Thunder clapped. Luke jumped. The trees creaked and bent in the gusting wind. Any moment now the storm would unleash its full fury. Panicked, Luke remembered the meteorologist on the Weather Channel talking about the five horsemen of thunderstorms. Wind, flood, hail, lightning, and tornadoes all spawned by super storm cells. Dangers ready to trample Luke beneath their feet.
Luke hunched over, resisting the desire to bolt inside. Fear throbbed through him with each pounding beat of his heart. All the muscles in his body urge him to find shelter. But Megan might be down this path. She could be hurt or in danger. Luke cursed his dad for not getting him a cell phone. He glanced over at the house. Scott could contact Dad.
Luke opened his mouth to call Lightning back, but stopped. No doubt Lighting had Megan’s scent. Unafraid, the small white dog wagged her tail under the bending trees. Luke closed his mouth. Megan needed him. Right now. When the rain came, it would wash the scent from the ground. No time to spare.
Luke stepped toward his dog.
Must. His legs wobbled like an uneven tower of blocks.
Find. His stomach pinched tight around a cold hard ball of fear.
Megan. With every nerve tingling, Luke followed Lightning.
CHAPTER 18
Don’t Think, Just Do
A step. One foot in front of the other. Luke concentrated on the placement of his feet as if he balanced on a tightrope above a deep chasm. He focused on the white fur ball in front of him. The wind shook the trees so hard they shushed without stop.
Luke ducked his head with each roar of thunder. The limbs above him could break at any moment and crush him like road-kill.
Sweat soaked his jacket, and he sucked in the thick humid air. When Lightning reached the branch in the trail, she veered left, up the hill. Leave it to Megan to pick the steepest trail.
Luke felt electrified, like if he touched something he would cause a spark. He checked the hair on his arms and his head. If the hair stood straight up, it meant the air was charged for a lightning strike. Nothing. For now.
Fat raindrops pelted the forest, splatting as they hit the bushes nearby. A minute later, pouring rain broke through the leafy tree canopy followed by a blinding flash of lightning and immediate crack of thunder right above Luke.
He crouched low with his hands on his knees. Huddled on the ground, he shook as he waited for the heart of the storm to pass. When thunder rumbled a few seconds after the lightning and he hadn’t turned into an ash pile, Luke finally staggered to his feet, wiping mud from his face.
I can’t do this. Megan can’t be out here. Lightning is still a pup. No way she found Megan’s scent. It’s insane.
Another boom of thunder sent Luke to his knees. The rain stung his shoulders, soaked his hair, and ran down his face. A sense of immediate danger overcame Luke.
Need. To. Go. Back. Now.
He screamed for Lightning. His dog waited for him halfway up the trail. Luke drew breath to yell again when an image of Megan flashed in his mind. What if she was in a lot of pain? What if she was bleeding or had broken bones?
No matter how terrified he was, Luke just couldn’t leave Megan alone in the storm.
Don’t think. Just do.
He crawled after Lightning. Near the top of the trail, Luke stopped, shielding his eyes from the stinging rain. Lightning turned left and disappeared down the narrow path that led to the overlook. Luke counted seconds between the next flash and the thunder. The storm wasn’t as close. Not so dangerous.
Luke pushed to his feet and followed the twisty trail. Water-filled boot prints stamped the ground. They’d been made prior to the rain, and the pattern resembled Megan’s.
Hope spurred him on, and he picked up his pace. The thick forest blocked the thin path at times. Pushing through the undergrowth, Luke snagged his jacket on a thorny bush. The barbs cut into his skin as he pulled it out. Pain burned, but he ignored it.
When the path straightened out, Luke slowed. The trail ended soon, but he wasn’t sure where. Lightning looped back to him. Her white fur was plastered to her body, and mud coated her legs and belly. She ran around his feet then dashed ahead. Maybe she’d lost the scent. Worry flared in his guts.
