Chapter 267

He tried to press the green button on the walkie-talkie but his fingers were frozen numb. He unzipped the backpack and shook out a battery-powered hand warmer. It was about the size of a computer mouse and shaped like one. Every time he used one of those, he had the urge to click on an invisible button. When his fingers no longer felt stiff like carrots, he activated the walkie-talkie. It squawked to life. ‘Ollie?’ He smiled at the sound of Elodie’s voice. ‘It’s me. They’re gone.’ ‘Good. Who are they?’ ‘No idea. They scattered before I got close enough for a second look.’ ‘Not Moretti’s men?’ ‘Unlikely. They were holding selfie sticks and taking pictures. Tourists, I guess.’ ‘And you? Are you hurt?’ ‘No.’ ‘Where are you?’ ‘On my way back to camp. ETA half an hour.’ ‘Good. I’m making Pad Thai with chicken. Hurry back before the chicken freezes again.’ At 6,400 metres above sea level, everything freezes fast. Oliver stuck the walkie-talkie back on his belt and started hiking. Cho Oyu was