The minute Sam shut off the engine, Alpha leaped to the front seat to paw her shoulder. He knew they were close to home. She hadn’t seen him this excited since the day they’d left the mountain. They both got out of the rental car, and Sam stood perfectly still as she struggled to make sure she got her bearings. She was glad she had paid attention to their descent on their departure The first time they’d arrived by helicopter. When she’d left by cable car, Poke Donovan had been waiting for her. He’d led her by foot for two miles through heavy brush to where his car was parked. Then he’d driven a full mile and a half to get to the highway. She thought she was in the right place, but she couldn’t be certain. Hopefully, Alpha would lead her in the right direction if she lost her bearings.

Sam checked her backpack. Two apples, two water bottles, crackers and cheese, granola bars, toilet paper, and beef jerky for Alpha. Her stun gun and her GPS were secure in side pockets, along with her Blackberry and a new cell phone whose number she couldn’t even remember. She pulled out a flashlight and hooked it onto her belt. It was a new type that didn’t use batteries. All you had to do was shake it, and the beam of light would penetrate fifty feet. It was heavier than she liked and awkward to carry, but she needed it. It was called Forever Lite.

Sam wore jeans and a long-sleeved yellow shirt in case the nights got cold. Timberland boots covered her feet. Her hair was piled high on her head and covered with a baseball cap that said ATLANTA BRAVES on the bill. She needed the hat so that bugs and ticks wouldn’t get in her hair. A lightweight windbreaker lined in flannel was tied around her waist. Again, in case the nights were colder than expected. Satisfied with her inventory, she looked down at the wolf-dog, and said, “Let’s go, Alpha. Time to go home.” Alpha sprinted off.

A light mist was falling when Sam and Alpha started up the mountain. Even if the mist turned to hard rain, the overhead canopy of trees would protect her. The time was three thirty.

For the next twenty-four hours, Sam and Alpha climbed steadily. Every hour they stopped for a ten-minute break and sips of water. They napped for thirty minutes every four hours or so. The flashlight was turning out to be invaluable.

Nighttime proved the most worrisome to Sam, but Alpha had no problem. She was tiring, though, and needed to rest more often. The spike of energy she got from the PowerBars she munched on helped a little. This was all about stamina—Pappy’s favorite word.