Missing (9 page)

     He turned back to Frank, sensing that Frank was a former military man who might speak the language.

     “Our choppers have started their sweep south of Comfort, between Highways 10 and 87. That’s where we lost contact with Hilo One. They’ll work their way north by northwest. Assuming they stayed on course, we’ll find them.”

     Mark asked, “And if they didn’t? If their equipment malfunctioned and they strayed or changed course?”

     “Then we’ll still find them. It’ll just take a little longer.”

     “Who are the people sitting in the other three cars, colonel?”

     “My communications and search and rescue coordinators. With your permission, we’d like to set up a mobile command post. So we can coordinate our operations from this end as well as from Kelly.”

     “Can your comm people splice into our own command center and share our antennas?”

     “Of course. That would save us a lot of time.”

     The colonel turned and made a motion to the vehicles behind him.

     As one, all the car doors opened and several persons exited. Trunks and hatchbacks popped open and every man grabbed boxes, rolls of maps, and laptop computers.

     Frank said, “Follow me, colonel.”

     He turned and headed back to the gate, with the others in tow.

     Frank was well aware that some in the compound might not like it that he was bringing in a dozen members of the United States Army. Some in their group might find it suspicious. And in such force, the Army might try to control things, as they were wont to do.

     But these weren’t normal circumstances. Three of their own were missing and might be injured or worse. Frank figured that if they wanted to replace him as assistant security manager when this was all over, then so be it. But for now, his role as he saw it was to do whatever he had to do to get their people back.

     Right now the Army had the resources, and therefore the best hand.

     So Frank would let them play their cards.

     “Karen, this is Frank. The Army is here to help. I’m bringing them in.”

Chapter 16

     Hannah shivered in the cold night air.

     Joel pressed his body closer to hers. His head rested on her chest, his arm draped gently across her midsection.

     Under different circumstances, he might have found significant delight in snuggling so closely with a beautiful woman.

     But this wasn’t for pleasure. This was to share the warmth of their body heat. In the terrible situation they were in, it was really the only thing they could do to make each other more comfortable.

     “I’m terribly thirsty,” she said.

     “I know. So am I. Try not to think about it. That’ll help a little bit.”

     “Okay. I’ll try.”

     Joel had a sudden thought, and reached into one of the zippered breast pockets of his flight suit.

     He took out half a pack of Juicy Fruit gum.

     “Here. Chew on a stick of this. It won’t quench your thirst, but it’ll help keep your mouth moist. It’ll be easier for you to forget how thirsty you are if your mouth isn’t dry. And it’ll help you to keep talking. That’s what I need more than water.”

     She turned her head to look at him.

     “You need for me to talk more than you need water?”

     It sounded so odd to her.

     “Yes. When I regained consciousness after the crash I saw that one leg was already gone. I was able to stop the bleeding, and then I took a good look at the other leg.

     “It’s obvious that it’ll have to be taken too. It’s completely crushed.

     “Oddly enough, I can’t feel either of them. I guess that’s probably a good thing.

     “Anyway, I’ve always been a very physical guy. I’m a runner, five miles a day. I play for my unit’s football and softball teams. Last summer my football team won the base championship, and I was the quarterback.”

     He started to choke up.

     She felt bad for him, and ran her fingers through his hair. Like she did for little Markie when he was troubled or sad.

     “Anyway, I looked down at my legs and realized that’s all gone now. I’ll never run again. I’ll never play in the big game. I’ll never hoist a championship trophy over my head again. It’s all gone now.”

     He stopped speaking for a moment and enjoyed the sensation of Hannah’s fingers running through his hair. It seemed to have a calming affect on him.

     It was a small gesture in light of what they were facing, but it helped.

     “I thought that my life as I knew it was over. I didn’t want to have a life where I could no longer run, could no longer ride my Harley, could no longer make love to a woman.

     “I was getting ready to take off my tourniquet, and let myself bleed out.

     “Then I thought I heard something on the other side of the fuselage. It was you, calling for help.

     “And it dawned on me then, I still had a mission to perform. I was the only surviving member of the aircrew. If you were still alive, I was the only one in a position to keep you that way until the rescue team arrives.

     “All of a sudden I had a reason to go on. So instead of removing my tourniquet, I started crawling. It took me a lot longer than I thought it would. I guess I’m weak because of the blood loss. But along the way, I lost all the self-pity I had. I lost the desire to end it all. Now all I want to do is see you pulled out from under this damn helicopter and flown to a hospital.

     “After that, I don’t care what happens to me. My mission is accomplished. The Army made me swear to protect to the best of my ability the passengers trusted into my care. All the aircrew has that responsibility. If you live, then I’ve fulfilled my commitment. Then if I die, I don’t really care.”

     “I care.”

     He realized he had talked almost non-stop for five minutes. Joel wasn’t a big talker by nature. He was a bit on the quiet side. So knowing he’d dominated the conversation for so long embarrassed him a bit.

