please bless the ones searching for my son and his friends. Comfort the families and friends who are waiting. Amen,” Ella finished, seeing Josiah in a new light today. They’d talked casually the past few months, but there was always a barrier there, a look of pain in his blue eyes. She knew that expression because she fought to keep hers hidden since she dealt with so many people who needed someone to listen to them when they were hurting. She could help them, but she wasn’t sure anyone could help her.
* * *
In the woods, Josiah gave Buddy as much leash as possible and let him dictate where they went. Having insisted she couldn’t stay at the command post, Ella trailed behind him as they searched farther away from the base at the day camp. His sister and her dog, Sadie, were following Travis’s scent, while another search and rescue worker, Jesse Hunt, had the third boy’s backpack, and his dog was tracking that child.
Josiah glanced over at Alex to his right and Jesse to his left, both within ten feet of him. Suddenly the dogs veered away from each other. Buddy went straight while the others made an almost ninety-degree turn.
“They separated?” Ella asked, coming up to his side.
“I believe so.” Tearing his gaze away from her fearful eyes, Josiah examined the soft ground. “Someone else has been here recently.” He pointed to the ground. “That’s Robbie’s shoe print and that’s someone with a size twelve or thirteen boot.”
“A man? Someone else searching for the kids?”
His gut clenched. “Maybe one of the counselors came this way.” Or maybe it was someone else who had nothing to do with the day camp. He wouldn’t voice that to Ella. She didn’t need to worry any more than she already was.
Josiah continued following Buddy, scanning the ground for any signs that would help him find Robbie. He didn’t know how Ella could deal with the people who waited to see if their family member or friend was found. While bringing her to Kincaid Park, he’d felt unsure of what to say to help her. He was used to being alone. He was better off working alone with Buddy. He’d learned that the hard way.
Buddy stopped at the base of a spruce tree, sniffing the trunk, then taking off to the left. Josiah inspected the lower branches and found a few of the smaller ones were broken off—recently.
“I believe he climbed this tree.” Josiah pointed at the damaged limbs, then headed the direction Buddy went.
“If only he’d stayed here. It’s been hours since he disappeared. It’s starting to get colder, and he has no jacket on.” Falling into step next to Josiah, Ella scanned the dense woods surrounding them.
The quaver in her voice penetrated the hard shell he’d placed his emotions in to put his life back together after being a prisoner of war in the Middle East. “He’s walked and even run a long way from where he was last seen. He’ll get tired and probably find a place to rest.”
Ella’s wide brown eyes were riveted to his. “What made them separate? I saw the lengthening of the spaces between the footprints. He was running then, wasn’t he?”
Her gaze drew him in, so much pain reflected in it. He gritted his teeth, not wanting to answer her question, not wanting to add to her distress.
“You don’t have to say anything. I can see it on your face. Something or someone scared him. The person whose boot prints we found with his. I saw them under the tree, too. He’s being stalked.” Ella came to stop.
“It could be someone searching for the kids. Don’t jump to any conclusions. Speculation can drive you crazy.”
“Just the facts, then. We’re on point on this search. The rest are spread out and going much slower behind us.” Her teeth dug into her lower lip.
Before he realized what he was doing, he touched her shoulder, feeling the tension beneath his fingers. “Let’s go. We don’t need to stand around speculating.” He squeezed her gently before he turned toward Buddy, who was sniffing the ground five yards away.
His dog barked and charged forward, straining against the leash. Five minutes later, Buddy weaved through some trees, yelping several times. Josiah kept pace with his dog, his body screaming in protest at the long hours he’d been awake without much rest. His German shepherd circled a patch of ground.
Josiah came to a halt at the spot with Ella next to him. She stared at the ground, her face pale. Bear prints. Fresh ones.
“A bear is nearby, possibly after Robbie,” Ella whispered in a squeaky voice, her eyes huge.
Ella sucked in a deep breath that she held until pain shot through her chest. Finally she exhaled, then managed to ask, “Is the bear following him?”
“No, but it looks as though Robbie stopped, turned around, then began running this way.” Josiah pointed to the right. “The bear is going straight.”
“Oh, good.” Relief sagged her shoulders until she realized the bear might not be the only one.
After taking his dog off the leash, Josiah signaled to Buddy to continue tracking Robbie. As Josiah followed behind the German shepherd, he said over his shoulder, “I think Robbie is slowing down. His strides are closer together.”
Her cell phone rang, and Ella quickly answered it. It was David. “Has anyone been found?”
“Yes, Travis.”
Ella said a quick prayer of thanks.
David continued. “Alex located him not far from Little Campbell Lake. She’s bringing him in.”
“Did he tell Alex anything? What happened? Why did they part?”
“They thought if they split up, one of them could get help.”
“How did they get lost?”
“They snuck away from Camp Yukon and were playing in the woods. All I know was a man spooked them.”
A man? Were those boot prints they saw that man’s? If so, the man had not only spooked them but followed them—followed Robbie. What if it was her ex-husband? Could Keith have found them? He’d never cared about his son, but he might kidnap him to get back at her. Her chest suddenly felt constricted. Each breath of air she inhaled burned her throat and lungs.
No. Keith couldn’t have found them. Please, God, it can’t be him. Memories inundated Ella as she fought for a decent breath.
“Ella?” David’s concerned voice wrenched her back to the present. “Ella, are you all right?”
No. “We’re following Robbie’s tracks. We should find him soon.” If she said it often enough, it might come true.
“I’ll find out more when Travis gets here. I’ll call you when I hear something else.”
When Ella hung up, she realized she’d slowed her gait to a crawl as she’d talked with David. The space between her and Josiah had doubled. She hurried her pace to catch up with him.
“That