As the thunderstorm moved further east, the rain lessened. A brisk, cold wind blew from the west. Soaked down to his underwear, Luke shivered. Another line of thunderstorms might be coming. The need to hurry pulsed in his heart.
Lightning returned and sat down next to him. Disappointment wrapped around Luke like a soggy blanket. She had lost the scent. And it was getting dark. Two things not in Megan’s favor.
Their search for Megan had been for nothing. As Dad would say, a bad rescue. Those words sent a cold knife of fear into Luke.
When Dad found a missing person too late or not at all, it upset him for weeks. Luke had never really thought about it before. But now that Megan was lost, he understood how Dad had felt – sick to his stomach.
It won’t happen to Megan. I won’t let it.
Determined to return and help Dad with the search whether he wanted Luke or not, he turned around. But Lightning barked, looped around him, and sprinted in the opposite direction.
Now what? He called her. She barked again. It sounded echoey. She had reached the overlook with the steep drop-off. Oh no. Luke ran.
Lightning pawed at the edge of the cliff. Luke grabbed her before she could fall.
He hugged her tight. “Don’t scare me like that.”
A weak flash of light drew him closer to the edge. He peered over.
“Megan,” he yelled.
Crouched on the small ledge below, she waved a mud-covered flashlight. Her father lay next to her.
“Luke,” she called. “Help! My father broke his leg. It’s bad!”
For a second Luke froze as all his thoughts jumbled together. Then the little bit of training Dad had taught him kicked in.
First rule, keep calm. Second, assess the situation. Stuck on a ledge, Megan wore a T-shirt and jeans, and Mr. Duncan had on khakis and a flannel shirt. Both were soaked and shivering in the chilly air – maybe hypothermic. And Mr. Duncan needed medical care.
Third, plan a course of action. Call for help. Did Megan have her cell phone? Dumb question. If she or Mr. Duncan had a working phone, they’d have called last night.
Think. Mr. Duncan couldn’t move. But Megan could. I’ll help her first, then we’ll go fetch Dad.
Putting Lightning down, Luke peeled off his wet jacket and wrung it out. He lay down and hooked his feet around a nearby tree trunk. Then he lowered the jacket to Megan.
“Grab it and climb up,” he ordered. Rain hit the back of his neck like tiny needles of cold.
On tiptoe, she wrapped her hands around the end of the sleeve. He held on tight while she climbed. Water flowed over the edge and down the side. Her foot slipped, sending rocks and mud onto her father.
Megan tried again. Sliding down, she almost yanked the jacket from Luke’s grasp. She grabbed a rock just in time, stopping her fall. No longer cold, Luke adjusted his hold.
That was close.
“This isn’t going to work,” she puffed. “I tried before and almost fell off the ledge.”
“Keep going,” Luke said. “Don’t think, just do.”
When she was almost within reach, the jacket started ripping.
“Hurry,” Luke urged.
Grunting with effort, Megan grabbed Luke’s arms.
“Climb up me,” he said through gritted teeth.
She did, pulling herself up and over the edge. Luke rolled over, and they both lay on the ground catching their breath.
Luke stood up first. Mud covered him from the neck down. He tried to wipe it off, but only smeared it. Instead, he cleaned off his jacket and handed it to Megan.
>
She jumped to her feet. “Luke, you came out in a storm.”
“Yeah. So?” he said casually, but he couldn’t stop grinning. He had faced a storm and hadn’t backed down.
“So?” She hugged him. “So, thanks!”
He squeezed her back. “Come on, we need to get help for your dad.”
“No. I’ll stay here while you get help.” She put on his jacket.
“You’re coming. You’re freezing, and you need to get warm.”
She put her hands on her hips. “I’m staying.”
Mr. Duncan called from below. They leaned over the edge to hear him. “Meggie, go. Luke’s right,” he said with effort. “Stop arguing and get moving.”
“No.”
Luke tried another tactic. “Megan, I am the finder, and you are the findee. You have to listen to me. Fact of life.”
