The Alaskan Rescue Page 5

  The next few minutes happened fast. Sashi watched in terror as Kendra took off, running down the other side of the hill into a hemlock forest, where she tried to climb a big alder tree. A sow with cubs would chase her and follow her up.

  “No, Kendra! No!”

  She had to stop the bear, save her friend. Without a second thought she threw herself in its way. The sow barely noticed her. In the next instant, the eight-foot, salmon-fed animal tossed her in the air, bruising her back and slicing open her left upper arm. Upon landing, Sashi’s right foot hit the ground first and twisted as her body fell at an angle.

  She could only lift her right arm in a futile attempt to prevent her head from hitting a rock on the ground. Fortunately the rock just grazed her temple. Lying facedown on the dirt, she could barely think. The pain radiating from her lower leg was excruciating.

  Sashi knew she had to move and get away from the bear in case it came back. She clawed her way into a nearby cave, dank and cold as a tomb. Too terrified to scream, she curled into a ball on the floor, then craned her neck to see if the bear was there.

  No, it wasn’t. It had gone. Where was Kendra? Was she safe?

  She prayed.

  She realized she needed to start taking care of herself or she was going to die. She counted to three in her mind and then turned herself over. The pain was unbearable.

  Her leg was much worse than she’d thought, probably broken, but right now her main concern was her left arm, which was bleeding profusely. She had to stop it. Using her teeth and right hand, she ripped off a piece of her shirt, which she then somehow managed to tie using her bad arm. At last she got a piece big enough to tie around the cut to stem the flow. It took a few tries to get the rough bandage tight, but she fought through silent tears and sweat, and it worked. Then she relaxed her body and calmed her breathing, and soon she fell asleep from exhaustion.

  She awoke later with a start. “Oh, God, where am I?” Then she remembered and began to shake. She could hear the howl of a wolf in the distance. Breathe, Sashi. You’ve danced for years. Pain is part of being a dancer.

  Where was the group? Maybe Cole would come and find her. He was a bush doctor. Her breathing slowed and she slept again.

  When she came to this time, her thoughts were reeling. I’ll be strong for Kendra and her baby and my parents. I’m their only child and they need me. Thirsty, she turned her head and tried to lick the water trickling down the middle of the cave floor. Yes, I will be found.

  She tried to move her right foot, but couldn’t. She cried silent tears. I don’t want to die. I’m not going to die. I will dance again. Please God, save me.

  She called for her friend. “Kendra? Kendra? Kendra?” Her voice grew hoarse. She refused to think no one could hear her in this cave.

  * * *

  IN A DREAM, COLE COULD HEAR his name being said over and over again. A knock on the door alerted him that he was needed in the E.R. He jumped out of the makeshift hospital bed that was on hand for the emergency room doctors. He slipped on his Crocs and grabbed his white jacket.

  From years of practice he flipped on the light switch, then headed over to the sink to brush his teeth and splash some water on his face. He sure hoped he had time to go home and properly shower before he saw Sashi today. As soon as she called, he would be off duty. Trading schedules with Dr. Reagan, he’d done the all-night shift. It was worth it. He couldn’t wait to see her.

  “Paging Dr. Stevens, Dr. Cole Stevens. Please report to the E.R. desk immediately. That’s Dr. Stevens, Dr. Cole Stevens.” He rushed out the door and headed down the hall, hoping it wasn’t a terrible trauma. He didn’t want any distractions on his day off. Once at the emergency desk, he picked up the phone. “This is Dr. Stevens.”

  “Cole, this is Chief Hunter with the Alaska State Troopers on Prince of Wales Island.”

  “Trace. I know who you are. I’m just trying to figure out why in the hell you’re being so formal with me.” He leaned against the high wraparound desk.

  “We’ve got ourselves a bad situation. I think you’re the twentieth person I’ve called today.”

  Cole chuckled and turned toward the wall to keep his voice from carrying. “You waited that long to get a doctor on board for whatever problem you’ve gotten yourself into?”

  “This isn’t a laughing matter. Two women have gone missing. Joe Running Bear, Freddy Marshall and his friends are very worried about their situation.”

  “How is Joe involved in this?” Cole was afraid something might have happened to Joe’s daughter or one of her friends. He rubbed his whiskered jaw in frustration.

  “It’s not like that. He’s taken some twenty or so city ladies on one of his Native tours.”

  Cole frowned. “I didn’t know Joe got people to go on those anymore. The guy charges a fortune. Last I heard it was two years ago since someone booked.”

  “Well, you know Joe,” the chief said, warming to the subject. “Once in a while someone will pay and off he goes. Apparently he just adores these women.”

  “Are they Tlingit?” he questioned.

  “No. White girls from Arlington, Virginia.”

  Cole’s stomach fell to the floor. “Do you have names?”

  “Why? Do you know the women?”

  “Maybe.”

  “I’ve got a Kendra Knight and a Sashi Hansen. Sound familiar?”

  “Yes.” Cole tried to shut off the fear that racked his system.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you knew anyone up at Marshall’s. All I can say is, you need to fly out here as soon as possible. You’re our best bush doctor. We’ve got a lot of caves here. Thank heaven you and Joe have hours of spelunking behind you.”

