

SURVIVAL ON MYSTERY MESA

EAGLE MOUNTAIN ADVENTURES  
BOOK ONE

GEORGE GOLDTHWAITE

COPYRIGHT 2018 GEORGE GOLDTHWAITE

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial- No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License

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No Derivative Works - You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work

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Illustrations by L. Skjolsvik

Cover design by Michelle Fairbanks/Fresh Design

Edited by Twyla Beth Lambert

Print ISBN 978-1-945419-26-3

ePub ISBN 978-1-945419-27-0

Library of Congress Control Number 2018930821

Table of Contents

COVER

TITLE PAGE

COPYRIGHT PAGE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

CHAPTER THIRTY

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

CHAPTER FORTY

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

SOMETHING YOU CAN TRY (ADULT SUPERVISION REQUIRED)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SURVIVAL GLOSSARY

SNEAK PEEK: RETURN TO MYSTERY MESA

BOUNTY PROGRAM

# CHAPTER ONE

"ARE YOU KIDDING? You started the fire in your mom's science lab?"

Josh crammed books into his locker, the hall now filled with students returning from what most had at first thought was a drill. Some stared at him as they hustled past. He shrugged. "More like a science experiment gone bad."

Alex laughed. "You're the talk of the school. Good thing we're going on Christmas Break."

"Great." The last thing he wanted to be known as was 'that guy'. "Probably be grounded the whole vacation."

"But we're supposed to help at the Retriever Trials."

"Dad may have other ideas." Josh shrugged. He wanted to be alone. "Have to pick up my brother at the elementary school."

"No problem. It's on the way. You can tell me how you did it."

"Did what?"

"Got us out of last period."

"It was an accident, Al, really." He exhaled. It looked like he was going to have company on the walk home after all. "I'm growing nitrate crystals for a science project--"

"And that started a fire?"

"Well, sort of. I needed more light, so was using the plant table by the window. I had this magnifying glass on a stand, measuring the crystals' diameters before we leave for Christmas Break."

"Sounds good so far."

He sighed. "When I went to get my notebook, the sun was shining through the lens, heating up the crystals." He put his fists together and pulled them apart, spreading his fingers. "Kaboom."

Alex laughed. "So the future scientist blew up the school?"

"It didn't hurt anything."

"But it set off the smoke alarm, got the firemen there."

"Yeah, like three trucks' worth. They didn't think it was so funny."

"But everybody else did. Maybe they'll start calling you 'Sparky'."

By the time they got to the Eagle Mountain Elementary School, Josh had taken about all the kidding he could stand. He yelled to his eight-year-old brother. "Let's go, Mick."

Playing tag with friends, Mickey ran over, out of breath. "Where's Mom?"

"Still at school, finishing up report cards."

Alex grinned. "Or still cleaning up the lab."

"Oh." Mickey pushed his glasses up on his nose. "Hi, Al."

"Hello, Mick. You hear what happened this afternoon?"

"Yeah. The sirens went right by my room. What was it? A fire in the cafeteria?"

Alex chuckled and glanced at Josh. "Not exactly."

Mickey perked up. "Josh?"

His face warmed. "It was an accident."

"You set the school on fire?"

"No."

Mickey's eyes grew bigger. "Tell me, Al."

"Ask your mom." Turning the corner toward home, Alex glanced back over a shoulder. "Come over later for football."

Mickey poked his brother's arm. "Tell me, Josh. What happened?"

"Forget it. Let's go."

"Whatever." Mickey pumped his fist. "Two weeks with no homework. That's what I'm talkin' about."

With Mickey right on his heels, Josh walked home as fast as he could. He wanted to get far away from that middle school. Fishing a key from his pocket, he threw open the front door.

Mickey dashed into the living room ahead of him and sniffed the air. "It smells just like Christmas."

Josh followed him inside and inhaled the fresh scent of cinnamon and pine. The week before, they had hiked into the mountains and brought home a tree. After Mickey picked it out, Josh cut it down and Dad tied it on top of the car. They peeked through pine branches all the way home.

Josh stared at it a minute. The angel on top drooped, her raised arms rubbing against the ceiling. "It looked smaller in the forest."

"I think she's watching over us," Mickey said.

"Who?"

"The angel. See, she's looking down right now."

"Like that'll do me any good."

"Whatever. It can't hurt. I hope she's watching over Moose, too."

# CHAPTER TWO

WHEN JOSH WANDERED into the kitchen, the family's Golden Retriever jumped against the door from the outside porch. Their mom allowed the dog in when the family was home, but for the furniture's safety, he stayed outside during the school day.

Josh filled the feeding dish and swung open the door. Moose crashed in. Everyone and everything in his path faced the danger of being trampled, or maybe just licked to death. At least Moose won't poke fun about the science lab.

"Don't let him get your clothes muddy."

Josh turned at the voice behind him, and Moose wagged his tail even harder as he charged their dad.

"Good boy. Down."

He never came home from work at this time of day. After what had happened at school, that wasn't a good sign.

"Where's Mom?" Dad asked.

Josh held his breath and hunched his shoulders. "School. Had papers to grade and report cards to fill out. Said she'd be home around four-thirty."

"That's not all I heard."

Josh thought he was going to throw up. This wasn't good.

Dad cocked an eyebrow. "They say a fire started in her classroom."

Did everyone know? Eagle Mountain was a small town, but news couldn't travel that fast. "Nobody got hurt."

Dad nodded. "I want to hear what she has to say about it... get the real story."

Maybe he didn't know how it started. The last thing Josh was going to do was tell him. "How come you're home, Dad?"

"Doc Alvarez came by the airport. Was going to text your mom about something he said, but forgot my cell phone." He held it up, then stuck it in a pocket. "He's been asked to treat injured dogs at the Retriever Trials in Cortez. He and Alex are flying out there Sunday and may need help. You know, hold the dogs, get medicine, whatever."

"When are they coming back?" Mickey asked.

"That night. Doc has plans for Christmas Eve on Monday."

A grin tugged at Josh's mouth. "Al asked if I could go. It'd be awesome."

"I wanna go, too," Mickey said. "Josh gets to do everything."

Dad held up his hands. "Hold on a minute, you two. There's a cold front due in. They may have to drive up and spend the night in a hotel. If that's the case, I'd want you here at home." When Josh frowned, Dad said, "Let's see what Mom has planned. Right now, I need to get back to work. Have her call my cell when she gets home."

He climbed into their old pickup and a puff of white smoke belched from the exhaust when he cranked the motor. Not long after he left, Mom pulled into the driveway. She parked her car by the side door, gathered her books and papers from school, and strolled inside.

Moose almost knocked her over. She laughed and scratched behind his ear. "Can't wait until you get a little older and settle down." She turned to the boys. "Pretty exciting day, huh?"

Josh exhaled. "What did the principal say?"

"She's not happy."

"Guess that means detention."

"She said your dad and I should handle it."

He perked up. "And?"

"We'll discuss it over dinner. How about you, Mickey, how was your day?"

"We had a history test." He frowned. "Why do we waste time on stuff we'll never use?"

"You never know what knowledge you'll use, and it all goes together like building blocks. You have to learn certain basics before you can move on to more complicated things."

Josh had heard this speech before and hoped his little brother would try to argue with her and take the heat off of him. When he didn't, Josh said, "Can I ride over to see Al? They're flying to Cortez and... Oh, by the way, Dad wants you to call his cell."

"We've already talked."

What that meant, Josh wasn't sure. "Can I go now?"

"Take Mickey and Moose with you."

"Ah, Mom..."

She gave him her teacher's look, the one that said she didn't want any back talk. "And be home by dark."

Josh sighed and let his shoulders sag. "Yes, ma'am."

"Race you to the bikes!" Mickey dashed out the door, Moose not two steps behind.

Josh shook his head and followed them. He couldn't understand why his little brother had to tag along everywhere, especially when Alex might still want to hassle him about the explosion at school. He didn't need Mickey getting any ideas.

# 

# CHAPTER THREE

THEIR FRIEND WAS tossing a football in the air when the boys pedaled up. Moose flew ahead and pounced.

Alex fell down laughing. "This dog gets bigger every day. Glad Papa found him for you."

"Hi, Al!" Mickey dumped his bike on the brown winter grass.

"Hello, Mick. Go long."

He took off, looked back over his shoulder and shouted, "I'm open." Alex launched the ball in an arcing spiral. Just as it reached Mickey, Moose jumped high in the air, trying to catch it at the same time. They came down in a heap of flapping legs, arms, and tail.

"Incomplete!" Josh waved his arms back and forth in front of his waist like referees at the Friday night games.

"That was interference," Mickey said. "Throw a flag."

"No penalty. He was going for the ball."

"Aw, Josh..."

Alex beamed. "Moose has the makings of a great retriever. A little training and he could win at the Trials."

"That's why we came over," Josh said.

Out of breath, Mickey trotted back with the football. "Yeah. What is that, Al?"

"It's a contest. People take their dogs to win prizes. My favorite part is the Big Air Contest, where dogs jump off a dock into the water. They really fly."

Mickey pushed up his glasses and tossed Alex the ball. "Sounds like fun. Wish we could go."

"Our plane has four seats."

Josh frowned. "Have to see what Dad says."

"Still think you'll be grounded?"

He shrugged. "Guess we'll find out tonight."

"What about the weather?" Mickey asked.

"Something about a stalled-out cold front," Alex said. "Whatever that is."

Josh stood up straight. "It's a line of low pressure, warm on one side and..." When his friend gave a look that said 'who cares,' he swallowed and changed the subject. "I could help your dad—that is, if you don't have to spend the night."

"He checks the weather about every two hours, so we'll know by tomorrow afternoon. If some dogs get hurt, he can get really busy."

"That would be awesome." Josh moved his hand like an airplane in flight. "I'd love to see Mesa Verde from the air. I saw a history special about it on TV. People called the Anasazi lived there on the sides of cliffs hundreds of years ago."

Mickey laughed. "That's crazy. They'd just fall off."

Josh sighed. "They built homes in the sides of mesas to make it hard for others to attack. You know, 'cause they were up so high."

"In caves?"

"No, rock houses."

"In the cliffs?"

"Yep. And they were big astronomers, kind of like the scientist I want to be someday."

"So they had robots and spaceships?"

"No, silly. They didn't even have electricity. But their homes were cool in summer and warm in winter. The show said they led good lives."

"Aw, c'mon," Mickey said. "How could they have a good life without TV and video games?"

"Good point." Alex laughed and tossed up the football. "Game on. Mick, you're center."

The rest of the afternoon, Alex made spectacular passes, the two brothers taking turns as receivers, all while stumbling over the canine defender. It was the perfect beginning of a two-week vacation.

They played until the sun sank in the western sky and the wispy clouds above changed to pastel shades of pink. While the boys pedaled home, Josh turned to Mickey. "Have you ever seen a girl who can throw a football like that? She's terrific."

"Yeah. Think we can go with them?"

"We'll see what Dad says at dinner, and watch the weather after we eat."

# CHAPTER FOUR

JOSH, MICKEY, AND Moose crashed through the kitchen door without regard for whom or what was on the other side. Dad jumped back. "Well, if it isn't the three musketeers."

"I'm starved!" Mickey shouted. He cocked his head. "And what's a musket ear, anyway?"

Dad chuckled. "Tell you later. Go wash up."

Josh led off toward the bathroom, all the while dreading what he'd hear at dinner. He plunked down at the table and it seemed to take forever before Mom and Dad finished whispering by the sink and joined them.

"Oh, boy!" Mickey said. "Chicken fried steak. That's my favorite meal in the whole world." He sniffed at another aroma floating in from the kitchen. "What else is cooking?"

"Oatmeal cookies. Thought you'd like some for dessert," Mom said.

"Wow. Can't wait."

Josh could wait. He'd probably spend the whole vacation grounded. Maybe they'd at least let him keep his cell phone so he could text Alex while she was at the dog trials.

The family bowed their heads, and as soon as Dad said 'amen,' Mickey jabbed the serving spoon into the mashed potatoes and piled them on his plate. He dished out a hole in the top. "This is the volcano, and the gravy is hot lava."

Josh frowned and started to say something, but Dad cut him off. "So tell me about the fire."

Josh had grabbed the potato spoon, but left it in the bowl. "It was an accident."

Dad winked at Mom. "So I heard. Go on."

"It was the sun, shining through the magnifying glass. It must have focused on the crystals, heated them up to a flash point, and set them off."

"That was part of your experiment?"

Uh-oh. This conversation isn't starting well. "No, I was trying to measure the crystals, get their size, then compare them when we got back from vacation."

Dad frowned. "So in two weeks, they would be a lot bigger. And if they'd gone off with no one around?"

"I don't leave them in the sun under the magnifying glass. We keep them in a steel cabinet, in the dark."

Dad looked to their mother. "Anne?"

"That's right. The main thing is, what did you learn from the experiment?"

"That heating up nitrate crystals isn't a good idea."

Dad chuckled. "Someday I'll tell you the stupid things we did when I was in school." He picked up his knife and sawed on his steak.

"So, I'm not, like, grounded?"

"Your mom and I talked it over. Make sure the report you make on the experiment says what you just told me."

Hopeful he was off the hook, Josh looked to his mother. "But the experiment failed. I never found out how big the crystals would grow."

"Just because it doesn't turn out like you want doesn't mean failure. That's the beauty of the scientific process--as long as you learn something and document the facts, it was a success."

Josh still couldn't believe he was off the hook. "Dad, about the retriever trials?"

"I talked again this afternoon with Doc Alvarez." He paused, chewed a piece of meat, and washed it down with a sip of water. "If the weather's good enough for them to fly, you can go, on one condition."

Josh grinned. "Anything he wants!"

"You both go."

The two boys locked eyes, and the smile migrated from one to the other. "Why?"

"Doc has two older brothers, and he always got left behind."Dad winked at Mickey. "He said little brothers have to stick together."

Josh shrugged. "Okay, if he has to. But if he doesn't behave we'll feed him to the dogs."

Dad put his fork down and waited for both boys to look at him. "He will behave and you'll be responsible for him." He turned to the little brother. "Mickey, listen to both Dr. Alvarez and Josh. Do what they tell you to do. And if the weather's bad, you're both staying home. I don't want to hear any complaints from either of you."

"Yes, sir."

"Can we take Moose?" Mickey asked.

"No. Doc will have his hands full. Moose will be waiting for you when you get home."

Josh dug into his dinner, thinking about the trip in the doc's little 4-seater airplane. He couldn't wait to see Mesa Verde from the air. We might even see some of the old Anasazi ruins. And he really looked forward to watching the dogs jump in the water. This is going to be a great adventure.

# CHAPTER FIVE

AROUND TWO O'CLOCK on Saturday afternoon, Alex rang the doorbell. "Hi," she said when Mickey opened the door.

As she followed him into the living room, Josh wandered in. "Hi, Al. What's up?"

"We're flying there in the morning."

"So the weather's okay?"

Alex nodded. "Looks like."

"Awesome!" Mickey pumped his fist. "That's what I'm talking about!"

Alex turned to Josh. "Papa wants to load up around six-thirty. We'll fly to Durango and go to the trials, then leave for home before the front comes through. That should put us back here a little after dark."

"I'll have Dad get us to the airport early. What should we bring?"

"Just warm clothes and maybe a camera. Cortez is pretty high up and might get kind of cold."

"The weatherman said it might snow here," Mickey said.

Alex smiled. "That would be after the cold front. We'll go sledding then."

"But first I want to see all those dogs jump in the water."

"We'll have a cooler with drinks and our backpacks." Josh nodded toward the kitchen. "Mom said we can take some cookies, too."

"There's not a lot of room. I'll just have a little backpack with the rubber football and my laptop." She reached for the door.

"Wait." Josh picked up a copy of his favorite magazine about history and culture. "I want to show you this article about the Anasazi."

"I've got to get home. We're having dinner..."

"Then take it with you. It's about what we'll be flying over."

She shrugged. "Mickey, think you'd like to spend all afternoon reading that stuff?"

He frowned and shook his head. "No way."

"Me neither. I'll look at it next week."

Josh's shoulders fell and he tossed the magazine on an end table. "Okay, it'll be here when you want it."

"I'll read it when we get back. I promise." She pulled open the door and headed for her bike. "See you tomorrow."

Can't wait!" Mickey called as Alex pedaled off for home.

# CHAPTER SIX

THE NEXT MORNING, Mom woke the boys before first light. Unlike on a school day, Josh popped out of bed and darted about, slipping into his clothes and brushing his teeth. Mickey rushed into the kitchen first, where Dad sat at the table, sipping his morning coffee.

The younger brother plopped down and stuffed hot oatmeal into his mouth. He let out a yelp and followed the scalding dollop with a gulp of cold orange juice.

Dad chuckled. "Slow down there, Mickey. We have plenty of time."

He broke into a sheepish grin. "I know. I just can't wait."

Josh blew across a spoonful before tasting it. "Mom, I told Al I'd bring some drinks and cookies for a snack."

"What, no in-flight movie? Must be a no-frills airline."

He swallowed his oatmeal. "We can watch DVDs on Al's laptop."

