His promise to their families had weighed heavy on his shoulders throughout the search. He knew he shouldn’t have, but he’d been unable to leave the station, to leave those parents, without some sort of hope. He knew what it was like to lose someone. To search for someone. To feel that dread and uncertainty, and he’d wanted to offer some reassurance to help ease their minds and hearts.

Now it was the teens who should be nervous. High Ridge was known as the stoner campground and it wasn’t where they’d told their parents they’d be camping. But that was up to them to deal with once they were back. His job was to bring them back safely, not save them from being grounded.

Arriving at the rescue site, he visually assessed the four teens and their surroundings. A tent was up but the fire next to it had burned out a while ago. The dampness in the air making it hard to sustain even a small blaze. A pot still sat on a small portable stove, so at least they’d eaten recently.

Wade and Tyler had them wrapped in thermal blankets and each held a steaming mug of hot water. “Injuries?” he asked.

“A few cuts and bruises but mostly just exhaustion and dehydration. They only had three liters of water and one filter that malfunctioned. No way to melt snow as they dropped some of their gear farther back to lighten their load when the high altitude and added miles started to take their toll,” Wade said.

Discarding essential gear was never the right course of action, but now wasn’t the time for a lecture. Radioing their location in to the station, he requested assistance from three ski patrol units. He wanted them all out together and quickly. “And let the parents know all four are safe,” he said.

“Where are they?” He heard a male voice in the background of Tank’s radio. No doubt the aggressive father.

“The parents want to know where they are,” Tank repeated.

Reed hesitated. “They will be safe soon enough. Tell them to sit tight.” He’d let the kids disclose their location to their parents themselves. Give them a chance to come clean and sort things out. After all, he had no proof the kids were up to no good and he’d give them the benefit of the doubt.

“What can I do?” Erika asked, approaching.

Having her out there with him had been a source of comfort and yet had elevated his anxiety. Taking care of his search crew was number one priority for him...taking care of her soared straight to the top, surpassing everything.