Chapter 7 — Mist Peak Rescue Team

"Stop." Vu A Tua raised his fist, signaling the whole group to stop immediately.

In front of them, the trail was suddenly interrupted by a crack about two meters wide, deep down below, the two sides of the crack were smooth rocks eroded by rainwater over many years. This was not the usual crossing point of the main trail — Tua had led the group on a shortcut to save time, and the price of that shortcut was an obstacle with no built-in bridge or stone steps to cross.

"This gap is too wide to jump," Uncle Tong said, removing the rope from his shoulder, his eyes assessing the familiar terrain of someone with more than twenty years of experience. "Must be wired."

Khanh Van nodded, looking around for an anchor point. A large, sturdy block of rock protruded about three meters from the edge of the crack, strong enough to withstand the force. "Double anchor at that rock. Uncle Tong, you set up the system, I'll check again."

Uncle Tong began working with the precision of a craftsman, wrapping the rope around the rock twice, tying a double figure-eight knot, then hooking a safety-locking carabiner as a backup anchor point — an immutable rule in mountain rescue: never trust completely in a single anchor point, always have a second option in case the first option fails.

"Why do we have to make double anchors?" Dieu Han asked, standing and observing from behind, not taking her eyes off Uncle Tong's every move.

"Because an anchor point can fail for reasons I can't foresee," Khanh Van answered instead, checking each knot by tugging on the rope in different directions. "The rock can have internal cracks that are invisible to the naked eye. The rope can be worn down at the point of contact. If there is only one anchor point and it fails, the person hanging from the rope will fall freely. With two independent anchor points, the probability of both failing at the same time is almost zero."

She pulled one last time, feeling the firm tension of the system under the strongest pull she could exert. "Okay. Uncle Tong, you go first, check the anchor point on the other side."

Mr. Tong attached the seat belt to the belt, checked the carabiner lock three times according to the correct procedure - look, touch, hear the sound of the lock - before stepping out to the edge of the crack. He moved slowly but surely across a narrow section of rock near the bottom of the crevasse, holding on to the pre-stretched rope, until he reached safety on the other side.

"It's okay!" he shouted loudly through the sound of the wind, raising his hand to signal.

He set up an additional anchor point on the other side, creating a temporary zipline system enough for each remaining person to move across by pulley, without having to walk through the dangerous narrow rocks below.

"Dieu Han, you go first, I will guide you step by step," Khanh Van said, attaching the pulley to the rope for her. "Sit in the seat belt, hold the front strap with both hands for balance, no need to pull, the pulley system will take you through if you relax properly."

Dieu Han nodded, although her hand shook a little when holding the rope. This was the first time she performed this technique in a real situation, not a practice session with a safety cushion underneath. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a second, then stepped off the edge of the rock.

The pulley system worked as designed, carrying her across the space above the crack in about ten seconds, and uncle Tong was standing on the other side to catch her when she arrived.

"You did well," he said, unhooking her.

Uyen Nhi passed next, then it was Khanh Van's turn. She was the last person in the previous group, and before stepping out, she glanced back at the entire system one more time — a habit she never broke, even if it only took a few extra seconds. Every knot was correct, every carabiner was securely fastened. She stepped out, letting gravity and the pulley system carry her through the void, feeling the cold wind blow across her face for a few short seconds before her feet touched the ground on the other side.

Vu A Tua was the last person, moving with the confidence of someone who has crossed this terrain countless times in his life, although this time he still fully complied with safety procedures according to Khanh Van's instructions.

"Remove the system, bring the rope," Khanh Van ordered as soon as the whole group had gathered on the other bank. There's no time to rest for long — every minute spent standing still is a minute the weather window is closing.

They kept moving, and about ten minutes later, a voice rang out from ahead, through the thickening fog: "Heaven's Gate! This way!"

It was Long, standing up from under the stone roof, waving towards the approaching group of people. Khanh Van sped up her steps, her heart beating faster not because of fatigue but because of relief when she saw that all three people of Team B were still safe, even though Bao Khang was still sitting leaning against the rock, his arm wrapped in bandages fixed close to his body.

"How is Bao Khang?" Uyen Nhi asked immediately, knelt down next to him, and began to check the wound again.

"It hurts, but I'm still awake, not dizzy or nauseous," Bao Khang replied, trying to smile even though his face was still pale from the cold and pain.

Kien stood up when he saw Khanh Van. The two looked at each other for a moment, neither of them said anything first. In the end, Kien was the one to break the silence.

“Thank you for coming,” he said, his voice different from the morning's stiffness. "I'm sorry for not listening to you sooner."

"Now is not the time to apologize." Khanh Van put her hand on his shoulder, briefly but sincerely. "Now is the time to find the other three together before it gets dark. Do you still have the strength to continue?"

"Still." Kien nodded firmly.

"So let's divide the work. Uyen Nhi stays with Bao Khang for another ten minutes to fix the wound more firmly for the journey down the mountain later, then both follow slower. The rest continue to T7."

Uyen Nhi opened the first aid bag, took out a hard splint covered with foam, cleverly slipped it under Bao Khang's previously fixed triangular bandage, reinforcing it so that his arm would not move during long distance travel. "I gritted my teeth and endured it a bit. I'll squeeze it tighter so it doesn't loosen halfway."

"Just do it sis, I can handle it." Bao Khang gritted his teeth as Uyen Nhi pulled the last layer of bandage tight, but did not make another sound.

Meanwhile, Long took the opportunity to tell Khanh Van more details about the rockfall incident, pointing in the direction they had just passed. "We didn't mean to go so fast and reckless, sister. It's just that the rock looked solid. No one expected it to be so fragile."

"The geology of this area is inherently unstable, especially after the rains last week." Khanh Van looked towards the steep rocky slope, remembering the road to report later, marking it as an area that needed further warning for future groups. "It's not your fault for not seeing it. Weathered rock sometimes looks exactly like solid rock until someone steps on it."

Kien stood nearby, quietly listening to the conversation, his hands tightening the strap of his backpack. He didn't say anything, but his eyes followed Khanh Van with a different attention than in the morning - no longer the eyes of someone who was preparing to argue, but the eyes of someone who was silently observing and learning.

Dieu Han, standing next to Khanh Van, softly asked: "Miss Van, should I report this to Mr. Dac Lam?"

"Yes, right now." Khanh Van pulled out the walkie-talkie and pressed the call button. "Heaven's Gate, this is Team A. Having reunited with Team B at the rendezvous point, Bao Khang is in stable condition and is fixing his wound to move down. The rest continue to area T7. Current visibility is about twenty meters, the weather window is still open."

"Got it," Dac Lam's voice rang out, a bit of relief mixed with familiar seriousness. "Be careful, the window can close at any time. Keep in touch every fifteen minutes."

Khanh Van turned off the radio and turned back to look at the group preparing to split into two directions. Uyen Nhi finished fixing Bao Khang's wound, the two of them started following the old road to slowly go down the mountain, while Khanh Van, Kien, uncle Tong, Dieu Han, Long and Vu A Tua continued towards T7.

She looked up at the sky, where the mist was still lingering but not completely closed — the window was still open, though she didn't know how much longer it would stay open. In her heart, for the first time since morning, a feeling akin to hope began to rise: the team was united, everyone was safe, and ahead, though still far away, was the chance to find the three people waiting in that opaque white curtain.

"Let's go," she said, and the group walked on, leaving behind the figures of Uyen Nhi and Bao Khang gradually disappearing around the corner, heading back toward safety, while the rest of them headed deeper into the mountains that the mist had not yet given up on swallowing.