Tommy arrived at the Lhasa Shangri-la Hotel just before noon. According to the woman working the front desk, Brig had checked out at 6:37 a.m. She didn’t know where he had departed for but suggested that Tommy speak with the doorman. The doorman turned out to be a wealth of information once Tommy had figuredContinue reading “The Death Zone – Chapter 11.2”
Category Archives: Suicide By Everest
The Death Zone – Chapter 11.1
Early Friday morning James Wilson rolled up to the Lhasa Shangri-La in his 4WD Jeep Wrangler. The day was crystal clear and bitter cold. James’ greeting to the doorman took physical form as his breath turned to ice. The weather forecast showed a storm moving in, but it was slow and wouldn’t hit the areaContinue reading “The Death Zone – Chapter 11.1”
Lhasa – Chapter 10.11
Oh, shit, Tommy thought as he read Brig’s message. He had pushed Brig too hard and now Brig had blocked him, which was a genuine tragedy. Tommy had something Brig desperately wanted, and Tommy desperately wanted to give it to him, or more correctly, sell it to him. But what could he do now? HeContinue reading “Lhasa – Chapter 10.11”
Lhasa – Chapter 10.10
The morning before their scheduled departure, Brig received another blustering text from Tommy. The content of the message was like those that Tommy had sent him before. However, this one had a hard and demanding edge. “DO NOT GO TO EVEREST! I have critical information that involves you and Happy. For reasons I won’t goContinue reading “Lhasa – Chapter 10.10”
Lhasa – Chapter 10.9
Brig spent November working out and getting stronger. His progress was slow at first, but as he acclimatized and his body healed he became eager to get moving toward Everest Base Camp (EBC). It had been an unusually cold November, and the snow and ice had piled up around the city. James tried to convinceContinue reading “Lhasa – Chapter 10.9”
Lhasa – Chapter 10.8
As Brig prepared for his climb to EBC, Tommy convalesced. Happy and Yellow had returned to Hong Kong along with the rest of the 14K contingent. Although he had made tremendous progress since entering the hospital and had even begun walking again (with the help of a cane), the doctors were adamant that he continueContinue reading “Lhasa – Chapter 10.8”
Lhasa – Chapter 10.7
For the umpteenth day in a row, Brig awoke in pain. He swallowed a pair of his NSAIDs and pulled on his new gym shorts. He would begin training for his trek to Everest Base Camp today. As he laced up his shoes, Brig saw James Wilson’s business card sitting on top of his nightstand.Continue reading “Lhasa – Chapter 10.7”
Lhasa – Chapter 10.6
Brig met James in the hotel lobby at 2:00 p.m. Brig was moving better now. The oxygen had been excellent, but every step he took reminded him of the abuse his body had recently received. James laughed as Brig limped towards him. “My God mate. We’ll be lucky to get into the taxi by nightfallContinue reading “Lhasa – Chapter 10.6”
Lhasa – Chapter 10.5
Brig rose late the next morning. His headache lingered, but the pain had lessened considerably. The rest of him also ached. It would take at least a week before he would feel somewhat normal again. His body begged for opioids, and Brig may have succumbed to the temptation, but his supply was gone, and heContinue reading “Lhasa – Chapter 10.5”
Lhasa – Chapter 10.4
As Brig stepped onto the gangway and exited the plane, he felt his lungs being forced to work harder to get air. The city of Lhasa sat at such an extreme altitude that Brig instantly felt the scarcity of oxygen. By the time he reached the top of the gangway, he was huffing and puffingContinue reading “Lhasa – Chapter 10.4”