Chapter 6

George's tone was decisive and unyielding. "This photoshoot concerns the magazine's reputation and the ethics of exploration. No one is allowed to treat a photographer's life as a joke, much less as a bargaining chip to eliminate rivals." The helicopter landed smoothly at the emergency rescue center at the foot of the snow-covered mountain. When the cabin door opened, icy air surged in once more, but I was already tightly wrapped and protected. Medical staff from the rescue center rushed forward with a gurney, efficiently transferring me and pushing me at speed toward the hyperbaric oxygen chamber. As we passed through the corridor connecting the helipad, I caught a glimpse to the side. Julian and Bianca were being held separately by rescue personnel and escorted toward different interrogation rooms. Julian's mountaineering suit was disheveled, his hair tangled by the wind. The commanding confidence he once carried was gone, replaced by panic and unease. Bianca, head lowered, loo