| |
MOUNT BAKER:
Jamie stares through the windshield of the Hummer, grateful the children are being quiet on the drive down the mountain. At one point, Serra tried to reassure her that Wesley would be okay, but Jamie knows the rough ride down the river could have driven his fractured rib into his lungs. She fights hard to hold back her tears, thinking all they will find is Wesley’s cold limp body.
She parks in front of the empty ranger station and shuts down the engine, then leans her arms over the steering wheel. She stares at the station door, hoping by some miracle Wesley will walk out of the building.
“What should we do now, Jamie?” Serra asks
Jamie leans back and looks over at her. “You and your children should wait here until Larry comes back. He can arrange to take you someplace safe.”
“What if he doesn’t come back?”
“Let’s go inside and you can call someone to come and get you.”
“I don’t have anyone to call.”
Jamie’s frustration reaches the breaking point. “So what do you expect me to do about it!” she snaps. “Wesley is dead because you had to get your precious junk!”
Serra stares at Jamie, not knowing what to say. She turns and opens the door. “Come on, kids.”
Jamie regrets her outburst. “Look, I’m sorry I yelled.”
“That junk is all we have. What would you have done?”
Jamie realizes she would have done the same thing. “I’ll take you down to the store and you can get a ride from there. Ms. Sorenson knows a lot of people who could help you.”
Serra closes the door. “Thanks.”
Jamie starts the engine, backs away from the building, then drives out of the park.
***
When she returns from the grocery store, Jamie sees Larry’s SUV parked in front of the station. She parks, shuts off the engine, and throws open the door to climb out, hoping Wesley is alive and waiting inside. She runs into the station and finds Larry staring at the map on the wall. She glances around, but does not see Wesley.
Larry notices the desperation in Jamie’s eyes. “Are you okay?”
Jamie tries to hold back her tears. “We had an accident. Wesley was washed downstream, and I don’t know what happened to him. I was hoping he came here.”
“I’ve been driving around the park checking the damage, and I didn’t see anyone.” He watches Jamie’s desperate look change to determination, and she grabs the doorknob. “Where are you going?”
“To find him.”
“Just hang on a second. I’ll call Frank and we’ll do a proper search. Wesley is a resourceful man, Jamie. I’m sure we’ll find him.”
Jamie lets go of the doorknob and steps over to the map. “Show me an area and I’ll get started.”
Larry grabs a red erasable marker and divides the map into three sections. “Where did he get washed downstream?”
Jamie grabs a blue marker and circles a spot on the map. “This is where the water tore out the road above the campground, and he was going in this direction before he disappeared.”
“All right. You search that area below the campground, I’ll take this area to the east, and Frank can search the area to the west.”
“Got it.” Jamie grabs a fresh radio from the charger and runs out of the building.