Not waiting for a response, Luke grabbed her arm and hurried her along the path. Lightning trotted next to them.
Megan picked up Lightning, lavishing hugs and praise on her before setting her down. “I thought she’d run away when I saw her looking down at us,” Megan said. “I told her to get help. Dad’s cell phone broke when he fell, and I left mine in my pack. Lightning disappeared but came back too fast, so I thought no one would ever find us.” Her words rushed out in one burst.
“What were you doing out here?” he asked.
“Last night, I got mad and ran off. I grabbed my backpack and was headed toward your house when my flip-flop broke.” Megan gestured at her boots.
“I left my pack on the trail to go change into my boots. While I was in the kennel, guess who came looking for me?”
“Your dad?”
“Yeah. Last person I wanted to see. So I grabbed the flashlight, slipped out the back door, and headed up my trail.”
“And ditched your flip-flops in a bush.”
“How’d you know that?”
“Lightning found them,” he said. “That’s how she found you.”
“Oh. At least I did one thing right last night.” Megan kept quiet for a few steps. “Anyway my dad followed me up the trail, he didn’t have a flashlight, but the moon was bright. I tried to trick him by cutting down that path to the overlook.” She bit her lip. “I tricked him all right, but not the way I wanted. He was supposed to keep going on the main trail. Instead he came barreling down that path and right over the cliff.”
CHAPTER 19
Fact of Life
Luke and Megan hustled down the trail. Lightning lagged behind. The little dog was tired. Luke picked her up and carried her. They bypassed the kennel, heading straight toward the house. As soon as they reached it, Megan let out a small ah sound and ran inside.
Luke aimed for Dad’s car. The rain had stopped…sometime. Too focused on his task, he hadn’t noticed before. Scott was using a flashlight to read the topo map that he’d spread out in the back seat.
“Where’ve you been?” he asked, without looking up from his map. Before Luke could answer, he said, “Dad found Megan’s backpack.” He pointed to a spot on the topo. “She’s east, but Ranger lost her scent—”
“I found her,” Luke said.
Scott finally looked up. “What?”
“Megan’s home. Call Dad. Tell them to come back. Mr. Duncan fell and broke his leg. He needs help.”
Confusion creased Scott’s face. His blond hair look-ed white in the moonlight.
“Call Dad, I’ll explain later.”
“How did you find her?” Scott asked.
“My dog tracked her,” Luke said proudly.
Scott noticed the white bundle in Luke’s arms. Lightning had fallen asleep.
“Call Dad.”
“Yeah.” Scott picked up his cell phone just as Willajean and Megan joined him.
Megan still wore Luke’s wet jacket.
“Go get changed,” Luke said to her.
“I’ve tried to reason with her,” Willajean said.
“Not until Dad’s okay,” Megan replied. “It’s my fault he’s hurt.”
“Don’t worry. I’m taking care of it.” Luke glared at Megan. “Go inside.”
His tone made both Scott and Willajean glance at him in surprise. He sounded just like Dad, and if Luke hadn’t been exasperated with Megan, he might have laughed. But the flat tone worked.
“Dad’s calling an ambulance,” Scott said after Megan and Willajean retreated to the house. “He’s on his way.”
Luke’s arms ached from the weight of Lightning, but he didn’t want to wake her. Besides her body heat kept his arms and chest warm. A gust of wind cut right through Luke. He shuddered.
Noticing the motion, Scott said, “You’re soaked.” Then after a heartbeat, he asked, “Were you out in the storm?”
Luke nodded. His teeth chattered. Scott popped the trunk, took out a blanket, and wrapped it around Luke. He helped Luke sit in the back seat of the car. Lightning stirred once then closed her eyes. Luke covered her with a section of the blanket. Even with the blanket, all his muscles shook. From the cold or just a reaction, he couldn’t tell.
When Dad and Jacob returned, Scott slid out to greet them. After a few minutes, Dad opened the car door and frowned at Luke.
