“You have the airplane,” Dan said with a smirk on his face.
“What?” Sarah almost yelled. “I’ll crash us!”
“No, you won’t. I’m right here. Just move the yoke around a little to get a feel for what it does. Easy, there. You can’t pull it up quite so fast. This little thing won’t handle it. Make your turns nice and easy. See, it’s not so bad. Sort of like driving in 3-D.” Dan took hold of the yoke for a minute to get them back on a straight and level flight.
“Here, you take it again. See if you can keep it straight and level for a little bit. See that barn out there a ways? Try to fly straight at it.”
Sarah tensely held the yoke like it was trying to get away from her.
“Take it easy there. I don’t want fingerprints implanted in the yoke,” he said with a grin. He pointed at the altimeter, which was winding down.
“See the altimeter? You need to pull us back up a little bit. When I said fly straight at the barn, I didn’t mean into it.”
He softened his words with a smile. “You’re doing fine. Relax. Hold the yoke like you would a steering wheel, and just handle it softly.”
Dan pointed out the turn and bank indicator. “Just like you check your dash in the car, you need to check these instruments when flying. Check them a little more frequently than you would in a car. This one tells you if you are turning or not flying level. Also, keep an eye on your altimeter. It is easy to have a landmark, like that barn, and be following it and going down.”
By the time they reached their destination, Sarah felt a lot more comfortable with control of the airplane. They were landing at a small uncontrolled airport, which was all the small city needed.
Dan said, “I’ll take it back now and land it. You did well for a first time. See the airport?”
Sarah looked and looked but did not see anything that looked to her like an airport. It wasn’t until Dan pointed it out to her that she could make it out.
“Things look a lot different from up here, don’t they?”
“Um-hmm. Being up in the air like this puts things into perspective. What we think is big and important shows up for what it really is from the air—very small.”
Sarah was pensive as a thought tugged at the back of her mind. She couldn’t get a grip on what—but knew somehow it was important.
CHAPTER 78
Mary sat at her kitchen table with a cup of coffee and her open Bible in front of her. She struggled with depression over Jed’s absence, especially with Christmas at hand. Thanksgiving had been tough. What was there to be thankful for? Now Christmas, her once favorite season, left her with a sour taste in her mouth. Desperately, she was reading through her Bible, looking for some encouragement. God had never failed her yet, nor did she think He would fail her now. It was the not knowing that left her hurting. If she knew the kids were dead, she would deal with it, but being in limbo hurt. From her Bible reading, Mary knew David had troubles multiple times in his life. She found comfort in the Psalms, particularly the ones David wrote.
Mary got up from her chair when she heard the garage door opening. James walked in the door and gave her a hug. He could tell Mary was struggling not to cry. “Don’t worry, hon. I think we’ll get him back.”
“Are you sure? Have you heard anything?”
“No. I haven’t heard anything you haven’t. I just have a feeling he’s still out there. Just hang on, and trust God.”
CHAPTER 79
James was in the middle of a meeting with Tran and various department heads, trying to determine which of the new products needed to be on the first plane to the lodge, for testing, when Anh stuck her head in the door.
“Mr. Romson, I know you didn’t want to be interrupted, but I have a Dave Henson on the phone from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. He said he’s returning your call.”
“Great! Please put him through.” He pointed to Tran. “You guys work it out while I talk with Dave. That’s what I put you in charge for. I’ll back whatever you decide.”
Picking up his phone, he said, “Hi, Dave. Thanks so much for getting back to me.”
“Hi, James. I was out of town last week, and I’m trying to catch up. Sorry I missed your call. What can I do for you?”
“I’m looking for a condition report up at our lake. Is it frozen over enough to use skis, or can I get in with floats still?”
“No, you certainly can’t use floats. I’m not sure about the ice yet. We just had a nor’easter hit, and it was cold, with about six inches of snow in Caribou, so you probably got about the same. Based on the forecasts, I think I’d wait until the first to try to get a plane in there, just to be on the safe side. You could maybe get one in now if it was light. What’s up? Are you coming up to get your people for Christmas?”
