Forever Chance

by CJ Murphy

  Chance shook her head as she chewed and swallowed. “I can tell you this, nothing she does will change the fact I intend to marry Jax. I need to call Sarah, but it’s been nuts today, trying to deal with the schedule and Brad’s arrest. Faith stopped in my office not too long ago and I nearly had to throw her out. She was hardheaded when we were together, now she’s pure obstinance. Sarah’s on my side, and I hate that it’s going to cause an even bigger rift between them. Faith doesn’t want to take no for an answer. It burns my ass that she acts like I have no choice in this.”

  Dee squeezed Chance’s neck. “Think Sarah can talk any sense into her?”

  “Doubtful. Faith takes nothing Sarah says to heart. If it wasn’t for Daniel, I doubt they would have much at all to talk about. It’s the one link they have since their parents passed.”

  Maggie took a drink of her coffee, then set the mug down. “This isn’t your fault, Chance. Faith let you go a long time ago. Apparently, she thought you’d wait around. She’s seen you with others over the years, after you separated. The one that’s getting the worst of this is Theresa. She certainly doesn’t deserve this.”

  Chance finished the sandwich and drank the last of the glass of water she’d been given. She rose out of the chair and put her hat on. “I’ve got to get back at it. Tell Kendra I’ll try to catch her before she goes back to school. Maybe dinner tomorrow? I know she’ll be home for Leaf Peepers. Have you guys come to an agreement about the sleeping arrangements?”

  Dee held up a hand. “Oh, don’t go there. The discussions are ongoing. That one over there has taken the protective, mother bear position.” Dee laughed, then covered it with a cough before reaching down and scratching Zeus’ side.

  Maggie crossed her arms. “I can’t help being protective. I have a right to be. I’ve never met this girl. I’ve got more than one bedroom available. My mind is made up that they’ll stay in separate rooms.”

  “Yeah and sneak in to visit after you’ve gone to sleep.” Chance couldn’t hold her laughter, knowing how many times over the years she’d done the same.

  Maggie pointed at Chance. “I know what you’re thinking, Chance Raylynn. I know what you did years ago, and it might happen next weekend too. I don’t have to give my approval.”

  Chance stood and stretched as Zeus made his way to the door. “I get it, Mom. Don’t get your dander up. I have no doubt you’re going to like Brandi. You have nothing to worry about, but I’ll let you judge for yourself. I need to head out. I got a text from Sarah. She’s working today and asked me to stop by. Maybe we can come up with something together.”

  Maggie came around the table and hugged her. “Be careful out there. I know you’re running short. The bad guys know what’s going on too. Don’t take any chances. You have people depending on you.”

  “You got it. I’ll call you later. Thanks, you two, I wouldn’t know what to do without you. Thanks for the sandwich. Let’s go, Zeus.”

  “That’s what parents do, no matter how old their kids are. Go, we’ve got you covered with the horses and anything else Jax needs. Call if you think of something else.” Maggie kissed her cheek.

  Chance tipped her hat and headed out the door. She’d barely made it inside her cruiser when she received a radio call.

  “Comm Center to SD-1.”

  “This is SD-1. Go ahead with your traffic.”

  “State Police Unit 206 requests you meet him at Valley View Road in Timberline. Missing juveniles.”

  She pointed the Suburban in the direction of Timberline. She was ten minutes out from where Quade wanted to meet her. “Do you have any more information?”

  “Two twelve-year-old males, last seen near the Valley View trail over two hours ago. Parents have been looking and calling for them since discovering they were missing. One is in a blue hoodie and jeans. The other has a black jacket and jeans. Neither is from the area. One is diabetic. It’s unknown whether they took any provisions.”

  “SD-1 received. Go ahead and notify Canaan Valley Fire Department and the Saddleback rescue unit. With a two-hour head start, we need to locate those kids ASAP. Break. SD-1 to 206.”

  “This is 206. Go ahead.”

  “How close did the boys enter the woods in relation to the trail parking area?”

  “Chance, from what I can tell, they went in about a quarter-mile from the rental house. The parents haven’t seen or heard anything from them.”