“You know you shouldn’t have gone out alone, right?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“You know it was just dumb luck that you found her? And you know never ever to do it again?”
“Yes.” Although it wasn’t dumb luck. Despite her stubborn streak, Lightning was a smart dog, and a quick learner.
Lightning stood and stretched. Dad glanced at the dog, but didn’t comment.
“Where’s Megan?” Dad asked.
“In the house.”
“Where’s Max?”
“I’ll show you.” Luke stepped from the car, letting Lightning down.
Willajean returned with a pile of sandwiches and three dry jackets for them. Luke wolfed down two before taking a breath to say thank you.
Willajean smiled at him. She had been calm during this whole ordeal. Dad had often grumped about worried parents being in the way, but Willajean aided their efforts. Not that she didn’t care. The tight lines along her forehead had returned.
When the last sandwich was gone, Dad stationed Jacob at the command center, and called the dogs. Lightning joined in. A mere cotton ball next to the big bloodhounds. The dogs sniffed each other nose to tail.
“Let’s go,” Dad said, handing a flashlight to Luke.
“Wait a second,” Luke said. “You’ll need rope and a stretcher. Mr. Duncan won’t be able to walk.”
“It’s all in my pack. Let’s hurry. It’s not getting any warmer.”
Dad took the lead while Luke, Scott, and the dogs trailed behind. The slope seemed steeper this time. The mud on Luke’s clothes weighed a ton.
Reaching the top first, Dad paused. “Which way?”
Luke led them along the narrow path and pointed to where Mr. Duncan had fallen.
“How’s it going, Max?” Dad called, shining his flashlight over the edge.
The reply was weak. Luke strained, but still couldn’t understand it.
“Hold on a little longer. We’ll have you out of there in no time.”
In a whirlwind of activity, Dad unpacked his gear, tied ropes with pulleys and winches around the trees, and pulled out first aid supplies.
“Point both lights down on us,” Dad ordered Luke before he shouldered a climbing harness and shimmied to Mr. Duncan.
Luke directed the two beams onto the men below. A distant flash to the west caught his attention. He counted seconds until the rumble reached him. The thunderstorm was eight miles away.
Concern that the storm would hinder
the rescue was Luke’s first reaction. In fact, the familiar panic failed to grip him as hard. Despite his hammering heart, he clutched the flashlights tighter, refusing to give in to the fear.
“Scott, I need the first aid kit and wooden splits,” Dad yelled.
While Scott lowered a bucket of supplies, Jacob called to say the ambulance had arrived and the paramedics would meet them on the main trail. From his post by the cliff’s edge, Luke watched Dad check Mr. Duncan’s vital signs and immobilize his leg.
“Nasty break, Max,” Dad said. “But I’ve seen worse. Don’t worry.”
Megan’s father grunted in pain as Dad attached a climbing harness to him. Then Dad hoisted Mr. Duncan up onto his shoulders in a firefighter’s carry position and clipped the injured man to his own harness.
Dad held onto the rope, Scott and Luke cranked the hand winch and pulley system. Luke used every ounce of strength to push the handle toward Scott, who pushed it back. Each crank brought the men up a couple inches. After an eternity the two men reached the top. Following Dad’s orders, Scott and Luke unhooked Mr. Duncan and helped him lie on the stretcher, which looked like a canvas sling with handles.
Dad handed Luke a couple white plastic bags.
“Ice packs?” he asked.
“Warmers. Break and shake.” Dad covered Mr. Duncan with a thermal blanket.
Luke broke the plastic sacks inside the bags to mix the chemicals together. Warmth emanated from the sacks. Scott tucked them under Mr. Duncan’s blanket, while Luke shook some more.
Dad repacked his equipment in record time. Shouldering his pack, Dad paused. “Scott, can you help me carry him? He’s about one eighty.”
“Sure.”
Storm Watcher Page 14
