Extreme Limit Read online

  Extreme Limit

  By Kendall Talbot

  A Maximum Exposure Novel

  Also, by Kendall Talbot

  Deadly Twist

  Extreme Limit

  Zero Escape

  Treasured Secrets

  Treasured Lies

  Treasured Dreams

  Double Take

  Lost in Kakadu

  New series – Waves of Fate – is due for release late 2020.

  If you sign up to Kendall Talbot’s newsletter you can follow her journey to publication where you can help with fun things like naming characters and giving characters quirky traits and interesting jobs. You’ll also get her book, Breathless Encounters for free. This a book of short stories that is exclusive to her newsletter subscribers.

  Here’s the newsletter signup link if you’re interested: http://www.kendalltalbot.com.au/newsletter.html

  Chapter One

  From the moment Holly climbed into the helicopter, a dark sense of foreboding plagued every thought. Three times in her life she’d had premonitions about death. Each time it’d come true. But she wouldn’t say anything. Not when Milton, her new fiancé, had paid so much money for this exclusive trip. And especially not when he’d looked like an excited teenager when he’d first spied the chopper at the ski resort. Holly forced her brain to focus on the mountain scenery around her, rather than the tendrils of dread inching up her spine.

  This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was supposed to be fun. But the buffering wind and shuddering windows made it so far from fun she could barely breathe. According to the pilot, a private picnic on the west summit of one of Canada’s highest peaks had never been done before. But Milton had charmed the man with both his expert persuasion skills and fists full of money. So much so that the pilot simply couldn’t refuse.

  Twelve thousand dollars had been his tipping point. For that, not only did they get a private helicopter, but the pilot also provided expensive champagne, a gourmet feast, and a folding table and three chairs, ready to be set up wherever they wanted.

  Milton was capable of convincing anyone to do anything. Her being on Whiskey Mountain was a testament to that. She never did anything that even hinted at danger.

  Death had a way of following her. Her brother died as a three-week old baby. Her father went to work one day and never came home. Her best friend died in a freak accident that’d perplexed all the authorities. Even her one and only pet didn’t make it past puppy stage. And Holly was only twenty-four years old. Based on that average, one death every five or so years, she was due again. She smacked the disturbing statistic away and wiped her sweating palms on her ski pants.

  Shielding her eyes from the sun, she looked up at the mountain peak. The snowcapped granite wall jutted skyward like an enormous shark fin. It was an interesting color, like the rocks were gilded in copper. Maybe that’s why it’d been named Whiskey Mountain. With each foot they rose, it appeared to grow wider and higher, and the very tip glistened like a diamond.

  The helicopter shot over the ski resort’s highest cable car station, leaving behind the last signs of civilization. The lump of dread, deep in the pit of her stomach, hit a whole new level. The white terrain stretched as far as she could see. Even the trees had given up trying to live here.

  When Holly had suggested to Milton that they take a vacation, she’d envisaged lying in hammocks on a deserted beach, sipping fancy drinks out of coconuts. Not this. Not high in the mountains where snow and ice blanketed every surface. Cold weather seeped into her bones. Her mother said it was because she didn’t eat enough. Her fiancé said it was because she didn’t eat meat. Ever since their first date, two years ago, Milton had been trying to coax her off her strict vegetarian diet.

  “Having fun?” Milton beamed at her. His eyes were hidden behind mirrored glasses, but she could picture the dazzle of excitement in his brown irises that she’d come to love.

  Swallowing a bitter taste in her mouth, she decided to dodge his question. “It’s magnificent.” The last thing she’d do was voice her fear, not when he looked to be enjoying it so much. And especially not in front of Milton’s son, who’d commandeered the front seat next to the pilot. Kane had visited more countries in his seventeen years than Holly had dreamed of.

  He hated Holly. . . and had made it his mission to tell her so at every opportunity. He blamed her for breaking up his parents’ marriage. She hadn’t. Their marriage was fractured long before Milton strolled into the coffee shop where she worked.

