You'll Think of Me

by Robin Lee Hatcher

  “I’ve got to go. I made a promise.”

  “Well, you sure as heck can’t drive. They’ve pumped you full of pain medication.”

  “I’m clear enough to drive.”

  “Friend, you try to get behind a steering wheel, and I’ll arrest you and throw you in jail with Tompkins.”

  Frustration welled in Derek’s chest. “Then what do you propose I do?”

  “Let me call Brooklyn. I’ll tell her what’s happened. Maybe she can get somebody else to fill in for you. In the meantime, you can go home and go to bed where you belong.”

  Derek shook his head. “No. Don’t call Brooklyn. She doesn’t need to know about this. Not yet anyway. And I am still going to the campout. Now, can you go out there and find out what’s holding things up?”

  “I guess you are all right at that. If being stubborn counts for anything.” Hank shook his head. “I’ll see what’s happening with your discharge.” He disappeared beyond the curtain again.

  Derek glanced at the large clock high on the wall. He couldn’t believe how many hours had passed since he got the call from the dispatcher. He should be up in the mountains with Alycia, their tents set up, their sleeping bags laid out. Or taking a hike after lunch. Or identifying types of wildflowers. Or taking photos of mountain birds.

  His gaze fell to his clothes on the chair against the wall to his left. The T-shirt was a goner, but his jeans and boots were okay, not counting the bloody stains. They’d be good enough to get him home where he could change.

  He tossed off the blanket and lowered his legs over the side of the bed. The room seemed to sway slightly and his side complained at the movement. But he ignored both as his feet touched the cool tile floor.

  “I’m outta here,” he muttered, reaching for his jeans.

  Hank returned to the room just as Derek was pulling on his second boot. “What do you think you’re doing?” There was the sound of a challenge in his voice.

  “Getting ready for you to drive me up to the campground, if you won’t let me drive there myself.”

  “You’ll need some fresh clothes first. There’s blood on your jeans.”

  “I know. You’ll have to take me home first so I can change. But we’ve got to hurry. Alycia’s waiting for me.”

  “I always knew you were stubborn. Just not this stubborn.”

  It was another twenty minutes before they were actually in the SUV and headed toward Derek’s place. Another twenty minutes of time ticking away. Another twenty minutes of Derek wondering if Alycia would ever forgive him for letting her down.

  Brooklyn drove above the speed limit most of the way. Even on the winding river road as the two-lane highway climbed into the mountains, she drove faster than she should. She knew it but couldn’t help it. Panic pressed her foot against the accelerator.

  Alycia was missing. Alycia was missing in the mountains. She was a stranger to camping, a stranger to the rough terrain. There was a dangerous river and probably dangerous animals nearby.

  What if we can’t find her? O God, help! What if something terrible has happened to her?

  She never should have allowed Alycia to go. Especially after Derek bailed on her.

  That’s not fair.

  No, it wasn’t fair. Even afraid, she knew she wasn’t being fair to him. But he’d said it wouldn’t take long, that he would join Alycia before she even missed him. Brooklyn had tried to call him before she lost cell service, but there’d been no answer. Was he finally at the campground? Did he know by now what had happened to Alycia? Whenever he got there, she planned to give him a piece of her mind.

  Still not fair.

  But knowing she wasn’t being fair, knowing he had to work, didn’t seem to control her careening emotions.

  Her thoughts were so jumbled that she nearly missed the turn. She noticed the road sign in the nick of time. This, at last, made her ease off the accelerator, and with the road narrowing, she continued at a more prudent speed.

  Ten miles later she saw several pickup trucks parked near the entrance to the campground. The first truck had a magnetic sign on the side of the door that read Search and Rescue. Her heart rose into her throat at the sight of it. She’d been frightened enough already. Those words intensified the feeling tenfold.

  She parked her car and rushed up the hillside into the campground. It was easy to find the church group. Young girls milled about amidst a cluster of tents. A few dads stood near them, arms crossed and wearing grim expressions. She hurried toward the men. Ian Royal was one of them.

