Wings of Promise

by Bonnie Leon

  Kate stared at the receiver. “Everything’s back to normal.” She smiled at Angel as she hung up. “You ready to go flying?”

  Angel stood, her tail wagging.

  Kate’s mind went to the flight. Where was she headed? Her stomach tightened with trepidation, but she told herself everything would be fine. She’d be fine.

  When she stepped into the shop, Jack was hunkered over a map. He looked up and leaned back in his chair. His eyes went to Angel. “Still got that dog, huh?”

  “We’re partners.”

  Jack fired off the assignment. “I’ve got two hunters coming in. They need a ride to Kotzebue. Think you can pull that off?”

  “Sure. No problem. It’ll give me a chance to see friends of mine who live up there.”

  “You won’t have time to lollygag with friends. The fellas you’re flying up are hunting polar bears. And while they’re out on the ice, I’ve got some other runs for you.”

  Kate felt the lump in her stomach tighten. “Am I taking them out on the ice?”

  “No. Just to Kotzebue. They’ll catch a ride on a sled from there. While they’re out, I need you to make a pickup in Fairbanks and then drop it off in Talkeetna.”

  “That sounds fine,” Kate said glibly, but her nerves were jumpy. This was her first trip and it was no easy run. Plus she’d miss Thanksgiving with the Townses. That was what piloting in Alaska was all about, though. She couldn’t worry about holidays. She glanced out the window. “At least the weather’s clear.”

  “For now.” Jack chewed on the end of a cigar. Looking out from beneath heavy brows, he leveled a serious expression on her. “Make sure you’ve got your survival gear. Never know what to expect up there.”

  Kate thought she’d heard concern in Jack’s voice. That was something new. “Sure. I always do. When are my riders supposed to be here?”

  He glanced at a clock on the wall. “In about thirty minutes.”

  By the time Stanley Greenwood and his buddy Ralph Donaldson arrived at the airfield, Kate and Angel were ready to go. The plane was packed and warmed up.

  Both men seemed friendly. Stanley was tall and slender with shockingly blond hair. He was more reserved than his heavyset friend Ralph, who was talkative and outgoing.

  While Ralph and Stanley helped Kate load their gear, they teased one another and bet on which one of them would bring down a bear. Angel sat up front, ready to go.

  Once they were in the air, Ralph asked, “How long you been flying?”

  “Since I was a girl,” Kate hollered over the roar of the engine.

  “You that woman pilot everyone’s been talking about?” Ralph asked.

  Kate shrugged. “Hard to know. I’ve been out of town for a couple of months—visiting family in Yakima, Washington.” She looked at him. “What are people saying?”

  Ralph acted like he was sorry he’d brought up the subject. He glanced away, then said, “Just that you’ve had a hard time of it, losing a plane and then your fiancé this last year.”

  “Yeah, I’m that pilot.” Kate clenched her jaws, determined not to show any emotion.

  “But I also heard you’re a darned good flyer.” He smiled. “Glad you’re back in the air.”

  “Me too.” She stroked Angel’s head and shoulders. “Isn’t it kind of early in the season to be hunting polar bears?”

  “Yeah, but our friend Seth said the ice is in, and I’ve been itching to bring down one of those big white bears.” He grinned. “Done every kind of hunting except that.”

  Kate nodded. As many times as she’d flown hunters in and out of the territory, she’d never really understood what drove them. Hunting for food was one thing, but a lot of hunters were after trophies or bragging rights about their remarkable hunting experiences.

  The weather held all the way to Kotzebue. Even so, mountain currents made the plane buck, and frigid temperatures created a lot of extra work for Kate. The days were short, so getting the plane on the ground before dark was a challenge all its own. By the time Kate spotted Kotzebue, she was weary, but the trip had helped to rebuild her confidence. When they approached the landing field, the sun lay low on the western horizon, turning the sky the color of an overripe peach.

  Joe had set out the firepots, making it easy for Kate to see the landing site. She brought the plane down smoothly and turned onto a cleared area. Nena stepped out of the cabin at the edge of the runway, her smiling face peering out from within a parka hood.

