Chapter 636:
On the main screen, the data feed for the left route bled red. Warning lights flashed, and the system spit out frantic avalanche simulations.
“The left route’s gone!” a technician yelled, voice breaking. “A full avalanche and rockslide — completely buried! My God, if they’d gone that way, they’d all be dead!”
A heavy silence swept through the tent, smothering every sound.
The same experts who had argued so fiercely moments before now sat pale-faced, their eyes fixed on the red warnings flashing across the screen. Slowly, their attention shifted to Rylie, who remained steady and intent on the data in front of her. In their stares lingered fear, guilt, and a stunned disbelief that bordered on awe.
Had they forced Brad to the left, his entire unit would already be buried under tons of snow and rock.
The realization struck hard. This young woman’s judgment hadn’t been reckless at all — it had been frighteningly precise. How amazing and unbelievable!
“Thank you, Miss Owen.” The elderly geologist, his gray hair streaked with years of wisdom, was the first to break the silence. His rough voice carried both admiration and regret. “We trusted our instruments too much and ignored the true nature of the veins. Your judgment saved us all.”
Rylie gave a small nod, her focus returning to the communicator. Her voice held a faint tension as she asked, “Brad, how are things on your end?”
A pause followed. Then Brad’s voice came through, a little breathless but steady. “We’re fine. The shockwave was far enough away. We’re safe.”
Relief loosened the tightness in Rylie’s chest. “Good. Keep me updated.”
The line went silent — the microphone had been shut off.
Trailing behind Brad, Brock puffed for air. “Dr. Owen is amazing. She outdid the machines, even the scholars. It feels like she knows everything.”
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Brad replied, his voice low, tinged with a hint of empathy, “She has more practical sense than the scholars.”
Brock blinked, then the meaning sank in. “You mean she’s been through it before. That’s why she can judge so precisely.”
Brad said nothing, but his silence said enough.
Brock was shaken. He burst out, “Even if the Kirks don’t support her, she grew up in Crolens. How does she know so much about things everyone else avoids? Just how much has she gone through alone?”
Brad’s face hardened. “We can’t waste time. Let’s move.”
Led by him, the team followed the path Rylie had marked. Progress was slower than expected, but the rock formations proved as solid as she’d assured them.
The storm thickened, wind and snow howling. No one could tell how much time had passed when Brad, using the thermal camera, finally spotted Felix’s group huddled deep in a fissure of a shallow mine.
The sight that came back to camp was grim. Eight people lay scattered on the ground, most unconscious, their skin tinted gray-blue, their breaths faint.
Felix slumped against the wall, barely conscious. His eyes were dull, lips cracked and purple. Stirred by the noise, he pried his eyes open. When he saw Brad in full gear, disbelief flickered faintly across his gaze. He tried to speak, but only broken sounds escaped.
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