  Before she could call out to him, he saw her too. “Brooklyn.” He broke away from the others. “I’m glad you got here.”

  “What happened? What can you tell me?” She felt her panic rising with each word.

  “They’ve called in search and rescue.”

  “I know. I saw a truck.” She drew an anxious breath and whispered an even more terrifying thought. “Was she taken?”

  He glanced away, then back to Brooklyn. “No. Nobody thinks that happened. After lunch, the entire group went on a hike. The girls were given disposable cameras so they could take photos of any wildlife they saw. You know, chipmunks, deer, butterflies, blue jays.” He took a breath. “We’re not sure exactly when or how Alycia got separated. The group was pretty stretched out.” He took another breath. “This is my fault. I should have kept a better eye on her, made sure that she and Wendy were always together.”

  It would have been easy to agree with Ian and to blame him for what happened. But Brooklyn knew how quickly children could slip away from adults, intentionally or because they got distracted.

  “Brooklyn, what’s going on?”

  She whirled around at the sound of Derek’s voice. He moved toward her, his gait slow, a frown furrowing his brow. Instead of anger and blame, relief flooded through her at the sight of him. She stepped forward to meet him. Almost of its own accord, her right hand stretched out to touch him. He seemed to wince before grabbing hold of her hand with his own.

  “Alycia’s missing,” she said.

  “Alycia?” His gaze swept the campground before returning to Brooklyn. “Who’s in charge of the search?”

  Relief vanished, and she started to cry. “I don’t know. I just got here.” She swiped at her eyes with her fingertips. “Where were you? I thought you were already with her.”

  Hank McLean—she hadn’t noticed him before now—stepped into her line of vision. “I got Derek here as fast as I could. He was in the—”

  Derek cut him off. “Not now, Hank. It’s not important what kept me from getting here.” To Brooklyn he said, “Stay here. I’ll find out what I can.” Without waiting for her response, he stepped around her and walked toward Ian Royal.

  Her gaze met with Hank’s, and for a moment she thought he had something to say to her. But in the end, he shook his head and followed after Derek.

  Chapter 30

  Years ago, Ruth had learned from Walter that once a search and rescue team was called in, those volunteers without training were discouraged from participating in a search, lest one of them get lost themselves and make matters even worse. So when word reached Thunder Creek about Alycia Hallston, she knew the best and most important thing she could do while they waited was to organize the town’s prayer warriors.

  Since there wasn’t cellular service in the mountains where Alycia had gone missing, the information she had was patchy at best. But someone up at the campground would drive to the restaurant located ten miles downriver to use the pay phone whenever there was anything important to report. In the meantime, Ruth sat with others in the church sanctuary to pray and wait and pray some more.

  The shadows had deepened in the sanctuary by the time Sandra Dooley slid into the pew. Ruth must have looked surprised because Sandra whispered, “I know. I know. What am I doing here since I don’t pray? But I figured you’d like some company. Besides, I know how close you are to Brooklyn and her girl.”

  Ruth took her friend’s hand and squeeze
d it. “You just missed Camila. She was here for a couple of hours.”

  “Actually, I saw her in the parking lot. We talked for a few minutes before she went home.”

  “People have been in and out all afternoon.”

  Sandra glanced toward the altar area. “I heard they sent the campers back to town. The girls are disappointed, of course, but everybody is worried about Alycia. Everybody wishes they could do more.”

  Ruth knew the men of the community would be frustrated, not being allowed to join in the search.

  Sandra continued, “Alycia is all folks were talking about in the post office. Everybody in town knows she’s lost up there. Even Reggie Myers must have heard by now. You suppose it’ll matter to him?”

  “God knows, I wish it would.” Miserable old fool, she added to herself, then regretted the thought. She closed her eyes to pray again.

  But Sandra had never been one to be comfortable with silence. “I’m sure she’ll be all right. From what I heard, it wasn’t all that long before they realized she was missing. How far could she have gone?”

