They were still huddled atop the rocks when the ranger rescue raft reached them twenty minutes later. Holly resisted being hauled aboard first but finally gave in. Gabe was going to be all right, too. They’d survived the worst night of their lives and imminent death.
Plus, she had told him she loved him. Not only was it time to wrap up her case and get ready to leave the park, she was going to be doing it red-faced with embarrassment. Particularly if he failed to express any romantic interest in her before she went back to Las Vegas.
* * *
Huddled beneath blankets and drinking hot chocolate from a thermos, Gabe asked the other rangers for a briefing.
“We fished out two of the three cartel guys and the owner of the gray raft,” Broadstreet said. “Hough is waiting for us at the Whitmore helipad. You’re not nearly as far downriver as we thought you’d be.”
Gabe glanced over at the quivering pile of blankets that was Holly Forbes. “We decided to get off early when the guy with the gun threatened to shoot us.”
“I thought he wanted a hostage.”
“Yeah, well...” Gabe tilted his head toward the exasperating woman who had nearly gotten them both killed. “My FBI partner fell out so I jumped in after her. The others were all wearing life jackets but they didn’t give one to her.”
“It’s a wonder you found her with the river so muddy,” the other ranger said.
Gabe sobered and sighed. “Yeah, I know.”
Thinking back, he didn’t know how he’d managed to locate her, let alone find a place where they could climb out and wait for help. The only thing that would have surprised him more was to have been tossed up onshore together, dry. Whatever he had prayed while he’d searched the frigid water must have been the best plea he’d ever made. Or the simplest. When he’d seen her disappear under the water, his heart had called out with such desperate fervor he suspected that that alone had been sufficient.
Sitting on the rocks and holding Holly close, he’d had plenty of time to think about everything she’d told him. The FBI was her life. So be it. As long as he could continue to uphold the law, he supposed he could do it anywhere, even in a city, as long as he got the chance to become a part of her world.
They’d be transported to a hospital for observation and treatment as a matter of procedure. While he was there he’d have time and opportunity to look into changing jobs. It was risky but doable. Holly was worth any sacrifice. He huffed. “Yeah, even almost drowning.”
EPILOGUE
Leaving Grand Canyon National Park in a medical chopper was not the way Holly had intended to depart. Agent Andrew Summers had finished up the case while she was being treated in Las Vegas, and her bosses had informed her she was being put on temporary leave. Good or bad, it was nonnegotiable.
Her fondest hope was that the final reports had not painted too vivid a picture of her actions on this particular assignment because the more she thought about Gabe and working outdoors in such natural beauty, the more she felt dissatisfied with her FBI position.
Having her heart finally at peace regarding Ivy helped, of course, but the driving force behind her choice to resign was the hope she would qualify for a law enforcement position with the National Park Service. Joining the Forest Service wouldn’t do. It wasn’t the same thing. It had to be national parks. And somehow, she’d have to figure out how to arrange placement near the Grand Canyon. Yes, she knew she might as well try to become an astronaut or earn the pole position at the Indy 500, but she’d never know if she didn’t at least try.
The paperwork was in and Holly was waiting impatiently for word. Any word. Just something. When she got tired of pacing the floor, waiting for a call and watching her email, she packed clothes and a few camping things in her car and headed west.
“Don’t scold him for not calling you,” she lectured herself as she drove. “It’s not like you called him, either.”
Because I want to see him in person, she thought. That was going to tell her more than any phone call, even if they used a video connection.
The closer Holly got to the park entrance, the more nervous she became. Nevertheless, she drove straight to ranger headquarters on the south rim, parked and went inside.
Tourists crowded the large room filled with information and pictures of the canyon, including portraits of all the current rangers. She located Gabe’s picture and stood in front of it, while her heart raced. There were no more prayers that needed saying, no more wishes to make and no more time to waste. Either he was interested or he wasn’t. Simple as that. She’d come to face him and that was exactly what she was going to do.
A familiar reflection appeared in the glass covering the portrait. Holly whirled and almost threw herself into Gabe’s arms. Her hands clamped on the strap of her shoulder bag and she grinned up at him. “Hi.”
“Hi, yourself. What brings you back?”
“I had to come,” she confessed. “I left something here.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Oh? What?”
She tried to wet her dry lips and failed. This was it. Sink or swim, so to speak. Finally she gathered the courage to say, “My heart.”
“Let’s go into my office,” he said, cupping her elbow. “I have a surprise for you.”
“A good one?”
He guided her through the door and closed it behind them, then indicated a chair in front of the desk while he circled it to sit in his own place. “I think it’s good. We’ll see what you think in a minute.”
“Nice office,” Holly remarked, nervous about what he might be planning to reveal. If he announced something like an engagement to some other woman she knew she’d shatter.
“I’ve liked it here. But I think I’ll adjust well wherever I go.”
She sat forward, frowning. “What do you mean, wherever you go? If you’re thinking of transferring, it will ruin everything.”
