Katie bent at the waist, hands on knees, taking deep breaths, tired and drained. Graham also gulped lungfuls of air, hovering over her. Gun hand shaking with fatigue. How much longer can I hold on, Katie thought. She scrutinized their surroundings. A mountain range in the distance seemed to extend forever. Some peaks still had lingering patches of snow. Snowfields descended in isolated gullies cutting their flanks. The thick forest they had navigated stretched below them. The entire breadth of Lake Clearwater was visible. The sun’s warmth waned as it traveled to the West. She couldn’t see an end to the ridge trail. The terrain above them was steep, seemingly impenetrable with crowded evergreens. Katie spied a spur trail heading up, away from the ridge. It might provide a better view of