Mom winked at Dad. "I already packed some drinks in the cooler and put a plastic container of cookies in Mickey's backpack." She handed each a couple of bills. "Here's some spending money. Be sure you don't fill up on junk food before you eat a good lunch."

"We won't, Mom." Josh pecked her on the cheek. He pulled on his parka and shivered when he climbed into the pickup beside Dad and Mickey. The old truck's engine seemed to take forever before it warmed up. They were almost to the Eagle Mountain Airport before the first hint of heat escaped from the air vents.

Dad wheeled up to the closed hangar door emblazoned with the words 'Schmidt's Flying Service.' A glint of sunrise lit the horizon, but not yet enough to reflect off the frost-covered windows. "You two can help me open up this morning."

They stepped out and Mickey bent down to pet a muddy-colored tabby licking itself outside the building. "Hi, Bernoulli," he said. "Keeping those mice away from all the planes?"

"He does a good job," Dad said. "Now help me get these open."

The immense doors groaned as the boys pushed and pulled, puffs of steam forming with each breath. The panels creaked along tracks mounted above them and soon left a gaping passageway into the hangar. Inside, Josh breathed in the mingled smells of engine oil and dust.

Electrical switches mounted on the fuse box clanked when Dad turned them on and amber quartz lamps mounted along the ceiling flickered to life. They took several seconds to reach full brightness, but soon the windshields and glossy paint of the aircraft parked inside gleamed under the artificial light.

Doc Alvarez and Alex pulled into a parking space beside the hangar, grabbed two bags stuffed with supplies to treat injured dogs, and carried them to small plane painted in desert camouflage. A red mouth, with wicked-looking teeth, gaped at them from beneath the engine.

"Wow! Just like the A-10 Warthog," Josh said as he helped load the vet gear, along with the kids' backpacks, through the plane's cargo door.

"Or the Flying Tigers before that." Doc glanced at their gear. "Good job keeping the weight down. That's important in a small plane flying over the mountains."

Together, they pulled the loaded aircraft toward the open hangar doors and around the other parked airplanes. Once outside, Josh helped chock the wheels on the parking pad. "How's the weather look?"

"We lucked out." Doc showed him a computer printout of jumbled letters and numbers.

"What is it?"

"A forecast. As long as we're back in the air by 4 p.m., we'll be ahead of the front."

"Awesome. Let's go."

"Not 'til I check everything out first."

Dad drove the fuel truck to the front of the airplane, climbed a stepladder, and filled the tanks in the wings, replacing the fuel caps. "You're good to go," he said before rolling up the hose.

Doc performed his preflight, checking the tires, brakes, pitot tubes, and just about everything else visible on the outside of the plane. The last thing he did was climb up and check that the fuel caps were screwed down tight.

Josh glanced at his father, wondering why Doc hadn't trusted him.

Dad winked. "Never hurts to check again."

The boys started to climb in the back, but Alex said, "I ride up front all the time. Why don't you get up there, Mickey?"

"I want to watch DVDs on your computer."

"I'll sit up there," Josh said. "Thanks." After fastening his seatbelt and closing the door, he waved to his dad. This was going to be a fun day, and he couldn't wait to tell Dad all that had happened.

# CHAPTER SEVEN

FROM THE FRONT passenger seat, Josh watched Doc flip switches and pull levers. After he yelled out the window, "Clear," the propeller hesitated as each cylinder compressed its volatile mixture of fuel and air. One blade passed the windshield, then another and another. With a cough and a belch of white smoke, the plane shook as the engine sputtered to life. The propeller whirled so fast it became a blur. Doc turned on the radios and signaled the passengers to put on their lime-green headphones. "Com check," he said into the boom mike attached to his earpiece.

Each one checked in, and Mickey laughed. "It makes your voices sound funny."

"At least we won't have to yell." Alex showed him how to adjust the volume while they taxied away from the hangar.

Doc stopped the plane short of the takeoff area. "One last checklist and we're on our way." He turned into the wind, ran up the engine, and wiggled the controls. "All set?"

"Yes, sir," the boys said. Alex smiled and lifted a thumb.

Doc pulled onto the runway and eased the throttle forward. The engine roared and the plane bumped down the pavement as if pushed from behind by a giant hand. They seemed to be going about as fast as a car on the highway when he said, "Here we go." He pulled back the control yoke, causing the nose to lift. The bumps smoothed out when the ground sank away, and the world seemed to shrink as they climbed higher into the sky.

Trucks on the roads soon looked like tiny toys. The sun behind them rose faster than it should, sending golden beams into the shadows cast by hills in the rolling landscape. Farm fields, some planted in winter wheat and others barren, became a patchwork quilt that blanketed the countryside. From high above, Josh watched the world awaken to the new day.

The airplane gained such an altitude the ground blurred and just the big roads and towns were visible. The air cleared as they climbed and the flow from the vents seemed colder. Away from pollen and dust that hovered near the ground, it smelled clean and fresh. Josh glanced through the windshield at the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, still over a hundred miles away.

While the others watched movies on the laptop in the back seat, he glued his nose to the window the entire trip, fascinated with the changing scenery and landscape. The airplane's high wing let him look straight down past the landing gear and from there he had a clear view all the way up to the snow-capped peaks in the distance. Clouds filled the sky past the mountains ahead. "Doc, is that the cold front?" he asked.

"That's it, but it's still a long ways out. Won't be here for another twelve hours or so." Dr. Alvarez eased back on the throttle and they started a gentle descent to the Durango airport. "That's Mesa Verde out to the right."

The flat-topped hills of the national park looked as smooth as the top of a kitchen table. Josh glanced back at Alex and winked, wishing she had read the article about the Anasazi. Everything about today seemed magic, even more so since he was sharing it with his best friend. Sure, he had to put up with his little brother tagging along, but he'd made up his mind not to let that spoil his excitement.

# CHAPTER EIGHT

THE KIDS WANDERED through the Montezuma County Fairgrounds where the Retriever Trials were being held. Josh decided he was seeing the best trained dogs in the country. At one of the vendors' booths, Mickey picked up some sample puppy treats for Moose.

Late in the afternoon, Alex checked the clock on her phone. "The Big Air Contest starts in a couple of minutes. We'd better hurry."

"Already?" Josh nodded toward an aisle between the vendors' stands. "Should be down that way."

After finding a long water tank, they climbed into crowd-filled bleachers just as a man tossed what looked like a stuffed sock off a wooden dock. Right behind it, a yellow Lab dashed to the end and leapt high in the air. He almost caught it in his mouth before splashing into the water, but not before flying over fifteen feet. The crowd cheered as the dog grabbed the floating sock and swam back toward the dock.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Mickey pumped his fist. "That is so cool!"

Josh couldn't keep his eyes off the parade of dogs taking turns. They seemed to sprout wings and fly off the dock. "Moose would be great at this. He loves to swim, and he can really jump."

Alex grinned. "That's what he was bred for. It's in his genes."

Just then, a black Lab slipped as he made his leap. He tumbled off the end of the dock and crashed into the water. When he crawled out, blood dripped from his front leg. A wicked-looking splinter stuck out from his paw.

Alex gasped. "We'd better get Papa."

The kids tore around the corner to the vet tent. Doc was on his cell phone when they came in.

"Papa, a dog's hurt."

"Just heard. They're bringing him here. Get some bandages, the antiseptic, and the magnifying glass from that big bag."

The owner carried in the injured dog, the man's shirt soaked with water from the animal's fur and the blood still dripping from the wound.

"Put him here on the table." Doc examined the splinter with the magnifying glass. "Know how to hold him while I pull this out?"

The owner nodded. "Had to do this once before." He looped an arm so his elbow was beneath the dog's throat and grabbed his wet shirt on the opposite shoulder. With his other hand, he braced the dog's head so he couldn't move. "Okay, we're ready."

"Hold him tight. Here goes." The vet took a pair of forceps and worked the splinter free.

The dog yelped and tried to wriggle away, but the man held him steady. He whispered and stroked the Lab's head, still holding him tight. The dog finally settled down but the man was shaking.

"Are you alright?" Doc asked.

"Just cold. That wind's kicking up and this shirt is soaked through."

"You can let him go as soon as I put on some antiseptic and bandage it up." Doc took several minutes, first dabbing the cut with medicine, then petroleum jelly. He finished by covering the foot with gauze and wrapping it with tape. "There, I've got him. Go ahead and dry off."

"Thanks." The man took off his shirt, dried his chest with a towel, and pulled on his jacket. "Will he be alright?"

Doc nodded, furrows creasing his forehead. "He tore a pad where the splinter went in, but doesn't look like he needs stitches. See your regular vet on Monday. Have him change the bandage and check for infection."

"Thanks, Doctor." The owner reached out and shook hands. "Don't know what I'd do without old Drake here."

After the man and his dog left, Doc turned to the kids. "Help me pack up. The wind's already started to shift."

"Is that bad?" Alex asked.

"The cold front. It's almost here. We've got to hurry. Wanted to leave an hour ago."

They rushed to the airport, and Doc again looked over the airplane. He checked that the fuel tanks were full and the caps secure on top of the wings. "They've already topped us off. Run over to the airport café and get some sandwiches while I pay for the fuel and check the weather one last time." He handed money to Alex. "Hurry up. We need to be on our way."

"Sure, Papa." The kids trotted off to buy their in-flight dinner.

When Doc ducked inside the airport office, a fuel truck motored down the row of planes. The driver parked by the nose of Doc's plane, placed step ladders in front, and unscrewed both fuel caps. Another man wearing coveralls ran up and yelled, "Hey, I already took care of that one. The pilot over there wants to beat the weather." He pointed toward a sleek, low-winged plane just down the ramp.

The fuel truck driver glared at him. "I was supposed to get off an hour ago. After that one, I'm out of here." He slammed the step ladders into their racks on the truck, ground the gearshift, and drove off toward the other aircraft.

The truck was fueling the other aircraft when Doc and the kids got back. Alex carried a paper bag stuffed with sandwiches and fries for the flight home, along with a can of soda for each passenger.

"That should hold us," her father said. "It smells so good my stomach's growling." He pulled open the passenger door. "Climb in. We'll eat as soon as we get to cruise altitude."

Josh helped Mickey into the backseat. Alex and her dad took the front.

Wind gusts rocked the plane and Doc made a few radio calls before taxiing toward the runway. "I filed a visual flight plan. That lets them know what time we're expected in." After performing the same engine checks as before, he advanced the throttle. The acceleration was slower than at home, the Durango airport almost six-thousand feet above sea level. The thin air of the higher elevation robbed the engine of power and the plane clawed for altitude when the pilot eased it into a gentle turn.

Josh tightened his seat belt when the aircraft hit a bump. "It's a lot rougher now."

"The cold front. We barely beat it." Doc angled more to the east and flew around clouds floating in their way. "The weatherman said we'd have a few buildups this evening."

"Won't that mess up the fight plan?" Josh asked.

"I added extra time for deviations. But the clouds hold ice, and if we fly through them, it could build up on the plane and reshape the wings."

"And kill the Bernoulli Effect?"

"Exactly."

Mickey sat up straight. "Kill the airport cat?"

Josh shook his head. "The Bernoulli Effect was named after the scientist who figured out that making air go faster causes the pressure to go down. That's why wings are rounded on top."

"That makes the air go faster?"

"That's right," Doc said. "Faster than on the bottom, which is flat. It creates the low pressure above the wings that keeps us flying." He turned farther off course, avoiding another cloud. "As long as we stay in the clear, ice shouldn't be a problem."

"Is it going to snow?" Mickey asked.

"There's a chance, but we'll be home long before that...Now, why don't we break out those sandwiches?"

"Sure," Alex handed one to her dad. "And we got fries, too."

They ate in silence, no one noticing a thin mist trailing the plane. The fuel caps had fallen away after takeoff, and now the low pressure that kept them in the air quietly sucked out their precious gasoline.

# CHAPTER NINE

THE KIDS GULPED down their meal. When Josh noticed Mickey having trouble getting the sandwich past the microphone on his headset, he reached over and rotated the mike boom. "Keep it on top of your head 'til you get through eating."

His mouth full, his little brother nodded and answered with a thumb's up.

Doc took an occasional bite while he picked his way around the building clouds. "We're getting farther off course."

Josh looked up from the back seat. "So does that mean we'll have to radio somebody, refile the flight plan?"

"If we get too far off. But I think we'll find a hole just past this next cloud line and turn back on course." Doc laid down his sandwich. "Time to do a progress check." He looked over the engine instruments, checked his map and the clock. When he read the fuel gauges, located above the doors near the cabin ceiling, he did a double take. "Hey, guys, the gas tanks are almost empty!"

"But we just filled up," Alex said.

"Look behind us. The fuel's streaming out behind the wings."

Josh, along with the others, turned and stared. Sure enough, a mist trailed behind them.

Doc banked the plane toward the west, pushed the throttle forward, and pulled back on the yoke. The plane's nose rose and the needles on the altimeter rotated like the hands on a clock. "Have to make it back to the airport."

Josh's chest was so tight he could hardly breathe. "Do we have enough gas to get there?"

"Don't know. Those old gauges aren't very accurate. But the higher we are, the farther we can glide if the engine quits."

Josh stared at the fuel gauges, their needles close to empty. So much gasoline had already leaked from the tanks the engine could run but a few minutes more. When they turned toward the sun, it looked orange, its lower edge already below the horizon. Darkness crept through the valleys below.

Doc twisted his map. "I don't see anything closer."

Then, without a sputter, the engine's roar stopped.

Josh couldn't believe how fast it quit; how silent his world had become. The propeller still whirled, driven only by the wind whispering past the cockpit's windows. The pounding of his heart seemed louder than everything else.

Doc twisted the fuel selector. With both tanks empty, it did no good. He worked the primer. The engine remained silent. Giving up on restarting it, he adjusted the aircraft nose and slowed to a better glide speed. The instrument needles now turned the other way, counting down the remaining altitude as they sank toward the desert floor. "Just have to find a place to dead stick it in."

Josh exchanged a look with Alex when she turned around. Her face paled, her eyes as big as saucers.

Mickey squirmed, trying to see over the seat in front of him. "Are we going to crash?"

"Not if I can help it." Doc dialed the radio frequency knob and spoke into his boom mike. "Mayday, mayday. Cessna One-Nine-Seven-Two-Golf-Hotel. One-hundred miles southeast of Durango. We have engine failure and are going down. Mayday, mayday."

A faint voice crackled in the headset and Josh pushed them tighter on his ears, trying to hear. "Cessna One-Nine-Seven-Two-Golf-Hotel, this is Delta Seven-One-One. We'll pass your emergency on to Albuquerque Center. How many souls on board?"

"Four, I say again, four souls on board."

"Confirm, four souls..." Static filled the headsets.

Doc keyed his mike. "Losing contact. I say again. One-hundred miles southeast of Durango. Four souls on board. Engine failure, over."

The answer came as more static before the radio went silent. From the right seat, Alex reached over and took his hand. "I love you, Papa."

The pilot continued to twist levers and turn knobs. After pumping the fuel primer, he swore and looked outside into the deepening twilight. "It won't start. Look for somewhere to land."

Josh's heart now pounded so hard he could hear nothing else. They'd already had a long day, and now all he wanted was to get home and go to bed. He poked Alex's shoulder and pointed out the side window. "How about over there?"

She pushed back a strand of black hair. "Can't tell. Too dark."

The plane's nose pitched down and Josh's stomach rose to his throat. He swallowed, hoping the French fries he'd just eaten didn't come back up.

In the seat beside him, Mickey climbed to his knees and stretched his neck to see over the instrument panel. "What is it?"

"Be quiet," Josh shouted while he scanned outside. Can't Mickey see I don't have time to talk? The sun was setting ahead of them, shadows creeping across the land. They'd have to get down before it was too dark to see.

He peered through the windows, looking for a piece of flat ground. Tall mesas loomed ahead and the crippled plane sank toward jagged rocks below. He searched for a highway, but couldn't see even a gravel road. The silent aircraft descended over desert hills and steep valleys. He hoped for a flat pasture or plowed field, but again found none. "I don't see anything!"

There would be just one shot, one chance in a deadly game of skill. In the darkening twilight, he could barely see the ground, which raced toward them with frightening speed.

Alex pointed toward the right. "That mesa looks pretty flat."

Doc nodded and banked in that direction. "Gonna be rough. Cinch up your seatbelts."

Alex tugged on the straps. Tears ran down Mickey's cheeks, and Josh wished he hadn't yelled at his little brother just seconds before. He put an arm around him. "Don't worry. Doc's a great pilot."

The aircraft glided on, sinking toward the rough terrain. The high mesa in front seemed to grow taller. Josh leaned forward. "I don't think we're gonna make it!"

Doc, still trying to start the engine, looked up. "You're right." He sat up tall for a better view over the nose. "The dry creek, short of the rock cliffs. It's our only chance."

The narrow streambed wandered between two mesas. Josh's heart pounded. "Can we get down before we hit the mountain?"

"We better." Doc banked into a steep turn and at the same time extended the flaps. Seconds later, he reversed the turn.

