Nick winced at the thought that Skyler might have ventured into the lake. This was the most difficult part of his job. Seeing a child in harm’s way was agonizing, and not being able to rescue the child in a timely manner would be the worst possible outcome. “Temps are going to drop this evening, which could make it difficult for Skyler. If we don’t find her, she’s going to have a rough night.”
“Right,” Luke said. “And from what her parents said, she was wearing a thick sweater but no coat.” Nick let out a groan. Any time a child was involved, he took it personally. Skyler was just a few years younger than Miles. He couldn’t imagine what he would do if Miles was missing. He’d move heaven and earth to locate him, which is what he planned to do for Skyler.
Nick pulled out a map of the lake area and spread it out on the table. “Okay, help me look, Luke. What aren’t we seeing about the area?” He pointed at the forested area that they’d searched earlier. “The sweep of this portion was comprehensive. Of course, we could have missed her, but I don’t think so.”
Luke studied the map. “Most of the houses are on the other side of the lake. That area was also checked.”
“And the forested area is closest to the party location. This is tricky terrain. Skyler would be hard to spot by helicopter,” Nick noted. He clenched his jaw. “I think this is where she is,” Nick said, pointing toward a wooded area close to where she’d last been spotted. “It makes sense that she’s somewhere in the woods, since she seemed to vanish so fast from the lake area. A wooded area would hide her from sight as soon as she stepped into the forest.”
They continued to scrutinize the map. Neither one of them wanted to think about the fact that she might have gone into the lake. They weren’t going to even consider it as long as other possibilities existed.
“Is there any location in this specific area that might provide shelter?” Nick asked. Troubleshooting with Luke helped Nick see the big picture. Kids loved to hide. Alone and scared, a child might seek to hunker down.
“Here,” Luke said, pointing to a spot a few miles away from the last location where she’d been spotted. “What’s this?”
Nick squinted. “It looks like some sort of structure. If they were playing hide-and-seek, she might have gotten lost and taken shelter there.”
Luke nodded. “Makes sense to me. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” he asked, glancing at his watch. “It’s going to get dark in an hour or so, which means the search will be called off until morning.”
“We should head out now,” Nick said, standing up. “We’ll have to haul ass to get to that area by dark. Ready?”
Luke flexed his biceps. “I’m always ready.”
Normally Nick would make some sort of joke about Luke’s comment, but at the moment he deeply appreciated the fact that they were in this together. The other members of the search and rescue team were amazing, but there was no one who he was in sync with like Luke. Their way of thinking was the same, as well as their tenacity and dedication. If anyone was capable of seeing this rescue through with him, it was Luke.
As they headed out, a few team members crossed paths with them and decided to join them. Rocky Donato and Danielle Parks were among the best of his team. Nick had worked with Danielle on several occasions, and although Rocky was relatively new, he’d impressed Nick with his diligence and follow-through.
Nick and Luke had mapped out a path through the woods, with the end goal of scouting out the perimeter by the edifice. Throughout their trek they called out to Skyler, pausing along the way to listen for any sounds of activity. The forest was still other than birds and animals scurrying around. Darkness was setting in with the sun quickly fading from the sky. A feeling of frustration rose up inside of him.Lord, let us find her!He wasn’t a man who prayed a lot, but now was one of those desperate moments.
“Look up ahead!” Danielle called out, pointing at something in the distance.
Nick followed her gaze, his adrenaline pumping as he spotted the small log cabin. Most likely it had been set up for Girl Scout troops or other organizations for overnight stays. As they got closer, Nick observed that it was in disrepair, as if the structure hadn’t been utilized in the past decade or so.
“Why don’t Danielle and I check out the surrounding area while the two of you go inside,” Rocky suggested, taking out his tactical solar flashlight. The sun was dipping below the horizon at a rapid rate. Darkness would soon envelop them, making everything more complicated.
“Sounds good,” Nick said as he looked around the property before heading inside with Luke. “Skyler. Are you in here?” he called out.
“Skyler,” Luke said in a cheery voice. “Don’t be afraid. We’re part of the search and rescue team.”
They were met with silence. Nick wanted to let out a scream of frustration. He’d been so certain Skyler might be here in this dwelling. Maybe he’d been wrong.
Nick heard a rustling sound just as a little blond head popped out of the closet. Suddenly, he felt as if a hundred-pound weight had been lifted off his chest.
“Skyler?” Nick asked, getting down on his haunches so he wouldn’t look so scary to a six-year-old. He knew his height could be intimidating.
She nodded her head but didn’t speak or move toward him. Green eyes looked back at him with a mixture of fear and awe.
Luke stood in the doorway, keeping his distance so Nick could coax her out of her hiding spot. Although Skyler looked a bit disheveled, he was happy to see she seemed to be doing well otherwise.
“My name is Nick and I came here to find you, Skyler. That’s my brother, Luke. It’s our job to help people. I know you must be scared, but I’d like to take you back to your family. They’re anxious to see you.”
“Are you my friend?” Skyler asked, cocking her head to the side.
“I’d like to be,” Nick said. “I have a son a few years older than you. You’ve been very brave, Skyler, but you’re not alone anymore. We’ve got you.” He reached into his backpack and pulled out a granola bar and a bottled water. “You must be hungry. It’s past your dinnertime, I’m guessing. These are really good. My son likes them so much he takes them to school every day.”
Skyler came running toward him, throwing herself against his chest and wrapping her arms around his neck. She was holding on to him so tightly, Nick couldn’t breathe properly. But it was okay with him. She was safe! Her family would sleep well tonight knowing their baby girl was out of harm’s way.
“I am really hungry,” she said, pulling away from him and reaching out for the granola bar. “And thirsty.”
