mouth to reply, then hesitated. After the pause, she shrugged and continued without responding directly to his question. “We haven’t substantiated any of the rumors. No one in the villages is talking about it, but we sense a threatened undercurrent. It’s as if they’ve been silenced.”
Ali swayed and Mac reached out to steady her. He continued to stare at the computer screen, and Lori could tell he hadn’t dragged his mind beyond the horrific possibility Lana had just presented. When his hesitation became obvious, Jack Davenport stepped up and asked, “Are you using dogs?”
“No. Not yet. We have to fly them in, and to be honest, I don’t think they’ll be able to help. This area has had a significant amount of rain in the past few days. Any trail they left has likely been washed away.”
“You will try, though,” Davenport fired back.
“Yes. Of course. They’re on their way as we speak.”
Mac finally found his voice. “What can you tell us about the fire? Was it set?”
“I don’t know. None of us here have the knowledge base to determine that. Again, I’m waiting on an expert to arrive.”
“Lots of waiting going on,” Lori’s father muttered.
“You need to send the coordinates of the position to me at this number immediately,” Jack said, then rattled off his telephone number.
That’s when Lori remembered that Jack had government connections. He’d been a government connection himself not too long ago. Bet he can get access to spy satellites. Hope flared inside her at the thought.
And she couldn’t forget about Gabe’s family, either. His brothers ran a security business of some kind. Mac and Ali Timberlake had many people on whom they could call for help.
Jack asked a few more terrain-specific questions, then nodded to Mac, indicating that he was through. Mac asked, “Did Chase—” He broke off when his voice choked. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Did Chase have his backpack with him?”
“I’m sure he did,” Lana responded. “He never left camp without it and his camera bag, and neither one are in our tent. The helicopter pilot always carries one, too.”
Good. Lori knew he’d be prepared for wilderness survival.
With that, Mac appeared to have run out of questions. He turned to Ali. “Anything you want to ask, honey?”
She closed her eyes and nodded, then took a deep, bracing breath. “How was his mood?”
Lana’s tone held an ocean full of sadness. The tears that had pooled in her eyes this entire time swelled and overflowed when she replied, “Actually, I think he was ready to come home. I think he missed Eternity Springs.”
At Lana’s words, Ali let out a little whimper and her knees buckled. Mac grabbed her, supported her, wouldn’t let her fall. She buried her head against his chest and sobbed. Through the blear of her own free-falling tears, Lori saw that Lana and every other female in the Timberlakes’ great room had joined in the weeping. The men all looked carved from granite.
They ended the call to give Lana the opportunity to send Jack the coordinates he needed. His phone dinged a moment later, and he stepped outside to phone his contacts.
Mac stood holding on to Ali, his head buried against her blond hair. Watching their despair, Lori wanted to curl up in a fetal position and bawl. Instead, she leaned over and rested her head against her mother’s breast, taking comfort there.
After probably ten minutes on the phone, Jack reentered the house and approached Mac and Ali. “I have some people pulling up satellite imagery, and they’re going to give it a thorough going-over. We’re also gathering intel about any possible movements into the country from bad actors. I spoke with your brothers, Gabe. They’ll have S and R wheels up within the hour.”
“Good,” Gabe said decisively. “Mac, Callahan Security has access to people who can track a flea across the Grand Canyon. The search couldn’t be in better hands.”
“Okay.
Ali swayed and Mac reached out to steady her. He continued to stare at the computer screen, and Lori could tell he hadn’t dragged his mind beyond the horrific possibility Lana had just presented. When his hesitation became obvious, Jack Davenport stepped up and asked, “Are you using dogs?”
“No. Not yet. We have to fly them in, and to be honest, I don’t think they’ll be able to help. This area has had a significant amount of rain in the past few days. Any trail they left has likely been washed away.”
“You will try, though,” Davenport fired back.
“Yes. Of course. They’re on their way as we speak.”
Mac finally found his voice. “What can you tell us about the fire? Was it set?”
“I don’t know. None of us here have the knowledge base to determine that. Again, I’m waiting on an expert to arrive.”
“Lots of waiting going on,” Lori’s father muttered.
“You need to send the coordinates of the position to me at this number immediately,” Jack said, then rattled off his telephone number.
That’s when Lori remembered that Jack had government connections. He’d been a government connection himself not too long ago. Bet he can get access to spy satellites. Hope flared inside her at the thought.
And she couldn’t forget about Gabe’s family, either. His brothers ran a security business of some kind. Mac and Ali Timberlake had many people on whom they could call for help.
Jack asked a few more terrain-specific questions, then nodded to Mac, indicating that he was through. Mac asked, “Did Chase—” He broke off when his voice choked. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Did Chase have his backpack with him?”
“I’m sure he did,” Lana responded. “He never left camp without it and his camera bag, and neither one are in our tent. The helicopter pilot always carries one, too.”
Good. Lori knew he’d be prepared for wilderness survival.
With that, Mac appeared to have run out of questions. He turned to Ali. “Anything you want to ask, honey?”
She closed her eyes and nodded, then took a deep, bracing breath. “How was his mood?”
Lana’s tone held an ocean full of sadness. The tears that had pooled in her eyes this entire time swelled and overflowed when she replied, “Actually, I think he was ready to come home. I think he missed Eternity Springs.”
At Lana’s words, Ali let out a little whimper and her knees buckled. Mac grabbed her, supported her, wouldn’t let her fall. She buried her head against his chest and sobbed. Through the blear of her own free-falling tears, Lori saw that Lana and every other female in the Timberlakes’ great room had joined in the weeping. The men all looked carved from granite.
They ended the call to give Lana the opportunity to send Jack the coordinates he needed. His phone dinged a moment later, and he stepped outside to phone his contacts.
Mac stood holding on to Ali, his head buried against her blond hair. Watching their despair, Lori wanted to curl up in a fetal position and bawl. Instead, she leaned over and rested her head against her mother’s breast, taking comfort there.
After probably ten minutes on the phone, Jack reentered the house and approached Mac and Ali. “I have some people pulling up satellite imagery, and they’re going to give it a thorough going-over. We’re also gathering intel about any possible movements into the country from bad actors. I spoke with your brothers, Gabe. They’ll have S and R wheels up within the hour.”
“Good,” Gabe said decisively. “Mac, Callahan Security has access to people who can track a flea across the Grand Canyon. The search couldn’t be in better hands.”
“Okay.
Similar Books