Josh dug his fingers into the seatback in front of him and wondered if Doc had gone completely nuts, but these quick maneuvers caused the plane to plunge toward the canyon floor.

Doc switched on the landing light, its beam dancing across rock cliffs on either side as they wove their way through the opening. The farther they flew into the canyon, the narrower it became. The wing tip missed scraping a boulder by mere inches, but at the last second, the plane turned away.

With each twist of the streambed, each banking turn, the cliffs grew closer. They yielded no more than a few feet of clearance. Soon, the walls would rip off the wings, the plane crashing to the streambed below. From the backseat, Josh couldn't see anything beneath the nose, just jagged boulders to either side. And if the stream twisted tighter than they could turn...

"Look," Alex yelled. "A valley."

The plane popped out into small canyon, the cliffs farther apart, but still vertical on all sides. At the far end, where the streambed came from between them, the wings just wouldn't fit. They had to land, and do it now.

"Got to force it down. Hang on!" Doc yelled.

Josh sat back and wrapped his arms around his brother's shoulders. Bent over like he was, he couldn't see out, but the scent of scrub cedars came through the air vents and he knew they were close to the ground. "We'll be okay," he whispered to Mickey just before the landing gear crunched onto the rough ground.

From the jolt, he feared the wheels would be torn from the struts. The plane bounced back into the air. Doc fought the controls and again wrestled the aircraft down. The tires touched a bit softer this time and rattled along the canyon floor.

The plane slowed when the brakes caught. To the right of the nose, a cottonwood stump jumped out from the gloom.

"Watch out!" Alex yelled.

Doc shoved the rudder pedal to turn away, but too late. The wing slammed into the tree and the plane spun sideways. The landing gear collapsed. The tail twisted and, with the screech of tearing metal, crushed against the rocks. The broken bird lurched to a stop, the wings smashed. Instrument lights blanked out. Silence returned.

Josh stirred and blinked, trying to focus in the dim light. Was this a dream, or had it really happened? He tugged at his seatbelt. Couldn't find the buckle. The stench of hot rubber filled his nose.

His eyes stung. This was no dream. "Doc, is it on fire? What do we do?"

No answer. Must be knocked cold. Or dead. Josh had to get out, save his friends. But he couldn't see, couldn't release the seatbelt. Couldn't reach the door handle. He jerked harder on the belt. It held.

He felt around for the buckle. He shook his head, barely enough light to see. This couldn't be happening.

Mickey stirred beside him. "Josh, are we dead?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Pretty much...Al, you and Doc okay?"

"What happened?" Her voice shook and she sounded scared.

"We made it." Josh found the buckle and released his seatbelt. "But it's too dark to see where we are. Doc?"

The pilot still didn't answer.

Alex squirmed and patted the back of her chair. "Papa keeps a flashlight in my seat pocket. I can't reach it."

Josh slid forward and dug around until he felt the cool aluminum tube of the flashlight. He turned it in his hands before finding the button that bathed the cabin with its brilliant beam.

Alex's eyes grew wide when she looked around. The engine hung from its mounts, the propeller bent and twisted. "I smell smoke!"

# CHAPTER TEN

THE FAA'S ALBUQUERQUE Center buzzed with activity on the report of the airplane in trouble. A worker checked the flight plan and got in touch with the manager at the Eagle Mountain Airport to see if the tail number was among the aircraft parked on the field.

He, in turn, phoned Josh and Mickey's dad, John Schmidt, who waited in his hangar office on the other side of the airport for the returning plane. "The FAA just called. They're looking for a plane with this tail number: N 1972 GH."

"That's Doc Alvarez's plane."

"Is it there?"

"Not yet." Mr. Schmidt leaned back in his chair. "Doc, his daughter Alex, and my two sons flew up to Durango this morning. Should be back any time."

The manager exhaled. "The FAA said they got a secondhand report from another aircraft that heard a mayday call somewhere south, or maybe east, of Durango."

Mr. Schmidt sat up straight. "A mayday call?"

"An airliner thought they heard one from 1972 GH. But the radio faded out before it could be confirmed. The flight plan says they're not due in for another half-hour."

"Last I heard, that should be about right."

"Until the plane's thirty minutes late," the manager said, "I doubt they'll start a search. Not without a confirmed report of some kind."

"Soon as they get here, I'll give you a call."

"Okay, thanks. I'll pass that on."

John Schmidt hung up and drummed his fingers on the desk. He wanted to call Anne, his wife, and tell her what had happened. But he saw no reason to worry her, not until he knew more. He glanced at the clock. A half hour before they were scheduled to land, and then thirty-minutes more. That could be forever.

The clock's hands seemed to freeze, and he twice checked to make sure it was still working. An hour later, the Eagle Mountain airport manager strolled into the office. "I was out making my evening rounds and thought I'd stop by. Any sign of Doc and the kids?"

Mr. Schmidt sighed. "No."

"Then I'll get in touch with the FAA and let them know. The flight plan says four persons are on board. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir." He gave him the names and descriptions of Doc, Alex, and the boys.

"Okay. I'll pass that info on and call you back when we find out more."

The manager left and Mr. Schmidt stared at the door, deep in thought. Doc was a good pilot, careful and thorough. Nothing escaped his attention. Then again, no matter how careful the pilot was, sometimes things went wrong. It was time to call home, as much as he hated to. His hand shaking, he punched in the number.

"Hello?"

"Anne, we may have a problem." He told her the sketchy information from the airport manager and listened a moment to silence on the other end of the line. "Anne?"

"My God! Are they alright?" She sniffed. "What happened?"

"Not sure. Could have been a bogus call. Or they may have landed at an uncontrolled airport, or set down on a remote highway--"

"Should I stay here or come down there?"

He had to be strong, not let on he was as worried as she was. "Nothing you can do here. Maybe if you stayed by the phone--"

"I don't want to be alone." She sobbed a second, then added, "Not now."

Of course she didn't. He glanced through the office window and into the hangar. The mechanic was buttoning up the cowling of a plane. "I'll have Gabby stand by the phone here and come on home. We could get a call to either place, but right now, I'd like to be together."

Mr. Schmidt called Gabby into the office. He shuffled in, his overalls carrying the odor of aviation gasoline. "About finished up out there. Any word from Durango?"

"Yeah, and it's not good." Mr. Schmidt drummed his fingers on his desk while he told about his conversations with the airport manager and the boys' mom.

Gabby frowned. "Go on home. I'll stay here, let you know as soon as I hear anything."

"Thanks." Mr. Schmidt pulled on his jacket and reached for the doorknob. "Anne's scared to death, and all by herself."

Once outside, a chill ran down his neck. The air seemed colder than it had just an hour before. The kids and Doc were lost somewhere between there and Durango. If they had gone down somewhere in the wilds...

The night didn't feel any warmer on the drive home. He couldn't believe they were lost, might not be coming back. But so far, the plane was overdue and someone had heard a partial radio call. Odds were the kids would get home tonight, tomorrow at the latest. He had to believe that. There was no other choice.

The truck's headlights swept across their home's windows when he turned into the driveway. Mrs. Schmidt met him at the door, tears streaming down her cheeks. Their eyes locked. Not a word passed between them. He stood in the doorway, holding her, praying his worst fears had not come to pass. Moose sat in the hallway, his brown eyes searching, seeming to ask, "Where are my boys?"

# CHAPTER ELEVEN

"I SMELL SMOKE too!" Josh yelled.

Alex grabbed the door handle, jerked it straight up, and shoved. Clawing at the side of the tilting plane, she tried to climb out. The seatbelt held her in place. The door slammed closed.

"Hang on, I'm free." Josh leaned across, turned the handle, and shoved on the door until it caught a latch on the wing strut and stayed open. Crawling over Mickey, he shined the light on Alex's seatbelt while he helped his brother with his.

She fumbled with the straps and scrambled through the open door. Josh climbed out and pulled his brother with him.

A dark void gobbled up the flashlight's beam. Wherever he shined it, it didn't seem to reach far enough. Two red dots reflected in the light and winked out. An animal's eyes? No telling what creatures were out there in the dark. Josh glanced back at the crumpled aircraft. Inside, at least the thin cabin walls would keep the predators away.

"Papa!" Alex shouted. "The plane, it's gonna blow up!"

"Wait." Josh sniffed the air. "I still smell burning rubber."

"Look!" Alex pointed beneath the plane. Smoke billowed from the tires, the hubs glowing cherry red.

"The brakes got hot, caught the tire." Josh ran over and kicked dirt over them. The pads continued to glow. "We need water!"

Alex grabbed a can of soda that had fallen from the plane's door, popped the pull tab, and poured the bubbling liquid over the wheel. Steam hissed from the brake disc and the red glow faded into darkness. The smell of hot caramel mixed with the stench of burning rubber. "I think that's got it."

A moan came from the cockpit.

Josh shined the light inside and saw a gash on Doc's forehead. "Hey, he got conked out. He's coming to."

Alex scrambled back to the plane. "Papa, are you alright?"

He moaned again.

Josh stood in the open door. "Dr. Alvarez, you've got to get out."

His face twisted in pain. "My leg hurts." His chin dropped to his chest.

"He passed out again." Josh climbed onto the seat and shined the flashlight toward the pilot's feet. The left shin, wedged between the side of the cabin and the rudder pedal, looked bent.

Beads of sweat ran down Doc's cheeks. Josh checked for a pulse and glanced at Alex. "His leg's broken and his skin's clammy. Must be in shock."

"How do you know that?"

"Scout training... Need to lay him down, raise his feet."

"But how?"

"Can't 'til we get him on the ground."

"But the fire, we've got to..."

Josh sniffed again. "The rubber still smells, but there's no gas." He turned his head. "Mickey, keep an eye on those tires."

Alex pushed Josh away and crawled in beside her father. She put a hand to his forehead, but he didn't move.

"Where's his veterinarian bag?" Josh asked. "The big one he uses to treat dogs?"

Alex frowned and studied her father's face. "Cargo bin, behind the back seat. Why?"

"Need something." Josh took the light and ran to the rear of the wrecked plane. The cargo door hung from a hinge, the compartment's contents scattered across the dry creek bed. He soon found their backpacks and the vet bags intact. He also spotted a yellow radio, its thick, plastic casing smashed, twisted wires hanging from one end. He carried it and the large bag to the front of the plane, just outside the pilot's window and showed Alex the radio. "Bad news. Look at this."

"What is it?"

"It's the ELT, uh, emergency locator transmitter. It sends out a radio signal to help find us if we crash. It got smashed when the tail hit that stump."

"You sure that's what it is?"

Josh set the flashlight on the seat so its beam would fill the plane's interior. "I've seen them at dad's hangar, when they put in new batteries."

"But we filed a flight plan. They'll find us."

Josh glanced from her to Mickey and shook his head. "The clouds forced us off course. They'll look along the flight plan route first, and then farther out on both sides."

"How long will that take?"

"Can't say. They won't start tonight, and by tomorrow, the weather could be bad."

"Wait. My phone." Alex pulled it from a pocket. "Papa makes me put it in airplane mode when we're flying." She punched the screen, and after waiting a second for it to tune in, she frowned. "Darn. No signal at all."

Mickey's eyebrows went up. "We'll be here all night?"

"At least that long. Got to find shelter," Josh said.

Mickey pushed his glasses farther up on his nose. "I'm scared."

"We'll be alright." Josh glanced back at his best friend's unconscious father. "But we've gotta help Doc. Let's go."

# CHAPTER TWELVE

USING THE FLASHLIGHT, Josh studied Doc's injured leg. "It needs a splint before we pull him out."

Mickey's eyes looked like saucers. "Let's do it somewhere else."

"Can't chance it. The broken bone could cut an artery."

Alex arched her eyebrows. "Do we have a splint?"

"Need to make one. Can't set the leg; just keep it from wiggling around. Look for a couple of sticks."

"How big?"

"As long as your arm." He formed a circle with his thumb and forefinger. "And about that big around. I'll dig through the medical bag for some tape."

When Alex and Mickey left with the light, Josh couldn't see a thing. He'd have to wait until they came back.

Something near the plane scurried away in the brush, and tingles ran up his spine. Looking into the darkness, he heard someone fall on the rocks. "You okay?"

Alex shined the light back toward him. "Mickey tripped on a piece of the plane. He's alright."

From where he sat, Josh watched the flashlight beam move among the rocks. The night was growing darker, and it seemed like they were taking forever. Finally, Alex called out. "We found something. Be right there."

They returned with two branches and she put the end of one against a rock and leaned on it. "Seems strong enough."

"It'll have to be." Taking the light, Josh found a roll of adhesive tape and an Ace bandage. He put the sticks along both sides of Doc's leg and taped them in place just above the knee, but when he tried to anchor the other ends, he couldn't fit beneath the instrument panel. He glanced at his younger brother. "Can you reach his ankle?"

Mickey stared at the tiny space in front of the seats and frowned. "Don't want to get down there."

"You have to. Al and I are too big."

"But..."

Josh shined the light on Doc's leg and handed the Ace bandage to Mickey. "Start at the ankle and work up to the knee. Overlap it if you can."

"I'll try." He crawled in through the passenger door and wiggled his small frame along the floor. "This is hard, Josh..."

"You're the only one who can reach."

"But the tape, it's tangled."

"Do the best you can - little brothers have to stick together! We can redo it when we get him out."

"Okay, but I don't like it." Mickey worked in the cramped space beneath the instrument panel.

"How's that hot tire look, Al?"

"I think it's okay now." She rested a hand on the torn rubber. "Ouch. Still hot."

"Keep watching, just in case."

Josh turned the light back to the leg. "We need to wrap it all the way up with the Ace bandage."

"But it's too tight down here."

"Keep trying, Mick. And hurry." Josh was afraid the tires would again catch and set the whole plane on fire. If that happened, Doc would be burned alive.

After a tense minute, the wraps made it up to the knee. "That's enough." Josh grabbed the tape, tore off the end, and stuck it to the Ace bandage. "Wiggle on out while we get him free." He tried to push open the pilot's door, but with the landing gear broken, the lower corner was wedged shut against the ground. "Darn. Have to go out over that hot tire."

Doc moaned and opened his eyes. He reached down and felt along the break, his breath coming in gasps as he winced at the pain. "Good job...guys...You got it...stabilized."

"Can you get out?" Josh asked.

"Think so." Doc grimaced and pushed against the instrument panel. Beads of perspiration ran down his cheeks, and he stopped to suck in more air. After a second try, he shook his head. "Can't."

"We'll get you out, I promise." Josh released the straps holding Doc in, pulled the pilot's seat away from the control yoke, and glanced at Alex. She stared at her father, furrows of concern creasing her forehead. "Al, grab under his arm."

"Huh?"

"Got to get him out. Let's go."

"Oh, okay."

Handing the flashlight outside to Mickey, Josh lifted under the other shoulder and together he and Alex dragged Doc across the front seat. He gritted his teeth against the pain and helped as much as he could.

"That's it. We're almost through." Josh stopped to catch his breath. "Al, I'll hold him while you climb out. We'll ease him down together."

"Be careful of his leg." She scrambled outside. "Okay, let's do it."

"Keep clear of that hot brake." Josh crawled to his knees and hooked both hands under Doc's shoulders. "On three, ready? One, two, three." He heaved with all his might and soon all lay on the cold ground, panting.

Beads of moisture covered Josh's forehead and his breath came in gasps. "We did it."

"Yes, we did." Alex hugged her father and then looked off into the darkness. "But now what?"

Something rustled in the night. The hair on Josh's neck stood on end. He grabbed the flashlight and shined it toward the noise. The beam was growing dim. The batteries wouldn't last much longer.

# CHAPTER THIRTEEN

JOSH SHINED THE light over at Doc, who leaned his back against the crippled plane. The effort leaving the wreckage had caused him to perspire even more and he shivered in the cold mountain air. He held a hand to the gash in his forehead, unable to lead the kids.

With the one grownup out of action, it was up to Josh to keep everyone safe and warm during the night. He dug once more through the large medical bag and found a penlight Doc used to look into the ears and noses of the animals he treated. If the batteries in the big flashlight died, this would be all they had left. "We need to find shelter, build a fire. Mickey, stay here with Doc."

Mickey turned his head and stared into the darkness behind him. "Will that thing in the bushes come back?"

Josh shrugged. "Just a rabbit or something. We won't be gone long."

"But I'm scared."

"We need shelter."

"Let Al stay. I'll go with you."

Josh exhaled. He was scared, too, but didn't figure saying so would help. "Don't be a baby. We won't go far. Yell if something happens."

"I'm not a baby."

"Then don't act like one."

The younger brother scooted over close to Doc. "But I'm cold, and it's dark."

Josh figured his brother needed to keep busy and handed over the penlight. "While we're gone, get in the plane and pull out the coats and anything else we can use."

"What about the tire?"

The brake disk no longer glowed and Josh tested the rubber with the back of his hand. "Not a problem."

Mickey nodded, took the tiny flashlight and climbed in through the passenger door. "Here they are, and here's a plastic box with a blanket tied to it."

Doc groaned. "That's the survival kit. We'll need it, too."

