The thunderous noise of the other part of the avalanche continuing down the mountain seemed even more distant to Mark at that moment. He didn't even know if it died down somewhere farther below, nor when.
His whole being stagnated, as he looked at the white ground below without any more dark dot.
Not even the noise of the engine could overpower the silence in his mind.
Mark slowly pulled back the hand he had extended to save Alex, unsure whether he had really shouted, or if his mind was playing tricks on him under the effect of the adrenaline. He instinctively felt his throat for the aftereffects of his shout, before he snapped out of his daze.
He suddenly snapped out of his daze, and violently turned to the rest of the wide-eyed crew:
"Turn around immediately!!! Have a rescue helicopter prepared, and after dropping me at the helipad, come back to search the zone!!! Without Alex, no one here will go back today!!! Am I clear!?!"
"YES, SIR!!!"
Everyone immediately got on the move. The zone where the disaster happened was marked on the map, and the plane turned around. Mark kept looking toward where Alex had disappeared until the view was blocked by the mountain. He exhaled, and forcefully steadied his mind, because he could not let panic get the best of him, not when he needed all his capabilities for the situation at hand. He just hoped that the worst would not happen.
Thinking up to that point, his heart dropped even further into the icy abyss.
When the noise of the plane disappeared, the silence that was characteristic of the mountainous area came back to take its due place. It persisted until a soft sound came from below. The snow moved, shifted, and parted to make way for a gloved hand which broke out from below, coloring the white canvas with a hint of dark.
_ _ _
_ _ _
Back in the city, far from the center, in one of the cramped apartments for those who had fallen on hard times, someone was also getting buried at the same time as Alex was embracing the wave of snow that rolled down the mountain peak.
Interestingly, it was a blue-eyed woman with blond hair closer to the softer and gentler light beige in color. She had been drying her hair, wearing a short bathrobe that revealed her warm, toned thighs, her expression distant as she remained lost in thoughts. She remained distracted until she was reminded of just how cramped the narrow apartment was. The mountains of cardboard boxes taking over a good portion of the place tilted out of nowhere, and fell on top of her. She only had the time to reflexively adjust her body to minimize the damage from the fall as the content of the boxes spilled out, making the narrow space even more cramped than it already was, cramped and chaotic.
Silence followed the noisy commotion, and for a moment, it seemed that the accident was more tragic than expected. That was until the chaotic blanket stirred, and a hand with a warm skin tone broke out from below.
_ _ _
_ _ _
A rescue helicopter flew over the snowy mountain peak, and approched the place where Alex was last seen. It flew neither too high, nor too low, to avoid an avalanche occurring again because of the noise and the vibrations.
On board, Mark stood beside the open door of the contraption, the wind buffeting his protection against the cold, as he asked one of the men at the side who had all his focus on the laptop on his lap:
"Have you confirmed the position of the beacon!?!"
It was the same glasses-wearing technician who had arrived in the Gulfstream with Alex and Mark. He raised his head, and shouted to reply:
"Yes, sir!!! The signal is clear!!! It has moved for a while, but it has stopped!!! Don't worry, sir, we will find Mr Lenner!!!"
The rescue personnel who had been checking the scene outside beside Mark shouted just then:
"There are traces of disturbance in the snow!!! As well as footsteps going to the east!!! The target is still alive!!!"
Mark looked outside, then immediately turned back to the technician. The latter needed no question before reporting what was on his screen:
"That must be Mr Lenner, sir!!! The beacon is signaling a few hundred meters to the east!!!"
The thread by which Mark's anxious heart had been hanging suddenly relaxed, and he felt a rush of relief, as his face brightened:
"Then what are we waiting for!?! Let's go!!! Let's go!!!"
The pilot nodded. The helicopter tilted to the side to move east.
"There… There… We are almost there!!!"
From muttering to himself as he fixed the display on the laptop, the technician shouted at the end, seeing the dot they were trying to find seem so close at hand.
Following the signal of the beacon and the footsteps that were still visible, the contraption moved but without finding anything despite the words of the technician. That was until it turned at the end of the mountain, and made to loop around it.
"He is there!!! He is there!!! I can see him!!!"
It was the turn of the rescue personnel at the door to shout this time, and draw the attention of those who had yet to notice the form sitting down against the snowy wall of the mountain, protected under a shadow. He even waved at them, looking very lively, making Mark feel so relieved that his strength threatened to leave him, but also powerlessly angry.
The rescue personnel observed the ease of movement their target was showing below, and shouted:
"He seems safe and sound!!!"
Mark exhaled with force, then pulled himself together, because a preliminary conclusion was not enough.
"Prepare to go down!!! I have to go see him myself!!!"
The pilot raised a thumb up to signal that he received the instructions, and turned around. He moved to find an open and more stable zone to lower the helicopter and facilitate the rappel, as landing was something he would not do unless necessary.
Mark stepped onto the snow, and let go of the rappel rope, before he started plowing through the snow toward Alex with the group of rescue personnel.
The distance felt too long, especially with the glaring snow adding to the irritating impatience. The minutes passed too slowly, before the destination finally appeared.
Mark quickened his steps and stepped into the shadow of the jutting part of the mountain, before his heart unclenched.
"Mark, you are here!"