Read Online From a Distant Star by Karen McQuestion - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Karen McQuestion
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few of them held long-handled equipment in front of them as they walked. Metal detectors? I wasn’t sure.
“Who are all these people? Where did they come from?” Mrs. Walker asked, her voice incredulous. I wondered the same thing. They had to have been parked down the road, waiting for the signal.
“This group is part of our NTSB search team. They’re professionals, experts at recovering aviation wreckage.” Todd looked up from his iPad to talk. “With so many working together, we cancover more ground. That means we’ll be on our way and out of your hair in no time. We appreciate your cooperation.” His speech sounded scripted.
“Well, I guess it’ll be okay,” Mrs. Walker said. “As long as it’s just outside and they don’t go into the barns. I mean, you wouldn’t have a reason to go in the outbuildings, would you, if you’re looking for airplane parts?”
Mariah didn’t answer, but spoke again into her communication device. “Team members, listen carefully. You are not to go inside any of the buildings. We do not have clearance for anything indoors. The barns are off-limits. Repeat, search the property, but do not go inside any of the buildings.”
Todd said, “Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Walker and Emma. We’ll be heading outside now to oversee the operation and then we’ll be leaving shortly.” He reached out his hand and Mr. Walker shook it.
Mrs. Walker saw them to the door, and watched as the pair walked back toward the others. “The operation?” she said. “First they made it sound like the two of them were just going to take a quick look, and suddenly this is a big deal with fifty people searching with equipment. It makes you wonder exactly what they’re looking for. You’d think we’d have heard about a plane collision.”
Mr. Walker shrugged. “Our tax dollars at work.”
Then Nancy announced that she really had to do the blood draw right away if she was going to drop off the samples before her next scheduled patient visit. We followed her into the dining room where Lucas and Eric were watching an episode of
Cosmos
on the laptop. Nancy opened her medical kit on the end of the bed.
“What’s going on?” Eric asked, pausing the show.
Lucas’s eyes followed me as I took my new spot in the corner and I gave him a grin.
Mrs. Walker ignored Eric and spoke directly to Lucas. “Lucas, honey, Nancy needs to take some blood before she goes.”
Nancy was all business at this point, taking Lucas’s arm and swabbing it with an alcohol wipe. The antiseptic smell filled the small room. He looked startled, but didn’t pull away. Outside, I heard the voices of the team calling out to each other as they swept the field. Would they notice the furrow? Maybe not, since the field was so big and I’d done what I could to stir things up. But even if they did see it, anything could have caused it—a farm implement, an animal, a wheelbarrow. I was pretty sure it wouldn’t arouse suspicion, but I did have another worry. Had any of those people seen me move the object they were now hunting for? I didn’t think so, but I couldn’t be completely sure. Trying not to look nervous, I wiped my sweaty palms on my shorts and focused on Lucas instead of my fears.
While Nancy cleaned her hands with sanitizer, she spoke to Lucas in that baby tone she used for anyone under the age of thirty. “Now, Lucas, I’m going to be drawing four vials of blood, but I’ll only need to do one poke. It will pinch for an instant and that will be it. And don’t worry about me taking your blood. Your body will make more.” She smiled broadly.
“I know this,” Lucas said and his family beamed at his response. I was glad he was getting better, but his speech was so odd. It was his voice and the same words he might have used before, but the intonation was like a Russian immigrant doing an impression of an American accent.
I kept thinking about how Mrs. Kokesh had said Lucas might come back different and I felt a
“Who are all these people? Where did they come from?” Mrs. Walker asked, her voice incredulous. I wondered the same thing. They had to have been parked down the road, waiting for the signal.
“This group is part of our NTSB search team. They’re professionals, experts at recovering aviation wreckage.” Todd looked up from his iPad to talk. “With so many working together, we cancover more ground. That means we’ll be on our way and out of your hair in no time. We appreciate your cooperation.” His speech sounded scripted.
“Well, I guess it’ll be okay,” Mrs. Walker said. “As long as it’s just outside and they don’t go into the barns. I mean, you wouldn’t have a reason to go in the outbuildings, would you, if you’re looking for airplane parts?”
Mariah didn’t answer, but spoke again into her communication device. “Team members, listen carefully. You are not to go inside any of the buildings. We do not have clearance for anything indoors. The barns are off-limits. Repeat, search the property, but do not go inside any of the buildings.”
Todd said, “Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Walker and Emma. We’ll be heading outside now to oversee the operation and then we’ll be leaving shortly.” He reached out his hand and Mr. Walker shook it.
Mrs. Walker saw them to the door, and watched as the pair walked back toward the others. “The operation?” she said. “First they made it sound like the two of them were just going to take a quick look, and suddenly this is a big deal with fifty people searching with equipment. It makes you wonder exactly what they’re looking for. You’d think we’d have heard about a plane collision.”
Mr. Walker shrugged. “Our tax dollars at work.”
Then Nancy announced that she really had to do the blood draw right away if she was going to drop off the samples before her next scheduled patient visit. We followed her into the dining room where Lucas and Eric were watching an episode of
Cosmos
on the laptop. Nancy opened her medical kit on the end of the bed.
“What’s going on?” Eric asked, pausing the show.
Lucas’s eyes followed me as I took my new spot in the corner and I gave him a grin.
Mrs. Walker ignored Eric and spoke directly to Lucas. “Lucas, honey, Nancy needs to take some blood before she goes.”
Nancy was all business at this point, taking Lucas’s arm and swabbing it with an alcohol wipe. The antiseptic smell filled the small room. He looked startled, but didn’t pull away. Outside, I heard the voices of the team calling out to each other as they swept the field. Would they notice the furrow? Maybe not, since the field was so big and I’d done what I could to stir things up. But even if they did see it, anything could have caused it—a farm implement, an animal, a wheelbarrow. I was pretty sure it wouldn’t arouse suspicion, but I did have another worry. Had any of those people seen me move the object they were now hunting for? I didn’t think so, but I couldn’t be completely sure. Trying not to look nervous, I wiped my sweaty palms on my shorts and focused on Lucas instead of my fears.
While Nancy cleaned her hands with sanitizer, she spoke to Lucas in that baby tone she used for anyone under the age of thirty. “Now, Lucas, I’m going to be drawing four vials of blood, but I’ll only need to do one poke. It will pinch for an instant and that will be it. And don’t worry about me taking your blood. Your body will make more.” She smiled broadly.
“I know this,” Lucas said and his family beamed at his response. I was glad he was getting better, but his speech was so odd. It was his voice and the same words he might have used before, but the intonation was like a Russian immigrant doing an impression of an American accent.
I kept thinking about how Mrs. Kokesh had said Lucas might come back different and I felt a
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