  “Does either boy have a cellphone?”

  “Negative. I thought of that too. No luck there. I’m going to drive Valley View with my siren on and see if I can give them a target to head for. I heard you called the horses in. Hopefully, we can get them in here quickly.”

  “Received. I’m on my way, 206.” Chance’s cellphone rang and she answered without looking at the caller ID. “Sheriff Fitzsimmons.”

  “Chance, it’s Taylor. I’m headed to your place to load the horses. Jax is on her way to meet me. We’ll load up your two, then I’ll get Sabrina. I’ll make contact with Matt Carson. Anything else you want?”

  “Yes, contact Pete Doran out at the Rubenstein Center. See if he and his search dog can head our way. Let’s set up a command post at the trail parking area.”

  “You got it. See you there.” Taylor hung up.

  Chance grabbed her radio. “SD-1 to Company 30.”

  “This is Company 30. Go ahead, Sheriff.”

  “Ike, can you run the scene? As soon as my horse gets here, I’m going to head out on the trail.”

  “I’ll take command. We’re leaving the station in five.”

  Ten minutes later, Chance pulled near Quade’s cruiser and stepped out beside a frantic couple. “I’m Sheriff Fitzsimmons. What can you tell me about the boys?”

  A man who looked in his late thirties stepped forward. “We rented a cabin on Valley View. The boys were playing in the back yard, and I went inside to take a phone call. When I came back out, the boys were gone. I tried to find them myself, then came back and got my wife. We’ve been calling for them nonstop until I made the call to 9-1-1.”

  “What are the boys’ names?” Chance pulled her notebook out.

  “They’re twins, Laken and Brayden. Laken is diabetic and takes insulin shots twice a day. He ate lunch, and we normally would have checked his blood sugar by now. We do that about every three hours. We’re well past that.”

  “Okay, what’s your name?” Chance made notes.

  “I’m Joseph Clarkson, and this is my wife, Eve. We’re vacationing from Columbus, Ohio.”

  “Please, Sheriff, we need to find them. Laken could easily slip into a diabetic coma. He didn’t take his kit with him.” Eve trembled as she wrapped her arms around herself.

  Chance stepped up beside Joseph. “We’re going to do everything we can to find them. Would the boys stay together?”

  Joseph pulled his wife close. “Without a doubt. When you find one, you’ll find the other stuck right to him. They’re inseparable. Laken is actually the more adventurous of the two. Brayden will follow his brother to the gates of hell and back, but he won’t lead him there.”

  Chance asked several more questions about the boys’ heights and weights. “Okay. Do you have anything of the boys with you? I’m hoping one of the dogs might be able to get a scent trail.”

  “No, we took off walking, trying to find them.” Joseph shook his head, still holding his wife close.

  “Then here’s what I need you to do. Go back to the house and get Laken’s insulin and something the boys have worn recently. Our medics will have medication with them, but you’ve been dealing with his condition his whole life. Once we find him, we can make sure he quickly gets the attention he’ll need. We’re going to set up a command post here in the parking lot. When you get back, stay here. This is where we’ll bring them when we find them.”

  Joseph tried to protest. “I want to go out and search with you.”

  Chance put a hand on his shoulder. “I know that’s what you want to do. The problem is,
you aren’t a trained searcher. I’m going to be on horseback. The safest and most helpful place for you is to be in the command post if we have questions. I know it’s hard, I do. We’ve handled hundreds of these searches. You have to trust us.” Chance turned at the sound of a siren, as the rescue truck showed up along with a Sheriff’s Department truck pulling a horse trailer.

  She coordinated with Quade and Ike, as Taylor unloaded Kelly and Sabrina. Chance joined them and put an arm around Jax who stood holding Mac’s reins. “Thanks for coming. Hopefully, we can find the kids before it gets dark. We only have a couple of hours before dusk sets in. We’ve got to get moving. I’m going to take Jax and head north. We’ll work off tactical channel two. Ike are you okay with all that?”

  Joseph ran up to them with the boy’s pajamas. “Here, they wore these last night.”

  “Excellent.” Chance looked up to see Pete walking into the scene with Booney, a loveable bloodhound. “Just in time, Pete. Were you already close?”