  Ruth had wondered the same thing earlier in the day. Now, with night fast approaching, she didn’t feel the same confidence.

  “‘When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You,’” she whispered.

  “Where’s that verse from?”

  “Psalm 56:3.”

  Sandra offered a small smile. “I hope trust is enough.”

  Ruth was sorry her friend didn’t understand or share her faith, but it didn’t change what she knew to be true. She would trust in the love and mercy of God no matter what happened and pray for Derek and Brooklyn to do the same.

  Night fell early in the mountains, and even in August, hot days cooled quickly as shadows lengthened. It wouldn’t be much longer before both of those things happened.

  Derek tried to comfort himself with the knowledge that Alycia had paid close attention when he’d talked about survival in the mountains. All the same, she didn’t have a jacket or warm clothes with her. She didn’t have a flashlight. And she’d already broken the first rule of the wilderness by not staying put once she knew she was lost.

  Climbing another hill, he felt a stab of discomfort in his side. The painkiller from the hospital had worn off, but there was no way he’d have taken any of the pills he’d been prescribed, even if he had them with him. Alycia had to be found first. Ibuprofen would have to be enough until then.

  “Alycia!” he shouted. He heard other members of the search team calling the girl’s name too. No answer. Pausing at the top of a ridge, he scanned the forest for any flash of color in the fading light.

  Why did this feel like it was his fault? Sure, he couldn’t have done anything differently. He hadn’t had a choice except to go to the Tompkins place when called. And he hadn’t been given a choice about his visit to the ER. But if he’d been with Alycia, she wouldn’t have wandered off because he would have been watching her like a hawk.

  The incident commander had said most kids were found within a four-mile radius. But the two search dogs hadn’t sniffed her out. Had she made it farther than four miles? Had something disguised her scent? Had the wind been from the wrong direction?

  If he was in charge of this search . . .

  “Which I’m not,” he reminded himself aloud.

  It chafed, not being able to take control. However, he’d been in law enforcement long enough to have learned to follow orders. He understood the chain of command. The search and rescue team looking for Alycia had trained for times like this. As a deputy, he’d received some training of his own, which was why he’d been allowed to join them. But those men on the search and rescue team actually lived in these mountains. They knew the area the way he knew his own county. They were more qualified, and he wanted the best right now.

  Shaking off his thoughts, he shouted Alycia’s name, listened a few moments, and called again.

  The waiting was the worst part. Her daughter was out there alone in the gathering darkness. There were cougars and black bears, not to mention rattlesnakes, in these mountains. Alycia knew nothing of such dangers.

  Brooklyn had been ordered to remain in the campground. It made sense, even to her. They needed to know where she was when they found Alycia. She needed to be at the command center when her daughter was returned. All the same, the inactivity was about to drive her crazy.

  The curtain of nighttime had lowered over the mountains. Someone had made a campfire. Brooklyn sat in a chair near it, for both the light and the warmth. Lucca Phillips—her coworker from the diner—had driven up from town sometime in the afternoon and now sat beside her. A short while before, Lucca had draped a blanket around Brooklyn’s shoulders.

  The searchers began to straggle in. Exhaustion was written on their faces. Disappointment too. Some others from Thunder Creek had come, like Lucca, to offer moral support by their presence. And, to Brooklyn’s surprise, it did help a little, having them nearby.

  The approach of someone to her left pulled her gaze in that direction. It was Hank McLean, looking as tired and rumpled as every other man who’d returned thus far. She sent him a questioning look, although she knew the answer. He shook his head.

  He sat on a nearby log. “I’ve got to head back to Thunder Creek. I’m on duty in the morning.”

  “I understand. I appreciate what you’ve done.”

  “They’re going to find her.” He turned his eyes toward the fire. “You don’t know me well, Brooklyn, but trust me when I say that it wasn’t Derek’s fault he was delayed in town.”