“Get my people?”
“Haven’t you had a team up there since the summer? I flew over there the other day—let’s see . . . it was the second—when I went up to the conference, and a long-haired guy with a beard waved at me. I just figured he was one of yours.”
James’s heart leaped into his throat. Could it be Jed? Dear God, please!
“No, we haven’t had a team up there. My plane was stolen, and my son and Charles’s daughter were kidnapped. We’ve had no means of going to the lodge. I wonder if it could be Jed and Elizabeth! Any chance you will have anyone in the area? Could you check it out for me?”
“I’m sorry. Unless it is an emergency, I don’t have any way to get there before the first of the year. We have just a skeleton crew between now and New Year’s Day. Is it an emergency?”
“I guess I couldn’t call it an emergency, unless you think the guy you saw was in distress.”
“No, he looked okay to me. He wasn’t acting like he was trying to signal an emergency, just waving. Some of those guys out there get excited to see anybody.”
“All right. We are planning a trip up there anyway. We’ll check them out. Thanks for your help.” With a shaking hand, James hung up. He became aware of the silence in the office as everyone looked at him.
“Dave Henson said there has been someone at the lodge all summer. Do you think maybe it’s Jed?”
Everyone started talking at once, excited at the possibility. James’s mind was in a whirl. Quickly, he picked up the phone and buzzed his secretary.
“Anh, I don’t care what either of them is doing. I want Charles and Dan Hixon in my office just as soon as they can possibly get here. . . . No, I’ll tell you later. Just get them here for me right now!”
James took over the meeting. “Everybody, pipe down. Here is what we are going to do. I know tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and I don’t want to get in the way of family plans, but if you have any time available, I want it. We will decide what is ready to go north right now, and as soon as Charles and Dan get here we will determine how quickly we can get the plane ready, and we will go. I’m sure Mary will want to go, as will Charles, and of course me, so you work out who else is going up to do the tests. This may interfere with the New Year’s holiday, so keep that in mind. I’ll leave it to you to decide how much weight is available for product and personnel. Have the report ready for me before you go home tonight. I don’t know how soon we can have the plane ready, but as soon as it is ready it will be loaded and will take off. Dan will be here shortly, and we will know the timetable.”
The office door burst open and Charles hurried in. “What’s wrong, James? Anh said it was an emergency.”
“No, no emergency. Grab a chair.” James waited until Charles was sitting before saying, “Dave Henson just called me from up in Maine, returning my call. Somebody has been staying in the lodge all summer. Said he was outside waving at the plane when it went over.”
“Jed?” Charles was halfway out of his seat.
“We don’t know, and Dave doesn’t have anyone he can send to check until after New Year’s because of the holidays. We’ll have the plane ready before then. I’m trying not to get my hopes up. I don�
��t know if I could take it if it’s someone else.”
“Call Dan and see how quickly he can get the plane together!”
“Anh called him right after she called you. I expect him here in just a few minutes. We’ll take the plane up there just as soon as we can get it off the ground. I know you’ll want to go along.”
“Absolutely! I’ll go out to the hangar and help Dan. I can turn a wrench and put the skis on as well as he can. He can finish up the electronics while we get the rest of it put together. Can I have a couple of my guys?”
“Are you kidding? I already told these yahoos I need them tomorrow if it won’t interrupt family stuff. Now, I’ve got to call Mary before Dan gets here. You call your guys, and get them ready to roll. Double-time if they want to work late tonight and tomorrow, but make sure it doesn’t mess with their family plans.”
“That won’t be a problem. My guys all love Elizabeth and keep asking what they can do. Let me call Sue. Any chance I could take her and Jim along?”
“Works for me. Hey, Tran, we have others going up with us. Figure that . . .” James thought out loud. “We may just have to go up empty and send the stuff up later. . . . In fact, that’s what we will do! You guys belay the planning. Put something together for after New Year’s. That way it doesn’t have to be rushed. Let’s hold off this meeting until next week. Any of you who have the time to help, we’ll head out to the hangar after Dan gets here. If you have plans with your families, those plans come first! If you want to go ahead and take off now, feel free.”
