A Party Trick at Thirty Thousand Feet Chapter 04

The next morning, the sun rises behind the snow–capped mountains, golden rays breaking through

e clouds.

Rebecca stands at the edge of the cliff, excitedly holding up her phone to take a selfie.

“The sunrise is gorgeous!”

“I wish Juli were here. We could’ve taken a group picture.”

Jonathan climbs out of the tent, yawning.

“Give me a break. She would’ve just stood there with a sour face and ruined the mood.”

Will starts taking down the tent, his movements rough and impatient.

He’s clearly still furious.

After waiting all night and seeing no sign of me, they feel as though I’ve deliberately challenged

their authority.

Caleb stands where the wind blows strongest.

His expression is even darker than last night, and his eyes are bloodshot from lack of sleep.

He presses the microphone clipped to his collar. His voice is icy, leaving no room for argument.

“Juli, this is your last chance. Get out here right now.”

“Otherwise, we’re heading down without you. And don’t bother coming to me again after this.”

There’s no response.

Only the freezing wind, whipping snow against his jacket.

He takes a deep breath, then rips the radio headset off his collar and throws it into a snowbank.

“Pack everything up. We’re leaving.”

Just then, an all–terrain vehicle appears on a distant snowy slope.

It’s the pickup crew sent by the helicopter base to bring them down the mountain.

The door opens, and a middle–aged man in a dark blue uniform steps out. It’s Ryan, the base’s

equipment manager.

He rubs his hands together against the cold and pulls out a clipboard.

“Hope you guys had a great time! I’m here to check the equipment. Once everything’s accounted for, we can head back.”

Will tosses a few sleeping bags into the vehicle.

“Everything’s here. You can count it yourself.”

Ryan starts checking the equipment one item at a time.

The tents, radios, first–aid kits, and then the parachute packs.

He goes through the list, but his brows gradually knit together. He flips through the inventory sheet

again.

“Wait. Something’s not right.”

Ryan looks up, confusion flickering across his face.

“Yesterday, you took five standard parachute packs onto the helicopter, along with one red dummy

pack for the prank.”

“Where’s the red one?”

Will pauses what he’s doing and casually answers, “Wasn’t Juli wearing it?”

Ryan freezes for a moment.

“Who’s Juli?”

“She’s the girl we pushed out of the helicopter yesterday,” Jonathan explains with a grin, leaning against the vehicle.

Ryan’s expression changes instantly.

The confusion on his face gives way to utter horror.

His hands begin to shake violently, and the wind sends the papers on his clipboard fluttering.

“You… You made her jump wearing that red pack?”

Caleb senses that something is wrong and steps forward.

“Yeah. It was the backup parachute. What’s the problem?”

Ryan’s legs nearly give out. The clipboard slips from his hands and lands in the snow.

He points at Caleb, his voice cracking with sheer terror.

“Backup parachute? What the hell are you talking about?”

“That red pack was a dummy we kept on the display wall for trainee psychological assessments!”

“The actual parachute canopy was removed for inspection a long time ago.

“There’s no release handle on the left!”

“IT WAS AN EMPTY PACK!”

For a moment, even the wind seems to stop.

The entire campsite falls silent.