“We don’t know, ma’am, but—”
“Don’t say it,” Richard shouted. “My son is alive. He has to be.”
“I’ll be in touch, sir.” He laid a card on the desk. “If you need anything, you can reach me on my cell.” He walked out.
“Richard…”
“Vanessa, just stay calm.”
“Calm!” she screeched. “Our son has just gone down in a plane. I can be as emotional as I want! I have to call Marisa. I need Marisa.”
She reached for the phone as Winston handed her a glass of brandy.
Richard sank into his chair, refusing to believe his son was anything but alive. He had to be. His whole future was waiting for him.
A future Richard had precisely planned.
CARI REMOVED THE TOWEL from Reed’s head. A cut zigzagged across his left temple and a dark bruise spread from his ear to his hairline, but the bleeding had stopped. Since she didn’t have anything else, she wrapped the blood-caked towel around his head again.
Soon someone would come.
Reed’s sun-browned skin was so pale, and she checked his pulse. A faint beat trembled against her fingers.
“Reed!” she shouted in joy. “Can you hear me? Reed!”
A low moan escaped his throat and she cupped his face. “Reed.”
The moan grew stronger and his eyelids fluttered. Excitement ran through her. He was alive! She continued to call his name until his eyes slowly opened.
“Ca-ri.”
“Yes, yes!” Without thinking, she kissed his cheek. She was just so glad he was alive.
“Wh-ere are we?”
“The plane crashed and I’m guessing we’re somewhere in west Texas.”
“Wh-ere’s Fletcher and Melody?”
When she didn’t answer, he sat up and groaned, grabbing his head.
“Take it easy.”
He caught sight of the pile of twisted, burned metal. “Is…is…that…?”
She swallowed. “Yes. That’s all that’s left of the plane.”
“Oh my God! How did we get out?”
“I pulled you out.”
“Fletcher and Melody?” His voice was hopeful despite the anguish imprinted on his face.
“I was going back to get them when the plane exploded, but they…were…already dead.” She had to believe that.
He buried his face in his blood-covered hands. She wrapped her arms around him. “A rescue team should be here soon.”
He raised his head. “But not in time for Fletcher and Melody.”
“No.” She felt his tears as they dripped onto her cheek and she tightened her arms, her face buried in his chest. His arms went around her like a vise and they grieved for the two people they’d lost. They sat that way minutes or maybe hours. She wasn’t sure, but the light was fading. Raindrops peppered their heads. They had to find shelter.
She untangled from him and stood, surveying the desolate, bare scenery. They were in the middle of nowhere and as she looked out, she saw more of the same. More mountains, more desolate landscape.
“What are you doing?”
“We have to find shelter for the time being.” She glanced toward the darkening sky. “It looks like another thunderstorm is on the way. Stay here. I’m going to scout around.”
“Cari…”
“I’ll be okay, Reed. Just rest. You’ve lost a lot of blood.”
“I can’t seem to do much else at the moment,” he replied in a low voice.
She walked away on the uneven terrain in her stocking feet. Several deep indentations had been hollowed out in the mountain from the elements. They could possibly use one as a cave until a search party arrived.
Lastly, she moved toward the charred wreckage. Pieces still smoldered. She didn’t know what she was hoping to find. Something. Anything. She peered over the side of the mountain. A wing from the plane, a wheel, objects she couldn’t identify and several personal items had been thrown free.
A backpack caught her eye. If there was clothing inside she could use it to bandage Reed’s wound. The backpack was on a steep incline going down to nowhere. Could she reach it?
Ever since she fell out of a tree as a kid, she’d had a fear of heights. Flying had been a challenge, but her job was important to her so she had conquered it. Now she had to find the courage to crawl down and retrieve the pack.
Reed was still sitting with his head buried on his knees, so weak and needing medical attention. Without a second thought, she turned around and inched down the side of the mountain. Her stocking feet were a problem. Damn, she should have removed them, but she wasn’t climbing back up to do that. Luckily she was able to find footholds on clumps of dirt and rocks, which scratched the bottom of her feet. But she kept going.
As she put pressure on one rock, it came loose and tumbled down, carrying a load of dirt with it. Cari closed her eyes, sucked in a breath and held on to a scraggly bush for dear life. Dust clogged her sinuses and she tasted it in her mouth along with her fear. She took a long ragged breath, said a prayer and found another foothold.
Finally she reached the backpack. It was pink and black, so she knew it must have belonged to Melody. With one hand she reached for it and slipped one arm through. Then she did the same with the other arm. Tentatively, she started the trek back up.
She climbed over the top as raindrops started to fall. Staggering to her feet, she ran to Reed.
“We have to find shelter,” she said, plopping down beside him.
He raised his head and his eyes were unfocused, dazed, and she wondered if he was going to pass out. “Wh-at?”
Slipping an arm around his waist, she asked, “Can you stand?” Within minutes she had him on his feet, but he swayed. With a fierce grip she led him to the partial cave that had a slight overhang. Just as she did, the heavens opened and torrential rain splattered the terrain.
She shrugged off the backpack and placed it on the ground. Reed slumped against her and she watched as the rain beat down on the wreckage.
After a moment she turned her attention to Reed. He probably had a concussion, so she had to keep him awake. She shook him several times and kept talking, but he was so out of it she finally gave up. Her strength was waning, too. The sound of the rain was hypnotic and she drifted into an exhausted, restless sleep.
MARISA KINCAID HURRIED into her father’s study followed by her husband. “Have you heard anything?”
“No, sweetheart, we’re still waiting,” Richard replied.
“Where’s Mother?”
“She’s in her room. The doctor sedated her, but I’m sure she’d be happy to see you. Actually, she keeps calling for you.”
“I’ll go right up.” She turned and then pivoted to face Richard. “Have you notified Cari’s family?”
“No. I thought I’d wait until we heard something definite.”
“I suppose that’s best.” His daughter’s face crumpled and Richard saw the first crack in her strong facade. Colter put his arm around her and she clung to him.
Richard didn’t think