Read Online Scene of the Climb by Kate Dyer-Seeley - Free Book Online Page A

not my thing. I mean, I’m obviously the best competitor here”—he flexed his arm muscles—“but I don’t need all this nature shit. Gimme a brewskie, a couple hotties and I’m good to go.”
    Was this guy for real? How did he end up on an extreme adventure race? I studied my notebook, trying to think of anything to ask him that wouldn’t lead to him regaling a laundry list of his sexual exploits.
    â€œHow do you feel about your competitors?” I asked, keeping my eyes on my journal.
    Lenny pointed at himself with a double hang-loose sign. “Please, look at me. There’s no competition. Alicia’s all hot ’n’ shit, but she’s too uptight for me and, that hippie scum ain’t beatin’ me. I got this one in the bag. The million bucks is mine.”
    Wow, the words flew out of him. I’d have great material to work with later.
    The farther I traveled with this ragtag team, the more unbelievable it seemed that the production was legit. Something tugged at my intuition. I didn’t know much about producing a television show, but this couldn’t be typical. Maybe there was a Pulitzer in my future after all. Once I dragged myself off this rock face I was going to have to brush up on my investigative skills and get to the bottom of the real story behind Race the States. That should impress Greg.
    Lenny reached over and gave my knee another hard squeeze. He smelled like stale rum and pomade. “Catch ya later.” His tight torso and bulky calves flexed with each step he took. I couldn’t tell if he walked that way naturally or was trying to impress me. Too bad he was such an ass; his body truly was like a sculpted work of art.
    Now the question was how to get down?
    But first a little snack to help fortify my thoughts. I pulled a bag of chocolate almond trail mix and a bottle of lemon Gatorade from my backpack. I gulped Gatorade without breathing and chomped on the salty sweet mix.
    Questions swarmed in my mind. Should I ask Greg what he knew about the race? He was a key sponsor after all. How much research had he done before partnering with Dave? And where was he?
    I glanced at my watch; it was after 1:00; Greg should have been here by now.
    Who were the contestants and how were they chosen for the show? Was Alicia right that Leaf thought he was participating in some sort of eco-challenge? Had he really gotten in a physical fight over it? And what did he mean when he said he was looking into other options for the show? The whole thing seemed crazier by the minute.
    While I ruminated on the many questions surrounding Race the States, I heard Dave’s voice shouting from above, “Hey, Meggie! Ya gotta come up here!”
    When could a girl catch a break? I thought they were going ahead without me.
    Might as well get on with it. I sighed and stuffed the camera, trail mix, Gatorade and my notes into my pack. The pack didn’t feel any lighter when I slung it over my shoulders. Nor did my feet. Sitting had made them worse.
    I treaded carefully, feeling the skin on my ankles rubbing off onto my soggy socks.
    The basalt formation comprising the summit was a gnarly collection of giant boulders with jagged edges. No wonder the guidebooks said this hike was not kid friendly.
    I took another tentative step forward. Smaller rocks slipped below my feet. My entire body lurched forward.
    Don’t look down. DO NOT look down!
    Was any job worth this? Maybe Jill’s couch wasn’t so bad after all.
    I willed myself forward one baby step at a time. Hobbling at a snail’s pace, I’d gotten about a quarter of the way.
    Dave’s voice echoed from above. “Keep it up, Meggie! You’re close.”
    Our ideas of close weren’t exactly in alignment. The summit looked insurmountable from my vantage point. I felt more exposed than ever with the wind whipping over my head. The sun disappeared behind a patch of granite clouds. A