Page 27 of Becca's Trouble

Kyle frowned. “Did I just hear you right? Aren’t you supposed to be the levelheaded superior that everyone can count on?”

Cameron shrugged. “Just adding a little humor to the mix.”

Becca’s lips twisted. “So not funny. I liked it better when you were proclaiming how cute they were even if you did pat me.”

“Okay, sorry. I’ll keep my day job,” he said, looking adorable, but his silliness worked. The tension that had been building in her chest was suddenly gone. She pulled out her phone to pull up a picture of a grizzly but had no service.“Nothing out here.”

“I have a couple of SAT phones in my bag,” Cameron assured her.

“Okay, I’ve reached the location of Marcie’s last ping,” Kyle said, circling the area.

“I can’t see anything,” Becca grumbled, staring down into the sea of green.

“You’re going to have to drop us down so we can go in on foot,” Cameron said. “We can’t see anything from up here.”

Kyle flew lower, looking for a place to set down. After a few minutes, he found a meadow next to a river and gently landed the helicopter. Cameron handed Kyle one of the SAT phone’s and put the other in his pack, then handed Becca a full insulated water bottle with an attached life straw. “I’ll check in with our coordinates every hour,” he told Kyle.

“Okay. I’ll try and stay here for as long as I can so I’m close by if you need me.”

“Thanks, Kyle. Stay safe,” Cameron said.

“And watch out for bears,” Becca added with a grin as she followed Cameron out of the helicopter.

“Good luck. Let’s try not to be out here after dark,” Kyle said. “I’m here for backup when you find her.”

Becca shivered at the thought of these woods at night. She gave him a thumbs-up sign and they headed out, moving toward the last place they saw the phone ping. Considering how long ago that was, Marcie was probably miles away by now. “There has to be a road around here somewhere.”

“Maybe. A lot of people get around by plane here,” Cameron said.

“I can see why.” They trudged through the forest for what felt like hours without seeing the sight or sound of any person. “This is a great place to disappear.”

“I agree. Maybe we should move our headquarters up here,” he said.

Becca looked at him sideways. Was he serious?

“What?” he said, catching her look. “You have to admit, it’s beautiful.” He took a deep breath. “Smell that?”

“All I can smell is pine trees.”

He laughed. “Yes, the smell of pine. Of nature. Look at the sky. Have you ever seen a sky so blue?”

She had to admit he was helping her see things differently. “Okay, maybe it’s nice. Now. But as Kyle said, I don’t want to be out here once the sun goes down or in the dead of winter.”

“You have a point there.” The way he was looking at her almost had her forgetting they were there on a mission.

He pulled a packet of almonds out of his pocket and handed it to her.

“Thanks.” She grinned. “You’ve thought of everything. Were you a Boy Scout or something?”

“Yep. An Eagle Scout.”

She laughed. “Why am I not surprised.”

They continued forward, following Cameron’s compass for another hour or so.

“We sure could use Debi right now,” Becca said. “The real Debi. She sees patterns. I feel like we’re going in circles. Haven’t we already been down this trail?”

Cameron grinned. “No, we’re not. It all just looks the same. Pay attention to the bark on the trees; which side does the moss grow on? Listen to the sound of the water. If we stay close enough and follow along the bank, we should be okay.”

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