The thumping of the rotors beat against my skull, a chaotic rhythm that matched the frantic pounding of my own heart. The snow was blinding, a wall of white that reflected the searchlight sweeping back and forth across the valley like the finger of God seeking sinners."Julian, wake up!" I screamed, dragging him through the deep powder.He was dead weight, his head lolling, his legs trailing uselessly behind us. Every step was a battle, the snow sucking at my boots, trying to pull me down into the frozen earth.The helicopter banked sharply, the downdraft from its blades sending a blizzard of ice and snow swirling around us. I couldn't see the markings on the tail, but I didn't need to. They weren't rescue.They were reapers.I spotted a jagged outcropping of rock about fifty yards ahead, looming like a black tooth against the grey sky. Beneath it, a dark fissure gaped open—a small cave, or just a crack in the mountain's face."Come on," I grunted, digging my fingers into Julian’s jac
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