“Ruin what? It’s my decision, Holly. The only one that made sense after I met you.” He rose, then approached and perched a hip on the corner of his desk so he could reach for her hand.
“But...but you can’t. I’ve already resigned and...”
Gabe’s jaw dropped. “You what?”
“Resigned. Left the FBI. I’m waiting to hear that I’ve been approved for training as a National Park Ranger.” Her voice trembled. “I wanted to be near you, just in case we... I mean, I... Oh, I don’t know what I mean.”
Instead of continued shock, she saw amusement flooding his countenance and he began to laugh. Soon, he was nearly roaring and tears of joy were running down his cheeks.
She bristled. “What’s so funny? I was good at the job when I volunteered and I have professional law enforcement training now. Why shouldn’t I become a ranger?”
Gabe cleared his throat and coughed. “Because I’ve applied to join the FBI.”
“You what? Why? You love this job.”
He took her hand and held it gently. “There is something I love more.”
“How could you? I mean, we hardly know each other.”
Gabe nodded and pulled her to her feet. “I get that. I really do. But I figured if we both worked for the FBI, we could take it slower and get better acquainted.”
“That’s why I wanted to be a ranger!”
“Shall we toss a coin?”
Holly was shaking her head. “Nope. I went into the FBI for the wrong reasons. What I recently realized is that I’ve always wanted to be a ranger.”
“I can’t be your boss and still date you,” Gabe warned.
“Then recommend I be put into public relations or make me a museum guide. I don’t care. I can hardly wait to leave the city and come back to nature.” She blushed and lowered her voice. “To come back to you.”
Lips trembling, heart racing, she lifted her face and waited for him to make the next move.
Gabe smiled. And t
hen he kissed her.
And she kissed him back.
* * *
Dear Reader,
I’ve visited most of our national parks except for those in Hawaii, and each has its own unique beauty. The Grand Canyon is famous, yes, but there is so much more to it than what you see standing on the edge looking down.
Likewise, there is much more to the job of a National Park Ranger than what you might see on the surface. Researching for this novella really taught me a lot and opened my eyes to the trials as well as heroic actions of men and women who are, for the most part, underestimated by the general public. I will never look at someone wearing that uniform or the Smoky Bear hat in the same way again.
As Holly learned, divine forgiveness is waiting for you regardless of what mistakes you might have made in the past. Turn your regrets over to the Lord and He will help you forgive yourself, too.
Blessings,
Valerie Hansen
Email: [email protected]
Missing in the Wilderness
Jodie Bailey
To Chip,
You believed in a no-name Carolina girl
with a NASCAR novel.
You’ve been a great agent, friend and mentor.
Thank you.
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
—Psalm 121:1–3
Contents
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
DEAR READER
PROLOGUE
Nothing in the world beat staring up at cloudless blue, contemplating God’s creation while the Grand Canyon carved into the distance in strata of grays, browns and reds.
Nothing.
Except air-conditioning.
Staff Sergeant Eric Larson swiped the sweat from his eyes with a green bandanna, grateful for this vacation with his sister. It’d been a relatively easy morning hike into the Sixtymile Creek drainage toward Lava Creek. Now, on their third afternoon, it was hotter than Kandahar, Afghanistan, in July. The terrain descending the east fork of Carbon Creek was a whole lot rougher, too. Prettier, but hotter.
“We made good time.” Eric’s sister, Hannah, broke his reverie. “Less than an hour to Still Spring. It’ll be time to make camp as soon as we make it to the site. It’s shadier, and there should be some water with all the rain we’ve been having.” She tightened the yellow bandanna that held her wavy chin-length hair out of eyes so much like their mom’s.
They’d started at Nankoweap Trailhead two days earlier and had descended several thousand feet, going off trail through the backcountry most of the way.
Descended was a tricky word. It was more like down, up, over and around so many outcroppings and rock-strewn animal trails he’d lost count. Some of day one’s ledges had challenged even his battle-hardened bravado.
But the view? With the canyon spreading into the distant horizon? Worth every aching muscle.
Hannah tightened her pack for the last descent to the spot they’d laid out months ago for this night in the backcountry. “You still glad we’re doing this?”
“Totally.” He fell into step behind her. They’d spent his entire yearlong deployment planning this trip, emailing details and websites back and forth, and shipping travel books to one another. They’d been hiking the Grand Canyon together once a year for a decade ever since their parents died in a boating accident on the Colorado River. They’d started with the more well-known and well-traveled Bright Angel and South Kaibab Trails. This trek from Nankoweap Trailhead on the North Rim to Bright Angel at the South Rim was a solitary nine-day haul. They’d probably not see another person until day seven or eight. It was the most ambitious trip they’d planned yet.
It was also some of the most incredible country Eric had ever seen. After a year overseas, his thirty days of postdeployment leave were well spent with his sister in and around the canyon. It was home. Their parents had been National Park Service rangers who had taught their children to love and respect God’s creation.