  The man with salt and pepper hair stood beside a tall Appaloosa and held a very long leash. “We were doing some training over at the ski lodge.”

  Chance filled him in on the call and handed him the garments. Pete bent and let Booney smell the pajamas.

  Taylor stepped into the stirrup and threw her leg over Sabrina. “I’ll head opposite of whichever way you guys go, Chance, just to cover all the bases. Get moving.”

  Jax handed Chance Kelly’s reins. “I’m right behind you.”

  Booney put his nose to the ground at the track command, and he and Pete took off north, with Chance and Jax following along the Valley View trail, one horse directly behind the other.

  Ten minutes later, Taylor came up on the radio. “Anything?”

  Chance keyed her mic. “They were out here a long time before the parents discovered they were missing. No telling how far they got.”

  Small huckleberry bushes dotted the grassy areas and the horses were forced to navigate around thick laurel patches that snaked out into their path all along the trail. Eventually, they made it to the ridge and the rocky vistas of Dolly Sods.

  Booney smelled the ground all around and looked up at Pete. “It’s okay, boy. We’ll find them.”

  Chance stopped and cupped her hands around her mouth to yell. “Brayden! Laken!” She stopped to listen for any noise that might indicate the boys. She tried again with no result. “Two boys that age could get pretty far. I’m hoping they didn’t make it to the cliffs.”

  Pete rubbed his neck. “Boys tend to push each other when it comes to outdoing the other. Laken is the one that’s diabetic, right?”

  Chance nodded. “Yeah. His mom said he doesn’t have anything with him. He’ll be burning a lot of energy in this kind of terrain. I threw an orange juice and some glucose tablets in my pack.” She turned to Jax. “I assume you have your jump kit?”

  Jax patted her saddlebag. “I do, but we don’t carry insulin. That’s the worst-case scenario. I have a glucometer, so we’ll be able to check his blood sugar right away. Then we can get him to his mom with the insulin if that’s the issue. Come on, let’s keep going.”

  They traveled farther up the trail, stopping to call for the boys frequently. Chance looked at her watch, concerned about the late hour. If they didn’t find the boys soon, there was a possibility they’d be spending the night out in the elements. Without provisions, Laken could lapse into a life-threatening coma. Chance stopped when she saw Kelly twitch her ears and nicker. “What is it, girl?” Chance twisted in her saddle. “Laken! Brayden! Can you hear us?” Booney cut off the trail and down toward the rocks and the cliff faces. “I don’t like where this is leading.” Zeus pranced beside them.

  Jax looked concerned. “You don’t think the boys would try to climb down the face, do you?”

  Chance shrugged. “With boys, it’s hard to say. I wouldn’t put it past them.”

  Pete shifted in his saddle. “I hope we find them before they get into too much trouble.”

  Booney took off in the direction of the cliffs, and Chance nudged Kelly to follow until they reached a point where the horses were no longer able to travel. Pete, Chance, and Jax dismounted and secured the horses and grabbed equipment that might be needed. They yelled the boys’ names again before stopping to listen intently. Booney howled in front of them as Zeus raised his nose in the air.

  Jax adjusted her pack. “Let’s hope the way he’s carrying on means they’re close.”

  Pete took off at a run, with Booney’s long leash in his hand, Chance and Jax close behind. They followed the distinctive bay until they found him standing on top of a large granite stone looking down. Chance leaned over and saw the boys huddled together on a rocky outcropping. “Brayden? Laken?” She watched one of them look up and raise his arms. “You two sit tight. We’re coming down to you.” She turned to Jax. I’m going to start working on a way down to them. Get on the radio and let command know our location.” She handed Jax a GPS unit.

  “Chance, it should be me that goes over the hill. I can start an IV. You and Pete need to set up the haul and direct operations from up here.” Jax began tying a simple harness out of a piece of webbing.

  “I don’t like it, but you can render more medical assistance than I can.” Chance went to look for an anchor while Jax called in their coordinates.

  Chance ran back and checked Jax’s seat harness knots and attachment points. “Okay, let’s get you over the side. That webbing is going to hurt if you have to hang very long. Luckily, they’re only about thirty feet down. You ready to rappel?”

