“Thanks Cody, let’s get a team together to leave right away.”

As Cody Neal’s squad prepared, Watson resumed studying maps, and information aware that each search had its own circumstances. She was grateful that the storm had ended as more helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft droned in the distance.

#####

Within two hours, Cody Neal’s small convoy of trucks, horse trailers and equipment bumped, rocked and swayed its way toward Ghost Ridge.

The old mining road was an overgrown path. It was not on most maps and cut through forest so dense it blocked the daylight. Then it climbed and climbed, bordering small mountain lakes, passing through low-hanging clouds, and necklacing sheer rock faces as it followed a breathtaking roller-coaster route, clinging to cliff edges that dropped so suddenly your stomach quivered.

Eventually, the road ended, forcing the searchers to continue on horseback. As the group prepared to press on, Neal scanned the forests draping the mountains with huge binoculars. The helicopters and search planes looked like toys against the backdrop of the region, so vast and immense for miles and miles, it appeared to stretch before them for all eternity.

“We’re searching for a needle in a haystack,” Neal thought before they continued toward Ghost Ridge.

-Chapter 45-

Ice Lake, Washington

At that moment, some ten to twelve miles south of the crash site, Ren Carter had returned to her home.

Even before she’d gotten out of her Jeep she could hear Tipper’s yowls from inside the house.

Something’s not right.

She knew his happy-you’re-back yips, his whines, his feed-me yaps, his throaty growls when there was a raccoon, or skunk about, but this barking was pure fear.

Something’s wrong.

As soon as Ren opened the door Tipper was all over her, front paws on her shoulders, and full of fright. She gave him a hug.

“What’s got you spooked, you big baby?”

Ren set her bag down on the side table and began taking inventory of her home. Tipper accompanied her, whimpering and wagging his tail. No windows were open, or broken. No signs of anything out of place.

“What is it? What’s going on?”

Ren jumped and Tipper barked when her phone rang.

Catching her breath, she answered it.

“It’s Eileen,” her voice broke, “I’m at the hospital with Lee.”

“The hospital? Why? He looked so well on Sunday.”

“He was good, but he woke up in the night in pain, so we brought him here to Harborview. Then he got worse and worse. It’s bad. Doctor Pollard said to call you now because … because,” her voice sounded so small as if she were a million miles away. “I’m sorry, Ren, he doesn’t have much time left. They’ve moved him up on the national list but they don’t think he’s going to make it.”

Ren caught her breath. Her heart skipped as she felt fear coil up her spine.