The Pass (Wattys 2019)

Chapter Three

Peter's Mistress was a favorite of students in Sverlovsk: the food and beer was cheap, and they were willing to turn a blind eye to someone being a little underage for a few extra roubles. The mountaineers also liked it, for the same reason: they could drink without spending a lot, and there were plenty of girls who were willing to sit on laps.

The men of the K2 expedition all sat at their usual corner table, beer flowing freely, all on Popov's money. Metveyev was the only one not there, but nobody cared: in fact, everybody at that table preferred it that way. They were able to joke and laugh about everything that happened. Mostly at the stupid things that that idiot had done that hadn't been funny at the moment, when they were scared that his stupidity and lack of experience were going to get somebody killed.

"Everybody, get your glasses up," Popov said, raising his glass. "And any jackass who claims his arms are too tired to do so is going to get my foot so far up his ass, he'll be able to taste the dirt from K2."

"You promise?" One of the Dobraenov twins asked, smirking as everybody obeyed and raised their glasses. In all honesty, even after spending months with these people, she still couldn't tell the two of them apart. "Better than tasting your cooking!"

"Watch your mouth," Popov warned, earning some chuckles from the rest of the group. "Now, time for some toasts," Popov said. "First: to you crazy bastards. There ain't a man on this earth I'd rather spend time with on the face of this planet."

The men and Nika started to cheer, banging their fists on the table.

"Second, to the year to come," Popov said. "Some of us will be off to Everest, others to Cerro Torre, but one thing's for certain: all of us are going to be turning the world upside down!"

The men began to cheer, again. Popov had told her that the group was being split into two, part of them going to Everest, the other to another mountain. She'd been wondering what challenge they were planning on conquering, next, and now that she knew it, she couldn't help but wonder if climbing Everest might actually be easier than Cerro Torre.

"Last but not least, to everyone's favorite, Nika Orlova," Popov said, looking right at her. She started to blush: she hadn't been expecting this. "Not only is she the first woman to summit K2 ever, but she climbed back down after saving Metveyev's stupid ass and tearing muscles in both shoulders. There ain't a doubt in my mind that she'll be the first woman to summit Everest, too. And the first person period, if we don't beat her to it."

"That shouldn't be that hard," Nika joked, earning a playful slug to the arm from Mikhailovich.

"To us," Popov said. "May the world never forget what we do in the next few years."

"To us!" They all took swigs.

"Now, drink and eat: you've earned it!"

The men cheered and continued to drink, people disappearing into their own conversations.

"Cerro Torre, huh?" Nika asked Peter as they ate and drank. "Nobody's climbed that: people say it's impossible."

"We deal in impossible, don't we?" Peter asked. "Besides: it's not like I'm going."

Nika just about spat out her drink.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nika coughed. "Are you honestly trying to tell me you aren't going on the expedition?"

"Yeah," he said. "Don't tell me you're surprised."

She opened her mouth to give him a stern talking to, remind him of how passionate he was about scaling mountains, until she realized something he didn't care that much about it. He may have been a grade III hiker, but this wasn't something he wanted to devote his entire life towards: mountaineering was more of a pastime, a means for adventure. His passions lay somewhere else, entirely.