They chatted for a few minutes, standing close. I moved as far away as I could, but I could still hear his beautiful accent. They arranged to hang out later, and I couldn’t help calculating all the risks of their being alone together. I’d discovered right away after getting to Laax that the Olympians came to play in more ways than one.
“What happens in the Olympic Village, stays in the Olympic Village,” Ali said with a wink when we couldn’t find her the night she arrived. She’d hooked up with a Canadian skier she shared a ride with from the airport.
I’d seen Darya around with her Belarusian teammates, although she didn’t seem any closer to them than to the students at VMA. Had she told the media when Veena’s flight was arriving in Zurich, and if so, why? I could only conclude that she wanted to knock Veena off her game, or better yet, right off the podium.
We hadn’t heard anything at all from the kidnappers, despite all kinds of speculation by the press. Veena seemed to handle it well, even though I knew it had to be stressful not knowing if the threat was over. It wasn’t like the victim got a note saying, Hi. We’re finished threatening to kill you, please carry on with your life.
The morning of the opening ceremonies, a week after we arrived in Laax, I sat on the deck of an outdoor café at the top of the Beast. From there I could keep an eye on Veena, the other riders, and the inevitable photojournalists capturing footage of the athletes. I’d seen Connor around the slopes most days, checking on his patients and triaging any fresh injuries, although we’d only had time for quick hellos.
Since Cooley was technically on duty, I’d grabbed a cup of Swiss coffee and a buttery croissant—yum—and settled in a chair outside. People lounged around enjoying the sunshine and blue skies. My phone rang, and for once, it wasn’t Brown. Mom.
My chest constricted. First, I always called her, not the other way around. Second, it was one in the morning in Vegas. Keeping my voice even when I answered took effort.
“Mom? Are you okay?”
“Nicole? It’s Mom.”
If I weren’t so alarmed, I would have rolled my eyes. “I know. Is everything okay?”
“I saw you on the news. You were with that Olympic snowboarder, the pretty Indian girl with the blue hair?”
I waited.
“They were interviewing her at the airport, and I saw you behind her. Are you in Switzerland?” She sounded panicked. I guessed she hadn’t caught the news until today.
“Yes.” I couldn’t help sounding a little guilty. I should have let her know where I was going, but I didn’t want her to freak out.
She was silent for a full ten seconds. When she spoke again, her voice was weak. “They said she was threatened. Are you in danger, too?”
“No,” I said firmly. “I’m here to make sure no one will be.”
“But the reporter said someone had already tried to kidnap her.”
“I’m fine, Mom. Please don’t worry.”
“Of course, I’m worried!” Her voice sharpened to a point I hadn’t heard since I told her I wanted to go to Juno instead of college. “You’re my only child, and you’re in another country doing a job you have no experience with. A job that’s dangerous.”
Down the hill, Veena had taken her board and helmet off, done for the day. She shielded her eyes with her hand, looking for me.
“I have to go.” My voice was clipped. “I’ll call you later.”
“Nicole, wait. I only . . . I want you to be careful. Please be careful.”
I hung up without saying goodbye. I know she was worried, but couldn’t she have a little faith in me? A little belief that I might be good at my job, even if I was inexperienced? Veena, whose life was actually at stake here, did. Why couldn’t my own mother?
I had to let it go; I needed to focus. That evening, Veena was participating in one of the most televised events in the world and one of the most potentially vulnerable for her. The opening ceremonies. Thousands of people would pack the shiny new Arena of Peace built especially for the Games. Later, the drama ice skaters would take it over for their events.
Veena’s parents couldn’t persuade her not to walk with the U.S. Team, and Brown couldn’t get the Olympic Committee to budge on letting me go with her. No non-athletes; no exceptions. Swiss security personnel would be on hand. I wasn’t needed.
I understood; the athletes suffered and sacrificed to earn this moment in the spotlight. They can’t let just anyone be a part of it. So, I stood right inside the tunnel leading out to the arena from the underground hall where the athletes queued and filed out by country. I waved as Veena walked into the arena with her teammates. She waved back with an elated expression and held up her phone to capture the memory on video, smiling wide as camera flashes fireworked around the darkened facility. The moment was magic.
I didn’t mean to, but as each day passed, I found myself relaxing. Maybe the kidnappers had given up because of the extra media attention. Maybe they couldn’t pivot fast enough after Copper. Maybe Veena was off the hook.
Or maybe they were biding their time.
Nineteen
While Veena caught up on her sleep after the late night of celebrations, Connor texted me an invitation to dinner. Embarrassing unicorns of joy jumped over rainbows of happiness in my chest. I’d missed