"Pile all that stuff up outside the plane. We'll be back soon," Josh said as he and Alex stumbled off across the loose rocks toward the cliff face.

***

Josh pointed off into the darkness upon their return. "We found a place just over there. It's in the side of the mesa where the rocks kind of make a roof. And there's a dead tree with dry wood."

"Great," Mickey said. "We can have a campfire."

"Only if we can get it started." Josh took the penlight and set it on top of a medical bag. "We'll carry what we can to the shelter. This'll help find the other stuff on the next trip."

Alex put on her backpack and hauled up Josh's by the strap, holding the dying Maglite in her other hand. Mickey grabbed an armful of coats and followed Alex toward the shelter. Ducking under the injured pilot's arm, Josh helped Doc to his feet. Stones skittered out from under their shoes while he escorted the hobbling man across the jagged rocks.

"Careful now." Josh eased him to the floor in the rear of the alcove so he could lean against the wall. "We'll be right back."

Doc glanced around in the dim light. "This looks good." He lay back down and shivered. "It's cold."

"We'll get a fire going, soon as we get back." While the three kids trudged off toward the plane, Josh switched off the light. "Better save what batteries we can."

"But I can't see," Mickey said.

"Get used to it. We'll need the light later."

Lightning flickered to the north and Josh tried to remember what else he'd learned in Scouts, what to do if lost in the wild. They all had parkas with hoods, and the shallow cave would shelter them from the weather. If he could get a fire going, they should be warm enough, and the flames would scare away wild animals. That would give light, too, saving the batteries. He could worry about everything else tomorrow. But they needed dry wood, and a lot of it. The cold front was coming and if it brought snow, or worse, cold rain, the dead tree would be too wet to burn.

He led the other two back to the alcove with the remaining veterinarian bag, survival kit, a small ice chest, and the inspection light. "There should be matches in here somewhere. Al, see if they're in the survival kit while we get some wood."

"Sure." She held the small flashlight in her teeth and dug through the bag.

Josh took Mickey to the dead tree. He found branches scattered across the ground and broke more off the trunk, making sure they were short enough to carry back to camp. "That's enough for now. Let's take back all we can."

Alex found the matches just as Josh threw down the first armload of wood. "We'll have to have a lot more to last all night," she said, "but what we need first is something easy to light."

"I read about using cotton balls and petroleum jelly to make tinder for a fire," Josh said.

"There's some in the medical bag." Alex dug them out.

Josh took three cotton balls, smeared them with petroleum jelly, and placed them in a shallow hole in the rock floor. With tiny twigs from the ends of the branches, he built a miniature tepee over the cotton and left a small gap for the match. He added larger twigs until the top ones were about the thickness of a pencil.

Alex shivered and handed him the box. "Oh Josh, it's so cold."

He pulled out a match, held its head to the striker, and struck forward. Nothing. No spark, no smoke, no flame. He tried again, then another. The match heads only crumbled. "They're too old!" Shivering, he threw down the box. "Without a fire, we're in trouble." No one said another word as they sat on the cold rock floor and stared at the miniature tepee.

# CHAPTER FOURTEEN

A COLD WIND gusted from the northwest, the first sign of the passing weather front. Their luck had taken another turn for the worse. Josh kicked away the box of useless matches. "Any ideas?"

"How about flint?" Alex asked.

"Even if it's out there, couldn't find it in the dark."

"Rub two sticks together?" Mickey said.

"There's an idea. Give me one of your shoestrings."

"My shoestrings? Thought you needed sticks."

"No, for a bow and drill."

"But my shoe will fall off."

"I'll give it back." Josh found a straight stick from the pile of wood and another bent one a bit longer while Mickey unlaced the shoestring.

"Here. Don't break it."

Josh grabbed it and tied each end to the bent stick. Taking up all the slack, he wrapped a loop around the straight one. "Al, peel off a piece of bark."

She handed it to him and he placed a cotton ball on the bark. He used another flat piece of wood to protect his hand, and with one end of the straight stick on the bark and the other in his palm, he leaned against it. "Here goes."

He pulled the bent piece back and forth like he was sawing wood. The straight stick, spun by the shoestring, twirled in his hand and rubbed against the bark. He worked for several minutes, stopped, and felt for heat. "It's warm, but not nearly hot enough."

"Let me try." Alex took the sticks and sawed for several minutes, but didn't have any more luck than he had. "Forget it. It's not working."

Josh pounded the rocks with the heel of his hand. "All we need is a strong spark!"

"A spark?" Alex grabbed the flashlight. "I'll get you a spark. Let's go."

"Are you crazy?"

"You'll see. Come on."

Shaking his head, Josh pushed to his feet and followed her into the darkness.

Alex found the wreckage and scanned the area she and Mickey had searched earlier. Josh followed, but was, well, in the dark. "What are we looking for?"

"A spark. You'll see."

Lightning again flickered to the north. "Hope that's not it."

"Of course not. Hang on." Within seconds, Alex trained the flashlight beam on her prize. "Mickey tripped over that earlier." The airplane battery sat upright with two broken wires dangling from it.

"Wow! Great idea." Josh grabbed the plastic sides with both hands and hoisted it waist high. "Geez, that's heavy!"

"Maybe between us--"

"No, I can do it. Turn off the flashlight unless you need it." Following her, he trudged off toward their temporary home. A stone rolled from beneath his foot. He lurched to the side. A brilliant spark blinded him.

Alex grabbed him before he fell down. "What was that?"

"The wires touched. Now I can't see a thing."

"Sure you don't need help?"

"We'd better use the light after all. I'll be okay." His back ached, but he made it to the cave and plunked the battery down next to where he wanted the fire. "Glad I didn't have to go any farther with that thing."

Upon seeing what they'd brought back, Mickey broke into a knowing smile. "Way to go, Al." He gave her a high five.

Josh stretched his back, knelt down, and pulled out the tangled wires until the bare ends surrounded the petroleum jelly-covered fibers. When he brushed them together, a spark arced across and a tiny glow struggled to life on the edge of the nearest cotton ball. The petroleum jelly caught and the flame grew, almost as if he had lit a candle. Soon, the stick tepee burned a bright yellow and the fire licked at the small twigs. Josh fed in larger sticks until a warm glow pushed back the darkness.

Mickey grinned and held his hands out to the fire. "That's what I'm talkin' about."

Josh helped Doc to a sitting position on one of the vet bags and the kids sat on their backpacks for insulation from the cold rocks. Doc, barely able to stay upright, put one arm around Mickey, the other around Alex, and held them close as they huddled against the chill. Josh wrapped the blanket around their shoulders before grabbing some flat rocks the size of dinner plates and lining them up on edge behind the fire.

"What are you doing?" Mickey asked.

"Making a reflector. Between these and the wall behind us, it should keep us warm." When Josh finished, he asked, "That better?"

"A lot," Alex said. "I can really feel the heat now. Sit here."

"Not yet. Got to get more wood."

"Oh, yeah. I'll help."

Josh waved her down. "Just stay there and keep my place warm. It won't take long."

He brought back three more armloads before sitting down next to Alex. The tired travelers huddled together, stared into the fire until drowsiness overtook them, and all but Josh drifted off to sleep.

Shadows from the flames danced on the smooth rock walls above and behind him, a magic ballet begun centuries before when another band of weary travelers had sought shelter in this same tiny alcove. They had come and gone, the only trace of their passing a smoky smudge on the rocks above.

A faint sound came from somewhere outside. Josh cocked an ear and his skin crawled. Was that a drum beat? He stared out into the darkness beyond the flames. No, just a branch flapping in the wind. At least he thought that's what it was. He nestled back beneath his corner of the blanket. A second later, another sound followed the first. A flute, but not like the instruments in the school band. This sounded hollow, like the little wooden toys sold at the county fair. Or was it the wind? He stood and cupped his hands over his ears.

"What is it?" Alex asked.

"Heard something."

She cocked her head. "Like what?"

"A drum, and a flute, maybe."

"No kidding?" She sat up. "Still hear it?"

Total silence filled the cave. "No...wait...there." Thunder rumbled in the distance and a coyote howled. Another answered, but farther away. Josh exhaled. "Must be what it was." He nestled back down under the blanket. "Let's see if we can't get some sleep."

"Think they'll want this cave?"

"Who?"

"The wild animals."

"Not as long as the fire's going."

The flames burned lower and he tossed on another stick. He had to keep it lit, keep them warm. Outside the fire's circle of light, a pebble rolled across the rocky ground and he sat up. Lightning flashed, the brief strobe giving a glimpse into the darkness. A bronze-skinned man stood frozen, staring into the cave.

Josh grabbed the flashlight, fumbled around until he found the switch. The dim beam reached to the rocks outside, but soon faded and died. He shook it and slapped the aluminum tube. The batteries were dead, the heavy flashlight useful only as a club. Holding his breath, he watched, waited. He'd seen a man dressed like that before. On TV. A story of the Anasazi.

Cupping his hands over his ears again, Josh heard nothing but the wind in the brush, the crackle of the fire. He rubbed his eyes, the smoke making them burn. He stared out into the night. Nothing moved. Must be seeing things, letting my imagination take over. He tossed on another stick, folded his arms across his chest, and hunkered down against the cold.

# CHAPTER FIFTEEN

BEFORE DAWN THE next morning, Christmas Eve, the worried parents and Moose waited in the car outside the airport office, located across the field from the Schmidt Flying Service hangar. The big retriever, filled with sadness over his missing friends, stared out the window and whined.

The airport manager arrived right at seven o'clock. After a brief call to the FAA, he relayed what he'd learned. "The search and rescue people will start at first light--sunrise is in about 20 minutes--but a cold front moved in over the mountains. The whole area is blanketed in low clouds."

"For how long?" Mrs. Schmidt asked.

He shrugged. "A day or two. Maybe longer."

"How can they search without planes?"

"They'll have to drive the back roads, or use Jeeps or ATVs where there aren't any."

"Isn't there anything we can do?"

"Just sit and wait." The manager looked down at his hands. "Sometimes, that's the hardest job of all."

* * *

Josh opened his eyes when the first hint of dawn seeped into the canyon. A layer of gray clouds filled the sky and cast an eerie veil across the surrounding terrain. Doc had passed an uneasy night, but at least his movements had awakened Josh often enough to feed sticks into the hungry fire.

Pulling on his gloves, he got up first. The cave smelled of wood smoke and dust. Clouds of steam formed with each breath and he snuggled deeper into his parka. Overnight, sand had worked its way beneath his clothes, making his neck and back itch. His mouth tasted gritty, too, and he wished for his toothbrush back home. A hot shower and warm breakfast wouldn't hurt, either.

The growing light gave him a better look at the area outside the cave. Vertical red cliffs lined the area where they had crashed. The rock hollow, carved into the side of a mesa, was just over a football field away from the mangled wreckage and a little higher than the dry creek bed in which it rested.

Doc's eyes fluttered open, and he stared out at the broken airplane. "Painting it camouflage was a mistake. Would've been better if it was bright red or international orange."

Josh had at first thought the new paint job really cool, the shark's mouth under the engine his favorite part. Now he agreed with Doc. The color scheme did what it was supposed to do: blend in with its surroundings. The plane would be almost invisible when viewed from above. "It looked pretty awesome in the hangar."

Doc didn't answer. Josh wondered if he was blaming himself for putting them all in danger.

Soon Alex and Mickey were up and about, with Doc resting against the wall of their temporary home. Josh glanced at the dwindling stack of firewood. "Better get some more. We'll be right back, Doc. Need anything first?"

"No, I'm fine." When he moved, he let out a low groan.

"Papa, are you alright?" Alex asked. "I'll stay here with you."

Doc grimaced and shook his head. "Go on, but be careful. No telling what wild animals are around."

Josh figured that was true. He'd heard something during the night. Even caught a glimpse of what he thought was a little old man. If he could find that man, maybe he would help. Then again, it might have been his imagination running wild in the darkness. What would anyone be doing out here anyway?

Together, the kids stumbled across the rocky ground. They found plenty of firewood, most of it rotten, but burnable. Heavy frost covered the flaky bark, but hot coals from their evening fire would dry out the wood enough for it to light. They struggled back, each with an armload of limbs and sticks.

Mickey threw his down, pulled off his gloves, and grabbed his stomach. "I'm hungry!" He charged off to his backpack and pulled out the Tupperware half full of his mother's cookies. "Anyone like oatmeal for breakfast? Oatmeal cookies, that is."

Doc held up a hand. "No thanks. I'll just rest a bit more." He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.

"There's hardly any left." Josh took the smallest and let the others divide the rest between them. The three kids shared the remaining soda. "We'd better save the empty cans to dip water from the ice chest."

Doc stirred and sat up. "Got to go to the bushes."

"Need help?" Josh asked.

"I can make it." Doc grimaced and pushed against the back wall.

"I don't mind."

"Just stay there. Got to see how bad this leg is." Doc struggled to his feet, but when he took the first step, he screamed out in pain. Grabbing his thigh, he fell and banged his head on the rock floor. He sprawled out and didn't move.

"Papa!" Alex rushed to his side and ran her hand along his leg, which had an extra bend beneath the knee. She shook him but he didn't stir. "Wake up!"

Josh felt Doc's scalp and when he pulled back his hand, it was soaked with blood. "He's got a bad gash behind his ear, not to mention opening up that cut on his forehead."

"You should have helped him!"

"But I offered. He said--"

"I don't care what he said. Now he's hurt even worse."

Josh wanted to crawl into a hole. She was right. He should have helped, but just sat there and watched. Now he had to do something. "Let's get him by the fire."

"But he'll have to lie on the cold ground. And his leg's broken. Moving him could really screw it up."

Josh exhaled. Whatever he did, she seemed to think it made things worse. He folded his arms across his chest and glared at her. "Then why don't you think up something for a change?"

As soon as he said it, he wished he could take it back. She was worried, that's all. When she looked up, he added, "Sorry, Al. I'm doing the best I can."

Her frown told him she didn't accept his apology. "He needs to be in a bed or something."

Mickey pointed toward the plane. "We could take out the seats, make one."

"Yeah, if we can get them loose." Josh stood up and started for the Cessna. "Mickey, stay here. Get the bandages from the first aid kit. Al, let's go."

"I'm not leaving Papa. Look at him."

Doc's eyes were closed, his breath coming in ragged gasps. But it was the extra bend in his leg that really worried Josh. "Stay here, then. Mickey can help."

Josh stomped off toward the plane. He wanted to do the right thing, but Al was right. What if he'd moved Doc and the jagged bone had poked out through the skin? He could have bled to death. And even if they could stop the bleeding, there was always the chance of infection, or gangrene, something he'd read happened in war time. In the old days, the leg had to be cut off, and he didn't even want to think about that.

Still wondering what to do next, he climbed through the airplane's bent door and moved the seats back and forth. At least trying to figure out how to remove them gave him something else to worry about.

Mickey stuck his head through the open door. "Can we get them out?"

"Not unless we can get these bolts loose."

"There's tools in the back. Hang on." He ducked out and soon returned with a canvas bag filled with wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers. "Here."

Josh searched through the tools and came up with a pair of adjustable wrenches. "Hold this on the bolt there while I turn the nut."

Together, they removed the fasteners and wiggled the seats out through the door. "That's it. Now help me carry them over there."

After returning to the cave, Josh set one beside Doc and sat in it, out of breath. "How is he?"

Alex looked up, her eyes red. "He hasn't moved."

Pulling off a glove, Josh put a hand to Doc's skin and found it cold and clammy, the breathing shallow and uneven. From Scouts, he knew those were signs of being in shock. "He needs an ambulance."

Alex buried her face in her hands and sobbed. "My phone won't work out here. I don't know what to do."

Josh's shoulders slumped and stared at his feet. "Me neither. I've never done anything like this before."

She dried her tears and scooted over next to him. "Remember how we were taught to brainstorm our way through school projects?"

He exhaled and looked up. "Yeah."

"Let's try it now!"

"Okay, we can do this." Josh put his hands on his knees and pushed to his feet. He paced a second, trying to remember how to treat for shock. "We need to keep him warm, keep his feet elevated."

"What's that mean?" Mickey asked.

"Higher than his head. We can take the seats apart, use the cushions. Now, let's stoke up the fire."

Alex glanced at the flames. "But it's too far away. He'll never get warm back there by the back wall."

"Why don't we move the fire?" Mickey asked.

"Now you're talking." Josh grabbed a wrench and an airplane seat. "As soon as I get the back off this, we'll slide the cushions under him. Then we'll move the fire over closer and make a reflector out of rocks on the other side. He'll be like in a sandwich between that and the rock wall."

"He'll be warm enough?" Alex asked.

"Hope so. Put that blanket under his head for a pillow." He pulled off his parka. "And cover him with this until I get these cushions apart."

Soon, the disassembled seats lay on the floor and Josh tried to lift Doc by his shoulders, but couldn't. "Al, grab his other arm." He looked at Mickey. "We get him high enough, slide that cushion underneath." With much care, they soon had Doc resting on the soft bed.