     “Thank you for that, Hannah. Now, I’ve talked long enough. I’ll shut up now.”

     “Thank you.”

     “For shutting up?”

     “No. For being a gallant knight. For coming to my rescue.”

     “Oh. You’re welcome. I think my coming to your rescue was good for both of us.”

     There was complete silence for the better part of a minute.

     Then it was Hannah’s turn to speak.

     “It was from a movie.”

     “Huh?”

     “The line you used earlier. You said, ‘It’s just you and me, kid.’ It’s a line from a movie, but I can’t remember which one.”

     “I’ve been told that before. I mean, I’ve used that line for years, and I don’t remember when I started. Some of the girls I’ve dated have thought it was cute. One told me not long ago that she loved that movie. But she couldn’t remember the name of it either. She said she thought the guy who said it in the movie was named Bogart or something.”

     “Yes! Humphrey Bogart.”

     “Yeah, that sounds familiar. She said he was this old dude, a big star back in the olden days, when all the movies were black and white. She said he said the line to some blonde, but she couldn’t remember the blonde’s name. I guess it doesn’t matter much now.”

     “I’m pretty sure her name was Lauren Bacall. And yes, it was a black and white movie, but I would prefer to call it a classic, instead of old timey. You make me feel very old when you say a movie I loved was old.”

     “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel old.”

     “That’s okay. Apology accepted. Why can’t I remember the name of that movie? I can picture them in my mind, and hear him saying the line. I just can’t remember the name of that movie. Darn it!”

     “Say, can I ask you a question?”

     “Sure.”

     “How old are you?”

     “Why, Joel, if I could lift my left arm I’d punch you. Don’t you know that’s a question you never ask a woman?”

     “Sorry. It’s just that you said I made you feel old when I insinuated your movie was. I didn’t mean to. I mean, you certainly don’t look old. You look like you’re my age.”

     “I’m thirty two. I’ll be thirty three in a couple of months.”

     “Really? On what day?”

     “June sixth. And what do you mean,
really
?”

     “I’m thirty two also. I’ll be thirty three on June sixth also.”

     “
Seriously?
We were born on the same day?”

     “No, not really.”

     “Then why did you say we were?”

     “Oh, I don’t know. I was trying to make you like me, I guess.”

     “Oh, Joel… I already like you. You seem like an incredible guy.”

     “I am. I’m also two years younger than you. I guess that’s the real reason I lied about our birthdays. I was afraid if you found out I was a younger guy you might not marry me someday. A lot of hot older chicks don’t like younger guys.”

     “Hot
older
chicks?”

     “You’re not supposed to put the emphasis on the older part. You’re supposed to put the emphasis on the hot part.”

     “So it’s half a compliment. Thank you for the hot part, anyway. And you do remember that I’m already married, right?”

     “I know. But a guy can dream. I was checking you out on the chopper, and I have to say, your being married is the only flaw you have.”

     She would have laughed, except it wasn’t worth the pain.

     Instead she said, “Joel, you’re nuts, do you know that?”

     “Yep. I know.”

Chapter 17

     “Karen, this is Lieutenant Colonel Weiss. He’s going to consolidate his rescue operations with our own, so we can work together.”

     Karen reached out and shook the colonel’s hand.

     Frank turned to the colonel and said, “It’s important that your communications and operations run independently of ours and that we still have our own comm. We’ve got a second search operation going on as well.

     Weiss was startled.

     “A second search, in addition to Hilo One?”

     “Yes. One of our women is lost in the forest, and hasn’t been seen in fifteen hours.”

     “I assure you that our communications ops will not interfere with your own. We’ll set up over there in your lounge, if that’s okay with you. We’ll just need to run cables to plug into your router and antenna box.”

     “Good.”

     “As for your other search… I might be able to help you to that regard. Do you have enough searchers?”

     “Not as many as we’d like. We’ve sent them all home for the night to get some rest. We’re starting up again at daylight.”

     “I see.”

     At that moment a young corporal came over to Lt Col Weiss.

     “Yes. What is it?”

     “Pardon me for interrupting, sir. We’ve established radio contact with the Kelly operations center.”

     “Thank you.”

     Weiss walked over to the lounge and picked up the handset on a portable radio unit.

     “Kelly Ops, this is FOB Rescue. Come in.”

     “Go ahead, Colonel Weiss. This is Major Haverty.”

     “Major, we have confirmation that Hilo One is down somewhere south of its destination. No distress calls or reports to the target site would probably indicate it’s at least five miles from here.”

     “Yes, sir. That’ll narrow the search area considerably.”

     “What’s the status of the operation?”

     “Rescues One, Two and Four are approximately twenty miles north of Comfort and just west of Highway 87. Rescue Three is on the ground at N 28°40' W 96°33.75', investigating several flashes. Will advise when we have further information.”

     The colonel’s eyebrows raised slightly. It didn’t escape the notice of John or Mark.

     “Any reports of walkers?”