They approached the cliff ledge tentatively, stepping through a patch of yellow stalks that drooped, baking in the ground beyond the protection of the forest shade. Their footsteps sent clumps of dirt and rock fragments skittering down the incline.

The intense sunlight stung Lyla's eyes, heatwaves rose from the rocky surface. When she peeked over the edge, her stomach flipped. It was a long way down to the bottom where a twisting creek cut through the rock.

Jack unwound the coil of rope and secured one end around his waist.

"Wait. Wait a minute," she said. "Let's think about this."

"Think about what? We need to go down there and get him."

She knew it was not that simple, he knew it, too. Jack studied the wide rock face that wrapped the ridge. "I can't see anything from up here. I need to get down there for a closer look."

She racked her brain for a better solution but came up empty.

"He's not gonna climb up here to us," he said. "Come on. Loop the other end of the rope around the trunk of that tree."

Lyla felt queasy as she reluctantly wound the rope around the thick trunk. He cautiously made his way closer to the edge, craning his neck for a better view.

"You see anything?" she asked.

He shook his head then looked from her to the steep drop below him. She gripped the rope tightly and watched him inch closer to the rim.

"Wait!" she called. "Maybe I should be the one who goes down there."

"What? No way."

"But what if something happens? I'm like a thousand percent sure I could never lift you back up here."

"Nothing's gonna happen." He took a deep breath and slowly lowered himself over the edge. The rope bit into the tree bark and went taut as Jack disappeared from view.

Overhead, a blackbird soared out of the forest and landed in the branches above Lyla. Another bird followed.

Just ignore them.

She fought the urge to take her eyes off the rope and watch the birds overhead.

"You okay?" she called to Jack with a reedy voice.

"Yeah."

She couldn't bear the suspense. With the rope gripped tightly in her hands, she stepped carefully toward the edge. She became dizzy at the sight of Jack dangling twenty feet below.

"Do you see him?" she called.

He looked to his left and then further to his right. "There's something over there. Something sticking out of that crevasse."

The birds cawed a sharp cry.

"Come on up." She felt her anxiety rising, fear painted her face.

She watched him effortlessly climb the rope, his thick forearms bulging. In a matter of minutes, he had reached the lip of the warm rock ledge and pulled himself up.

He pointed. "Let's go further in that direction."

They gathered the rope and hiked along the ridge. She spied a tree with a stout trunk.

"This one looks sturdy." Lyla wrapped the rope and glanced back toward the first tree. She couldn't locate the birds.

He squinted out across the gorge at the rugged terrain. "Wow! Look at that view." He shaded his eyes with his hand.

Her eyes were on Jack, his face glazed with a light veil of perspiration. The breeze sent a lock of his hair dancing across his forehead. His muscular arms and powerful chest strained at his t-shirt. Lyla agreed, the view was breathtaking.

"So... if that is him down there..." She got his attention. "What's the plan?

"What do you mean? I go down and get him."

"How?" she asked.

"I tie the rope around his chest, then I climb back up and we'll pull him up together."

"Wait, what?! You're gonna untie yourself?"

"I can't tie us together." He gave a stern look. "Then you'd need to pull both of us up. How's that gonna work?"

She shook her head. "This feels bad. There's gotta be a better way."

"Like what? You see an elevator?"

"We need another rope."

"You mean drive all the way back to town?" Jack shook his head. "Come on. Let's get this over with." He inched closer to the edge.

"Maybe it's not even him," she said, unable to conceal the strain in her voice.

"There's only one way to find out." And with that, Jack began his descent.

Lyla clenched her eyes, feeling as though her stomach was filling with hot tar.

This is a bad idea. A really bad idea.