"You said we should elevate his legs?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, but be careful with that broken bone. Take his feet. I'll get his knees." Josh let out a breath. "Okay, easy does it."

With Doc settled on the cushions, Alex covered him with the blanket. "He'll be alright?"

"That's the best we can do, Al."

She grabbed her father's hand and a tear ran down her cheek. "I know. But he doesn't look too good, does he?"

Josh piled branches from the woodpile on the cave's floor close enough to Doc to keep him warm, but far enough away not to burn him. "I'll move the fire while you two grab some big rocks for the reflector. If we can get him warm, maybe he'll be okay."

# CHAPTER SIXTEEN

WITH THE FLAMES lapping at the branches of their new fire, Josh rocked back to a sitting position. "Guess we should've worked more like a team sooner." He looked at his little brother. "Mickey, any other good ideas?"

"Remember those articles you read me from Dad's outdoor magazines when I couldn't sleep, the ones I thought were stupid?"

Josh raised his eyebrows. "I said good ideas."

"Didn't they say that if you got lost, just stay put and wait for somebody to find you?"

Josh stood up and paced some more while he thought. He stopped and turned back toward his brother. "Yeah. We've got shelter and a fire. Can't carry Doc anywhere. Might as well wait."

Alex glanced at her father. "So, like, what else can we do?"

Josh thought more about the articles. "We could build signals for airplanes." He nodded toward the dreary overcast. "But they can't fly in this weather. Once you have shelter and fire, the next thing to worry about is water."

"What about food?"

"They say you can live three minutes without oxygen, three days without water, and three weeks without food."

"Three weeks without food?" Mickey rubbed his stomach. "Wouldn't you get super hungry?"

"They didn't say you wouldn't get hungry, just live that long."

So what to do next? If they were all going to get through this, it was up to the three of them to think of something. Josh stared at the ground and let his mind wander. An overnight frost, now starting to melt, had moistened the dead grass and rocks, but not enough to drip from the walls. They would have to look for water, maybe use a sponge or something to soak it up and squeeze it into a container. He'd have to think about what to use for that. And the water might not be safe unless they figured out a way to kill the germs.

Once they had something to drink, they'd need food, and a way to cook it. He picked up a stick, broke it across his knee, and tossed it on the fire. The smoke filled his eyes and he slumped back. He didn't like the responsibility, being the one to make the decisions, having to keep everybody alive. But until Doc was up and around, he had to be the one. They all depended on him. And he knew he could depend on them.

# CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

SITTING NEXT TO Doc, Josh wished the unconscious adult could give him some direction. No matter what happened next, the kids were in charge of their own destiny. All the articles he'd read about wilderness survival seemed so easy to understand in the safety of his own bedroom. Now miles from help and alone on the mesa, things weren't so simple. His stomach growled and he had no idea where to find food. They needed water, but had no way to carry it back to camp. What else had the articles not mentioned?

While Josh planned, Alex stared at her father and paced back and forth. "I'm going nuts just sitting here. Anybody want to throw the football around?"

Josh shook his head, deep in thought. The rock he sat on was both hard and cold, and that didn't help his mood. The wind shifted and blew smoke in his face. His eyes burned. He coughed and wished the others would spend less time goofing off and more time thinking.

"I do." Mickey bounced up and moved a few feet away. He and Alex tossed it back and forth across the width of the rock shelter.

He missed and the rubber football bounced against Josh's shoulder, bumping him in the side of the head. He reached down to pick it up, then stared and turned it over in his hands. A smile tugged at his lips. "Hey, I've got it. We can cut off one end and use it for a canteen. If it'll hold air, it'll hold water. We could get more than a quart in it."

"But I just got that football."

As dire as their situation was, Josh thought she might be joking, but after studying her face, he decided she was serious. "Okay. I'll think of something else." He tossed her the ball and glanced at the ice chest. "That would hold water, but it would slosh out if we had to carry it very far."

"How about the empty soda cans?" she asked.

"We could use them for dippers and drink from them, but they don't have any kind of cap."

"Neither does the football."

"We can use a stick for a cork."

She shrugged. "Okay, if we find water close, we'll use the ice chest. If we have to carry it a long way, I'll let you cut up the football. But you're not slicing into it until we find water."

Josh nodded. "Fair enough." He grabbed the plane's survival pack and searched through the contents. It smelled musty, like it hadn't been opened in a long time. He found protein bars and wondered if they were still edible. At least the plastic wrappings were still intact. The lid of a bottle of water purification tablets was still sealed by wax and he took that as a good sign. He also found string, fish hooks, and a deck of playing cards. "Since we don't even have water to drink, this fishing stuff won't be much help."

Mickey picked up the cards. "What are these for?"

Alex winked at Josh. "Papa always said that if you're lost in the woods, play solitaire. Within five minutes somebody will tap you on the shoulder and say, 'You can put that red seven on that black eight.' Works every time."

Josh chuckled, but Mickey looked up. "Then why aren't we playing solitaire right now?"

Alex laughed. "I'll teach you how to play as soon as we find some water."

# CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

"I HAVE TO stay behind again?" Mickey asked.

Josh shrugged. "Somebody has to take care of Doc."

"But why me?"

"Because I said so." Josh turned to leave.

"That's not an answer. Dad can say that, but not you."

"Al and I can go faster, and carry more, too."

"I'm plenty fast, and strong."

"I know. But look at Doc. We can't leave him by himself. He's not even awake. Some animal might get him."

Mickey, squatting next to the fire, wrapped his arms around his chest and stared at the boulders outside, wondering what they might hide. "Like wolves?"

"There's no wolves around. Coyotes, maybe."

Mickey started to shake. Whether that was from being cold or afraid of hungry wild dogs, he wasn't sure. "You'd both better just stay here."

"Animals are afraid of fire. All you have to do is keep it going."

"What if I run out of wood?"

Josh nodded toward the stack. "There's plenty to last all day, as long as you don't make a stupid bonfire or something."

"Let Al stay. I'll go with you."

Alex looked at her father, his breathing more regular than before. "Maybe he's right. I'd feel better if I stayed here."

Mickey nodded and pushed to his feet, ready to go.

Josh folded his arms across his chest and stared at Alex. "I need you. Need your ideas. He can take care of Doc just fine."

She looked at Mickey and cocked an eyebrow. "Well, like, what do you think?"

He shrugged and sat back down. Arguing with his big brother was like arguing with a doorknob. "Okay, but this is the last time. Don't be gone too long."

"We'll be back in less than an hour. Maybe we can find where the frost melted off into a pocket, or a creek or something." Josh picked up a straight stick, one end broken into a point.

"What's that for?" Mickey asked.

"A spear."

"You mean for coyotes?"

"For food. In case I see a rabbit or something."

"Eww. I'd never eat one of those."

Josh sighed and headed up the canyon. Alex followed, her backpack carrying the phone, rubber football, two empty soda cans, the scalpel, and gauze bandage from Doc's medical kit to use as a sponge.

Mickey grabbed a stick and stirred the fire. Every time something needed doing, he was the one left behind. It wasn't fair. They treated him like a baby.

Every now and then, Doc stirred. Mickey dipped water from the ice chest with a soda can and moistened Doc's lips, careful not to pour it down his throat and make him choke.

He shivered, watched the clouds formed by the sleeping man's breath, and tossed more sticks on the fire. Josh was wrong when he said the wood pile would last all day. They would need a lot more, and need it soon. Doc was asleep and probably would stay that way for a while.

Mickey decided he would scout around for more sticks, but remain within earshot. If Doc woke up, he'd hear him. And when the others came back and saw all the firewood he'd gathered, they'd know he wasn't a baby after all.

He pulled on his mittens, tiptoed out of the cave, and sauntered up the creek bed, wandering about to scoop up the scattered wood. Moving farther and farther from their shelter, he tossed the sticks into a line so he could gather them on the way back. But his gentle movements didn't go unnoticed. He drew a stare from eyes empty of all emotion but hungry for fresh meat. A giant puma crouched behind a boulder and licked its lips.

# CHAPTER NINETEEN

THE HUNGRY MOUNTAIN lion rested on a high ledge farther down the canyon. Another hundred yards and the smaller animal that walked on two legs would pass beneath its perch. The male puma had seen these creatures the evening before when they fell from the sky and he stalked them after dark. He would have eaten one last night, but was turned away by the fire.

Others had wandered past just minutes before, but they were larger, and with two of them, the stalk would be both difficult and dangerous. This smaller one, traveling alone, would be easy.

The wild cat could not hate; neither could it show mercy. It looked upon Mickey as nothing more than a next meal, feeling no more concern for him than a person would for a hotdog. The puma would have to kill first, but that was not a problem. Nature had equipped the beast with jagged teeth and claws that curved into razor-sharp tips. Many times before, it had crept close behind its prey and with a few short leaps, pounced upon its victim's back. The claws slashed into flesh and brought it down while powerful jaws sank pointed fangs into the back of the neck. They crushed the bones and severed the spinal cord, bringing certain and almost instantaneous death.

Mickey strolled closer to the dangerous ledge, unaware of the creature that observed his every move. He scanned the ground for sticks and continued to toss them toward the creek bed. He froze. The hair on the back of his neck bristled. A twig snapped. A shadow moved. Was it the breeze drifting up the canyon? He pushed his glasses farther up his nose and gazed all about. He saw nothing unusual, but his mouth went dry and beneath his mittens, his palms itched. He had found quite a bit of wood already and decided to head back and check on Doc. He picked up the first stick, and another and another while he made his way toward the cave.

Saliva dripped from the puma's fangs. Its yellow eyes took in the next meal of tender flesh. The massive feline rose to a crouch, then crept forward on padded feet. Ghostlike, it leapt from ledge to ledge, rock to rock, closing the distance as it stalked the young boy. Taut muscles rippled beneath buff colored fur as the sleek cat drew nearer. A few yards more and the lethal attack would be quick, efficient, and inescapable.

***

The boys' parents left the office of the airport manager, drove across the field to their flying service, and opened the hangar doors. All was quiet, and with the gloomy weather, promised to remain so the rest of the weekend.

The airport manager had given them the number for the FAA search and rescue center, so Mr. Schmidt picked up the phone and dialed the agency. He learned the sheriff's department in Durango was coordinating the ground search. A phone call there confirmed that people were out looking, but with the low clouds and fog blanketing the area, progress was slow.

He hung up and drummed his fingers. The clock over the office door seemed to stop. Waiting here was no better than at home. He phoned his mechanic, Gabby. "Anne and I are going to the search headquarters in Durango. I'll need someone to close the hangar this evening and run the business for the next few days."

"Be happy to," Gabby said. "Anything else I can do, let me know."

Mr. Schmidt winked at his wife. Despite his gruff exterior, inside Gabby's burly chest beat the kind heart of a loyal friend. The business was in good hands.

On the way home, Mrs. Schmidt grabbed for the dashboard, her face ashen.

"What is it?"

"A chill just ran up my spine."

"Want me to pull over?"

"No." She took a breath and shook her head. "I had a sudden thought about Mickey, like he was in terrible danger."

Mr. Schmidt reached over and took her hand. "We'll drive on up, be there for when they're found."

She forced back a sob. "But he's only eight years old. Do you honestly think he can survive out there in the wilderness?"

"Josh is there, along with Doc and Alex. They'll take care of him."

"I know...if they can."

Once home, they packed a suitcase and loaded it into the Ford. She grabbed extra clothes for the boys. "What about Doc and Alex?"

"He's about my size, and she's not a whole lot smaller than you."

"Then maybe some of ours will be close enough if they need them." She loaded another suitcase and set it by the door.

"What about Moose?" Mr. Schmidt asked.

"We can't leave him outside. It's too cold."

"Then let's take him with us."

She stroked the dog's head. "He'll be as glad to see the boys as they are him."

They loaded Moose into the back seat of the car, backed out of the driveway, and drove off for Durango. "I'm still worried," she said. "Especially about Mickey."

Mr. Schmidt glanced at her. "I'm worried about all of them."

# CHAPTER TWENTY

JOSH AND ALEX explored the graveled stream bed between the mesas, its width narrowing as the walls closed in on each side. A light breeze came from behind them, just enough to rustle the needles of the mountain junipers and cause the two friends to snuggle deeper into their parkas. So far, the creek was dry, yielding nothing but rocks. Josh stopped to look around. He heard a soft fluttering sound and held up a hand to stop Alex when a black and white bird fluttered past his ear. "Wow, that magpie almost took my head off."

"They sure don't seem to be afraid of humans."

"That's a big bird. Maybe we could get close enough to catch one for dinner." Another passed, and Josh determined that both were headed in the same direction. He followed them with the point of his spear. "Let's go." They hobbled across the rough ground toward the magpies, going deeper into the canyon.

Alex pointed to the cliff where the dry stream bed made a sharp turn. "There's an overhang like the one we found before." She stumbled across the rocks and the two birds fluttered out of the hollow in the side of the mesa. "Hey, the rear wall's really wet. Water's, like, seeping out of the rocks."

"That's where the magpies were going," Josh said. "They knew about the water."

"Guess it's time to sacrifice the football," Alex said.

"You sure?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure."

He looked for the scalpel while Alex dug in her backpack for the football and the gauze.

"Well, here goes." He sliced off the pointed end of the rubber ball. Alex dipped the gauze into the seeping liquid until it became saturated and squeezed it over the open end of their makeshift container.

Josh scraped away at the sand and pebbles near where the water soaked back into the ground. He dug out a small basin so the drips could collect and form a pool. "If I can get it deep enough, we can fill the soda cans, use them as dippers."

Alex glanced about the rocks while she waited for the gauze to sop up more of the dripping water. "Look!" She pointed to the farthest side of the alcove. Pictures of animals and other figures were drawn on the tan rock with a dark, almost black paint. They covered the entire wall, as high up as a person could reach.

"Wow!" Josh walked closer. "These must be some kind of ancient drawings or something." He found what looked like deer, elk, and little people, some wearing masks and others carrying spears. One had a humped back and played a clarinet or some kind of flute and had feathers in his hair. Some were figures that could represent the sun and rain, and others looked like nothing he had ever seen.

"Glad I brought my phone," Alex said. "Nobody will believe this without some pictures." She handed him the gauze and homemade canteen, grabbed the cell from the backpack, and sighed. "Still no signal, but at least the camera works." She took close-ups of the paintings.

"Might as well show where we found water, too."

"Good idea. Smile." She took another of him by the seep. "Think we'll live long enough to show these at school?"

"Don't know." He sighed and glanced at the high cliff walls around them. "Hey, think we could get a phone signal up on top?"

"Maybe. As soon as the football's full, let's go back and ask Papa what he thinks."

Josh stirred when something moved outside. "Did you see that?"

"What?"

"Don't know. Here, finish filling this up." He handed her the football, grabbed his spear, and crept toward the edge of the rock overhang.

"See anything?"

He took a second before answering. "No, but..." His gaze locked on the sand beside the dry creek. "Look!"

Alex hurried over, careful not to spill the water from the football. "What is it?"

"Tracks."

"Like from a deer?"

"No." Josh traced them with the pointy end of his stick. "They're human. See the toes?" Prints made by bare feet paralleled the creek, headed back toward the way they'd come. "I saw a man last night, thought it was my imagination. But those tracks are real, and they're headed toward our cave."

"Let's go," Alex said. "I'll pack everything up while you find something to cork up this football. Hurry!"

# CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

JOSH GRABBED THE makeshift canteen and noted the water in the basin he'd dug earlier had risen as well. He picked up a short stick and jammed it into the ball, plugging the hole. Alex, finished putting her cell phone and the gauze in her backpack, wedged the football in beside them so it would remain upright during the trip.

Rocks rolled from under Josh's feet and he used his stick to catch his balance. A slight breeze blew in his face while he led the way, hurrying back toward the shelter. "Sure hope Doc and Mickey are alright."

"Me too. Papa's leg is really messed up."

"Maybe whoever made those tracks can help us."

Alex frowned. "Who do you think it is?"

Josh answered by raising his shoulders. He didn't want to tell her what he thought. The man he'd seen was short, maybe five feet tall. His bronze skin was wrinkled and he had tangled gray hair, wearing what looked like animal skins. He carried a long, slender stick like Josh's, but with some kind of stone point on the end. In the darkness, Josh couldn't tell for sure.

She exhaled. "Whoever it was, their feet weren't very big. Maybe some kid lives around here."

"And walking around the rocks barefoot, in December?"

"What are you getting at?"

Josh stopped to catch his breath, the altitude and the hurried pace taking their toll. He leaned on his stick. "Remember that article I wanted you to read about the Anasazi?"

"Yeah, don't nag. I'll read it when we get back."

"That's just it. I think the guy I saw was one of them."

"An Anasazi? You said they went extinct hundreds of years ago."

He cocked an eyebrow. "That's what the scientists think happened to them, but nobody really knows."

Alex folded her arms across her chest and frowned. "So you're telling me there's some kind of cave man running around here spying on us?"

"I didn't say that. But I can't explain the tracks any other way. Let's go."

# CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

THE CAVE HAD to be close, just around the next bend. The creek bed took a sharp turn, and when they walked around it, Josh spotted Mickey staggering under an armload of firewood. He started to run over to help, but then saw the puma closing the last few yards for the attack. "Mickey, look out!"