  As soon as Kate opened the door, Angel leaped out. Ralph and Stanley grabbed their bags and rifles and climbed down the ladder. Kate followed.

  Nena greeted her with a big smile and open arms. “I have missed you. I’m glad you come back.”

  Kate hugged her friend. “I’m glad to be here. It’s so good to see you.”

  Nena studied Kate. “You’re almost brown.” She grinned. “Like me.”

  “It was warm in Yakima.”

  “I might like to see such warm days.”

  Kate turned her attention to her passengers. “I’ll be back in a week to pick you up. Meet me here before daybreak. If you need to get ahold of me, I’ll be at the general store, the Turchiks’ place.”

  “Okay,” Ralph said. “Thanks for the ride.”

  Stanley gave her a wave and the two men walked toward town.

  Kate drained the oil, then Nena helped her tie down the plane and cover it with a tarp. The two friends looped arms and headed for the village.

  “Joe is cooking,” Nena said. “Hope it’s edible.”

  “Is there some doubt?”

  “Yes.” Nena giggled.

  When Kate stepped into the Turchik home, their three children swamped her and Angel with hugs. They exclaimed their happiness over her visit and wanted to know where she’d been. When she told them, they were full of questions about the place called Yakima. Peter and Nick ran to get carvings they’d made from pieces of driftwood so they could show them off.

  Kate watched them sprint toward the back of the house. “They’ve grown since I last saw them.”

  Nena nodded. “Yes. Too fast. I cannot keep up with the sewing.”

  Joe stepped into the front room from the kitchen. “Kate. It’s very good to see you.” He hugged her briefly. “How long will you be here?”

  “I’m heading to Fairbanks in the morning, then I’ve got a trip down to Talkeetna.”

  “I wish you could stay longer,” Nena said, disappointment in her voice.

  “I’ll be back in a week to pick up my passengers.”

  “You are busy, already.”

  “It’s my job.” Kate smiled. “And I’m glad to be back at work.”

  After a meal of overcooked caribou and homemade bread, Joe sat on the floor in the front room with the children. He told an ancient Inuit tale. Kate loved to listen to his stories. He always made it fun, using animated gestures and expressive voices.

  After the tale had been told, Kate and the children played a game of tag. There was a lot of squealing and giggling. Kate got a sideache from laughing. And then it was time for bed. Each child got a hug and then off they went.

  Her energy spent, Kate was thankful to climb between her blankets on the sleeping pad and close her eyes. She stayed awake just long enough to consider how grateful she was to be back in Alaska.

  Nena woke her the following morning, and after a hurried breakfast, Kate set out for Fairbanks. It was just her and Angel as they flew across the frozen tundra. Kate’s nerves had quieted.

  Everything was going to be okay.

  Six days later, Kate approached Kotzebue. This time, the weather fought her. Gray clouds churned east from the sea and wind whipped up billows of ice and snow. The temps were below zero. Kate knew she’d made it back just in time. The storm blowing in was a tempest. She hoped Ralph and Stanley were safely tucked away at their friend’s house and ready to leave in the morning. If not, they could be in terrible trouble.

  Joe met the plane. He tied it down while Kate drained the
oil. They worked together to cover the fuselage with a tarp.

  The wind blew what felt like slivers of ice into her face. “Joe, did the men I brought in last week stop by your place?” she hollered over the storm’s wail.

  “No. Seth took them out, and I know he’s not back yet. His father was here this morning.” Shielding his eyes, he looked out toward the frozen bay. “They better come soon. This is a bad storm.”

  Kate gazed out over the sea of ice. A feeling of impending doom pressed down on her. If the men were stuck out there in this kind of gale, they might not survive.

  As the storm intensified, Kate was thankful to be tucked safely inside the Turchiks’ home, but she couldn’t quiet her mind. It remained on Seth, Ralph, and Stanley. There’d still been no word from them.

  After sharing a meal with the family, Kate helped Nena clear away and wash the dishes. The unrelenting howling wind grated on her. How could anyone caught out in such a blizzard survive? They’d taken a heavy canvas tent and had firepots for heat, but Kate couldn’t imagine any tent standing up to these kinds of winds.

