Sandy Benson. He noticed it yesterday and got concerned when it was still there today. Especially with the storm coming, you know. So he called it in, and now you’ve got to get up there and let Robo find her.”
Mattie squeezed Rainbow’s hand as tears welled in her friend’s eyes. “Where’s the sheriff?”
“In his office.”
Mattie crossed over and tapped on the door. “Come in,” he said.
He was halfway across the room when she opened the door. Excitement had replaced his typically unflappable expression. “We found Adrienne’s car.”
“Rainbow told me.”
“We’ve caught a break. The car isn’t parked at a trailhead. It’s at a pull-off on a logging trail up Dead Man Gulch. This is a rugged area, not a typical place for people to hike. In fact, it’s not near any groomed trails.”
“I wonder what she was doing there.”
“I’m not sure, but we need you and Robo to head up there. Here are the directions to get to the site and the GPS setting.” He handed her a handwritten list. “Is it clear enough?”
She read the note. “Yes, sir. How about Brody? Is he coming with me?”
“He and Deputy Johnson are already on their way.”
A pet peeve niggled at her. She hoped they wouldn’t disturb any scent trails. She’d call him on the way and tell him to stay inside his own vehicle until she could get there. “How far ahead of me are they?”
“Hard to say. They were already near that area when Benson called.”
It might be too late; they were probably out of cell phone range. “I’ll be on my way, then.”
“And Mattie . . .”
Mattie turned back toward him, surprised that he’d used her given name. He was always so formal.
“Don’t take any chances out there,” he said. “We’ve got severe storm warnings forecasted for the high country, and temperatures will fall tonight. Make sure you get down off that mountain in time. Take your winter gear.”
“It’s already in the car,” she said, thinking of Adrienne. “We may need riders on horseback for a rescue mission.”
“Cole Walker has volunteered to help organize that. I’ll give him a heads-up, let him know there’s that possibility.”
“With this storm coming, I think we’d better send a couple riders up to the area now to wait at the scene. Then if we find her and need help with evacuation, we won’t waste any time.”
McCoy paused, thinking it over. “I hate to activate volunteers unnecessarily, but I agree with you on this one. I’ll make the call.”
“Thank you.” Mattie left his office, Robo at her side.
Holding out a paper bag, Rainbow intercepted Mattie as she started past the dispatcher’s desk. “Here’s a sandwich and some fruit for you to eat for lunch on your way up, and there’s a bottle of water in there, too.” Mattie could see the distress in her face. “Take care of yourself out there. I don’t want you to get lost, too.”
She took the bag. “Thanks. I keep supplies in the car, so don’t worry. We’ll do our best to bring her back, Rainbow.”
Mattie hurried to the Explorer, reloaded Robo, and settled into her own seat. She plugged the GPS coordinates into her system and then pulled out of the parking lot. She tried to call Brody’s cell phone but was disappointed when it went to voice mail.
Gravel spattered against the bottom of her SUV as she drove fast on the county road. A cloud bank loomed over the jagged northwestern horizon, gray and ominous. For the most part, she headed into the wind. Although she didn’t feel hungry, she reached into the paper bag on the seat beside her to grab the sandwich. If Robo found a scent trail that led into the wilderness, her body would need fuel to keep up with him.
The first thirty minutes of the journey weren’t too hard. But the road grew narrow and pitted as she climbed toward the gulch, leaving behind pinion and juniper to go up into a forest of towering ponderosa and lodgepole pine. It reminded her of the day Robo found
Mattie squeezed Rainbow’s hand as tears welled in her friend’s eyes. “Where’s the sheriff?”
“In his office.”
Mattie crossed over and tapped on the door. “Come in,” he said.
He was halfway across the room when she opened the door. Excitement had replaced his typically unflappable expression. “We found Adrienne’s car.”
“Rainbow told me.”
“We’ve caught a break. The car isn’t parked at a trailhead. It’s at a pull-off on a logging trail up Dead Man Gulch. This is a rugged area, not a typical place for people to hike. In fact, it’s not near any groomed trails.”
“I wonder what she was doing there.”
“I’m not sure, but we need you and Robo to head up there. Here are the directions to get to the site and the GPS setting.” He handed her a handwritten list. “Is it clear enough?”
She read the note. “Yes, sir. How about Brody? Is he coming with me?”
“He and Deputy Johnson are already on their way.”
A pet peeve niggled at her. She hoped they wouldn’t disturb any scent trails. She’d call him on the way and tell him to stay inside his own vehicle until she could get there. “How far ahead of me are they?”
“Hard to say. They were already near that area when Benson called.”
It might be too late; they were probably out of cell phone range. “I’ll be on my way, then.”
“And Mattie . . .”
Mattie turned back toward him, surprised that he’d used her given name. He was always so formal.
“Don’t take any chances out there,” he said. “We’ve got severe storm warnings forecasted for the high country, and temperatures will fall tonight. Make sure you get down off that mountain in time. Take your winter gear.”
“It’s already in the car,” she said, thinking of Adrienne. “We may need riders on horseback for a rescue mission.”
“Cole Walker has volunteered to help organize that. I’ll give him a heads-up, let him know there’s that possibility.”
“With this storm coming, I think we’d better send a couple riders up to the area now to wait at the scene. Then if we find her and need help with evacuation, we won’t waste any time.”
McCoy paused, thinking it over. “I hate to activate volunteers unnecessarily, but I agree with you on this one. I’ll make the call.”
“Thank you.” Mattie left his office, Robo at her side.
Holding out a paper bag, Rainbow intercepted Mattie as she started past the dispatcher’s desk. “Here’s a sandwich and some fruit for you to eat for lunch on your way up, and there’s a bottle of water in there, too.” Mattie could see the distress in her face. “Take care of yourself out there. I don’t want you to get lost, too.”
She took the bag. “Thanks. I keep supplies in the car, so don’t worry. We’ll do our best to bring her back, Rainbow.”
Mattie hurried to the Explorer, reloaded Robo, and settled into her own seat. She plugged the GPS coordinates into her system and then pulled out of the parking lot. She tried to call Brody’s cell phone but was disappointed when it went to voice mail.
Gravel spattered against the bottom of her SUV as she drove fast on the county road. A cloud bank loomed over the jagged northwestern horizon, gray and ominous. For the most part, she headed into the wind. Although she didn’t feel hungry, she reached into the paper bag on the seat beside her to grab the sandwich. If Robo found a scent trail that led into the wilderness, her body would need fuel to keep up with him.
The first thirty minutes of the journey weren’t too hard. But the road grew narrow and pitted as she climbed toward the gulch, leaving behind pinion and juniper to go up into a forest of towering ponderosa and lodgepole pine. It reminded her of the day Robo found
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