Just that he wants you there quick.”
“Okay.”
Kate started to close the door, but Albert caught it. “You be careful. It’s not a good day to be out. The wind’s quieted down, but it’s frozen out there and the snow could start coming down again.” Albert gripped the door. “Don’t do anything foolish.”
“I’ll be careful.”
With a nod, he walked back into the store and called over his shoulder, “I’ll give you a ride to the airfield.”
Kate closed the door, and as she dressed, she prayed—for Mike and Frank and for Kenny and Jack too . She grabbed her gear and hurried out of the room. When she stepped outside, the cold hit her hard, sucking oxygen from her lungs. With her hood pulled over her face, she put her head down, stuck gloved hands in her pockets, and tramped toward Albert’s Model A sedan.
Sliding onto the front seat, she said, “Time I got my own car.”
“I’ll keep an eye out for one.” Albert pulled away from the curb. He gripped the steering wheel and peered through a space he’d cleared on the windshield.
When they reached the airstrip, the only planes on the field were Kenny’s Stinson and Kate’s Bellanca, which had already been started.
“I’ll wait,” Albert said.
Kate hurried toward the office, hoping Sidney didn’t have bad news.
When she stepped inside he was bent over a map on his desk. He looked up. “Good. You’re here.”
“Is something wrong? Are the fellas okay?”
“Yeah, they’re all right. But I got a call about some hikers at McKinley Park. They set out early yesterday, before the storm hit. They were supposed to be on a one-day hike, but no one’s heard from them. They weren’t set up for bad weather.” He shook his head. “Tourists.” Settling serious eyes on Kate, he said, “I need a pilot to have a look-see. You up to it?”
Kate felt a pulse of excitement. “I’m ready, but what about Kenny?”
“I’d rather you went. They got hit pretty good by snow up that way and the weather’s still bad.” He leaned back in his chair. “You don’t have to go. I can call him.”
“No. I’ll do it,” Kate said, ignoring the alarms going off in her head. This was her chance. And obviously Sidney thought she was up to the challenge.
Sidney grinned. “Didn’t think you’d turn down the opportunity. I’ve got your plane ready. Even got the skis on for you.” His brow furrowed. “You can land with skis, right?”
“Sure. No problem. Tell me where I need to go.”
Armed with survival gear, a map, and hopes of finding the lost hikers, Kate flew over McKinley Park. Light snow swirled at her, pelting the windshield. Gusting winds bombarded the plane.
She caught sight of the camp at McKinley Park Station where the hikers had been staying. It wasn’t much, just a cabin and a few tents, now barely visible among the trees piled with fresh snow.
Kate gazed out at the rugged countryside and figured the tourists couldn’t have traveled too far from camp. She turned in the direction they’d reportedly headed and scanned the terrain. Anchorage had gotten very little snow, but it had dumped here.
The mountains were hidden behind low-lying clouds, but Kate knew they were there and she dare not fly too close. The fresh snowfall made changes in altitude hard to distinguish. Dwarfed spruce were piled with what looked like white pillows, and bare-limbed aspen reminded her of frozen white skeletons.
There’d be no footprints to follow, unless the hikers were moving, which she hoped they weren’t. Of course prints left by predators might lead her to them. Word had gotten around about what had happened to Paul, and she thought about wolves being enticed by easy prey. A tremor of revulsion rippled through her.
Kate flew back and forth over the countryside, following a grid laid out in her mind. When she didn’t find anything, she widened the search, careful to keep watch on her gauges. Even if she located the hikers, she’d need enough
“Okay.”
Kate started to close the door, but Albert caught it. “You be careful. It’s not a good day to be out. The wind’s quieted down, but it’s frozen out there and the snow could start coming down again.” Albert gripped the door. “Don’t do anything foolish.”
“I’ll be careful.”
With a nod, he walked back into the store and called over his shoulder, “I’ll give you a ride to the airfield.”
Kate closed the door, and as she dressed, she prayed—for Mike and Frank and for Kenny and Jack too . She grabbed her gear and hurried out of the room. When she stepped outside, the cold hit her hard, sucking oxygen from her lungs. With her hood pulled over her face, she put her head down, stuck gloved hands in her pockets, and tramped toward Albert’s Model A sedan.
Sliding onto the front seat, she said, “Time I got my own car.”
“I’ll keep an eye out for one.” Albert pulled away from the curb. He gripped the steering wheel and peered through a space he’d cleared on the windshield.
When they reached the airstrip, the only planes on the field were Kenny’s Stinson and Kate’s Bellanca, which had already been started.
“I’ll wait,” Albert said.
Kate hurried toward the office, hoping Sidney didn’t have bad news.
When she stepped inside he was bent over a map on his desk. He looked up. “Good. You’re here.”
“Is something wrong? Are the fellas okay?”
“Yeah, they’re all right. But I got a call about some hikers at McKinley Park. They set out early yesterday, before the storm hit. They were supposed to be on a one-day hike, but no one’s heard from them. They weren’t set up for bad weather.” He shook his head. “Tourists.” Settling serious eyes on Kate, he said, “I need a pilot to have a look-see. You up to it?”
Kate felt a pulse of excitement. “I’m ready, but what about Kenny?”
“I’d rather you went. They got hit pretty good by snow up that way and the weather’s still bad.” He leaned back in his chair. “You don’t have to go. I can call him.”
“No. I’ll do it,” Kate said, ignoring the alarms going off in her head. This was her chance. And obviously Sidney thought she was up to the challenge.
Sidney grinned. “Didn’t think you’d turn down the opportunity. I’ve got your plane ready. Even got the skis on for you.” His brow furrowed. “You can land with skis, right?”
“Sure. No problem. Tell me where I need to go.”
Armed with survival gear, a map, and hopes of finding the lost hikers, Kate flew over McKinley Park. Light snow swirled at her, pelting the windshield. Gusting winds bombarded the plane.
She caught sight of the camp at McKinley Park Station where the hikers had been staying. It wasn’t much, just a cabin and a few tents, now barely visible among the trees piled with fresh snow.
Kate gazed out at the rugged countryside and figured the tourists couldn’t have traveled too far from camp. She turned in the direction they’d reportedly headed and scanned the terrain. Anchorage had gotten very little snow, but it had dumped here.
The mountains were hidden behind low-lying clouds, but Kate knew they were there and she dare not fly too close. The fresh snowfall made changes in altitude hard to distinguish. Dwarfed spruce were piled with what looked like white pillows, and bare-limbed aspen reminded her of frozen white skeletons.
There’d be no footprints to follow, unless the hikers were moving, which she hoped they weren’t. Of course prints left by predators might lead her to them. Word had gotten around about what had happened to Paul, and she thought about wolves being enticed by easy prey. A tremor of revulsion rippled through her.
Kate flew back and forth over the countryside, following a grid laid out in her mind. When she didn’t find anything, she widened the search, careful to keep watch on her gauges. Even if she located the hikers, she’d need enough
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