He turned and stared, his glasses half-way down his nose. Alex bent down, grabbed a baseball-sized rock, and threw it with all her might. It thudded off the ribs of the giant feline.

The cat wheeled, bared its fangs. Hungry eyes fixed on its attackers. A frightening growl came from deep in its throat.

Josh's scalp tingled. His mouth went dry, but he couldn't back down. He held the point of his stick forward, hunched down, and inched toward the cat. He had to save Mickey, who froze, too scared to run.

The puma crouched. Its fierce teeth gleamed. Josh jumped back, threw the stick. It turned sideways in the air and rattled harmlessly across the ground. Alex chunked another rock. It bounced off the cat's spine. Yellow eyes focused on her, then turned back to Josh. The predator dropped lower, dug its claws into the sand.

They grabbed more rocks and threw them as hard as they could. Some hit their mark. Others missed. The beast roared, crept closer. Josh held his breath. He had one more trick. Opening his parka, he grabbed the corners and spread them wide apart. He stood on his tiptoes and yelled, trying to look as big and mean as he could.

The puma crept back, eyes locked on Josh. It snarled and bared its teeth. From somewhere above them, a boulder broke loose. It tumbled and crashed down the side of the mesa, knocking loose more rocks as it picked up speed. A landslide followed, a mass of smaller stones headed toward the canyon floor. Josh jumped back and yelled, "Mickey, get out of the way!"

He dropped his load of firewood and tumbled backwards, barely escaping the avalanche's wrath.

The puma, directly in the path of the boulder, jumped into the brush, vanished like a ghost.

Mickey struggled to his feet, but froze. A boulder rolled past, missing him by mere feet. His mouth hung open and his knees wobbled. He sank to the ground and shook.

The others ran to his side and threw their arms around him. Together they held onto him for a long moment, fighting back tears of both joy and fear.

But what caused the landslide? Another puma? Josh glanced up the cliff, thought he saw movement. He shifted his gaze to the ground, picked up another rock, and looked back up. For a half second, a straight stick topped with a stone spearhead showed from behind another boulder, then disappeared over the mesa's rim.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED to stay with Doc!" Josh yelled. "The fire's the only thing keeping animals from getting him!"

Tears rolled down the younger brother's cheeks. He took off his glasses and sobbed. "Why do you think I'm out here? He was cold, and--"

"Papa's awake?" Alex asked.

Mickey shook his head and wiped his glasses on a sleeve. "His breath was making little clouds, and I thought--"

Josh pushed to his feet. "You thought you'd go out on your own, get eaten by a mountain lion."

"You treat me like a baby. I was gonna show you I'm not."

Josh glanced at Alex, who shook her head. "Not now. We've got to take care of Papa."

He bit his lip. "Let's get this wood back to camp."

While they gathered the dropped firewood, Josh scanned the bushes. His heart pounded and he could hardly catch his breath, expecting the giant cat to charge at any time. He picked up all he could carry in one arm, and with his empty hand, grabbed his makeshift spear. Still watching, he waited for each of the others to gather a load of sticks, then hustled them off to the shelter.

Alex tossed down her wood, hurried to where Doc lay, and put her hand on his forehead. She frowned. "He feels cold, but he's sweating." She looked to Mickey. "Thanks for tucking in his blanket. Helps keep him warm."

"I didn't do that."

She cocked an eyebrow. "But he couldn't do it like this by himself, not with his arms inside like they are."

"Wasn't me."

"Watch Papa while we look for more wood."

"But we have plenty." Mickey waved at the pile. "Don't leave again!"

"We'll stay in sight." She led Josh outside and whispered, "Something really weird is going on."

"I know, and Mickey's right in the middle of it." His little brother might have forgotten about the blanket, but there were too many other things happening that he just couldn't explain: the footprints, the boulder, the spearhead. A ghost, or an Anasazi watching over them? Or maybe the ghosts of the Anasazi trying to kill them all with a landslide.

"But what about Papa?" Alex asked.

Josh shook his head to clear his thoughts. He needed to be thinking up ways to get off the mesa, not worry about some centuries-old mystery. "Sweating with clammy skin means Doc's still in shock."

"So what do we do?"

"Same as before. Keep him warm and his feet up."

"But the blanket, and that boulder..."

"I've got a theory."

"What?"

"Let me think on it. But first, we'd better see to your dad." Josh found a little water remaining in the ice chest, and using a soda can, moistened the injured pilot's lips. "Mickey should've stayed with him."

Alex exhaled. "Back off, already. He was doing what you or I would have if we were here."

Josh sat back. He'd told his brother to stay here, and yet they found him over a hundred yards from the cave. "What was he thinking?"

"Let it go."

"But it was stupid. He almost--"

"I said let it go."

Josh exhaled. He grabbed the bottle of purification tablets from the survival kit, read the label, and put three into the football canteen.

Alex nodded toward Mickey. "Look at him. Can't you see he's upset?"

He sat next to the fire, shaking and staring at the flames. He hugged his knees and tears ran down his cheeks.

"Yeah, I see him." Josh sauntered over and sat down next to his little brother. "You okay?"

He just sat and stared.

"Mickey?"

"I'm not a baby."

"You're right. I shouldn't have said that."

"Then why did you?"

"I was mad... and scared."

Mickey looked up at him. "You were scared?"

"Geez, you almost got killed...And eaten."

Mickey buried his face in his hands and sobbed. "I thought I was never going to see Mom and Dad again. Then you saved me."

"Alex helped." Josh put an arm around his shoulder. "A lot." He didn't want to say he believed the Anasazi ghosts might have helped, too. Or were trying to kill them.

"Why did you do your coat like that?"

"They taught us in Scouts not to run, just look as big as you can. You know, make them think you're a lot bigger than they are."

"It really worked."

"Might not have if that boulder didn't fall...Anyway, you're safe now. Just stay here next time when I tell you to."

"I will...we'll see them again, won't we?"

"Who?"

"Mom and Dad."

"Sure, we will." Josh held his breath. At least he hoped they would, but he couldn't let his brother know he was afraid of that, too. "We found water. It's here in Al's football."

"Can I have some?"

"Not yet." He shook the ball and set it down. "I put in pills to kill the germs. It'll take about thirty minutes."

"I'm hungry, too."

"Yeah, so am I." Josh tossed another stick on the fire, wishing they had some hotdogs to roast. But if they were going to find anything to eat, it wouldn't come in a plastic wrapper.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

"HEY, HE'S AWAKE!" Josh said when Doc's eyes fluttered open.

The injured pilot looked around, tried to sit up, and groaned. He relaxed and lay back down.

Alex placed his hand in both of hers. She stared into his face. "How are you, Papa?"

"Every time I move, pain shoots up my leg."

"We saw a mountain lion," Mickey said. "It was going to eat me."

"What?"

"A mountain lion--"

Josh cut him off. "It's okay. We threw rocks and scared him away."

"Darn, I need some..." Doc tried to get up, but gasped and lay back down.

"What is it?" Alex asked.

"Medicine." He caught his breath. "The medical bag."

Alex looked to Josh, who brought it to them.

Doc dug inside and found a bottle of pills. "Meloxicam. Pain med. Ought to work on people, too."

Josh dipped the last of the water from the ice chest and handed it to him. Doc swallowed three pills, closed his eyes, and lay back down. Within seconds, his breathing became deep and regular.

"Is he asleep?" Mickey asked.

"Don't think so. Probably passed out from the pain."

"We need to get some food into him." Alex felt around the splints. "It's swollen. Almost twice as big as the other leg."

"Better loosen those bandages while I look for something to eat." Josh thought back to a television show about a man who tries to survive in the wild. One episode told how to find food in a survival situation. Green plants and berries were a good start, but during late December, there wouldn't be any. Another idea was to eat what the wildlife was eating. The magpies had to be finding something, but just what, he didn't know. Then there was the mountain lion, looking to kill some kind of animal, one that didn't hibernate. "Meat. Our only choice is meat."

"Like hamburgers?" Mickey asked.

"No. A squirrel, or rabbit maybe."

He stuck out his tongue. "Yuck. They're too furry."

"Not once they're skinned." Josh picked up his spear. "This thing's not much help, but traps or snares aren't hard to make. They work all day and night, even if we're asleep."

"Know how to make some?" Alex asked.

"For snares, we can use stuff from the plane, and I think we can build a deadfall from other stuff. Mickey, let's go."

After using the toolkit's pliers to cut through electrical wires, Josh found a tree with a few remaining acorns and leaned a slender branch against it. He tied one end of a wire to it and made a loop in the other end so it dangled an inch or so away from the branch.

"That won't work," Mickey said. "They'll just run straight up the trunk."

Josh shook his head. "Do you climb up a wall to get to your bedroom?"

"I use the stairs."

"These slanted limbs work like that. It's a lot easier for the squirrel to go up at an angle, just like a staircase. Once his head goes in the loop of wire, we've got him.

"Won't he just back out?"

"Not smart enough. He'll try to run through it. When he falls off, the noose tightens and he'll just hang there." Josh tilted his head and stuck out his tongue, pretending to hold a rope with one hand. "Just like in the movies."

"That sounds mean."

"I know. I hate it. But we've got no choice. Grab another branch and I'll make another."

The brothers set several snares, using all the wire they had.

Josh then found a small game trail in the brush near the creek bed. "The trap I read about, called a deadfall, needs a big, flat rock."

"They're all over the place."

"And we need three of these, too." Josh picked up some short sticks. "They go like this." Holding two of the sticks end-to-end vertically, he wedged the third in between them so it hung sideways. "We tilt up the rock and balance it on these two going up and down. This sideways stick is the trigger. If something bumps it, these other two hinge in the middle and the rock falls down."

"And squishes whatever's under it?"

"Exactly. Now, help me pick that thing up." He set down the sticks and with much effort, together they tilted the rock to about a 45 degree angle and wiggled it around so it hung over the trail. Josh wedged his knees under it and grunted. "I've got it. Grab those sticks while I hold it up. Hurry!"

Mickey set them up in the sideways T like Josh had shown him. "Okay, ease it down."

Josh felt the sticks take some of the weight. "Get back. I'll see if it'll stay up there." After letting the rock settle and easing away, he examined the trap. "I think that's going to work."

"I don't want to kill a rabbit."

"Neither do I, Mick. But if we're going to eat, we have to find something. Now, we need to put some bait under the trigger."

"I have an idea. That little bag of dog biscuits I got at the retriever trial."

"Cool. But we won't use much. After we eat the protein bars, dog food is all we have left."

"Eww. Now I hope we do catch a rabbit."

# CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

BEFORE JOSH AND Mickey returned to the shelter, a cold rain began to fall, its miserable dampness soaking the landscape. Alex sat beside her father. He was awake, but his face was pale and covered with sweat. Josh stared at the overcast skies. Planes couldn't search in that weather, and jeeps couldn't drive over the rough terrain. There was no chance of rescue today. The best place to be was snuggled up out of the rain, next to the fire, and away from the danger of wild animals.

A trickle of water dripped near the entrance, the light rain draining from the rocks. Josh moved the ice chest over to catch the runoff. That could save another trip past the lair of the mountain lion to the hidden spring. He grabbed the football and passed it around, each taking a sip.

Mickey made a sour face. "Eww. That tastes like rubber."

"Wish we had enough water for a bath." Alex rubbed the back of her neck. "But that'll just have to wait...Anyone hungry?" She found the protein bars and divided them between the others.

Josh ate in silence. With four of them, there wasn't much for each person. He wished for more to fill his empty stomach, but gave half of what he had to Mickey. As skinny as he was, he wouldn't last long without food. But now that the protein bars were gone, Josh wasn't sure they'd find anything else.

The kids had nothing to do but huddle in the shelter, trying to stay warm and dry. Mickey picked up the deck of cards. "Weren't you going to teach me to play solitaire?"

Alex shrugged. "Nothing better to do."

While they played, Josh got bored and sorted through the DVDs his brother had brought to watch on the laptop during flight. When he turned one over to read the label, the shiny disc reflected firelight onto the rock floor. Looking through the hole in the DVD's center, he reflected the firelight onto his hand, then rotated the disc upwards and cast the reflection onto the ceiling. Tomorrow, as soon as the sun rose over the high mesas, this was a discovery he could use.

From out in the rain came a crashing sound, the rattle of one rock falling against another. Mickey's eyes grew wide. "The mountain lion!"

Josh picked up his spear. "Stay here."

"You're not going out there, are you?" Alex asked.

"I think I know what it is." He dashed off through the cold drizzle and along the game trail to their trap.

The upright sticks had collapsed, and under the flat rock, a rabbit kicked in the final throes of death. Wow, they'd caught one! Josh wanted to jump up and down, but then he looked back at the dying animal. He had taken a life, and that saddened him. At the same time, he was happy they now had a meal. His plan for catching food had worked, and he felt certain it would again. A drip ran down his neck and he tightened his hood. As soon as the rain quit, he'd get help to reset the deadfall.

"Sorry," he whispered to the rabbit, glad no one could hear him. He waited for it to stop kicking. After a minute, he lifted the furry animal by its long legs and was amazed at the thickness of the soft fur. He trotted back to the cave.

When he tossed his catch onto the rock floor, Mickey gagged. "Eww. You're going to eat that?"

"Hey, it's not like there's a burger joint around the corner."

Doc moaned and said, "The scalpel, it's in the bag." When he had it in hand, he grimaced. "Hurts too much...Somebody else can do the honors."

"What honors?" Mickey asked.

"Skinning and gutting the rabbit."

His eyes widened and he shook his head. "Not me."

Josh sighed. "Thought you said you weren't a baby."

When he looked at Alex, she frowned and held up her hands. "Me neither."

"Alright, I'll do it. Tell me how."

"First find the bottom of his ribcage." Doc put a finger on his own chest at the tender spot above his stomach. His face reflected the pain that little bit of movement caused. "About there."

Josh ran his fingers down the rabbit's belly. "Okay."

"Use the scalpel to slit the skin, all the way back to his legs. Don't go too deep... don't want to cut into the intestines."

Josh pursed his lips and started to make the incision.

"Not here," Doc said. "It'll really make a mess."

"Oh, yeah." Josh trotted a few yards out into the rain and made the cut. "Okay, now what?" he hollered back toward the cave.

"After you cut him, hold him by the ears and sling his body toward the ground. All the intestines come out at once, so try not to get them on your pants or shoes."

"No kidding?"

Doc moaned and eased his head back to the ground. "It's the easiest way."

"Do I sling it really hard?"

"Either that or scrub it out by hand."

Josh wanted no part of that. "Okay, here goes." He screwed up his face and swung the rabbit downward, then jerked up on the long ears. The stomach, heart, and other organs splattered across the rocks beside him.

Mickey wrinkled his nose and held his stomach. "Eww. That's gross!"

Josh pulled open the rabbit and looked inside. "Sure is, but his innards are all gone, except for a little blood. Now what, Doc?"

"That's the messy part...come in out of the rain." He groaned when he reached to run a finger across the rabbit's back. "Slit the skin here and just peel it off." He lay back and closed his eyes.

Josh made the cut, worked his fingers under the hide, and pulled it apart. It came off easier than he had thought and he hung the furry skin over a twig outside. The rabbit looked naked, the meat a light pinkish color.

"I'm not eating that," Mickey said.

Josh's stomach churned. "It's all we've got. Maybe if we cut it into chunks it won't look so yucky."

"What about the head? We have to eat that?" Alex looked to her dad, but he had again fallen asleep and didn't answer. She glanced up at Josh.

"No. I'll cut it off."

"And the rest, do we spear it with a stick like a shish kabob?"

"That's one idea, but it would waste less if we made soup."

Alex checked the ice chest. "We have plenty of rainwater, but no pot."

"I saw on a documentary how Indians would dig a hole, line it with animal skins, and fill it with water. They heated rocks in the fire and dropped them in along with the meat. That made the water boil."

Mickey frowned. "We can't dig in this hard floor. And it would taste like dirt."

Josh glanced at the rabbit's hide. "We don't have nearly enough skin to line it with, either."

"Can we use some metal from the plane, make a pot?" Alex asked.

"Good idea. Chop up the meat while I take a look around." Josh pulled his parka's hood over his head.

She glanced at the scalpel and frowned. "It's all bloody."

"Rinse it off, the meat, too. But be careful. That thing's really sharp."

Josh trotted through the drizzling rain and surveyed the plane's wreckage. On the side of the fuselage, the cargo door hung from a hinge. He took out the toolkit, and using a wrench and screwdriver, removed the one remaining bolt holding the door to the plane. This left him a piece of aluminum about two feet square, but with rounded corners.

When he returned to the warmth of the shelter, the drizzle had soaked his jeans and coat. He shivered while he showed the others what he had found. "Now we have to make it hold water." He formed a circle of rocks on the floor and placed the aluminum door on top.

"Here goes." He jumped, his feet landing in the center of the metal. The aluminum dented between the rocks and formed a hollow bowl in its center. It didn't look much like a pot, more like a Chinese wok. "That should work."