  She looked at the fire, too, not sure what to say.

  “When you see him, ask him why he wasn’t here earlier.” Hank stood, drawing her gaze back to him. “Try not to worry that they didn’t find your daughter before dark. From what he told me, Derek got Alycia as ready as possible for this camping trip.”

  Brooklyn wanted to take comfort from his words but couldn’t seem to do it.

  Hank gave her a nod and then walked off, disappearing in the shadows of night.

  Chapter 31

  Derek left camp the next morning while daybreak was merely a promise on the horizon. He hadn’t slept much, and he was pretty sure the same was true for Brooklyn, lying in the tent not too far away from his.

  The tent and sleeping bag that had been meant for Alycia.

  He hadn’t spoken to Brooklyn last night after he returned, the last person to check in again, the search called off for the night. He’d had a million things he wanted to say to her, but she’d already retired for the night. Maybe sleepless, but in the tent anyway. Probably just as well that he hadn’t seen her. He’d been in a lot of pain by the time he got back, and he hadn’t wanted her to know. He hadn’t wanted anyone to know. Somebody might have insisted he remain in camp, and that he couldn’t do.

  Once away from the campground, Derek stopped for a moment to pray and listen. Yesterday he’d prayed but hadn’t done much listening. He wouldn’t make the same mistake this morning.

  Help us find her, Lord. Show me where to go.

  Four miles, they’d said. Most lost kids were found within four miles. On a flat road, that was about a comfortable hour’s walk. But the terrain here wasn’t flat. The road and trails rose and dipped. The mountainsides were often steep, the ravines deep. Sound carried in some places and got swallowed up in others.

  “Where did she go, Lord?” he whispered, opening his eyes and turning in a slow circle.

  He knew the areas that had been searched the previous day. Closer to the campgrounds. Not as difficult terrain as some others.

  Today he was drawn toward the northeast, a more rugged stretch. There were no hiking trails in that direction, although narrow deer tracks crisscrossed the area. The forest was thicker here, the pine trees taller. If she’d gone this way, it would be easy to get turned around and confused in short order. And, as much as he hated to think about it, it also would be easy to take a hard fall down a hillside and be hurt, preventing her from answering
those who called her name.

  He started walking. He looked for signs of her passing, listened for sounds of her presence.

  In his mind he replayed another statistic the incident commander had shared. Twenty-five percent of kids Alycia’s age would try to find or make some sort of cover when it began to get dark. Alycia would be part of that twenty-five percent. She was a bright kid.

  A strong breeze was at his back, pushing him forward, as if trying to hurry him along. He climbed toward a high ridge that was free of trees, hoping he might get a better view. His side throbbed, as it had throughout the night. He gritted his teeth and ignored the pain.

  Brooklyn stirred along with the rest of the camp. Beyond the fabric of the small tent, she became aware of soft voices, the crackle of the fire, the unzipping of tent flaps and sleeping bags, the whimper of one of the dogs.

  It had been a long night, full of tossing and turning and thoughts that raced to dark places. Time and again she’d followed the advice of her pastor in Reno, trying to take her thoughts captive. With every breath, she’d tried to release her daughter into the care of the Almighty, tried to trust and rest in that trust. A few times she’d succeeded.

  She unzipped the sleeping bag. The crisp morning air caused goose bumps to rise on her arms.

  Was Alycia cold? Where had she spent the night? Was she frightened, hungry, completely lost?

  O God, let them find her this morning. Let them find her soon.

  She pushed her unruly hair back from her face and reached for a canvas shopping bag that contained a hairbrush, toothpaste and toothbrush, a change of clothes, some good walking shoes. Someone—probably Ruth—had gone to her home and packed those items for her, and Lucca had delivered them yesterday.

  Again Brooklyn was overwhelmed by the goodness of friends and strangers. And of Derek. Derek was there too.

  Hank’s voice whispered in her memory: “When you see him, ask him why he wasn’t here earlier.”