“Front seat. A jacket he didn’t take with him to the babysitter last night.” Ella grasped the handle. The weatherman had mentioned the temperatures overnight would dip down into the forties, and all Robbie was wearing was a thin shirt.
“I’ll get it.” Josiah jumped out of the truck before Ella had a chance to even open her door.
She watched him move to her car. She’d only known Josiah and his sister for six months, since they’d begun volunteering for Northern Frontier Search and Rescue, but they’d quickly become invaluable to the organization. Alex had lived here for years, whereas Josiah had only recently left the Marines. They were co-owners of Outdoor Alaska, a company that outfitted search and rescue teams and wilderness enthusiasts.
Although he was a large man, she’d seen Josiah move with an agility that surprised her. He returned with Robbie’s brown jacket in his grasp.
He gave it to Ella. “This will help Buddy find your son.”
The bright light of a few minutes ago began to fade. Ella leaned forward, staring out the windshield at the sky. Dark clouds drifted over the sun. “Looks like we’ll have a storm late this afternoon.”
When Josiah flowed into the traffic on Minnesota Drive, an expressway that bisected Anchorage, his strong jawline twitched. “We can still search in the rain, but let’s hope we find them beforehand or that the weatherman is wrong.”
Ella leaned her head against the headrest and closed her eyes. She had to remain calm and in control. That was one of the things she’d always been able to do in the middle of a search and rescue, but this time it was her son. Now she knew firsthand what the families of the missing people went through. The thundering beat of her heart clamored against her chest, and the rate of her breathing increased. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and she scrubbed her hand across her face.
“Ella, I won’t leave the park until we find the boys.”
“There are a lot of trees and animals in the park. What if he runs into a bear or even a moose? They could...” She refused to think of what could happen. Remain calm. But no matter how much she repeated that to herself, she couldn’t.
“How old is your son?”
“Eight.”
“Has he had any survival training in the outdoors?”
“A little. One of the reasons I signed him up for the day camp was to start some of that. We’ve made a few excursions but haven’t camped overnight anywhere.” Robbie was timid and afraid of everything. If she’d left her ex-husband sooner, her son might not be so scared of loud noises, or the dark. At least Robbie wasn’t alone and it was still light outside.
“We’ll be there soon.”
In the distance Ella glimpsed Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, which was north of the park. Maybe the counselors had found Robbie by now. Then she realized that they would have called her if they had. She checked her cell phone to make sure the ringer’s volume was up.
Josiah exited the highway, and at an intersection he slanted a look toward her that made Ella feel as though he were sending her some of his strength and calmness. “Thank you for bringing me.”
“Remember how successful we were at locating Mr. Otterman? The park is big, but it is surrounded on two sides with water and one with the airport. The area is contained.”
“But it’s fourteen hundred acres. That’s a huge area to cover.”
“Can he swim?”
Ella swiped a few stray stands of her blond hair back from her face. “Yes, but why do you ask?”
“I’m just trying to get a sense of what Robbie knows how to do since the park has water and Cook Inlet butts up against it.”
“He loves to fish, so I made sure he learned to swim at an early age.”
“I love to fish. Nothing beats a fresh-caught salmon.”
Ella rubbed her thumb into her palm over and over. “That’s how the bears feel, too. What if he runs into one and forgets everything he’s been taught?” Her heartbeat raced even more at the thought.
Josiah turned onto Raspberry Road. “If he doesn’t run from one and makes noise as he walks, he should be okay. Neither one wants to be surprised. I’m sure the first day the counselors went over how to behave in the wilderness.”
“Yes, but...”
Josiah slowed and threw her a look full of understanding. “You’ve dealt with family members when someone is lost, like Mr. Otterman’s son and daughter-in-law earlier today. I’ve seen you. You always seem to be able to reassure them. Think about the words you tell them and repeat them to yourself.”
“I pray with them. I tell them about the people who are looking for their loved one. How good they are at what they do.”
“Exactly.” Josiah tossed his head toward the backseat of the cab. “Buddy is good at locating people. I know how to track people through a forest. Tell you what—I’ll start the prayer. You can add whatever you want.”
As Josiah began his prayer for Robbie, something shifted inside Ella. The tight knot in her stomach began to unravel.
“Lord, I know Your power and love. Anything is possible through You. Please help Buddy and me find Robbie and the other two boys safe and unharmed.” Josiah’s truck entered the park, and he glanced at her.
“And please bless the ones searching for my son and his friends. Comfort the families and friends who are waiting. Amen,” Ella finished, seeing Josiah in a new light today. They’d talked casually the past few months, but there was always a barrier there, a look of pain in his blue eyes. She knew that expression because she fought to keep hers hidden since she dealt with so many people who needed someone to listen to them when they were hurting. She could help them, but she wasn’t sure anyone could help her.
* * *
In the woods, Josiah gave Buddy as much leash as possible and let him dictate where they went. Having insisted she couldn’t stay at the command post, Ella trailed behind him as they searched farther away from the base at the day camp. His sister and her dog, Sadie, were following Travis’s scent, while another search and rescue worker, Jesse Hunt, had the third boy’s backpack, and his dog was tracking that child.
Josiah glanced over at Alex to his right and Jesse to his left, both within ten feet of him. Suddenly the dogs veered away from each other. Buddy went straight while the others made an almost ninety-degree turn.
“They separated?” Ella asked, coming up to his side.
“I believe so.” Tearing his gaze away from her fearful eyes, Josiah examined the soft ground. “Someone else has been here recently.” He pointed to the ground. “That’s Robbie’s shoe print and that’s someone with a size twelve or thirteen boot.”
“A man? Someone else searching for the kids?”
His gut clenched. “Maybe one of the counselors came this way.” Or maybe it was someone else who had nothing to do with the day camp. He wouldn’t voice that to Ella. She didn’t need to worry any more than she already was.
Josiah continued following Buddy, scanning the ground for any signs that would help him find Robbie. He didn’t know how Ella could deal with the people who waited to see if their family member or friend was found. While bringing her to Kincaid Park, he’d felt unsure of what to say to help her. He was used to being alone. He was better off working alone with Buddy. He’d learned that the hard way.
Buddy stopped at the base of a spruce tree, sniffing the trunk, then taking off to the left. Josiah inspected the lower branches and found a few of the smaller ones were broken off—recently.
“I believe he climbed this tree.” Josiah