  With the dishes done, she tried to sit, but couldn’t. She paced.

  Finally, Joe said, “Kate. Sit down. Worrying will not help.”

  “I can’t stop thinking about those men. They’ll surely die.”

  “Seth knows how to survive up here. When he saw things were getting bad, he probably built an ice house for protection. They have food and heat. They will be all right.” Joe lifted Mary onto his lap. “It is all in God’s hands. There is nothing we can do.”

  Kate nodded. He was right.

  That night the wind howled and Kate slept little. Several times during the night she climbed out of bed and stared out of a tiny window facing the street. Snow piled against the homes and businesses. Her thoughts on the men, she begged God for mercy.

  The following day the blizzard continued to pummel the village. No one went out. No one came in. The streets were empty.

  The third day the wind quieted. While Kate paced, Joe went to Seth’s home to see if he and his friends had made it back, but the news was not good. There’d been no sign of them.

  “Where do you think they are?” Kate asked.

  Joe stared at the icy bay. “Out there somewhere, probably north.”

  “Do you think they survived?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. Seth is a smart, determined man.”

  Kate stepped outside. The wind still gusted, but the worst of the storm had passed. Light snow drifted from the sky. Bursts of wind swept smoke from chimneys and swirled it toward the ground. A loose piece of tarpaulin hanging from a window flapped. Kate stepped back inside.

  Nena toasted sourdough bread in the oven. “You want coffee?”

  “Sure. Thanks.” Kate wanted to search for the men. She looked at Joe. “Do you think the storm is over?”

  He shook his head no. “It is only resting. There is more to come.”

  “How can you know?”

  “I’ve seen this before. I know.”

  Kate stood at the window. Someone had to find the hunters. They could be dying. “How long before the storm picks up again?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe five minutes, maybe a couple hours.”

  She was the only one who could help. They’d die if she didn’t go after them. And if she did . . . she could be the one dying. Did it make sense to sacrifice her life for men she barely knew?

  This is what Kate had feared—not having the courage to do what she should. Helping people in jeopardy was part of her job. When she’d signed on as a pilot, she’d made a pact with herself and her passengers—they counted on her.

  She looked at Joe and Nena. “I’m going after them.” She pulled on her parka.

  “No. You stay. It’s too dangerous.” Nena stepped in front of Kate. “When the storm is done, then you will go.”

  “I have to go now. If I wait, they could die.”

  Joe shook his head. “They might already be dead. Adding your life to theirs will not help.”

  Kate pulled on gloves. “I’m going.” She opened the door and Angel stepped outside. “Sorry, girl, not this time.” Kate led her inside. “I’ll be back. I promise.”

  Remembering her mother’s words that God was in charge of life and death, Kate pulled the door closed. She hurried toward the airstrip, keeping her head down to shield her face from the cold. Soon, Joe trudged along beside her. “Kate, you are crazy.”

  She ignored him but figured he was probably right.

  While Kate unleashed the tarp, Joe got a fire going in the cabin. Kate scooped hot coals into a bucket, added wood, and set it beneath the engine to warm it while Joe heated the oil.

  Kate went over the plane, scraping away ice and frost. As soon as the oil was added, she climbed behind the control wheel. In spite of her heavy winter clothing, she shivered. Joe cranked the flywheel while she prayed the engine would turn over. It refused the first effort. She tried again. It whined. Finally on her third try the engine lit off.

  Kate waved to Joe. She needed to hurry before the storm kicked up again. She moved onto the airstrip, blasts of wind buffeting the plane. Was she being a fool? Maybe, but men like Ralph and Stanley were why she was here, why she’d come back to Alaska. She wasn’t going to let them down.

  She headed northwest, over the ice pack, searching the white world below, hoping and praying for some sign of the men. They’d be hard to spot, especially if they’d built an ice house. The winds increased, bucking the plane. Kate knew she should turn back, but she couldn’t make herself do it. The hunters might be waiting and praying for rescue. She wasn’t going to let them down.