  Holly had suggested to Milton that a vacation would be the perfect opportunity for Kane to get to know her better. She was desperate to prove to Milton’s son that she was worthy of his father’s love. At least, that’d been her plan.

  The helicopter crested another peak, and other than the occasional jagged rock, snow covered every surface. The pure white was almost blinding. Whiskey mountain loomed in the near distance, and instead of marveling over its majestic grandeur, Holly felt its ominous presence like it were a demon. She clutched her knees, desperate to stop them trembling.

  The first three days of their vacation had been a mixture of heaven and hell—Milton being the heaven and Kane being the latter. The kid was driven to steal Milton’s attention at every opportunity and voiced his anger at Holly frequently. Kane liked to remind her that he was grown now, and not just in age either. He was taller than her, which wasn’t hard given that she was only five foot three. He was heavier too, and could almost outweigh her twofold.

  This helicopter ride and proposed mountaintop picnic was Milton’s idea. His grand plan of alpine seclusion meant they’d have no distractions and would be practically forced to talk to each other. Maybe that’s what was driving Holly’s fear. So far, her attempts at conversation with the cantankerous teenager had resulted in either insults or silence.

  The helicopter banked sharply to the left and Holly clutched Milton’s wrist. Either he didn’t notice her grasp or he was too engrossed in the scenery out his window. Whichever it was, he didn’t look her way. Kane whooped from the front seat, obviously feeling none of her apprehension. The pilot maneuvered the chopper through a couple of twin peaks that skyrocketed into the air like dueling monoliths.

  The second they crossed the threshold, wind slammed into the windshield like buckshot. Vibrations rattled every bone in her body, and with fear twisting her gut she clutched Milton’s wrist harder. The padded headphones were no match for the thunderous roar and her seat shuddered—as did everything else.

  Terror dug its claws into her throat as she watched the pilot’s white-knuckled wrestle with the gear stick. His lips were drawn into a thin line, his eyes bulging.

  Her heart exploded and she dug her nails into her knees.

  They plummeted. She screamed.

  And in that instant, Holly knew her premonition was about to be realized.

  The chopper ricocheted off the icy surface, and one of the helicopter’s skids snagged on something, pitching the aircraft sideways like it’d been punched in the gut. Her head whipped back, slamming into the window. Spears of pain shot up her neck, blinding her with dazzling stars.

  They hit the snow nose-first. Glass shattered. Metal twisted. Everyone screamed and the spinning rotors sliced at the snow, splintering into hundreds of missiles.

  Kane shrieked. As did the pilot.

  Blind panic had her clawing at the seat, desperate to hang on.

  With a thunderous roar a giant chunk of ice fell away, opening an enormous crevice. The dark gash cut a swath through the white surface and the chopper plunged into it.

  Kane shrieked as he hurled through the shattered windshield and disappeared into the dark hole.

  “Kane! No!” Milton lunged forward; fingers outstretched. Desperate. But it wa
s too late.

  The chopper kicked into a violent spin and Holly smashed against the side of the cabin. Her door sprung open, spitting her from safety, and she released a bloodcurdling squeal as she fell.

  Ice walls whizzed by in a blur.

  She slammed onto something solid, punching the wind out of her. Every bone crunched upon impact. Her face hit the wall and an explosion of pain ripped through her brain.

  She fought agony.

  She fought blackness.

  A squeal in her ears pierced her conscience. It was a couple of thundering heartbeats before she remembered what’d happened.

  The crash.

  The gaping hole in the snow.

  Falling from the helicopter.

  The pain. All the excruciating pain.

  She forced herself to focus through the torture. Her tongue seemed foreign, as did her lips, and she swallowed back the metallic taste of blood.

  Agonizing shrieks lured her from her own horror.

  For a couple of panic-stricken heartbeats, she thought she was blind. But it was blood in her eyes causing the darkness. She tried to reach up to wipe it away, but her left arm was a useless lump at her side.

  Screams echoed from every angle.

  Milton!

