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Authors: Irene Onorato
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chopper to medevac the girls out of here.”
“That sounds good. This might make for a good LZ. What do you think?” Edward tapped a finger on the map.
“No, not a good landing zone. Too many trees. It looks good on the map, but I’ve been there. We’re not landing anything within a few miles of here.” Hank lowered his voice. “We’re going to have to yank them up on a line. You and I both know that.”
Audra didn’t strike Edward as the adventuresome type. And Zoe? Well, she was just a kid. “They’re not going to be too pleased to hear that.”
“What are you guys talking about over there all hush-hush like?” Audra called to them.
“Just formulating a plan. Chewing the fat and throwing ideas around. Guy stuff,” Hank answered.
Edward tried, but couldn’t display the same relaxed posture as Hank.
“Is something wrong?” Audra shot a questioning look at Edward.
“No, not at all.” No use in upsetting her unnecessarily.
“Zoe looks okay.” Hank lowered his voice again. “But how about Audra? Does she have any injuries besides the possible broken arm and the cut on her head?”
“She’s got a badly bruised hip and buttock. Her door was bashed in during the wreck, and she must have slammed up against it a few times when the car turned over. The biggest concern is that I had to resuscitate her twice when I got her out of the water. She seems okay, but—”
“That settles it. She shouldn’t be left alone.” Hank’s tone was decisive.
Edward couldn’t argue with him.
Hank pulled out his cell phone and turned it on. “Nope, not one bar here, but I already knew that.” He turned the phone off again. “If I leave at first light I can get to this position,” Hank tapped his index finger on the map, “in maybe two hours. I’ll get to the ridge and make the call.”
“The Plumber’s Crack? You want to climb up Plumber’s Crack?”
The girls laughed. Edward turned toward them and tossed his hands up in a shrug. “We gave some of these places names when we were teenagers. The maps we drew are pretty funny, but they’re surprisingly accurate.”
“Anyway,” Hank nudged him with an elbow, “it’s the fastest way up to where I’ll have a phone signal. I came in that way.”
“You came down the Crack?”
“Yup. Why does that surprise you?”
“Didn’t you break your arm once coming down that way?”
Hank grinned. “So? My climbing skills have improved since I was twelve, you know. And, the equipment has improved as well. Everything I need is stashed in the cave at the base of the crack. Besides, over the years I’ve installed a bunch of anchor points up there. It’ll be a piece of cake.”
“Okay then, first light.” Edward pulled the crate over to Audra’s chair and sat. “Tomorrow morning, Hank will hike out of here to call for help.” He handed her a pad and a pen. “Write down phone numbers where we can reach your parents and Zoe’s. Hank will get word to them that you’re okay. That ought to ease your mind and theirs. We have a plan to get you out of here, and Hank’s going to call in the resources we need.”
She took the pen and paper. “Will Hank come back?”
“After he makes the call? Yeah, of course he’ll come back. He’s not leaving you guys either. No way.” He hoped his tone reassured her. “Neither of us will be satisfied until we see you and Zoe hug your moms, or at least until you’re safe in the hands of search and rescue.”
She fumbled with the pen, but couldn’t write because of her arm. “Can you do this for me, please?”
He took the pen and paper. “Okay, shoot.”
“Joe and Josie Lorenzo. They’re my parents.” She related the information to him, and he read it back to her while she looked at the paper upside down. “Yes, you’ve got it all right. Thank you.” She gave the phone numbers of several other family members as well, just in case.
Edward stood and handed Audra’s information to Hank. “Don’t lose
“That sounds good. This might make for a good LZ. What do you think?” Edward tapped a finger on the map.
“No, not a good landing zone. Too many trees. It looks good on the map, but I’ve been there. We’re not landing anything within a few miles of here.” Hank lowered his voice. “We’re going to have to yank them up on a line. You and I both know that.”
Audra didn’t strike Edward as the adventuresome type. And Zoe? Well, she was just a kid. “They’re not going to be too pleased to hear that.”
“What are you guys talking about over there all hush-hush like?” Audra called to them.
“Just formulating a plan. Chewing the fat and throwing ideas around. Guy stuff,” Hank answered.
Edward tried, but couldn’t display the same relaxed posture as Hank.
“Is something wrong?” Audra shot a questioning look at Edward.
“No, not at all.” No use in upsetting her unnecessarily.
“Zoe looks okay.” Hank lowered his voice again. “But how about Audra? Does she have any injuries besides the possible broken arm and the cut on her head?”
“She’s got a badly bruised hip and buttock. Her door was bashed in during the wreck, and she must have slammed up against it a few times when the car turned over. The biggest concern is that I had to resuscitate her twice when I got her out of the water. She seems okay, but—”
“That settles it. She shouldn’t be left alone.” Hank’s tone was decisive.
Edward couldn’t argue with him.
Hank pulled out his cell phone and turned it on. “Nope, not one bar here, but I already knew that.” He turned the phone off again. “If I leave at first light I can get to this position,” Hank tapped his index finger on the map, “in maybe two hours. I’ll get to the ridge and make the call.”
“The Plumber’s Crack? You want to climb up Plumber’s Crack?”
The girls laughed. Edward turned toward them and tossed his hands up in a shrug. “We gave some of these places names when we were teenagers. The maps we drew are pretty funny, but they’re surprisingly accurate.”
“Anyway,” Hank nudged him with an elbow, “it’s the fastest way up to where I’ll have a phone signal. I came in that way.”
“You came down the Crack?”
“Yup. Why does that surprise you?”
“Didn’t you break your arm once coming down that way?”
Hank grinned. “So? My climbing skills have improved since I was twelve, you know. And, the equipment has improved as well. Everything I need is stashed in the cave at the base of the crack. Besides, over the years I’ve installed a bunch of anchor points up there. It’ll be a piece of cake.”
“Okay then, first light.” Edward pulled the crate over to Audra’s chair and sat. “Tomorrow morning, Hank will hike out of here to call for help.” He handed her a pad and a pen. “Write down phone numbers where we can reach your parents and Zoe’s. Hank will get word to them that you’re okay. That ought to ease your mind and theirs. We have a plan to get you out of here, and Hank’s going to call in the resources we need.”
She took the pen and paper. “Will Hank come back?”
“After he makes the call? Yeah, of course he’ll come back. He’s not leaving you guys either. No way.” He hoped his tone reassured her. “Neither of us will be satisfied until we see you and Zoe hug your moms, or at least until you’re safe in the hands of search and rescue.”
She fumbled with the pen, but couldn’t write because of her arm. “Can you do this for me, please?”
He took the pen and paper. “Okay, shoot.”
“Joe and Josie Lorenzo. They’re my parents.” She related the information to him, and he read it back to her while she looked at the paper upside down. “Yes, you’ve got it all right. Thank you.” She gave the phone numbers of several other family members as well, just in case.
Edward stood and handed Audra’s information to Hank. “Don’t lose
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