  “Let’s go. We’re burning daylight, and we don’t know what condition Laken is in.” Jax connected to the rope and Chance checked every knot and connection again.

  “Your riding helmet will help protect you in case anything falls from the top. I’m going to warn the boys to cover their heads. Be careful. I love you.”

  “I love you, too. Now let’s get me down to the boys.”

  “Your wish is my command.” Chance leaned over the edge and yelled to the boys. “I’m sending someone down. Cover your head with your hands, and don’t look up.” She turned back to Jax. “Okay, baby, over the side with you.”

  ***

  Jax stepped back and leaned into the makeshift harness and walked her feet down the steep wall. She could see where the boys had disturbed the ground on the side as she made her way down to them. Jax called out her distance to keep Chance apprised. “Twenty feet. Fifteen feet, five feet. I’m with them. Off rope.” Jax unclipped and knelt by the boys. Brayden was talking a mile a minute, but Laken was still. She grabbed his wrist. His pulse was thready and his breathing faint. “Brayden, has Laken eaten anything recently?”

  “No, we didn’t plan to be out this long. He needs to eat.” The small boy shuffled closer to his brother.

  “I’m going to check his sugar, then I’ll get something to help him, okay?” Jax wanted to reassure Brayden that she was going to try and make Laken better.

  “Laken wanted to keep going, but I couldn’t tell where we were. He saw this place from up there, and I couldn’t stop him.”

  “We won’t worry about all that right now. I’m going to check Laken’s sugar and see if we can bring him around. Are you hurt anywhere?” Jax looked him over and could see mud on the sleeve of his sweatshirt.

  “I slid down part of the way. I think I cut my elbow, but I’m okay. Help Laken.”

  “I’m going to do just that, buddy. How about you hold his hand while I stick his finger? You’ve seen him do this, right?”

  The boy nodded as Jax lanced his brother’s finger and let a drop of blood soak into the test strip. She pushed the strip into the small, handheld monitor. She waited for a few minutes for the digital reading to appear. Dammit, thirty is way too low.

  Brayden’s eyes grew wide. “That’s really low. He needs sugar.”

  “Yes, he does, and I can do that. I’ll need your help, but I need to let my partner up top know what’s happening, ok
ay?” She watched the boy nod. “Okay, you tear open this plastic bag.” She handed him the bag of dextrose, while she called for Chance using her Saddleback unit number. “SB-17 to SD-1.”

  “Go ahead, Jax.”

  Jax could hear both Zeus and Booney barking and howling in the background. “Both boys appear mostly uninjured. Laken’s sugar is thirty. I’m going to start a line and follow the diabetic protocol. There’s no way to climb back up out of here, so we’ll have to use a stretcher for Laken. I’m guessing I can put a harness on Brayden and clip him to me, then have you haul us.”

  “Okay. The rescue group is on their way to us with equipment. I’ve got an ambulance standing by at the trail parking area. Do you need anything else down there?”

  “A couple of real harnesses and the basket should do it. I’m going to get this line started.”

  “Copy.”

  Jax opened the tubing and pushed the bulb into the connector. She rolled the small wheel to allow fluid to come out of the tube. “Laken, can you hear me? I’m going to start an IV on you. You’re going to feel a stick.”

  Jax pulled a needle from the plastic packaging and put a tourniquet around Laken’s arm. The boy still wasn’t responding to her voice but winced when she slid the catheter into his arm. She immediately saw the telltale signs of blood flashback. She connected the tubing and let the fluid run wide open to get the solution into his system as soon as possible. She could hear the radio traffic of the crews coordinating to bring in the necessary equipment.

  “You guys didn’t fall or anything, did you?” She looked over Brayden and ran her hands over Laken’s extremities to determine if he had any injuries.

  Blond hair fell into Brayden’s eyes and he pushed it to the side. “No, we slid down here and tried to climb back up. Laken started saying he was tired, so we sat down. I thought about trying to get back out to find help. I didn’t want to leave him. I was afraid he’d roll around and fall off.”