  Alert now, she forced her body to move. Gasping at the pain and fighting dizziness, she dragged herself upright. With her right-hand glove she wiped blood from her eyes. “Milton.” She tried to speak, but either no words came out or she couldn’t hear.

  “Milton!”

  Blinking away blood, she deciphered shapes and shadows. Pain and terror flooded every thought. About fifteen feet above to her right, the helicopter loomed. The craft was jammed into the crevice, trapped by walls of ice. It was tilted sideways, with the nose wedged against one side and the tail on the other. Inside, the pilot’s face was blazoned with agony. It was his screams that echoed in the frozen chasm.

  “Milton.” Her voice was a brittle croak and she swallowed back another mouthful of blood.

  As her eyes took in her situation, her brain struggled to comprehend it. Holly had fallen into the crevice. The ledge she’d landed on was barely two feet wide. Milton and Kane had fallen from the helicopter too. But she couldn’t see either of them.

  Gripping with her gloved fingers, she dragged herself forward and peered into the void below.

  “Milton!” His crumpled body was a bloody blemish on a lower ledge of the opposite side of the chasm. His legs were bent at shocking angles. He was only fifteen feet away, yet it might as well have been a thousand.

  “Milton.”

  He didn’t move.

  “Milton!” Despite the pain in her jaw she yelled his name.

  The pilot’s shrieks made it impossible to hear anything else.

  Holly panted against her pain, rolled onto her stomach, and wailed at the agony slicing through her. Gasping for breath, she stared at Milton’s body, begging for a sign of life. Dark blood stained the ice around him. He was facedown, but his head was turned her way. He looked peaceful. Like he was sleeping.

  “Milton.”

  The pilot’s screams changed…more shrill, more desperate.

  Holly looked up at the chopper and her heart leapt to her throat. Flames licked the inside of the cabin. The pilot fought the blaze with his bare hands. His shrieks cut to her core and she tore her eyes away. Shielding her ears with her gloves, she rolled away from the edge and squeezed her eyes shut, blocking out the horror.

  An explosion ripped the helicopter apart.

  Metal and giant chunks of ice rained down on her. Forcing past the agony, she curled into a ball, covered her ears, and prepared to die.

  Thousands of missiles pelted her already battered body. Searing pain burned her face. Her hip and back suffered the brunt of it. But it was over as quickly as it started. The ensuing silence was deafening. It took Holly a few heartbeats to convince herself she was still alive. Ice and snow weighed her down and she wrestled herself free.

  With the chopper gone, sunlight permeated the crevice. Blinking against the glare, she crawled to the edge again and looked down. A sob caught in her throat.

  Milton was gone.

  The plummeting chopper carcass had swiped the opposite side, taking Milton and his narrow ice ledge with it. She burst into tears. Great racking sobs shuddered through her, hurting like hell.

  It was an eternity before the tears stopped and the enormity of her situation hit her.

  She pushed back from the edge and glanced to her left.

  What she saw made a scream tear through her like rusty razor blades.

  Her world tilted, darkness crept in, she fell sideways.

  Everything went black.

  Chapter Two

  Blip. Blip. Blip.

  Holly couldn’t move. Her arms were lead weights. Her body was pinned down as if covered in a concrete blanket. She searched her memory, trawling for something… anything to help piece things together.

  Blip. Blip. Blip.

  Her tongue was leather, hard and dry, and rolling it around produced no moisture. A broken body flashed into her mind; legs bent at hideous angles. She groaned at the gruesome sight.

  “Hey, it’s okay.”

  A woman’s voice floated to her; it sounded miles away.

  “Doctor, I think she’s waking up.”

  Holly pried her eyes open, but the bright lights pierced her brain. A hand on her arm was warm, yet she felt chilled to her bones. A frozen body appeared in her vision again, then another. Ice clung to their eyelashes. Their lips were blue. She groaned at the images, desperate to shake them free.

  “It’s okay, Holly. You’re in the hospital.”

  Hospital.

  “Do you know where you are?”

  Holly tried to see the man who was talking. But the images kept coming… flashing across her brain like an old 8mm film. Shattered glass. A broken body. Blood stained snow. A golden heart-shaped locket. Two frozen bodies. A fiery explosion. Falling… falling.