  “God, I need your help. Show me where they are.”

  Snow blasted the window, and visibility was poor. It was hard to distinguish the ice pack from blowing snow—it blurred together into one sheet of white. Kate knew if conditions got much worse, she’d have no references and could easily fly the plane into the ground.

  Please help me find them, she prayed. She was running out of time. If something didn’t happen soon, she’d be forced to turn back.

  Kate headed farther north, though she doubted they’d come this far. Just a few more minutes, she told herself. Finally, knowing the storm had won, Kate turned back toward Kotzebue. Sick inside, she fought to keep the plane aloft in the violent winds. Now, she had to think about saving her own life.

  Still, she continued to search as she flew. And then she saw something in the swirl of white—a flash of brown and black. Probably nothing more than a seal or sea lion. Kate dropped to a lower altitude and flew directly over the splotch of color.

  A dog huddled in the snow. Then Kate saw another one. Her eyes searched the white landscape. Were the men here? Were they alive?

  She thought she saw some kind of movement. Someone was waving something blue. It had to be them. They were alive!

  Kate circled back, searching for a place to put down. The ice was rutted and in the white maelstrom it was nearly impossible to know what she was setting down on. God, you know. Make it right.

  She made two more passes and spotted what looked like a long patch of smooth ice. She wouldn’t be able to back-taxi—the runway needed to be long enough to land and take off without turning around. If she tried to turn around, the crosswind would lift the wing and tip her over. There wasn’t anyplace else, so this would have to be it.

  Fighting to keep the plane stable, she dropped down until she was just above the ice. Downdrafts pounded her and would make takeoff difficult. The wind speed would mean she’d need less space to take off, but the downdrafts could slow her speed. I’ll deal with that when the time comes, she told herself. Right now she needed to concentrate on getting down. She’d have to nail the landing. The nose couldn’t come up too high and the tail couldn’t drag and she’d have to watch for berms. With the wind behind her, she dropped down just above the ice. She waited . . . then felt the skis touch the surface. And she was down. The ice was uneven and rough. The pla
ne bounced and rattled across the strip of ice. The plane slowed and she prayed it would stop soon enough to allow room for takeoff.

  By the time Kate got to the door, Stanley, Ralph, and Seth were making their way toward the plane with their gear. She scrambled out and met them.

  Ralph smiled at her. “Well, if you’re not a sight for sore eyes. You’ve got moxie, lady.”

  Kate didn’t have time to think about thank-yous. She needed to get the men in the plane and get back to Kotzebue. “Is everyone all right?”

  “Yeah,” Stanley said. He looked back at the dogs. “We lost all but two of the dogs—no room in our tiny snow cave for them and us. Can we bring them along?”

  “Okay. Get ’em. But hurry. We’ve got to get out of here.” As if to emphasize her words, a powerful wind gust pounded them. “Hurry!” Kate shouted.

  With passengers and dogs on board, Kate lined up on the runway. There wasn’t a lot of room for a takeoff. She’d need all the speed she could grab to get up and to fight the downdrafts. If the gusts were too strong, they’d hold down her speed and she wouldn’t have enough power to get off the ground. She revved the engine and waited for a lull in the gale. “Hang on. It’s going to be rough.”

  Everything seemed quiet. This was it. Kate moved down the open ice. White swirled at her. She lost sight of the ground. She had to get up. “Come on, come on.” She needed more speed.

  She felt the plane lighten as the skis left the ground. She pulled back on the wheel. And then the swell of ice slipped beneath the plane and they were in the air.

  Shouts of jubilation went up from behind her.

  Kate laughed. It would be a rough ride to Kotzebue, but she knew they’d make it. God had shown her where to find the men and he’d carry them home.

  Kate relaxed. She’d done what she had to. And she hadn’t let anyone down.

  — 29 —

  It was a perfect winter morning—clear weather, light breezes, and a landscape glistening white in the sunlight. It was Kate’s first time out on her old mail run, and she’d had fun reconnecting with people on the route. They were happy to have her back and enjoyed telling their most recent adventures, introducing new babies, and sharing baked goods.