White Death: An Alex Hawke Novella

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It is often said that our greatest strength is also our greatest weakness. Lieutenant Christian Hartz, Tenth Mountain Division, Swiss Army, was about to learn firsthand the terrible truth of that dusty old bit of wisdom. The lesson would be taught to this young fellow by a mountain. Der Nadel, an infamous Swiss Alp, was known to climbers around the world by its nickname, “White Death.” And for very good reason.

Christian toe-pointed the spiked crampons strapped to his boots into the vertical wall of sheer ice. He was able to kick the steel spikes at the toes of his boots a good two inches in. His lower body secure, he then secured his upper torso, swinging his ice ax into the wall above his head, and then a second ax to lock him in. Firmly wed to the mountain, he leaned back and looked straight up.

The towering vertical slab of ice and rock soared high into the clouds above him, finally disappearing into swirling grey mists that haunted the peak almost daily. He started moving again.

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