“Is he missing?” One of them asks.
Brooke puts on a reassuring smile. “Like you say, he’s probably caught up filming. He’ll turn up any minute.”
“What if he doesn’t?” asks a small boy.
“And miss dinner?” I cut in. I’m better at putting on a calm face than Brooke. “I doubt it. You boys better get in line, or there won’t be any left.”
I indicate the room behind us where the kitchen staff have put the food out and the other students are lining up to get their dinner.
The boys head off to join the line. As soon as they’re out of earshot, Brooke turns to me.
Her expression is tense, and there are worried lines creasing her brow. “I’m worried.”
“I know.” I long to cup her face in my hands, to smooth the worry lines off her features. I settle for putting my hands on her shoulders, hoping to steady her.
“You keep the kids occupied. I’ll rally the staff, and we’ll go find him.”
“He must have strayed off the path somewhere.” Her hand flutters to her chest. “What if something’s happened to him? What if there’s a bear, or a bobcat?”
“Then he’ll probably try to interview it.” I try to make a joke, but it doesn’t land.
“I’ll help search. He’s under my care. I’m responsible.”
I glance into the hall where the students are tucking into their food. But the chatter isn’t as loud as usual. No one’s laughing, and there are several glances our way.
“The students need you. They’ll start getting anxious. They need a steady hand.”
Her gaze studies my face. “How about you? It’s dangerous out there in the dark.”
I trail my palms down her shoulders until I grasp her hands. “It’s sweet that you’re worried about me, but this is what I’m trained for.” I indicate the kids peering anxiously at us. “And this is what you’re trained for. I’ll find Justin, you keep things calm here.”
She nods once, and I squeeze her hands. Then I jog around to the staff quarters to form a search party.
Ten minutes later, I’m deep in the woods where we just came from. The path forks in two, and Bruce has taken the other branch in case Justin got lost in the dark. The camp director is doing a check of the grounds, and Linda, the cook, is taking the path that goes by the river.
My daypack has basic survival gear; I never go into the woods without it. And I cast my flashlight across the path, making big sweeps as I call Justin’s name. It’s pitch black now, and I can’t see anything outside the beam of my light.
I go slowly and methodically, keeping my eyes wide open and peering into the sides of the path with every sweep of the flashlight.
He could have slipped, and he could be unconscious. It’s unlikely an animal was around with the noise we were making as we walked, but now that the silence and the dark have settled in, there could be any number of predators.
I keep my thoughts from racing and focus on the moment; sweep the flashlight, check the beam, call his name, stop and listen. I fall into the rhythm of the search, trying not to think about what I might find.
Each minute that ticks by without a trace of Justin has my anxiety rising. I hope Brooke’s managing to keep the kids busy. Her anxious expression haunts me. I have to bring him home, for her.
I just hope she isn’t being too hard on herself. Justin has been disobeying rules the whole time we’ve been at camp, but if something has happened to him, Brooke will never forgive herself.
I keep pushing on up the trail, swipe the beam, call his name, stop to listen. It feels like I’ve been out here for hours, but it must only be twenty minutes when I hear a faint cry.
I call Justin’s name again and cock my head to listen. Sure enough, there’s an answering call coming from up the path. I move quicker, swiping the beam of the flashlight. The sound becomes louder, a croaky voice.
“Over here.”
I follow the voice, and my flashlight picks up a trail in the undergrowth made by animals. It’s off the main path and not made by or for humans, but big enough to walk along between the trees.
I find Justin slumped by a tree, his knees pulled up to his chest, his arm over his eyes shielding them from the beam of light.
“It’s okay, buddy.” I crouch next to him and put the flashlight on the soft ground so the beam isn’t in his face.
