Page 43 of Clear Path

She shook her head. “Glucose tablets? Does that mean anything.”

“Glucose could be used to prevent or treat an AIP episode at home. The gold standard is hemin, but that’s injected intravenously, and it’s eye-poppingly expensive. Most people manage their porphyria through diet and lifestyle. I suspect that’s what Rory does—if she has AIP, that is.”

“Are there any glucose pills in her messenger bag?” Diana asked.

“No.”

She was silent for a moment. Then she asked. “Hypothetically, if she’s having an acute episode and she injured her head, how serious is it?”

He didn’t sugarcoat it. “Hypothetically, it could be fatal.”

Diana straightened her shoulders. “Then we need to find her. Tonight.”

“We need to think like Rory. She came here for a reason. The message of her exhibition was about displacement, about people being pushed aside.”

She twitched her lips to the side. “So, presumably she’d go somewhere significant to her theme, right?”

“It’s a reasonable assumption. One caveat though: if she’s having an AIP attack, she may not be thinking rationally.”

“We have to start somewhere,” Diana said firmly. “We’re running out of time. We’ll skip all the spokes in the bike wheel model and focus on the reflectors. It’s what my gut’s telling me to do.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do.”

28

Diana gathered the search party in a tight circle. Seven faces illuminated by headlamps looked back at her awaiting her direction. She straightened her shoulders, calling on decades of law enforcement experience.

“We need to split up to cover more ground,” she announced. “Time isn’t on our side.”

Bodhi stepped forward. “I agree. Based on what we’ve learned, Rory may be experiencing a medical emergency in addition to any injuries she sustained.”

“What kind of medical emergency?” Even asked, his voice tight with concern.

Diana and Bodhi exchanged a glance before Bodhi answered. “We believe she may have a rare condition called acute intermittent porphyria. During an attack, she would experience severe abdominal pain, nausea, and potentially confusion or even hallucinations.”

“Lord,” Tripp muttered. “I had no idea.”

“None of us did,” Julie said. “She’s very private.”

“How do we help her if we find her?” Sadie asked, practical as always.

“Glucose can help,” Bodhi explained. “Sugar. Anything with carbohydrates. And getting her to medical attention as quickly as possible.”

Diana nodded. “Everyone check your food you have. Share anything with sugar—chocolate energy bars, candy, fruit. Distribute it evenly between the groups.”

As they rifled through their bags, Diana formulated the search plan. “We’ll form three teams. Julie, Sadie, and I will head north to check the rest of the abandoned barns and tunnels. Tripp, Lucas, and Aaron will investigate the remaining caves to the south of the trail. Bodhi and Evan stay here and examine Rory’s camera. Go back through her camera roll looking for earlier shots. Try to find places that seem meaningful to her. When you do, call both teams, and whoever is closer will check it out.”

Bodhi cocked his head. “Why don’t I go with Julie and Sadie? You stay with Evan.”

She lifted her chin. “I can manage. And we need you centrally located for when we find her. You’re the only one with medical training.”

He didn’t fight her. She was right.

She turned to Sadie. “What do you think for a time limit—three hours?”

Sadie nodded. “That’s the max. We’ll reconvene here in three hours regardless of whether we find her.”

“What if we don’t?” Lucas asked.

---