  Cole looked at his watch. Noon. “How bad is it?”

  “Freddy and some friends met the two women out there yesterday. This morning when Joe arrived, he woke the six-person party from their sleep. Knight and Hansen weren’t there. Their bags had never been opened for a change of clothes. Nobody knows or remembers what happened last night.”

  “If the weather holds, I’ll try to be there in an hour. Do you have spelunking gear on hand?”

  “That’s a go. Thanks, Cole.”

  “No problem. See you, Trace.”

  Cole looked at his watch again—12:05. He could be out to Red Bay by one-thirty at the latest.

  * * *

  HE DECIDED TO DO A GRAND SWEEP of the Red Bay Lake vicinity in his Cessna. It was vital he get an idea of the terrain where the search-and-rescue would be working. He radioed Jake for coordinates and more information. Unfortunately his friend had nothing else to tell him.

  His thoughts kept returning to Sashi, that beautiful woman who’d entranced him just a few nights ago. How could he be doing a search-and-rescue for her today? He was supposed to be meeting her for a date! He prayed to God nothing bad had happened to her or her friend.

  It brought back painful memories from another time and place, memories that needed to be put away while he searched for the women. Cole shook his head, forcing the dark thoughts from his mind, and brought the plane in for a soft landing.

  He taxied over to the Red Bay’s run-down dock, all the while trying to deal with his turbulent emotions. If the women had to spend the night in the wilderness alone, at least it hadn’t been on a cold snowy mountaintop like he’d once had to do.

  Within seconds of bringing the plane to a stop, Cole saw Jake and his father, Doug, at the top of the hill making
their way down to him. He could always count on the good people of Prince of Wales Island to give up their time to look for some lost city folk. Cole unbuckled himself and headed to the rear of the plane. He grabbed his backpack full of medical supplies and his .416 Rigby Magnum rifle.

  Prince of Wales Island was black bear country and he didn’t know what he’d be up against. In Alaska it was better to be safe than sorry. After loading up with everything he thought he’d need, he opened the hatch of the plane. “I can see you’ve been keeping up the docks, Jake,” he said wryly. Cole realized this would be a wet docking and he needed to go back for his waders.

  Doug, Jake’s father, was a fisherman by trade and an avid hunter. He always came with everything he needed. “Looks like our Doc Stevens didn’t come prepared. Pretty boys always have to look good, don’t they, Jakey?” He turned to his son with a big smile on his face.

  Jake, who studied the many fish in the Tongass National forest, virtually lived in waders and never thought much of how grubby he looked. His wife, Sammi, thought he was handsome, though, and that was all that mattered to him.

  “Cole?” he said. “Just throw us your stuff and jump. I’ll lock up your plane so you won’t have to get your fancy mountain gear wet.”

  “If your dad weren’t here right now, I’d give you a lesson in manners, Powell,” Cole retorted testily. He threw his bag in Jake’s face, took one giant leap and bounded from the plane. Gun held high, he landed on dry land in perfect form.

  Jake put the bag down next to Cole and gave him a good swat on the back before he waded out to the plane. “What’s got you so ruffled, princess?” He climbed up and locked the plane.

  “Jake!” Doug called. “I think Cole’s had enough.”

  “I need to know something,” Cole yelled to Jake. “Do you remember when you met your wife, Sammi?”

  Jake had just jumped back into the lake. “What are you talking about?” he asked. He looked at Cole as if he was crazy.

  Cole donned his backpack and slung his gun around his shoulder. “I’m kind of involved with one of the women who’s missing.”

  Jake waded out of the lake. “Okay, but what does this have to do with my wife? I don’t get the connection.”

  Doug explained. “I think what he’s trying to tell you, fish for brains, is that he’s fallen for a girl the same way you did for Sammi.” He looked at Cole for a denial. When none came he had his answer.

  Jake looked at his buddy in shock. “When did you meet her?”

  “When I flew up to Marshall’s a couple of days ago.”

  “Is it serious?”

  “I don’t know,” Cole replied. “All I know is that I’ve never felt this way about a woman before. We were supposed to meet for lunch today. Now...I might be looking for a body.” A shadow crossed his face.

  “Come on, Cole. Don’t go down that road. You and I have saved more people than I can remember. Don’t think about your brother. Not today. Think about the people you’ve saved. So we’re looking for a live person now. What’s her name?”

  “Sashi Hansen. She’s up here with her friend Kendra, the other missing girl.”

  Doug came in and gave him a hug. “Cole, you and Jake are known as miracle workers around here. If anyone can save those girls, it’ll be you.”

  Cole looked up at the brawny man who’d become like a surrogate dad over the years. “Thanks, Doug.”

  The trio headed up the slope to a clearing a couple of yards from the cabin to obtain their instructions for the search-and-rescue.

  Cole caught sight of Jake’s twin brother, CJ, also a fire ranger up in the Tongass National Park. It was amazing how alike the two were physically. Both were tall with dark hair and deep blue eyes, yet each had his own personality. There was, however, one thing they did have in common besides looks. The Powell brothers were brave as hell in situations of life and death.

