I pulled on my jacket and rushed into the electric dawn, surprised that it wasn’t raining. I crouched low, at least remembering not to touch the ground with my hands. There was no wind, yet my hair lifted into the air. I knew instinctively this wasn’t good.
Another flash of lightning lit up the sky and I noticed smoke coming from one of the tents. “Pete!”
Morgan charged out of his tent, flashlight in hand. “Damn!”
“Pete’s tent is smoking,” I screamed.
Within seconds, Ben and Dr. Mendez joined us, and we rushed to our guide’s aid. Lightning struck again, this time hitting an oak tree nearby.
Sparks.
Smoke.
How often did lightning strike in one place?
Morgan handed the flashlight to Ben and helped Dr. Mendez pull Pete’s unconscious body out of the scorched and smoking tent. The doctor tipped Pete’s head back and listened at his nose and mouth. “We need to move him onto his side.”
No sooner had the doctor repositioned Pete’s head and arms for the turn than Pete opened his eyes and howled.
“Thank God,” Ben said.
I eyed Ben as if he’d lost his mind.
“It means he isn’t suffering from cardiac arrest,” Ben qualified. “If the lightning had struck him directly, he’d need CPR to jumpstart his heart. The lightning must have hit a tree nearby and traveled underground through the roots of the tree and underneath his tent.”
“But he’s in pain.” I said.
The acrid smell of burnt tent and singed clothing coated the inside of my nose and throat with a sooty layer that made it hard to breathe. I blinked away tears due to the combination of wet, itchy smoke and the heaviness in my heart.
“By the looks of his clothes,” Ben said, “he may have some superficial thermal burns. It’ll hurt like hell, but he’ll live.”
“Poor guy,” I said.
“Actually, he’s quite lucky. By the looks of it, the lightning didn’t go through his heart or any other vital organs. Plus, Tony is an experienced wilderness doctor as well as a psychologist, so he’s trained to handle things like this.”
“God, I hope you’re right,” I said, not feeling as upbeat about Pete’s condition. “Should I get Joshua out of his tent?”
“Let him sleep. He’s safe for now.”
“Are you sure?” I’d read somewhere that the most dangerous period in a lightning storm was at its end.
“The storm is over,” Ben said.
I wondered how Veronica and Jake had managed to sleep through all the commotion but let the thought go. Right now, Pete’s welfare took priority.
“Marjorie,” Morgan said. “Do you have your phone handy?”
“Yes.” Thank goodness, my battery still had a charge, since I’d decided to turn it on only in case of emergency. “Hope we get reception out here.”
“Have an ambulance sent to Tassajara Hot Springs. We can have Pete there in less than two hours.”
I rushed to my tent for the phone and on my return, handed it to Ben. “They’ll need to know exactly where we are.”
“Right,” he said, tossing me the flashlight.
“Marjorie,” Morgan called. “Pete wants to talk to you.”
“Darn,” I said when I got to Pete’s side. “That was close. Are you okay?”
He took a ragged breath and reached for my hand. “Just listen, okay?”
At my nod, he continued, “Remember our talk about hearin’ and seein’ things?”
“You bet, especially after you told me about the poem.”
“While I was unconscious, I had a vision,” Pete said, squeezing my hand. I leaned in closer, barely able to hear him. “It had to do with you and Joshua and the cave.” His grip on my hand loosened. “The cave is sacred. A good place.”
Dr. Mendez touched my shoulder. “Pete needs to get those burns taken care of, plus just to be safe, he needs to be checked for internal injuries. I did what I could with what I had on hand, but we need to get moving right away. I will keep him company while you and Joshua gather your stuff.”
I turned back to my wounded friend and said, “When I first met you, I thought you were stern and boring. I actually called you ‘Perfect Pete.’ Little did I know how apt the nickname would be. You are perfect, Pete, and I mean it with all my heart. I’ll never forget you or this trip.”
One last squeeze and he released my hand. “Don’t go broadcastin’ it to the entire camp. Next thing you know, the nickname’ll stick for good. Now get. I’ve got an important date and don’t wanna be late.”
The wilderness no longer appealed to me. I no longer felt safe. Thank God, Pete hadn’t lost his life. I opened the flap of Joshua’s tent, anxious to get out of this area before anyone else got hurt. “Hey kiddo.”
No response.
Empty sleeping bag.
Empty tent.
My knees barely supported me as I backed into the open.
Oh my God, oh my God. “Morgan! Joshua’s gone!”
I was tempted to give in to the weakness that threatened to turn me into a trembling mess, tempted to rely on Morgan’s strength, his counsel, his calm reassurance, but something inside warned that this was not an option. I had to clear my head, make use of the personal strength and ability I had never called on before.
Morgan peered into the tent and cursed under his breath before calling for Ben to search the camp.
“Where could he be?” I asked before clenching my teeth to keep them from chattering.
“Probably with Veronica.”
“Dear God, I hope so.”
“Me, too,” Morgan said.
