Read The Immortal Game (book 1) for Free Online

beyond the rails and turned the truck off. The clamor of its old engine and the rattle of its loose body were replaced by birdsong and a soft breeze coming in through the open windows. The silence made it seem like they were even more alone. She glanced at him, looking for a clue as to what could be here, but he was already out of the truck, motioning for her to follow.
    The mountains were textured by the spikey tips of evergreens and the scent of pine and fern filled the clear autumn air. Ash walked toward the railroad tracks that led into the forest on either side of the road.
    “This way,” he said, walking down the tracks to the left.
    She walked there too, slowly, second-guessing her decision to come here with him. Clumps of wildflowers grew up through the wooden railroad ties and she saw the tracks running straight ahead into an infinity point in the distance.
    “Where are we going?” she asked, still several feet from him.
    “It’s up here.” He held out his hand to her.
    A pleasant shiver ran through her at the thought of touching him again, but she hesitated. What did he want to show her?
    “Why should I trust you?”
    He shrugged. His eyes were steady on hers. “You’ll have to trust yourself.”
    She felt like she couldn’t breathe as she fought between reason and instinct. His hand was still stretched out to her. When she took it, a current ran up her arm and all the way into her chest. Her muscles relaxed and breathing came easy.
    The smell of creosote drifted up from the timbers beneath their feet. Soon trees gave way to an empty space and then there was nothing but the tracks held up by wooden supports suspended over a gorge with a stream far below. Boulders littered the streambed and they looked like pebbles. Her hand became sweaty against Ash’s.
    At half span he stopped and turned to her. His eyes were bright. “This is it.”
    She felt her heart pulse through her body. She looked around, trying hard not to look down, trying not to see that between the ties was sheer nothing.
    “What?”
    He let go of her hand and she tottered without him to hold onto. She watched him bend to the defunct railroad tracks and pull out a large black bundle, a duffel bag that had been secured beneath the ties.
    He didn’t look at her but began to unpack the bag near her feet. First he took out a metal ring with several large carabiners attached, then a rope as thick as her arm and covered in shiny black material. He held part of the rope up to her. “Ever been?”
    She shook her head, still confused. “Ever been what?”
    “Good.” He smiled a lopsided, knowing grin. “You’ll never forget your first time.”
    She felt her cheeks get warm. “My first what?”
    “Your first jump.”
    Ruby’s eyes darted around, below Ash, down to the riverbed. “What?” she whispered.
    “Your first bungee. You’ll never forget it.” He pulled foot after foot of the black cord from the bag.
    “I can’t bungee jump.” Her eyes searched the empty space around them. The cool breeze chilled the sweat gathering on her brow.
    He stopped untangling the cord and looked at her again. “Why not?”
    Her eyebrows shot up. “I’ve never even thought about it.”
    “Don’t worry.” He laughed. “You don’t have to think.”
    He couldn’t possibly expect her to really jump off a bridge, could he? Wasn’t it what her father always warned her about? Don’t jump off a bridge because a cute guy tells you to .
    “The first time’s the best.” He stood up and began to untangle the cord he held in his hands. “You’re lucky you live now.”
    Her wide eyes met his. “What do you mean?”
    He looked down at the rope as he let loop after loop fall below the level of the bridge and hang down into the empty void beneath them. “I mean we’re lucky. That we live now. You know? A hundred years ago there was no such thing as bungee jumping.”
    He secured the other end of the cord to the railroad tracks with metal carabiners