  A hand grabbed him firmly on the arm, and Cole turned to look down at his dear friend Joe Running Bear. He’d never seen Joe look so distressed. “I need you to come with me now, my brother.”

  Cole sensed Joe wasn’t going to leave him alone. “Okay, Joe.” He turned to CJ. “I’ll catch ya later, pal. Say hi to Natasha for me.”

  “I will. Good to see you, too, Doc.” CJ gave him a big whack on the back.

  Cole looked back at the Powells. You could always count on them for love, either in the form of bear hugs from Doug or friendly pummels from the brothers. He envied them for finding themselves such beautiful wives inside and out.

  His glance returned to Joe, who packed the same kind of gun Cole carried. When it came to arming themselves on a mission like this, they both thought alike. Now that the search group was assembled, he and Joe made their way to the front of the group to hear instructions from the captain of the Alaska State Troopers.

  Trace Hunter stood before the rescuers wearing the brimmed hat and uniform of the police, along with his signature leather duster. “I’d like to thank you for coming out and helping us on our search and rescue today. We have two women last seen by Freddy and some friends at around nineteen hundred hours.

  “Our friend Joe Running Bear gave Sashi Hansen a GPS emergency beacon to wear yesterday. It has not been triggered. We hope it still might be used. As I discussed with you, we don’t believe the women spent the night at the cabin.

  “We’re handing out a flyer with the two women’s pictures, names and identification. Their families have just been informed. Keep in mind these women are only twenty-eight and both somebody’s daughter.”

  Cole got one of the flyers. His hands shook as he looked at the beautiful picture of Sashi. He read the facts about her: five-four, one hundred pounds, green eyes, strawberry-blond hair.

  The other woman was Kendra Knight: five-eleven, 140 pounds, brown eyes and hair.

  Cole looked up from his paper to Trace. “It’s now thirteen hundred hours. The two women have officially been missing eighteen hours.” He began to separate his mind from the task at hand. He was an expert in this field. The most important thing he could do was put his feelings aside and be the search-and-rescue doctor he was acclaimed to be.

  “We’ve divided you into teams,” Trace continued, “that will cover the landscape in a distinct pattern so we don’t miss anything. Everyone here has an asset. Some of you have ATV’s, so you can cover long distances. Some of you have horses, others have dogs. We have four hours till the sun sets. Let’s make the most of our time.”

  “Let’s go,” Joe said to Cole. “No time to waste.”

  Joe walked Cole over to where a lone bag lay among the bushes with Native protection charms on it. “This is full of spelunking items to check the caves. I hope we find my friends. I am very worried about them. I think they are going to be near the limestone caves in the area I told them about.”

  “I’ll let you know if that emergency beacon goes off, Joe,” Trace said.

  “Thank you.”

  “Good luck.”

  Cole waved to Trace, who disappeared behind a bush.

  * * *

  A LONE BIRD SANG. THEN IT was joined by others in a cacophony of sounds. Sashi tried to lift her head, but couldn’t summon the strength. The birds seemed to mock her in her terrible state of weakness. Did they know she was dying? Come on, Sashi. Get it together. She decided to focus on her parents’ faces. Her mom’s soft brown eyes that shone with joy when she laughed. The safety of her father’s arms that made her feel nothing could
harm her. She had to fight to stay alive for them.

  She closed her eyes and thought how hard she worked for her life. Even if she had not grown up in the wilderness, she knew people like her survived traumatic events like this. She was not going to let her fears get the best of her.

  She tried to move her leg, but it was too painful. She must have broken it. If there was a chance she was going to dance again and open her studio, she had to straighten her leg and keep it straight until she received medical care.

  The movement was agony. “Oh, God,” she gasped. She beat her right hand angrily against her padded vest. It was then she felt the emergency beacon Joe had placed in her pocket the day before.

  Gripping the top of her vest with her teeth, she got a strong hold on the zippered pocket and pulled the beacon free with a trembling hand. In tears of anguish, she turned on the signal, praying that somehow her forgetting about the device wouldn’t cost Kendra and herself their lives.

  She held the beacon to her face and cried, “Please, God, please let someone find me and Kendra. I’ll do anything. Please just let us live. Let us be found.”

  * * *

  “IT’S BEEN THREE HOURS, JOE. We’ve searched all known caves and found nothing.” Cole was devastated.

  “There are other caves, my doctor friend. We just don’t know them,” Joe said confidently, “but we will continue to search.”

  Cole watched Joe with his spelunking helmet on. The man was an odd mix of the modern and the ancient world, but a master tracker. If anyone could find the women, it was Joe.

  “Joe? Joe?” Cole heard Trace’s voice over the two-way talking device attached to Joe’s belt. Joe picked it up. “Roger.”

  “We’ve picked up the rescue beacon signal,” Trace said. “Do you copy?”

  Cole saw Joe begin to shake, saw a tear slide from his jet-black eyes. Both men felt a degree of hope for the first time in three heart wrenching hours of searching. Cole prayed for the women’s survival. He knew what it was like to just survive...