wasn’t hearing him. “It’s about Madison. Remember her? Remember how mad you were when she… no, don’t worry about that now. It doesn’t matter anymore, because Mama… she’s back. And she still loves me. And she’s been taking such good care of you. She wants to you to get well, Mama, we all do. Can you do that? Can you get well for us? Open your eyes, Mama...wake up for us…”
He repeated his litany of storytelling and gentle begging through what remained of the night, thrilling every time his mother’s eyelids fluttered or her fingers twitched. He woke Mani once when he thought her eyes were about to open, and his sister’s smile at the sight was all the reassurance he needed to keep talking.
“Mama, I haven’t told you about work. There’s this kid, a really young kid, and he’s missing. His parents are so worried about him, but I can’t help the guys search for him if you’re laid up like this. I need you to wake up and get all better so I can help them find him. But I can’t leave until I know you’re okay, Mama…”
* * *
“ D ude , I’m trying to tell you, the kid’s not here. I’ve been hovering over these coords for an hour and there’s no sign of him. This island just isn’t that big.”
“I’m telling you, Mike, I’ve got this gut feeling. He’s here, or he’s been here, or something!”
“Jake, we’ve got to head back. The cutoff to call off the search is coming up, bro. I’m sorry. I know how bad you wanted to find the kid, but there’s no sign of him. Not even on satellite.”
Mike continued to move in a circular pattern around the small island, trying to keep from blasting his teammate with sand and pieces of rock, even while trying to convince him to give up. Jake had been searching the small outcropping for hours but had turned up nothing.
“I’m telling you, chief, the kid’s here. I can just feel it. I don’t know how, but you’ve just gotta trust me.”
“I do trust you, Jake, but I also trust my orders. Remember those? Those things the mission leader sends out? And the mission leader’s orders are that this search is over in exactly twenty-three minutes. At that time, the family will be notified that there’s nothing else we can do.”
“God, Mike! Is that really what you want to do? You want to tell two people that their only kid isn’t coming home because you don’t want to search anymore?” Jake was out of breath as he argued, lifting more and more debris away from every crevice and rock outcropping, hoping it would give him some sign of their victim. His gear weighed him down and baked him a little bit in the hot sun, but he wasn’t about to give up on the kid, not after finding his surfboard.
“It’s not about what we want,” Tanner interjected, “it’s about our orders. Remember those? Those commands we have to follow from a higher up?”
“Well, last time I heard anything, we were forced into some kind of stupid early retirement, or reserve unit, at least. So that means no more orders, right? If they want me to follow orders, especially from some pinhead beach patrol guy sitting in an office somewhere a hundred miles from here, then they should probably make me active duty again,” Jake shot back angrily, still pulling driftwood and rocks out of his path.
His anger fueled his effort, forcing the adrenaline in his veins to become energy to his tired muscles. Those two could sit up there on their asses and call out orders for all he cared, he was down here getting the job done.
“Look buddy,” Tanner began before Mike could say something smart-mouthed, “we’re all frustrated about sitting around picking our noses while our SEAL brothers take on all the dangerous work. But this isn’t going to prove anything to anyone, certainly not to any commanders who may be wondering if we could be useful again. So just come on back to the hoist and let’s head back the SEArch&Rescue. We’ve done our job, Jake.”
“You might see
He repeated his litany of storytelling and gentle begging through what remained of the night, thrilling every time his mother’s eyelids fluttered or her fingers twitched. He woke Mani once when he thought her eyes were about to open, and his sister’s smile at the sight was all the reassurance he needed to keep talking.
“Mama, I haven’t told you about work. There’s this kid, a really young kid, and he’s missing. His parents are so worried about him, but I can’t help the guys search for him if you’re laid up like this. I need you to wake up and get all better so I can help them find him. But I can’t leave until I know you’re okay, Mama…”
* * *
“ D ude , I’m trying to tell you, the kid’s not here. I’ve been hovering over these coords for an hour and there’s no sign of him. This island just isn’t that big.”
“I’m telling you, Mike, I’ve got this gut feeling. He’s here, or he’s been here, or something!”
“Jake, we’ve got to head back. The cutoff to call off the search is coming up, bro. I’m sorry. I know how bad you wanted to find the kid, but there’s no sign of him. Not even on satellite.”
Mike continued to move in a circular pattern around the small island, trying to keep from blasting his teammate with sand and pieces of rock, even while trying to convince him to give up. Jake had been searching the small outcropping for hours but had turned up nothing.
“I’m telling you, chief, the kid’s here. I can just feel it. I don’t know how, but you’ve just gotta trust me.”
“I do trust you, Jake, but I also trust my orders. Remember those? Those things the mission leader sends out? And the mission leader’s orders are that this search is over in exactly twenty-three minutes. At that time, the family will be notified that there’s nothing else we can do.”
“God, Mike! Is that really what you want to do? You want to tell two people that their only kid isn’t coming home because you don’t want to search anymore?” Jake was out of breath as he argued, lifting more and more debris away from every crevice and rock outcropping, hoping it would give him some sign of their victim. His gear weighed him down and baked him a little bit in the hot sun, but he wasn’t about to give up on the kid, not after finding his surfboard.
“It’s not about what we want,” Tanner interjected, “it’s about our orders. Remember those? Those commands we have to follow from a higher up?”
“Well, last time I heard anything, we were forced into some kind of stupid early retirement, or reserve unit, at least. So that means no more orders, right? If they want me to follow orders, especially from some pinhead beach patrol guy sitting in an office somewhere a hundred miles from here, then they should probably make me active duty again,” Jake shot back angrily, still pulling driftwood and rocks out of his path.
His anger fueled his effort, forcing the adrenaline in his veins to become energy to his tired muscles. Those two could sit up there on their asses and call out orders for all he cared, he was down here getting the job done.
“Look buddy,” Tanner began before Mike could say something smart-mouthed, “we’re all frustrated about sitting around picking our noses while our SEAL brothers take on all the dangerous work. But this isn’t going to prove anything to anyone, certainly not to any commanders who may be wondering if we could be useful again. So just come on back to the hoist and let’s head back the SEArch&Rescue. We’ve done our job, Jake.”
“You might see
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