All of the men cleared out of the office and hurried to their own offices and phones to cancel whatever plans they had for the evening and to try to rearrange whatever they could for Christmas Eve in order to be in on getting the plane in the air as soon as possible.
James called Mary. “Honey, are you sitting down? Now, don’t get your hopes up too much, but I just talked with Dave Henson from up at Fisheries in Maine. He said someone has been staying in the lodge all summer. He thought we had a team up there. . . . No, I don’t know if it’s Jed. . . . No, he can’t send anyone unless we declare an emergency. Most of his staff are off for the holidays. . . . Yes, we are working on that right now. Dan is on his way; he just walked in. I’m going to find out how fast we can get the plane in the air. . . . Of course, you can go! I gotta go. I’ll let you know just as soon as I know something. . . . Okay, come ahead if you want. Better yet, why don’t you go to the hangar? Pick up several pizzas on the way. I have an idea we are going to have an army trying to put the plane together! . . . Love you, too!”
Charles was on another phone with Sue. “No, honey, I don’t know if it’s Elizabeth or not. We’re going to talk with Dan Hixon now and see how soon we can get the plane in the air. Do you think Jim would want to go? . . . Yes, I’d like to take you both. I’ll call you when I know more. . . . Yes, we’ll be at the hangar late, and I’m going to have to take a raincheck on tomorrow also. . . . Sure, if you want to come, you can. Why don’t you stop at Kentucky Fried and pick up a couple of buckets. I’ll pay you back. . . . No, I don’t really know how many will be there, but I think we are going to have several trying to help. . . . Love you, too, honey.”
“Hey, Dan. Did James tell you what is going on yet?”
“No, I didn’t. I was waiting for you to get off the phone. Dan, here’s the deal. We just heard from Maine that someone has been in the lodge all summer. They thought we had a crew up there, so no one checked on them. Either it’s Jed and Elizabeth, or someone has been squatting. Fisheries said because of the holidays they don’t have anyone they can send up there unless it is an emergency. Here’s the question: How quickly can we get the plane operational if we pitch in? Charles says his guys will all help, and I had the department heads in here. I told them not to come if they have family stuff, but I know they will be there.”
Dan thought for a few minutes, jotting notes on a pad of paper. “I can put off some of the avionics stuff I wanted to upgrade, and a couple of other things really don’t have to be done now. The plane is airworthy. After all, it was operational when they nabbed it, and I flew it down here. The seats haven’t come in yet.”
“Call Wipaire and have the seats overnighted. I don’t care what it costs.”
“Okay. I can do that. Won’t be able to get them before the twenty-seventh or the twenty-eighth. We have to pull the floats and install the wheels and skis. That is about forty man-hours. Doesn’t take an A&P to do it; I just have to check them out. I think if we can work late tonight, and I can work on it tomorrow and maybe a little bit Christmas afternoon . . .”
“Belay that! Nobody works Christmas. That’s final. One day won’t make that much difference. It isn’t like you are trying to get stuff in to the Ia Drang with the 7th Cav.”1
“Okay, boss. I’ll give you tomorrow, though. Depending on how much help I get, we should be able to make it the twenty-eighth or twenty-ninth depending on when we get the seats.”
“Here’s what we are going to do then. You head out to the hangar and lay out what has to be done, and plan for several hands. From the sound of things, we may have more than we can use, but everyone wants to help get the kids back.” James fought back tears. “Anyway, Mary is going to pick up some pizzas and bring them out to the hangar for anyone who helps tonight.”
Charles broke in. “Sue wanted to come out, too. I told her to pick up some KFC.”