Alex piled the rocks around the fire and balanced the aluminum on them so the sagging center hung above the bed of coals. She poured water from the ice chest into the crude pan and added the strips of meat.

After what seemed like forever, tiny bubbles formed on the metal at the bottom of their pan. They grew larger and some floated to the top. Soon, more bubbles appeared when the water heated to a boil. The cooking meat filled the cave with a delicious aroma and made Josh even hungrier than before. Maybe eating a rabbit wouldn't be so bad after all.

He gathered small branches from an evergreen and sharpened the ends. Using these as tiny spears, he stabbed the meat chunks cooking in the hot water and handed the first one to Alex.

She blew across it before taking a bite. "Wow, that's hot!"

"What's it taste like?" Mickey asked.

"Chicken, sort of. Salt would make it better, but it's okay."

While the boys ate, she speared more bits of meat, took a soda can, and dipped broth from the pan. Too hot to hold, she wrapped it in cloth from the medical kit and took it to her dad.

Still unable to sit up, Doc leaned on an elbow, ate the small bits of rabbit, and washed it down with the hot broth. "Good job, guys." He smiled, looking better than he had since injuring the leg.

Beyond the dense clouds, the sun set behind the mesa and night's black veil shrouded the canyon. An unusual wave of contentment washed over Josh. Although he'd given most of his share to Mickey, he'd still eaten a small but warm meal. They had plenty of firewood and the flames had dried his clothes. Together he and his friends had faced danger and overcome it. They had found food and water; their shelter was dry and toasty.

Staring into the flames, the memory of the mountain lion came back. He could still see the yellow eyes, the gleaming fangs. The animal was still out there. He built up the fire and saved a heavy stick for a club, along with his spear. They weren't out of danger yet.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

MR. SCHMIDT WHEELED the Ford into the parking lot of the Durango Sheriff's Office. The parents' long trip should have been a scenic drive, but the weather was as gloomy as their mood as they motored along the winding mountain roads. Street lamps flickered to life and their harsh light reflected from damp pavement as evening fell over the city. Leaving Moose in the car, he and Mrs. Schmidt hurried across the parking lot and entered the glass doors at the front of the building.

"Our two sons are in the missing plane, along with Dr. Alvarez and his daughter," he said after introducing himself to the deputy on watch. "We heard your office is in charge of the search?"

"Yes, sir. Step back here to the conference room and I'll get the search coordinator."

 Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt took seats at a long table. Pictures of Durango, both past and present, hung on the walls of the small room. From somewhere came the smell of burnt coffee. In a few minutes, the click of heels on linoleum tiles echoed down the hall. A tall officer strode in and extended her hand. "Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt, I'm Deputy Juanita Garcia. Sorry about your boys. Our trucks and jeeps have been in the field since sunrise. Because of the cold front, we haven't been able to launch any aircraft."

"I understand." Mr. Schmidt exhaled and exchanged a glance with his wife. "I know how dangerous it is flying through mountains even in good weather."

"The forecast says we should get a break in a couple of days, and we'll launch as soon as we can. Let me show you a map of what we've accomplished so far."

Deputy Garcia led them to another room, its walls covered with topographical maps. "These pins indicate the canyons and valleys already searched." She brushed the back of a hand over an area in the middle. "But as you can see, a lot of the remote mountain areas have no road access. We'll have to wait and search those by air."

Mr. Schmidt studied the map, some of the markers stuck near lakes. "Any luck on the emergency locator transmitter?"

"No, sir. We're monitoring the frequency. So far nothing has come up."

Not wanting to put into words his fear that the plane had crashed into a lake and sunk, masking the transmissions, he only nodded. "How about going in on horseback?"

"We contract with local stables during the summer for that. But when the tourist season ends, they ship the animals east for winter pasture."

"Officer Garcia," Mrs. Schmidt said. "I know your people would rather spend Christmas Eve with their families." She choked back a tear. "Please let them know how much we appreciate their sacrifice."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll pass that on."

Mr. Schmidt asked for directions to the nearest hotel and gave the deputy his cell phone number. "Please call if anything comes up, no matter what the hour."

"Yes, sir. We'll have people here all night."

The worried parents returned to their car and drove to a family-run motel not far from the sheriff's office. "The parking lot's empty," Mrs. Schmidt said.

"Everybody's home for the holiday." He put his arm around her. "We'll get the boys back, really celebrate then."

Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I miss them so much." Moose put his feet on the seatback and nuzzled them both. "He's...he hasn't been the same since they left."

"He misses them, too..." Mr. Schmidt patted her hand and pushed open the car door. "I'll check us in." In a moment, he returned with key in hand. "They put us just around the corner."

After pulling the car into a space beside a covered sidewalk along the side of the motel, he ducked under the dripping eave and fiddled with the key lock. Waiting for his wife and Moose, he held open the door. The room had one small window, a bed, and square table. "It's so cold in here I can see my breath." When he switched on the wall-mounted heater, its fan filled the room with the odor of hot dust. "That smell shouldn't last long. At least it'll take the chill off."

"The boys...I hope they...hope they're warm enough." She sat on the bed and buried her face in her hands. Moose curled up beside her.

Mr. Schmidt sat down and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He turned on the evening news and watched the report of the missing airplane and search. The weather forecast confirmed no change in the cloud cover for at least a few more days. Not caring about the rest of the news, he switched off the television. "We'd better get some dinner."

"I can't... can't eat... not now."

"Me neither, but we need to keep up our strength."

Checking at the front desk, he got directions to a café. "Probably the only place open tonight," the clerk said. "Just a couple of blocks down on the right."

They decided to drive rather than walk through the drizzling rain. The small restaurant was empty, and they sat near a window across from a crackling fireplace. After ordering, they stared outside, Mr. Schmidt holding his wife's hand on the checkered tablecloth. Along with the drizzle, sleet pellets bounced off the windowpane. "It's starting to freeze. That may be good."

"But the kids don't have any...any shelter."

No, they didn't have any camping gear with them at all. And no telling how high up they were in the mountains. It could be a lot colder where they were, but he had to at least try to give her hope.

"Snow's better than cold rain. Makes it easier to stay dry."

"But it's so...so cold. They could freeze."

"Not if they build a fire, huddle together and stay warm."

"But how can they start one?"

He didn't know what kind of survival equipment Doc carried in the plane, but figured he'd at least have some matches. "Josh will figure it out. He's got a good head on his shoulders, and Mickey, too. If anybody can get a fire going, they can."

She stared at him, her eyes moist. "Wish I had that much...that much faith."

He squeezed her hand and forced a thin smile. "He started one in your science lab without even trying, didn't he?"

# CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

JOSH AGAIN AWOKE first in the graying light of dawn. He had spent a cold, restless night. Sometime during the darkness, the rain had ended, replaced by light snow. He glanced around the shelter. Alex and Mickey still curled in their parkas, hoods cinched beneath their chins to ward off the cold. Doc slept under the blanket, his arms folded across his chest.

Something scurried through the rocks outside the cave. Josh picked up the flashlight and hit the switch. The amber beam dimmed and went out. He slapped the aluminum tube. Nothing. The batteries were dead.

His heart pounding, he sat and listened. After a minute, whatever was outside moved away. Josh added more branches to the fire, using up most of the remaining wood pile. Soon the flames lapped at the fuel and the small shelter warmed. Still nervous about what he'd heard, he headed out through the falling snow in search of more wood. They had gathered most of the dry branches near the cave, so the trip took him farther from the shelter. While out, he checked the snares and found a squirrel in one, its body stiff in the cold air. He pulled it free and readjusted the wire noose.

Rabbit tracks wound around the deadfall, but he would need help resetting it. He stopped, listened. The world had become completely silent, the two-inch layer of snow soaking up any sound. He'd never been anywhere so removed from the noise of cars, of people, of civilization. The silence was almost creepy. He missed the television and his computer, but most of all, he missed his cell phone. His granddad had once said he longed for the old days, back when life was slower, less hectic. Josh had to admit, it was a peaceful world, alright.

His gaze locked on a set of tracks the size of softballs. The cat-like prints led to just downwind of their camp. He glanced back toward the cave, wishing he'd brought his spear. The mountain lion had crouched in the snow and eaten the entrails he'd slung from the rabbit, not fifteen yards from where they slept. That must be what he'd heard before sunrise. It was a peaceful world maybe, but harsh, without the comforts and safety people take for granted.

Wandering past the broken airplane, he spotted the smashed radio, the one intended to send out an emergency beacon. If he could fix it, get it to transmit, this modern-day device might get them rescued from this quiet but primitive world. He trudged to the rock hollow, set it and the squirrel beside the entrance, and grabbed his spear. Heading out through the snow, he gathered an armload of wood and hiked back to camp.

Alex, the only other person awake, helped him stack the new fuel near the fire. When she tossed some on the flames, steam hissed from the bark. "Hope that melting snow doesn't put it out."

"Let's brush it off next time before we throw it on."

She glanced toward the ice chest. "The water was starting to freeze so I put on the lid. It's quit dripping from the rock anyway."

"We can melt snow if we have to now that we have a pan."

She rubbed her stomach. "I'm hungry."

"Me, too. All I caught last night was one squirrel." He glanced at his sleeping brother. "But I'm worried about Mickey. He's so skinny already."

"You gave most of your protein bar to him, didn't you?"

"Yeah. And some of the rabbit."

"But there's nothing left to eat."

"Except one squirrel and the dog biscuits...Help me prop up the deadfall. Maybe we can catch something else."

# CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

WHEN JOSH AND Alex returned, both Mickey and Doc were awake. Still wrapped in his blanket, the injured adult looked as pale as he had the night before.

"Where'd you go?" Mickey asked.

"Resetting the trap." Josh pulled off his gloves and held his hands near the fire. "If we'd've done it last night, we'd have another rabbit for breakfast."

"Yeah, right."

"I caught a squirrel, and there were tracks all over, and not just from a rabbit."

Doc cocked an eyebrow. "Something bigger?"

Josh exchanged a glance with Alex. "A lot bigger. That mountain lion ate the rabbit guts last night."

Mickey's eyes grew wide. "Don't joke around like that."

"No, he's serious." Alex had seen the tracks, too. "We'd better stay together, and close to the fire."

"A squirrel's not much," Doc said, "not split between you."

Josh grabbed the scalpel. "Wish we had more."

"It'll have to do." Doc lay back down and closed his eyes.

"Papa, did you sleep alright?"

He moaned. "Not worth a darn."

"Want some more of that medicine?"

"Didn't help. Not strong enough."

Josh glanced in the medical bag. "There's lots of other pills."

"And some are for pain...but they induce sleep...can't afford to be passed out."

"When I broke my arm," Alex said, "you said the pain medicine would help it heal faster."

"But Sweetie, I was there to take care of you. Here--"

"Maybe it's my turn to take care of you." She took his hand. "Now, which are the best pain killers?"

Josh filled an empty soda can with water while Doc selected his medication. "Just rest. If we need anything, we'll wake you up."

"Thanks." Doc smiled, squeezed Alex's hand, and closed his eyes.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

AFTER GUTTING AND skinning the squirrel, Josh came back to the cave. "Where's that rabbit skin?"

"Right over there." Alex pointed. "Why?"

"If the snow gets much deeper, we can tie them around our shoes, keep our feet warm."

"And dry, too."

"That's stupid," Mickey said. "We'd never get enough."

"Quit being such a downer and see what else you can think up." Josh stomped over to the fire and boiled the squirrel the same way they had the rabbit, giving most of his share to the others. At least the hot broth warmed his stomach and he glanced at the radio. "Thought I'd see if I can't get that ELT to work."

"What's an ELT?" Mickey asked.

"It's a radio that sends out a signal the searchers can home in on. If it was working, we'd be out of here before nightfall."

Alex pushed to her feet. "I'll get the toolkit from the plane and we'll work on it together."

While she trotted off through the snow, he again examined the radio. Finding a tube stuck in one end, he pulled it out.

"What's that?" Mickey asked.

"The battery. Looks like that part's okay."

"Yeah, it's the other end that's smashed. You can't fix that."

"Maybe if I can get these screws out and take off the cover, we can see what's wrong with it."

When Alex returned, Josh took the tools and went to work. He pulled off the broken cover and frowned. "Bad news. Look at the circuit board. It's cracked, and some of the components broke off."

"Can you fix it?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No way, not without a soldering iron and new parts."

Alex glanced his way and frowned. "I thought that radio was supposed to survive a crash."

"That's why they put it in the back of the plane." Josh nodded toward the plane. "But when the wing hit that stump, we spun around and smashed the tail, along with the ELT."

He stuffed the screwdriver back in the toolkit and gathered up the parts of the radio. "Now it's just a bunch of junk." He started to toss it outside, but stopped and stared at a tear in the battery pack. "Then again, maybe not."

He grabbed a corner of the torn plastic with some pliers and peeled it apart. Inside were eight size D batteries. "Hey, look what I found."

Alex grinned and picked up the heavy flashlight. "The ones in here were about gone."

"Not about. They were dead." Josh stuffed in the new batteries and tried the switch. "Look at that. Good as new."

Outside, two rocks banged together and Mickey jumped up. "Another rabbit! I'll get this one."

He started to leave, but Josh stopped him and grabbed his spear. "I'll go with you. It'll take both of us to reset the trap."

"Guess that makes two Yuletide presents," Alex said.

Josh stopped and turned. "That's right. I forgot."

"Forgot what?" Mickey asked.

# CHAPTER THIRTY

"IT'S TODAY," JOSH said. "Merry Christmas."

Mickey grinned. "Wow, I've never seen a white one before."

"It's getting pretty deep. Look how big those flakes are." The snow was falling so hard they couldn't see across the canyon.

"Maybe the searchers can ride snowmobiles, find us that way."

"Right. If they have any... Now, let's see if there's another rabbit in that trap before it gets too deep." Just inside the snowline at the edge of the cave, Josh stopped and bent over. "Hey, look at this." He picked up a long, slender stone and turned it over in his hand.

"What is it?" Mickey asked. "An arrowhead?"

"Too big. Must be some kind of spear point."

"Cool. Think it's been lying there since the Anasazi were around?"

Josh slanted his eyes toward the surrounding cliffs and grinned. "Count on it." He held it alongside the end of his stick. "Gonna see if I can tie it on, make a real spear."

"And poke a deer or something?" Mickey rolled his eyes. "Like that's gonna happen."

Josh looked down the snow-filled wash toward where they'd seen the mountain lion. "Or something." He grabbed the scalpel and cut strips from the rabbit skin. He split the end of the stick, and using the thin leather as twine, secured the stone to his spear. "There, let's go." He led off toward the trap, but when he got close, snow-filled tracks from the giant cat surrounded the deadfall.

"Be careful, Mick." Josh crept forward, his spear at the ready. Blood covered the deepening drifts, with no sign of the rabbit. "Looks like we got robbed."

"But I'm hungry."

"So is that mountain lion. Let's go."

Wind gusted from the north, causing the falling flakes to drift. Hurrying back, Mickey tripped and took a header into a snow bank.

"You okay?" Josh asked when he pulled him out.

His glasses frosted over, snow covered Mickey's face. He stood, rubbed the back of his neck, and wiggled his shoulders. "It went down my shirt, and it's all over my coat and pants."

"Better brush it off."

"Later. That mountain lion, it's still out here." Holding his glasses, he ran off toward the cave.

"But if your clothes get wet...."

The words came too late. Mickey was already headed for the fire.

Josh followed him back and told Alex what they'd found.

"Did you reset the trap?" she asked.

He shook his head. "The cat's found it, staked it out. Have to try another one somewhere else."

She glanced at the younger brother, who stood by the fire and shook. "Looks like he got chilled."

"Yeah. Fell in the snow, got it all over his pants."

"Mickey, you alright?"

"I-I-I'm c-c-c-cold." His quivering lips took on a purple tint.

Josh set down his spear, crossed to the fire, and held his hands out to the warmth. "That feels better, doesn't it?"

When his brother didn't answer, he put a hand on his shoulder. "Geez, Mick, you're soaked."

He nodded, now taken over by violent, uncontrollable shakes.

"You've got to get out of those clothes."

"B-b-but it's t-too c-c-c-cold."

Josh grabbed Mickey's parka and jerked it off. "Gotta get those wet things off. Now!"

Alex rushed over. "What can I do?"

"Build up the fire. Hurry!"

Mickey soon stood by the flames wearing nothing but his tightie whities. Goose bumps covered his skin, every inch of his thin body shuddering. Josh pulled off his own parka and put it on him, the coat reaching down to the knees. He grabbed his brother's hand and he rubbed it, trying to get the circulation going. Mickey's eyes closed and he sagged toward the cave floor.

Josh grabbed him before he went all the way to the ground. "He's too weak to stand, Alex. We have to get him warm."

"But how?" She had already built up the fire, hot flames lapping at the fresh wood.

"Heat up some water in the pan. We'll give him a hot drink, try to warm him from the inside." When the makeshift pot held water over the fire, Josh said, "Rub his arms and legs. Try to get the circulation going."

