end, the only thing coming from the phone was the mechanical voice stating, "The number you have dialed is not answering," followed by a final message: "The number you have dialed has been switched off."
The phone was off; could it be that the battery died from the cold?
Could Gabriel truly be trapped beneath the snowdrift? Could he...
No, no, no!
Teresa couldn't bear the thought!
The mere idea sent fresh tears streaming down her cheeks as her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
"Bzzz—Bzzz—Bzzz—"
Just then, Teresa's phone, which she was clutching tightly in her hand, began to ring. Hoping it was Gabriel, she looked down in sheer anticipation...
But it wasn't him!
It was Mason.
Quickly, Teresa answered the call.
"Mason," she said, her voice shaking, tears flowing even more fiercely.
On the other end, Mason, hearing the despair in Teresa's voice, was worried and distressed, but he had to stay calm. So, he reassured her with the utmost tenderness, "Teresa, honey, don't panic. I've already contacted the local authorities. They've dispatched additional search and rescue teams. Gabriel will be safe."
Deep down, Mason knew all too well the peril of being trapped under a snow heap, with its scarce oxygen; for someone with poor physical condition, they might only last fifteen to twenty minutes.
But he believed that even if Gabriel were stuck under the snow, he would be able to save himself. He just had to!
Otherwise, how could he be Gabriel, the heir to the Garcia family?
"Yeah," Teresa nodded, covering her mouth to stifle the tears. She nodded earnestly, "Mason, Gabriel will be okay. He has to be."
"Exactly! So, you see, silly girl, stop crying and wait for Gabriel to come back," Mason said, trying to smile and comfort Teresa over the phone.
"Yeah, alright," Teresa nodded vigorously. "I'll listen to you, Mason."
After a few more words of comfort, they hung up, and Teresa felt much steadier.
Mason was right; nothing could happen to Gabriel. He'd promised her on their wedding day that he would be with her for life, cherishing, caring, and protecting her. If he ever broke his word, she'd search from heaven to earth, never to forgive him.
...
