taking a much needed break. How can I help you?”
“I assume there’s still no word from Hannah or John?”
Frank was grasping for straws that weren’t there. He, and everyone else, knew that the security desk would have passed the word immediately if Hannah or John had checked in.
“I’m afraid not, Frank. We’ve been calling them every five minutes for hours. Not a word from them.”
“And you’re still trying to contact the Army on the ham?”
“Yes. We’ve even sent an SOS out to anyone monitoring the ham in the San Antonio area. We’ve talked to two operators and told them there’s a missing helicopter and we need to get ahold of the Army people at Kelly Air Force Base immediately.
“The first man refused to go out after dark. He said it was too dangerous. The second was braver. He said he’d go, but he lived several miles from the base and it would take him a couple of hours to return. We’re still waiting to hear from him.”
“Ten four. Please keep me posted.”
“Will do.”
“Marty, this is Frank. How long before your team finishes their current sweep?”
“Maybe half an hour or so.”
“When they finish, have them mark where they left off and stand down for the night. Then take them home, give them my personal thanks, and tell them we’ll start back up at first light.”
“Are you sure, Frank?”
“Yes. The longer they’re out there without rest, the more likely they are to walk right past a clue. As dark as it is, if she’s bedded down or taking shelter in a cave or under a bluff, they could walk right past her. The temperatures aren’t life threatening tonight, even if she was lightly dressed. She’ll be miserable, but she won’t freeze. She’ll be better off, and we will too, if we start with a refreshed crew in the morning.”
“Ten four. I’ll be back at first light with my crew, and we’ll start up where we leave off tonight. Please let me know if she makes it back home before then.”
“Will do. Have Lenny monitor the ham while you get some rest. And Marty?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Thanks for your help.”
“Anytime, Frank. Anytime at all.”
“Bryan, this is Frank.”
“I copied, Frank.”
It was easy for Frank, and anyone else listening, to hear the irritation in Bryan’s voice.
“I know you don’t like my call, Bryan. I wouldn’t if I were in your shoes. But there’s too much chance we’ll miss something important if we work through the night with an exhausted crew. And then we’ll have to write off tomorrow too, because we won’t have anybody still standing to do a search. We’re better off, and so is Sarah, if we break until daylight.”
Bryan saw Frank’s logic. And if anyone else was missing, he’d agree with it.
But it wasn’t Frank’s wife. It was Sarah. And he couldn’t bring himself to abandoning the search while she was still out there.
It was as though Frank read his mind.
“Bryan, I know you wouldn’t get any rest tonight even if you came back. I’ll leave it up to you. You can break with the rest of the team, or you can stay up on Salt Mountain and watch for signal fires as long as you’re able. If that’s your choice, I’ll bring you a blanket and some water and a sandwich.”
“Make it ham and cheese.”
“Ten four. I’ll be there in a bit, as soon as I get everybody else corralled and accounted for and release them for the night.”
Chapter 13
“What happened?”
Her words were weak. Her throat was dry. It hurt to speak. But she wanted to know.
“I don’t know. I didn’t even know it happened. I just felt this incredible jerk and everything
“I assume there’s still no word from Hannah or John?”
Frank was grasping for straws that weren’t there. He, and everyone else, knew that the security desk would have passed the word immediately if Hannah or John had checked in.
“I’m afraid not, Frank. We’ve been calling them every five minutes for hours. Not a word from them.”
“And you’re still trying to contact the Army on the ham?”
“Yes. We’ve even sent an SOS out to anyone monitoring the ham in the San Antonio area. We’ve talked to two operators and told them there’s a missing helicopter and we need to get ahold of the Army people at Kelly Air Force Base immediately.
“The first man refused to go out after dark. He said it was too dangerous. The second was braver. He said he’d go, but he lived several miles from the base and it would take him a couple of hours to return. We’re still waiting to hear from him.”
“Ten four. Please keep me posted.”
“Will do.”
“Marty, this is Frank. How long before your team finishes their current sweep?”
“Maybe half an hour or so.”
“When they finish, have them mark where they left off and stand down for the night. Then take them home, give them my personal thanks, and tell them we’ll start back up at first light.”
“Are you sure, Frank?”
“Yes. The longer they’re out there without rest, the more likely they are to walk right past a clue. As dark as it is, if she’s bedded down or taking shelter in a cave or under a bluff, they could walk right past her. The temperatures aren’t life threatening tonight, even if she was lightly dressed. She’ll be miserable, but she won’t freeze. She’ll be better off, and we will too, if we start with a refreshed crew in the morning.”
“Ten four. I’ll be back at first light with my crew, and we’ll start up where we leave off tonight. Please let me know if she makes it back home before then.”
“Will do. Have Lenny monitor the ham while you get some rest. And Marty?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Thanks for your help.”
“Anytime, Frank. Anytime at all.”
“Bryan, this is Frank.”
“I copied, Frank.”
It was easy for Frank, and anyone else listening, to hear the irritation in Bryan’s voice.
“I know you don’t like my call, Bryan. I wouldn’t if I were in your shoes. But there’s too much chance we’ll miss something important if we work through the night with an exhausted crew. And then we’ll have to write off tomorrow too, because we won’t have anybody still standing to do a search. We’re better off, and so is Sarah, if we break until daylight.”
Bryan saw Frank’s logic. And if anyone else was missing, he’d agree with it.
But it wasn’t Frank’s wife. It was Sarah. And he couldn’t bring himself to abandoning the search while she was still out there.
It was as though Frank read his mind.
“Bryan, I know you wouldn’t get any rest tonight even if you came back. I’ll leave it up to you. You can break with the rest of the team, or you can stay up on Salt Mountain and watch for signal fires as long as you’re able. If that’s your choice, I’ll bring you a blanket and some water and a sandwich.”
“Make it ham and cheese.”
“Ten four. I’ll be there in a bit, as soon as I get everybody else corralled and accounted for and release them for the night.”
Chapter 13
“What happened?”
Her words were weak. Her throat was dry. It hurt to speak. But she wanted to know.
“I don’t know. I didn’t even know it happened. I just felt this incredible jerk and everything
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