Lately, the desire to follow in their footsteps was strong. If he made the leap and joined the Park Service, maybe he could get stationed somewhere closer to Hannah.
Though the Grand Canyon itself was out of the question due to a certain ex-wife of his who was stationed here. He’d settle for their annual pilgrimage.
“What’s your plan to top this next year?” It was possible to get more remote, but it would be tough.
Hannah glanced over her shoulder at him, then turned her attention to the front. “This is year ten for us, big brother.” Yeah, big brother by seven whole minutes. “Ten is a nice, even kind of number. Sort of like a completion. What do you say next we tackle another park? A different adventure?”
What? Eric’s foot slid on loose rock and he righted himself, focusing on what passed for a trail. This annual trip was a way to keep alive the adventurous spirit their parents had instilled in them. Hannah’s wanting to change the location was huge.
While the hikes were a kind of cleansing for him, they seemed to drag Hannah into the past. She generally shed a tear or two when they reached the Colorado River. Eric was less expressive, though he felt the emotion.
A skittering sound behind him broke his thoughts. Small rocks and pebbles tumbled past his feet, knocked loose from above. Eric stopped and turned, scanning the area they’d traversed. Nothing but scrub brush and a few trees that barely deserved the name.
Maybe an animal? He touched the Glock at his side. It was rare for anybody in the backcountry to be attacked by a large animal. Rock squirrel bites seemed to be the biggest issue. Still, he felt a whole lot better with protection, especially since keeping Hannah safe was now his responsibility alone.
For ten minutes, they hiked silently to Lava Creek, searching for a spot with enough water to replenish their supply and enough flat space to bunk for the night.
The hairs on the back of Eric’s neck stood up the whole time, and not in a rock-squirrel kind of way. He’d hiked too many mountains in Afghanistan in full battle rattle while wrestling with this feeling.
Of being watched. Of human eyes on him. The feeling something very bad was about to happen.
He’d been right every time.
It was impossible. They were literally in the middle of nowhere, and it was highly unlikely there was another soul within dozens of miles. The crime rate at the canyon wasn’t high and was concentrated around the populated areas.
No one was stalking them in this deserted land. He’d been deployed too long, hadn’t been home in the States long enough for the paranoia to wane. It was possible being in the canyon triggered reminders of the Afghan mountains.
Even though they looked nothing alike.
They’d reached a flat spot on the rocks near Still Spring before he relaxed. Recent rains had the creeks running higher than usual, though that wasn’t saying much. Refilling water and washing up would be a little easier than in times past, when they’d had to settle for trickles in drier seasons.
Hannah knelt and splashed her face, soaking her yellow bandanna and scrubbing it across her neck. “You’ve been quiet. It’s okay if you want to keep hiking the canyon for a few more years. I feel like...” She rocked back on her heels and stared at the multicolored rocks and boulders along the creek bed. “I feel like it’s time.”
Crouching beside her, Eric dragged his bandanna through the water and wrung it out over his head. Sweet relief. He ha
dn’t been this filthy in weeks. “It’s a good idea. And it’s time. What are you thinking?”
“Yellowstone.”
“Mom’s first assignment as a ranger.” He should have known. It had been in Yellowstone that vacationing ranger Rob Larson had met Kim Register and convinced her they could make a life at his duty station in the Grand Canyon. She’d applied for a transfer before his vacation was over and the rest...
The rest was Eric and Hannah’s history.
Her cheeks pinked, and she pushed her hands against her knees, standing and turning toward a bend in the creek. “Yes, but it’s Yellowstone. It’s been a long time since I’ve been out of the desert Southwest. Who knows? Maybe someday we’ll hike some Icelandic glaciers or something.”
“You’d better marry someone as adventurous as you are.”
“Far as I’m concerned, if a man can keep up with me, he can marry me.” Hannah tossed a teasing grin over her shoulder and aimed a finger at a bend in the creek. “I’m going to explore, see if I can find the old coffee grinder that’s been around so long a cottonwood grew around it.”
Hannah’s life goal was to join one of the rare archaeological digs in the canyon. Her doctoral studies had concentrated on the area. One more reason her desire to branch out was a shocker.
She started toward the creek. “If I need an adventurous man, you’re going to need an equally adventurous woman.”
He yelled at her retreating back as she disappeared around the bend. “Never getting married.” Again.
“We’ll see!” Her call echoed, the tone lighthearted.
The words were an indictment he’d never discussed with anyone, not even his sister.
Because he had been married...once. To a young National Park Service ranger who’d helped search for his parents. The grief of his loss coupled with her loneliness at an assignment to this new and wild place had fueled a whirlwind of dating. It had culminated in a marriage of less than a year. His life stationed at Fort Bliss near El Paso and hers in the canyon had worked against them. His career was the army, and hers was the Park Service. Neither would budge.
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