Page 8 of Searching Blind

So why was she still bitter about it?

She shook her head. It wasn’t the question she needed to focus on right now. She needed to focus on getting the group to safety. She glanced back, watching as the rest of the hikers picked their way up the trail.

The incline grew steeper as they climbed, their progress slowed by the slick footing and by having to help Joel navigate the difficult terrain on a broken leg. More than once, Lucy had to stop and help the others haul the kid up over a boulder or fallen log blocking their path. She tried not to dwell on the nagging thought that this route may prove too difficult for them in their ragged state.

But what choice did they have?

Going back was not an option.

chapter

three

As they reached the ridge, Lucy paused, squinting through the rain to try and spot the fire watchtower in the distance. But the stormy gloom obscured their view, and all she could make out was a vague dark smudge rising above the trees that she hoped was their destination.

Beside her, Sawyer stood still, gaze turned towards the heavens, letting the rain kiss his face. His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply, capturing and cataloging every scent that the rain carried.

How was he so calm?

The air was thick with the storm’s wild energy, and yet Sawyer seemed as serene as ever. His presence beside her was grounding, a sturdy pillar in the chaos of the storm. He turned towards her, sensing her gaze on him. A wry smile touched his lips.

“Can’t see a damn thing through this rain, can we?” Sawyer’s calm voice pulled Lucy from her thoughts. His face still tilted upwards, an almost serene expression across his features.

“No,” she admitted. “We can’t.”

“The storm is lessening. I can feel the shift in the temperature and the wind.”

She could barely hear him over the roaring gusts of wind but took some comfort in his certainty. “I hope you’re right.”

Sawyer gently grazed his fingers over her trembling arm, causing an unexpected spark of warmth to shoot through her body. “Trust me,” he said softly. “And trust yourself. You know where we’re going. Let’s keep moving.”

Lucy swallowed hard. Trust wasn’t something that came easily for her anymore. But there was something in his unwavering confidence that began to soothe her gnawing doubts. “Okay,” she said, nodding more to herself than to him. She turned to the group. “We’ll keep heading east.”

“Where’s the tower?” Chuck Grassley asked.

“It’s there. We just can’t see it yet.” She gestured vaguely in the direction they’d been hiking.

Chuck glowered. He wasn’t convinced. But as Lucy looked back toward Sawyer, she was met with a reassuring nod. That was enough.

“We can’t just keep dragging my boy all over this mountain with a broken leg.”

“I’m okay, Dad,” Joel said faintly.

“No, you’re not,” Chuck said, leaving no room in his tone for argument. He turned back to Lucy, fire blazing in his eyes. He pointed at Joel’s leg. It was wrapped up as tight as they could get it with what they had on hand. “You’re supposed to be guiding us out of here. You’re supposed to know what you’re doing. Instead, you’re leading us in circles!”

“Easy now,” Sawyer said, his voice still calm. “We’re all scared and?—”

Chuck’s face went red, and he took a step toward Sawyer, his chest puffing like a rooster’s. “I’m not scared.”

Zelda’s ears flattened, and a low grumble pumped from her throat. Sawyer set a soothing hand on her head.

“Of course not,” he said, still in that steady, placating tone. “We’re all relying on each other here. So, let’s stay calm and focused. It’s the best thing we can do for Joel right now.”

Chuck jabbed a finger toward Sawyer. “I don’t know why anyone is listening to him. He’s fucking blind. We should be going down the mountain.”

“Dad, stop,” Joel said.

“Because he’s blind, not stupid,” Bea said from the back of the group, her face as hard as granite. She stepped forward, squaring up to Chuck in a show of solidarity with Sawyer. “And I’d follow him and Ranger Harper into hell a million times over before I’d follow you anywhere. They’re more capable than you’ve ever dreamed of being.”

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