Hide'n Go Seek by Dale Mayer Page A

had been occupied.

    The only good thing about it was it took her away from the letter mess. She'd dumped it in Grant's and Stan's capable hands. Part of her felt guilty. A bigger part cried with relief that she had a viable excuse to leave.

    She couldn't do anything about the game, regardless of what the author of the letter thought, but she could help these people in Sacramento. Her choice had been easy.

    Thankfully, Grant and Stan had agreed.

    Several regional SAR teams were en route, as were some from NSAR. Kali yawned. The call had come pre-dawn. As always, her bag and Shiloh's traveling kit were in the front closet, ready to go. Two and a half hours later they'd been airborne.

    Several others had made the same flight, with Lauren, Brad and Todd in the back with the dogs while Jarl and Serena were up front getting briefed. The quiet in the plane was thick. They all knew what was coming. No matter how much preparation time was available, no one was ever ready.

    Once they arrived on site, the first nine hours passed in a blur as she reached the end of her endurance. She was tired and dirty, dispirited. Shiloh didn't look much better. The Labrador Retriever's beautiful coat was gray with dust, her eyes sad but valiant.

    "Come on girl, one more corner, then we'll take a break." That was a unique aspect of these special dogs. They were always willing to go on, always willing to give a little more. Shiloh wagged her tail and headed forward. Kali followed. They were working the far left quadrant. She'd been given the map coordinates, but her brain was too tired to remember the numbers. What she'd really love was a full bottle of water. Dust had clogged her nose and throat made her eyes run.

    Picking her way carefully through the debris, Kali walked on ground level. Shiloh climbed up to walk atop the closest cement block. She sniffed around the exposed area before climbing higher.

    "Kali?"

    The voice was faint yet insistent. Kali pivoted to find Brad calling, Lauren at his side.

    "The first teams are returning. Come and get something to eat and drink."

    Kali waved acknowledgement. "Shiloh, come on, girl. Break time." How many times had she said that to this brave dog over the years? Breaks didn't always happen. During huge disasters like earthquakes the rescuers slept when they could, ate when food was available, and kept bottled water on hand at all times. Time was always against them.

    Kali and Shiloh strolled along the cleared path to the safety zone where sheets of canvas had been set up as tents for a makeshift command center, offering some small comfort from the hot sun and a steady source of water and medical aid. Kali gave Shiloh her much deserved meal and water in the shade beside Lauren, who'd already found a spot out of the way. Picking up muffins and coffee for herself, Kali collapsed onto the ground between them. Kali studied her friend. Lauren had aged. Weariness pulled at her dust-streaked face.

    "How are you doing?" Lauren asked. Her German shepherd, Halo, lay quietly beside her. She reached over to scratch his ruff.

    "I'm okay. Just tired." Kali shifted to get more comfortable. "Shiloh's holding up well."

    "At least we made it on site fast this time."

    Kali studied what was left of the original structure.

    This building should have been condemned for shoddy construction. Everyone was trying to make a buck and no one wanted to put out the money to get the job done right. With the tough economic times, families were screaming to get in, glad to have shelter of any kind. Babies and children, parents and grandparents, all piled in together to save money.

    Now glass shards twinkled in the sunlight, a faint attempt by Mother Nature to diminish the severity of the event. When in reality, they added to the danger for the rescuers. Huge tents had been set up to shield the dead until someone could identify each body.

    For Kali, one of the most difficult things to cope with was the noise. Steel groaned