“It was my idea to bring him on this trip,” I said. “I shouldn’t have let him sleep by himself in a tent, but I thought with so many of us close by and with Gabriel in the tent with him, he’d be okay. If anything happens to him—”
“Jake and Veronica are missing too,” Ben said, his forehead creased, his body tense, nothing gentle about him.
I looked at Morgan for reassurance, anything to calm my raging heart, give me hope, but the scowl on his face didn’t reassure me at all. “Let’s go,” he said.
“Go where?” I asked.
Morgan looked at me blankly for a second or two, then said, “Go back to Tassajara Hot Springs with Tony and Pete. You’ll be safe there.”
For a second, I thought I hadn’t heard him correctly. Did he have such lack of faith in my ability to help in a crisis? Okay, so my voice wobbled a bit, and I was fighting the shakes. No surprise. I was scared for Joshua, worried about how he was feeling. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t contribute something of value.
Take me with you. I pleaded silently. I’m not staying behind.
Morgan hesitated, and I clung to the brief hope that the light of understanding would flare up in his eyes. Instead, he touched my face with fingers that trembled slightly. “Ben and I will search for Joshua. My bet is that he’s with either Veronica or Jake. Don’t worry, we’ll find him.”
I glanced at Ben. His eyes narrowed. “Morgan . . .”
I shook my head. Ben meant well, but this was between Morgan and me. Morgan had to grasp the situation himself, or it meant nothing.
“Yeah,” Morgan said.
With his eyes still on me, Ben said, “Never mind.”
“Then, let’s go.”
Morgan and Ben saddled their horses and rode off, leaving Dr. Mendez, Pete, and me behind in the deserted camp.
Conflicting emotions coursed through me. Sadness. Disappointment. Anger. The anger, however, fizzled out quickly, giving way to determination. It was high time I started listening to my own counsel for a change, which meant acting instead of reacting, leading instead of following. Would Morgan just sit back and do nothing if the situation had been reversed? Hell no. And I wouldn’t have respected him if he did. As I wouldn’t respect myself if I hightailed it out of here with Dr. Mendez and Pete instead of taking part in helping Joshua. I was responsible for getting him into this mess, so it was my responsibility to help get him out of it. No matter if my contribution would only be a small one.
“Do you need my help with Pete?” I asked when I’d rejoined the doctor.
“He is tough and able to ride without assistance,” Dr. Mendez said. “You do not intend to go with us, do you?”
I studied him, allowing my resoluteness to build. His fitness became him, the ponytail, boots, and jeans, his tanned face. “Not if you don’t need me.”
“You’re not familiar with the terrain. You may get lost.”
“Then draw me a map.”
“To where?”
“Pete told me he had a vision about the cave. I can probably remember how to get there, but a few directions wouldn’t hurt.”
“I would oblige, but, around here, there are no street signs.”
“Then I’ll retrace our path.”
“It will not be easy—”
“Morgan’s wrong. I am needed, and I can help.”
Dr. Mendez didn’t respond.
“What’ll you do when you get to Tassajara Hot Springs?” I asked.
“Once Pete is situated, I will return with the authorities. Ben has already contacted them about Joshua’s disappearance. They will know what to do.” Dr. Mendez shook his head. “Life can change with such startling abruptness.”
I thought about Joshua and then cleared my mind. The pain was too intense. “I know.”
“There are invisible forces at work here,” Dr. Mendez said. “Make use of them.”
“Have you seen Gabriel?”
“The cat is the least of your problems right now.”
“I was just wondering . . .”
The peach glow of sunrise had transitioned into a startling combination of light and dark blues. Under normal circumstances, I would have paused to appreciate the wondrous shadings of nature, but not now. If I stalled much longer, I’d lose my nerve.
“What about the tent and stuff?” I asked.
“Pete has an emergency crew that comes out for situations such as this. All will be cleared up and packed away in no time.”
“When Pete has recovered enough to start worrying about Blondie,” I said, “tell him I’m paying him double the rate he normally charges for the tour.”
“He is currently fixated on his missing rifle.”
“Maybe Ben or Morgan took it.”
“That is possible. Now, go. There is no security in playing it safe. Listen to the quiet voice within, which is calling you to do more.”
My ability to saddle a horse, almost habit now, came in handy. It also helped calm my nerves. On with the saddle pad. Lift the saddle, girth, and cinch over the horse’s back. Cinch down. Girth on. Tie front cinch. Snug it up. Tie back cinch loosely.
“I would go with you,” Dr. Mendez said, “but—”
“Not necessary,” I said. “Just glad you understand.”
We said our farewells and I didn’t look back, welcoming the indefatigable energy that fueled me. You’re finally free, I told myself. Free to succeed and free to fail.
The pendulum paused. For an agonizing moment, guilt and fear rooted me to the spot, but instead of resisting these emotions, I surrendered to them. Fighting would only make them grow stronger. Time to move forward into the uncharted terrain of the next moment. Every ounce of my being, every instinct, told me to head for the cave. The directive was so intense that I had no choice.
Even in semi-darkness, the way was clear.