“All right.” James chuckled. “At least we won’t be hungry! Figure out what you need, Dan, and then call Charles at the plant. Any extra tools you want, he can bring with the guys who want to help. Actually, first I want you to call Wipaire right now and get those seats moving.” James pointed to a phone. “Anything else you have on order you need now, get it in the same shipment. Charles, you get back to the plant, and get your end of things ready.”
1For more on this, the first major battle in the Vietnam War involving American troops fighting the North Vietnamese Army, see General Hal Moore and Joe Galloway’s excellent book We Were Soldiers Once . . . And Young. The Medal of Honor was awarded to Captain Ed Freeman and Captain Bruce Crandall for multiple volunteer flights carrying water and ammunition to the beleaguered troops and for carrying out the wounded when med-evac helicopters would not go in due to heavy enemy fire.
CHAPTER 80
Jed stumbled into the lodge, head down and shoulders slumped, just before sundown. He had walked his trap line of snares but had little success. The freezing rain had spoiled several, and snow had buried others. Wordlessly, he slumped onto the couch, tears stinging his eyes.
It had been a trying week all around. First of all, it had been the forced confinement indoors. It had been too bitterly cold to venture out more than he absolutely had to. Then there was the disappointment of thinking they had been discovered three weeks prior. He knew someone had to come sometime, but having his hopes dashed so close to Christmas was hard to take. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and he didn’t believe in Santa Claus. Tonight, he and Lizzie would place the crèche on the mantel in preparation, but he was having trouble getting into the spirit of things.
Lizzie, on the other hand, enjoyed having Jed around the lodge so much. She knelt down in front of him and pulled his fur-lined moccasins from his feet and then looked up into his eyes. “It’s going to be all right, Jed.”
Jed nodded his head slightly, but his heart wasn’t in it.
Lizzie sat facing him on the couch, with one knee folded under her, and took his hand in hers. She rubbed his hand, trying to get some warmth back into it.
“I kind of like it with us alone together like this.” A little smile crossed her lips as she reached across Jed to capture his other hand so she could warm it. “I know you thought we were going to get to go home for Christmas, and I wish we could, too, but if we did, it wouldn’t be us having Christmas together.” She lifted his hand to her lips and placed a little kiss in his palm. “I like being with you like this.”
Lizzie had spent quite a bit of time
alone for the last several months as Jed was out cutting wood, hunting, fishing, and running his snares. To have him all to herself, even if he was working on pelts or whittling the crèche, was special. Her love for him was growing more than she thought possible. She had wondered how two people could love each other so much and what they would find to talk about, but she was having no trouble.
When Jed came in the door, she was there to meet him with a fresh cup of acorn coffee and supper almost ready to put on the table. She, too, had been excited when the plane flew over, but she really didn’t expect them to come back with all the snow on the ground and the lake freezing over. After all, where would they land? Besides, they were probably used to seeing people wave as they went past.
Jed let loose a big sigh and wiped the tears from his eyes. “I’m sorry, Lizzie. I love spending the time with you, too. I just hoped to be home for Christmas. I’m just being a big baby, but I miss Mom and Dad.” Had he stopped to think about it, he would have been surprised at the role reversals in the time between their kidnapping and now. He was homesick, and Lizzie had made a home.
CHAPTER 81
Sarah Summers got the news from Dan that he would not be able to go to dinner with her that evening. He was going to be working on the plane on Christmas Eve also. At first she was disappointed, angry even. After reflection, though, she realized she was reacting the same way her ex-husbands had when she was forced to work a case when they had things planned. But it was part of police work—the long hours, the missed dinners, the waiting for her to finally come home—only to be so exhausted she just crashed on the bed. This was different, but the circumstances demanded the same.
Sarah jumped in her car and drove to the hangar to spend what time she could with Dan there. She was surprised at the crowd of people who wanted to get the plane going to see if it was the kids at the lodge. When she saw Mary and Sue, she quickly helped with setting food out for the people working. Then Sarah got back into her car and went to the police department and borrowed the large coffeepot from the emergency truck. Knowing the chief ’s friendship with James, she knew it would not be an issue if the matter came up at all.
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