Jackson looked longingly at the black leather couch against the far wall in her office. If only she could close her eyes for an hour—even half an hour—she would be ready to tackle the rest of the data entry for the upcoming Northern Frontier Search and Rescue training weekend.
She trudged to her desk, staring at the stack of papers she needed to work her way through before picking up her eight-year-old son from day camp, then heading home. She should have been finished by now, but in the middle of the night a search and rescue call had gone out for an elderly gentleman. She had manned the command center for his search, which had ended with the man being found, but her exhaustion from lack of sleep was finally catching up with her.
When she saw her son, Robbie, he would no doubt have a ton of questions about the emergency that had sent him to her neighbor’s. This wasn’t the first time she’d disturbed her son’s sleep in the middle of the night because of a search and rescue, and Robbie was a trooper. Once he’d come with her to the command center when she couldn’t find a babysitter. He’d begged to go with her ever since then, but it was impossible to watch over him and fulfill her duties. She’d promised him when he was older, he could.
The sight of the training folder on the desktop screen taunted her to get to work. David Stone, who ran the organization, would return soon and need the list, since the instructional exercises would take place in two days. So much to get done before Saturday. As she sat in her desk chair, she rubbed her blurry eyes, then clicked on the folder. The schedule and list popped up, the cursor blinking hypnotically. When her head started dropping forward, she jerked it up. Not even two pots of coffee were helping her to stay alert.
The door into the hangar opened, and her boss entered. He’d conducted the aerial search for Mr. Otterman, who had finally been found wandering in the middle of a shallow stream two miles from his nursing home.
Her gaze connected with David’s. “Mr. Otterman checked out fine, according to your wife, and he’s safely back at Aurora Nursing Home.”
“Thankfully Josiah and Alex got to him before he made it to the river the stream fed into.” He looked as tired as she felt. “Josiah is right behind me. Send him into my office when he comes in.”
For a few seconds, Ella was sidetracked by the mention of Josiah. There was something about the man that intrigued her. His short black hair, the bluest eyes she’d ever seen and a slender, athletic build set her heart racing. Although he was handsome, she’d learned to be leery of men with those kinds of looks. No, it was his presence at a search and rescue that drew her to him. Commanding, captivating—and a loner. She knew one when she met one because she was much more comfortable alone, especially after her marriage to an abusive man. For a second, thoughts of her ex-husband threatened to take hold. She wouldn’t go there. He’d done enough to her in the past. She wouldn’t allow him—even in memories—into her present life.
“Ella, are you all right?”
David pulled her away from her thoughts. “I’m okay. Bree wanted me to tell you to go home and get some sleep since you never went to bed last night.”
“My wife worries too much. Josiah and I need to work out some details about the training this weekend.” David studied her. “But you should definitely go home. You were here before I was this morning.”
“But these lists—”
The jarring ring of the phone cut off the rest of Ella’s sentence. She snatched it up and said, “Northern Frontier Search and Rescue. How may I help you?”
“Mrs. Jackson?” a female voice asked.
It sounded like one of the counselors at the day camp Robbie went to during the summer. “Yes. Is this Stacy?”
“Yes. I’m so sorry to call you, but your son and two other boys are missing. We’ve looked everywhere around here and can’t find them. We’ll continue—”
“What happened?” Stunned, Ella gripped the phone tighter. Surely she’d misheard.
“We don’t know. Robbie, Travis and Michael were playing together during free time between activities, but when the counselor rounded up everyone for the Alaskan bear presentation, they were gone.”
“I’ll be right there with some help to search for them.” She didn’t know how she managed to speak a coherent sentence, her mouth was as dry as the desert. Phone still in her trembling hand, Ella rose, glancing around for her purse. Where did she put it?
“I’d hoped you would say that. It’s not like them to run off.”
“I’ll be there as soon as possible.” She nearly dropped the phone as she looked around trying to find her leather bag. Beads of perspiration broke out on her forehead. Usually it was on the floor under the desk near her feet.
Where is it? I need my keys. The camp wouldn’t call me unless...
Her heartbeat raced. Tears pooled in her eyes. She put the phone in its cradle, and then rummaged through her desk drawers.
David clasped her arms and forced her to stop her search. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Robbie. He’s missing from Camp Yukon with two other boys.”
David released his grasp and reached toward the filing cabinet. “Here’s your purse.” He put it in her hand.
She hugged her handbag against her chest, then started for the door.
“Wait, Ella. Let me make some calls. We’ll get volunteers out to the campsite. Josiah is still out in the hangar with his dog, Buddy. Catch him before his sister leaves. She was heading out to her car when I came in. Have one of them drive you. You shouldn’t go by yourself, and it might take me some time to get the search organized and notify the authorities in case the camp hasn’t.”
As though on autopilot, Ella changed directions and headed to the hangar, scanning the cavernous area for Josiah Witherspoon and his search and rescue German shepherd. They had just been successful in finding Mr. Otterman. But then she thought back to the ones they hadn’t found in time. Not my son. Please, God. Not my son.
Ella spied Josiah coming into the open hangar from outside, Buddy, a black-and-brown German shepherd on a leash next to him. He walked toward her, his long strides quickly cutting the distance between them.
“What’s wrong, Ella?” His tanned forehead scrunched and his dark blue eyes filled with concern. “Another job?”
Words stuck in her throat. She nodded, fighting the tears welling in her. “My son is missing,” she finally squeaked out.
“Where? When?” he asked, suddenly all business.
“About an hour ago at Camp Yukon, which is held at Kincaid Park near the outdoor center. They did a preliminary search but couldn’t find him or the two boys with him. David said—” She swallowed several times. “I hope you can help look for them.”
Josiah was already retrieving his cell phone from his belt clip. “I’ll let Alex know to go there. She just left with her dog, Sadie.” He connected with his twin sister and gave her the information. “I’ll be right behind you. I’m bringing Ella,” he told her. Then he hung up.
“You don’t have to. I can...” She gripped her purse’s
