Page 71 of The Nook for Brooks
“Clarry, River, with me,” Sheriff said, nodding to them both. “We’ll be group four. I’ve got comms for us.”
River saluted with respect, taking orders like the soldier he once was. “We won’t let you down, sir.”
“Benji, Bastian, Connie,” Sheriff finished, handing the radio to Bastian. “You’re group five. Bastian, you’ve got the comms.”
Beside them, Ronnie and Lonnie hovered at the ready. Sheriff Garrett turned to them last. “Lonnie and Ronnie, you’ll take up base camp. Lonnie, you log every team leaving and the time. Ronnie, you’re on radio, push to talk and repeat back. If someone tells you something, you say it back exactly, word for word, to make certain the transmission is received correctly. No editorializing.”
Ronnie placed his hand over his heart like he was being sworn in. “Absolutely. Ten-four. Copy that. Roger Wilco. Over and out.”
Lonnie fanned herself. “Oh honey, that sounded so butch. Maybe you can talk like that next time we visit the Octopus Trap.”
Sheriff Garrett looked at them quizzically. “What’s an Octopus Trap?”
“You don’t wanna know,” Benji and Bastian said in unison.
“Okay then,” Sheriff Garrett said. “Any questions?”
“I think we’re ready to go,” I blurted urgently. “We need to find Brooks.”
Everyone nodded with agreement. Almost immediately, Sheriff Garrett started herding us onto the trail.
Harry laid a hand on my shoulder. “Cody. You okay?”
No. Yes. No. “Yeah,” I said. “I guess. I just wanna find him.”
“We will,” said Dean.
“Batteries,” said Mitch, suddenly beside me, pressing something into my palm. “In case your flashlight goes out.”
“Thank you,” I said.
River clapped his hand on my other shoulder. “I wish we could have met under better circumstances. But don’t worry. We’ll find him.”
“And we’ll all celebrate with ice cream,” Clarry added, faking a confident grin while he wiped a tear away.
“Thanks guys,” I said.
Bud gave me a gentle fist-bump of encouragement on the arm as he started toward the trail, while Pascal paused and said, “Once, when I was young, a boy in our village fell down an old war shaft. The villagers worked day and night, but eventually we got him out. We thought we’d lost him… but in the end he came home.”
His words echoed through my anxious head.
Home.
In the end he came home.
At that moment, Ronnie pressed his radio button and said into it, “Base camp to search teams. Do you read me?”
The static and feedback from all the walkie-talkies still being in such close range made everyone cringe.
“I think they read you, dear,” Lonnie said, patting him on the back. “Good job.”
I closed my eyes for half a second.Brooks, we’re coming.
When I opened them again, Bea was standing in front of me. She cupped my cheek with a cool palm and said, “Don’t be scared. Look around. This is what a town looks like when it lovessomebody. We’ll walk this night down to size and bring our boy home. I promise.” Gently she kissed my cheek, then added in a completely deadpan tone, “And if I face-plant in these boots, tell the paramedics Maggie pushed me.”
With that, Sheriff raised a hand and said, “Let’s move out, people. Time to find Brooks.”
The sounds of the river faded. Stones crunched beneath our feet. The floodlights of base camp fell away behind us like a theater dimming to make way for the show.
