James Rodriguez
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
Emily, tell her our position and situation.
Thoth nodded, already making the call.
I began the climb, testing each hold before committing my weight.
The rock face was damp with moss and loose in places requiring careful navigation.
I counted my progress in feet 10, 15, 25.
Halfway up, I heard Thomas' voice from above.
Jeff.
I'm sorry.
I should have been there.
I increased my pace, ignoring the burning in my forearms.
Thomas, stay back from the edge.
Uffed up.
I could see the top of the outcropping now, silhouetted against the darkening sky.
The scream stopped me cold.
Not fear or pain.
A howl of pure anguish that echoed across the jungle canopy.
Then silence.
I reached the top seventeen seconds later, pulling myself over the edge onto a flat rock surface approximately ten feet wide.
Thomas wasn't there.
The opposite side of the outcropping dropped away sharply.