‘Go with Ted and see if you can talk some sense into him,’ Jack ordered, flashing his torch at the equipment officer. ‘We’ll prepare for the worst.’
Ally frowned. ‘What’s that?’
‘Some poor sod having to rope up and go over the edge to save him,’ Jack said wryly, walking over to consult with his team.
Ally moved as close to the edge as was safe and called down, her words muffled by the falling snow. ‘Geoff—it’s me, Dr McGuire.’
For a moment there was no answer and she thought he couldn’t have heard her, but just as she opened her mouth to shout again she heard his voice.
‘I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t want to talk to anyone.’
‘Geoff, please!’ Ally lay down and wriggled closer to the edge. ‘I just want to help.’
‘No one can help.’
‘For goodness’ sake, someone get a rope on the woman before that cornice gives way!’ Jack’s voice drifted through the darkness and Ally shifted to allow them to secure a rope to her waist, her mind on Geoff rather than her own safety.
She thought fast, choosing her words carefully. ‘Geoff—this isn’t the way. Think of Mary!’
‘I am thinking of Mary—that’s why I’m doing this. She’d be better off without me.’
‘That’s not true.’ Ally shivered slightly and wondered what state Geoff was in. If she was this cold then he must be freezing. ‘She loves you so much.’
‘Well, I don’t deserve it.’ Geoff huddled down, his outline barely visible in the darkness. ‘Nothing I do ever turns out right. Look at me now! I tried to throw myself off the edge but I got caught on this stupid rock.’
Ally exchanged a look with Jack. ‘Are you hurt, Geoff?’
‘I don’t care if I am!’
‘Well, I care. I care a lot. I blame myself for this.’
There was a long silence. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
‘I should have seen how depressed you were.’ Ally raised her voice above the wind. ‘If you fall off that ledge, Geoff, I’ll never be able to forgive myself.’
‘Don’t be stupid!’ Geoff’s words were barely audible.
‘Let one of the boys come down and get you off there.’
‘No!’
‘Geoff, please!’
‘I’ll jump—I swear I’ll jump.’
Ally closed her eyes and tried again. ‘Me, then. Will you let me come down and talk? I know I can help you, Geoff, if you’ll let me.’
There was another silence. ‘OK. You. But no one else.’
‘No!’ Sean’s voice was hoarse. ‘Dammit, Jack, you can’t let her go down there. It’s too dangerous.’
Jack thought for a moment, indecision written clearly on his craggy features. Then he shrugged, his mind made up. ‘I’ve got no choice, mate. She knows what she’s doing and we’ll have a tight hold on her.’
‘No way!’ Sean’s eyes were black and furious and he stepped towards Jack menacingly. ‘She’s not going down there—’
‘Oh, yes, I am.’ Ally was already standing still while they fixed a harness around her hips and secured a rope.
‘Now, you listen to me, girl!’ Jack’s jaw was rigid. ‘You climb down and you assess him and you talk. You don’t unclip the rope at any stage. You don’t do anything heroic. Do you understand me?’
Ally nodded. ‘Yes, but—’
Jack shook his head. ‘No. No buts at all on this one. You don’t unclip your own rope. We’ll drop a spare rope for him and you can use that. Clear?’
‘Yes, boss.’ Ally gave a wry grin and moved towards the edge, but Sean grabbed her, his fingers closing like a vice on her arm.
‘I’ll go instead.’
‘Don’t be daft! You heard the man. He’ll jump if you go.’ Jack put a hand on Sean’s arm and pulled him back, his voice gruff. ‘You’re not being rational, Sean. Think, man. Think.’
Sean stared at him for a long moment, his jaw tense, and then his eyes swivelled to Ally who was poised ready to go over the side.
‘Right. Well, in that case, I want her roped to me.’ He strode over to her, his eyes fierce. ‘You do everything I say when I say it—do you hear me?’
She nodded mutely, wondering why she wasn’t arguing with him. Despite the fact that her harness had been securely fitted and checked by one of the team, Sean checked it again, running his fingers along it and tugging until he gave a grunt of satisfaction. ‘If he jumps, you let him go. Do you hear me?’
She stared at him. ‘But—’