  Groaning again, she blinked against the glare, searching for clarity, but at the same time wanting to hide from reality.

  Blip. Blip. Blip.

  Images of her fiancé swirled through her mind… smiling… laughing… bleeding… lifeless. “Milton.”

  The soft touch of a hand had her believing it was him. Milton’s hands were soft, his touch always gentle, delicate, like he cherished every inch of her body.

  She rolled her tongue and smacked her lips together. “Milton?” All she heard was blipping. Nonstop blip, blip, blip. She squinted against the blazing lights. The pounding at her temple shot painful spears through her brain. But a sharp light pierced the dark fog, and her mind flashed to a memory filled with piercing lights. She’d been on a trolley. It was surrounded by people and they were moving her, fast, running alongside as they pushed her forward. Bright lights had flashed overhead. Disinfectant had filled the air. The taste of metal had coated her tongue.

  Victoria had been there. Milton’s ex-wife had never looked so shabby. Holly could remember her squeezing her arm. Fear and anger had blazed across the blonde’s bloodshot eyes. And as Victoria had dug her long nails in, she’d yelled at Holly, “Where’s Kane and Milton? You killed them, you fucking bitch!”

  Victoria’s mouth had twisted with fury as she’d continued her rant. “She wanted his money. She killed them!” Spittle had landed on her chin. “She killed my son!”

  Holly tried to think now. Think of Milton and Kane. They’d fallen into the crevice. Just like she had. Kane had vanished into the black hole. Swallowed by the never-ending void.

  Milton hadn’t, though. He’d landed on a ledge. She pictured his face. His beautiful chocolate eyes and the faint laugh lines at the sides that crinkled when he smiled. His long dark lashes that fluttered when they kissed. His lips, the color of red wine. But the last time she saw him, his lips were blue and flurries of snow had landed on his cheek, piling up and covering him in a fluffy white blanket. She’d wanted to
swipe it off but she couldn’t. She was too far away.

  Tears spilled down her cheeks.

  “Hey, don’t cry.” A hand touched her shoulder.

  She squinted against the glare. The harsh light burned into her brain. “Milton, Kane, are they okay?” Her voice was brittle, foreign.

  The ensuing silence made her wonder if she’d spoken aloud.

  “Is anyone there?” Holly followed a movement to her side and a woman in a white nurse’s uniform touched her arm.

  “Yes, Holly, I’m here.”

  “Then tell me where Milton is, and Kane.”

  The woman shook her head. “I’m sorry, Holly. They both passed away.”

  Holly couldn’t wipe her tears away. She was pinned down, trapped by her own body. Broken bones, broken heart.

  “Milton.” Rivers of tears tumbled down her cheeks.

  “Hey, don’t cry.”

  The nurse’s words were futile, because she did cry. She cried for the one and only man she’d ever loved. She cried for their love, which was just beginning to blossom. She cried for the promises they’d made to each other that would never be fulfilled. She cried for herself, knowing she’d never be the same again.

  Her body was broken in so many ways, but it was her heartache that’d ultimately break her.

  Holly closed her eyes and let the weight of the world lure her back to sleep.

  But she couldn’t sleep. Her mind flashed to the icy cavern and the other frozen bodies. Two of them. Two frozen bodies that’d mocked her with their loving embrace. They were already dead. Long dead.

  A cloth glided up her arm. It was soothing, therapeutic, tempting her to believe that everything was going to be okay. But it wasn’t okay. She was all alone. Scared and alone. Cold, scared, and alone. Agony gripped every part of her body, inside and out.

  Darkness as black as molasses was swallowing her whole. She tried to scream. But the burn in her throat made it nothing more than an agonized croak. Her eyes flickered and she saw black and white. Black and white. A blinding explosion danced behind her eyes. As did frozen bodies. Dripping blood. A gold necklace. And a brown suitcase. The images were real. Vivid. Tangible. She reached out, trying to touch them and a hand touched her arm.