Ice Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Melissa Watson – everybody called her Mel – was off duty and driving her son home from basketball practice at the Glacier River School when she got Udall’s call patched through to her radio in her SUV.

“Deputy Watson, this is Colonel Udall at AFRCC at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, requesting your assistance.”

“Go ahead, Colonel.”

“We have a SAR situation involving a small aircraft in your east sector. A plane with seven souls aboard has gone down in the Ghost Ridge area.”

“Yes sir, I was just alerted by our emergency dispatcher before your call.”

“We’ve tasked two helicopters from the 36th Rescue Squadron to locate the aircraft using its ELT which is suspected to be faulty. They have departed Fairchild and have the general coordinates from eye witnesses.”

“Yes sir, we’ve activated our SAR plan. All of our local agencies and volunteer groups are responding. I’ll be on my way to the County fire hall where we’ll coordinate ground operations.”

“Deputy Watson, our information indicates the Ghost Ridge region is an isolated area without roads.”

“That’s right. Local state and county roads do not reach up there. Most of them use the lake and boats to get to town. However, there are abandoned mining and logging trails. It’s very rough going but they can get our vehicles pretty deep into the range and to elevations of some thirty-five hundred feet. After that, we can get there on foot or horseback. How fast and how deep depends on the location and terrain of where the plane went down.”

“Understood,” Udall said. “Until we know more, we’ll need more aircraft. We’ll alert Washington Civil Air Patrol, the U.S. Forest Service and the Washington State Patrol, to have helicopters on standby to help. We’ll keep you posted.”

Once Udall had taken all the key steps to coordinate the scope of the operation needed at this point, including notifying the investigator-in-charge at the National Transportation Safety Board, he reviewed the FAA’s computer network. Working with Seattle Center and the FAA Udall tried to ascertain more about the plane’s history, its operator, its point of origin, destination and its intention.

He sipped coffee from a mug bearing the Navy Seals logo while reading the data streaming across his computer monitor.

A Canadian plane.

Okay, we know that much, Udall told himself. Next: Aircraft cleared customs at Great Falls International Airport in Montana. Originated from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

Okay. Next: Operated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Udall’s eyebrows rose and he stopped sipping coffee.

Agencies aboard, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, U.S. Marshal Service. Prisoner escort to Seattle at the request of the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Prisoner escort?

Udall knew the aircraft had wanted to put down, knew there was severe weather. He searched for more information as other possible scenarios emerged.