She sat down on a large rock, and with him in her lap, held him to her chest. "What are you gonna do?"

"Try to dry out his clothes." With Mickey wearing the borrowed parka, Josh was already getting chilled. He draped the wet pants, shirt, and coat by the fire. Steam rose from the damp cloth.

He glanced around and spotted the extra seats from the Cessna. Finding a zipper that ran along the bottom, he pulled off the cloth covering from the chair's back. He pulled on his gloves to keep from burning his fingers. Taking the stones from the fire ring, he stuffed them in the improvised bag until it was half full and zipped it closed.

Josh took off the parka Mickey was wearing and didn't like what he saw. His skin was pasty white, except for the fingers and toes, which were blue. He had no color at all in his face, his whole body still shaking. "Al, we're gonna need your parka, too."

She pulled it off and Josh draped it over his brother's legs. "Now, wrap your arms around him." When she did, he hung his own coat around her shoulders, as well as Mickey's, letting her body keep his back warm, the bag of hot rocks in front. Josh grabbed the bare feet and stuck them inside his shirt against his stomach. "Geez, they feel like icicles."

"I think he's quit shaking so much," Alex said, rubbing Mickey's arms.

"I've never seen anybody so cold." Josh exhaled, his brother's feet seeming to warm some. "Your dad has an animal thermometer somewhere, doesn't he?"

She cocked an eyebrow. "You ever see how he does that with a dog?"

"Oh, yeah. Maybe I'll just feel his forehead."

# CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

JOSH RUBBED MICKEY'S arms and legs for almost two hours while Alex held him close. "Is he gonna be alright?" she asked.

"Don't know." Josh's back ached from bending over so long. He could hardly keep it up, his stomach empty, his strength sapped by hunger. But he couldn't quit, couldn't let his little brother freeze. "How's his breathing?"

"A lot more even now. Want to get some new rocks?"

"Yeah. Those have probably cooled off by now." He refilled the bag with hot ones and set the others by the fire.

Alex put a hand on Mickey's chest. "His heartbeat's slowed."

"He's getting some color back in his face, too."

At last, Mickey stirred and his eyes fluttered open.

"He's waking up. I'll get him something to drink." Josh dipped warm water from the pan with a soda can and tasted it to make sure it wasn't too hot.

He held it to Mickey's lips. The younger brother took a sip and coughed. "What happened?"

"You got cold, and wet."

Mickey lifted the parka and glanced at Alex. "Where's my clothes?"

"Josh put them by the fire. They're about dry."

"You saw me in just my underwear?"

She grinned. "I didn't look."

Josh felt the clothes, which had stopped steaming. "They're dry, and nice and warm. Need some help getting them on?"

"Turn around. I can dress myself." Still shivering, but much less than before, Mickey tossed off the parkas. "Don't look."

Josh and Alex stared outside while he put on his clothes.

"These feel really warm, but I'm still cold inside."

"That's because you're hungry. Here, drink some more hot water."

"That tastes terrible. Don't we have anything else?"

"Dog biscuits."

"Eww...Did you find any more squirrels?"

Josh looked toward the setting sun and could see the trailing edge of the clouds. "Haven't had time to check." He glanced at the dwindling woodpile. "We used it up trying to keep you from freezing. We'll need a lot more before morning."

"The snow stopped," Alex said, "and it looks like the clouds are going away. Maybe it'll warm up."

"It might tomorrow when the sun comes back up, but it'll be even colder tonight."

Since Mickey was now wearing his own parka, Alex pulled on hers. "I'll get some wood while you check those snares."

"Not by yourself," Josh said. "That mountain lion's probably still hungry."

Mickey took another sip and wrinkled up his nose. "Wish we had something to make this hot water taste better."

"We could gather green pine needles. On TV, they used them to make tea, and there are seeds in pine cones you can eat."

"I'll help."

"No, stay by the fire, Mick, and keep an eye on Doc."

"But..."

"He hasn't moved for over an hour. That medicine really knocked him out."

"Okay...but I don't like it."

By the time Josh and Alex returned with the firewood and pine needles, the sky was almost dark. "Stay here, see if that tea thing works while I check the snares." He picked up his spear and the flashlight. "Won't take long."

Darkness overtook him on the way. Hunger pangs made him weak, even a little dizzy. He shined the light and grinned. Two more squirrels for dinner. That would help get his strength back. Reaching for the first one, the hairs on his neck bristled. He froze, grabbed the light and shined it all around. Not ten yards away, yellow eyes reflected in the beam.

# CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

JOSH DIDN'T HAVE time to grab his spear before the mountain lion pounced. Sharp claws tore through his parka. Rancid breath filled his nose, but he twisted away before the fangs could sink into his throat. Using the flashlight as a club, he hit the cat in the head. He rolled away, and his hand fell on his spear.

Josh dropped the light and pushed to his feet. He held the stone point toward the vicious animal. What was he doing, fighting a wild animal? He had no choice. Couldn't call for help. The others would be killed, too.

The flashlight lay in the drift, its beam reflecting from the snow. The cat slunk in a circle. Dark shadows danced like demons. A low snarl rumbled from deep within its throat.

Josh turned with it, keeping the spear pointed at its chest. So weakened by hunger, he couldn't run. Or back up, for that matter. The tree and slanted limbs blocked any escape. His breath came in gasps, formed tiny clouds. He had only one choice: try to hurt the beast badly enough it would leave the others alone.

The mountain lion lunged, but a branch buried beneath the snow gave way. The animal stumbled, fell to its chest. It struggled to get back up. The cat opened its mouth, bared its fangs.

Weak as he was, Josh saw his opening. He jabbed with the spear. The stone point went between the sharp teeth. Josh thrust harder, trying to drive the weapon into the soft rear of the animal's throat. He felt it strike something, pushed even harder, twisted the shaft.

The animal sank to the ground. It roared, tried to regain its feet. Josh shoved again. He lost his footing. Fell. Landed just short of the cat's paws. Their gaze locked. Blood leaked from the animal's mouth, turned the gleaming teeth crimson.

Josh's breath came in gasps. He pushed to his feet, grabbed a stick. Swung at the cat. It broke across its back.

The animal growled, weaker this time. More blood poured from its mouth, stained the snow. Claw marks streaked the white drifts. It squirmed again, staring at Josh. Its head dropped. Steam puffed from its nose. The cat grew weaker. The breathing stopped. Its eyes glassed over. The legs shuddered, then went still.

Josh pulled out his spear, ready to stab it again in the chest. The stone point was missing, lodged somewhere inside the animal. He tossed the stick aside and reached for the first thing he saw: a grapefruit-sized rock. With the last of his strength, he smashed it against the cat's skull. It didn't move. The tongue hung from the side of its mouth, limp in the snow.

Josh grabbed the flashlight. Shining the beam on the puma's head, he picked up his stick and jabbed it again. If any life remained, it would react. The head rolled with the thrust. Nothing more.

Josh dropped to his knees, but remembered how the snow had soaked Mickey's clothes and he pushed to his feet. Something warm oozed down his arm. He shined the light. Blood, from the gashes near his shoulder.

He hadn't even felt it when the claws tore his flesh, but now pain racked his body and he stumbled toward the cave. His strength was gone, the last of it spent fighting for his life. Now, with the wounded arm, he was sinking into shock. If only he could make it, get back before he collapsed.

His head felt light, his feet heavy. The world spun and he leaned on his stick to keep his balance. There, ahead. Flames lapped at the wood, reflected off the cave walls. "Alex!" he called. "Help!"

He fell to his knees, gasped for breath. He waited for the world to stop spinning, but it turned even faster. "Alex!" He tried to crawl. His eyelids grew heavy. His head dropped to the ground, the snow cold against his cheek. He had to go on. He pushed to a knee, but fell down. He was too weak. Could barely move.

# CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

JOSH'S EYES POPPED open. Beside him, a fire roared and the aroma of cooking meat filled the air. Pain lanced through his arm. Still weak from hunger, he studied his surroundings. He was in the cave, across the fire from Doc, who was still sleeping beneath the blanket. But something covered Josh, too. Something furry.

The memory of the mountain lion flashed through his mind. Fighting back the pain, he bolted upright just as Alex and Mickey came in with an armload of firewood.

"Finally woke up, huh?" she asked.

Josh shook his head. "How long have I been out?"

"All last night, and most of the day." She waved toward the canyon. "The sun's out and the snow's about half gone."

"Then we need to build signals, make ourselves visible to planes."

"We already tried. One flew past and we threw pieces of the airplane tire on the fire. It made a lot of smoke, but too late."

"Should've done it out in the middle—"

"Look, Josh, we didn't have time. Trying to take care of you and—"

He held up a hand. "I'm sorry, you're right. Unless it was right over us, the pilot couldn't see down into the canyon anyway." Josh felt the fur pelt covering him. "What's this?"

"The skin off that mountain lion."

He cocked his head. "You did that?"

"With some help." She winked at Mickey.

"You shouldn't go out there. There might be more."

"You're one to talk."

"I mean it. That thing was—"

She shook her head. "According to that wildlife show, they're loners and run all the others out of the area. Another will move in someday, but not yet."

"That's just the males. There still might be mother pumas around, you know."

"Oh." Alex shrugged. "Well, we didn't have any trouble."

Josh sniffed. "What's cooking?"

"Puma kabob. Want some?"

"Is it any good?"

Mickey grinned. "Not as bad as I thought. Can't wait to tell the kids at school we ate a big cat for Christmas."

Josh chuckled. "They'll never believe that."

"Or that I ate the dog biscuits." Mickey smacked his lips. "Yummy."

While Josh tasted the meat, Alex told him all that had happened. "We heard you yelling, but didn't get there until after you passed out. Mickey and I dragged you back and woke up Papa. He told us how to dress the wounds."

"Are they bad?"

"Not really. Took some skin off your arm and shoulder, but the parka saved you."

He glanced at the coat lying beside him. "Thought it'd be more torn up than that."

"It was. I used fishing line from the survival pack to sew it up."

Josh fingered a patched sleeve. "There were needles in there?"

"I hammered out a fish hook. The eye was pretty big to push through, but it worked."

"Did Doc say why I passed out?"

She nodded. "From being hungry and exhausted. Another one of those 'hypo' things."

"Hypoglycemic...And you skinned the mountain lion with just a scalpel?"

"And butchered it, too. We hung most of the meat in that tree where you trapped the squirrels. We were just going back to get more for supper."

"I'd better go with you." He glanced around. "Where's my spear?"

"You broke it, remember? Killing that puma...Just stay here. Eat a bite and get your strength back."

She and Mickey trotted off, but soon returned. Alex carried a small clay pot.

"What's that?" Josh asked.

"Beats me. Some of the meat was gone and this was on the ground beside it, along with another spear point." She held up them both.

"Let me see."

She handed him the white pot. Black diamond-shaped designs covered the sides and a leather thong held on the lid.

When Josh untied the knot, he found dried corn inside. "Will you look at that?"

"Where'd it come from?" Mickey asked.

"You said some of the meat was gone?"

Alex nodded. "A whole back leg."

"I think we just made a trade." Josh grinned. "With the Anasazi."

# CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

THE KIDS ATE more puma meat, along with boiled corn for supper. Doc even sat up and joined them. He rubbed his stomach. "That was delicious."

Want some more?" Josh asked.

"No, thanks. How's that arm?"

"A lot better." He moved it in a circle. "Still a little sore."

"I see the snow stopped."

"It's started to melt. And the clouds are gone." A north wind gusted and blew smoke in Josh's eyes. He shivered. "But it's gonna be really cold tonight."

Doc waved toward some evergreens. "Better bring in some juniper boughs."

"You mean to sleep under?" Mickey asked.

"To sleep on top of, mostly. But they'd be good to cover up with, too."

"Is it gonna be that cold, Papa?"

"The north wind means the front has moved on through, and there's no clouds left to hold in the heat. We'd better do all we can before dark and then huddle up together."

The kids spent the final hours of daylight stripping green limbs from the trees and stacking in all the firewood they could find. Josh piled rocks up as high as he could reach for a wind block. He stopped to catch his breath and admire his work. "Doesn't look as good as the Anasazi dwellings on TV."

"They were accomplished masons, after all," Doc said.

"Think it'll be okay?"

"It'll be just fine. Now, all you guys get in here and try to stay warm. It's going to be a long night."

With the enclosure made much smaller by the new rock wall, they had gathered enough green boughs to cover the floor with over a foot of insulation. It also gave the air a piney scent and Mickey lay down. "It's itchy."

"Here." Josh spread out the puma skin. "That soft fur will make it a lot more comfortable."

"Thanks...there's room for both of us."

"Okay." He lay down beside him.

Outside, the wind howled past the rocks, but with Alex and her dad huddled on one side of the fire under the blanket, Josh and Mickey on the other side with the furry skin, they settled in for the long, cold night.

# CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

JOSH AGAIN AWOKE before first light. He stoked the fire before going outside for a trip to the bushes. His breath made little clouds as he stumbled along, the remaining blotches of snow having crusted over during the night. He felt sure the sun would melt whatever was left before it went down again. He couldn't believe how close the stars looked before they winked out and the sky lightened with the coming dawn. He even watched a satellite glide across the heavens. The air seemed to have a crispness he hadn't noticed before and the world smelled clean and dry.

He headed back with an armload of firewood and found Alex cutting up meat chunks and tossing them in their homemade pan.

"How's your arm?" she asked.

"A little stiff. I can use it okay, though." He put down the wood. "If we could find a way to the top of the mesa, we could make a fire or something that could be seen from a long ways off."

"Or at least get a signal for my phone." She slanted her eyes toward her dad. "Papa's doing better, but he didn't sleep much. We need to get him to a hospital."

Josh nodded, not knowing what to say.

Mickey stirred. "I'm hungry."

"We all are. But the meat froze. Gonna take a while."

He wrapped his arms around his chest. "Then I'll just stay here where it's kinda warm."

"Alex and I are gonna climb the mesa today, try her cell, see if we can find a road or something."

"How can we get up there?"

Josh shook his head. "You're not part of the 'we.' You'll stay here with Doc, but remember what happened last time?"

Mickey hung his head. "Yeah, I remember."

"Look, Mick. Your job here is every bit as important as ours. Somebody needs to hold down the fort."

"If you say so...what are you going to do up there?"

"Make some kind of signal, like branches placed in an SOS. If a plane goes by, maybe they'll see it. I need one of your DVDs."

Mickey tilted his head and looked at older brother. "You're gonna watch a movie?"

"Got something else in mind."

He handed him the plastic holder and Josh selected a silver-colored disc. "Hey, that's my favorite, Harry Potter," Mickey said.

"I'll be careful with it. Don't worry."

Alex shivered and wrapped her arms around her chest. "A fire would make a better signal, but we don't have any matches."

"We started one before."

"But the plane battery's too heavy."

"There's a magnifying glass in the medical kit," Josh said. "If the sun comes out, maybe we can use it instead."

"You mean like in the science lab?" Mickey laughed. "You could blow up the mountain."

"Ha, ha, very funny." Josh handed the DVD to Alex. "Can you fill up the football canteen and put it and Harry here in your pack?"

"Sure."

"We'll need the cell phone, magnifying glass, and anything else you can think of from the medical kit. There's something in the plane we can use for a fire."

Josh grabbed the toolkit and headed for the wrecked plane. Climbing in through the passenger door, he found the compass hanging from the top of the windshield. Held in place by four bolts, he worked it free. After returning to the cave, he placed the compass, a screwdriver, and the scalpel in the backpack. "Mickey, we'll be back before dark."

"But that's like all day. What if another mountain lion comes?"

"You'll be okay." Josh had made another spear using the new stone point and handed it to him. "Stay by the fire. Doc can't keep it going by himself...and don't leave the protection of the rocks."

"But..."

"Mickey, we all have to do our part."

"You'll be back before dark?"

"We'll take Doc's little penlight and leave the big flashlight with you."

"But..."

Josh sighed. "We need to work as a team."

Mickey stuck out his lower lip and folded his arms across his chest. "I'll just sit here and play solitaire. If somebody taps me on the shoulder, I'll get out before you do."

Josh grabbed the pack and turned to leave. Alex winked at Mickey and followed his brother toward the seeping water spring.

When they eased around the bend where they had first met the puma, the wind died and the world seemed even quieter than it had before dawn. Tingles ran up Josh's spine. "Geez, this is creepy."

She glanced around, her eyes wide. "I feel like something's watching."

"Me too." Upon reaching the hidden spring, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Maybe there'll be a route to the top where the canyon gets really skinny."

"Let's get a drink first." Alex pulled off her gloves and Josh did the same.

"Good idea." Water stood in the basin he had scooped out days before. He cupped his hands, dipped them into the small pool, and lifted them to his lips. "Wow, that's cold. But it tastes a lot better before it sits in that rubber football." He filled his hands again and took another, longer sip. Alex did the same.

Their thirst satisfied, they continued up the narrow valley. A few feet farther down the canyon, she ran her fingers along the cliff wall. "Hey, look. It's like somebody chiseled out little hollow places in the rock."

Josh studied the cliff and the series of small indentations. Flat on the bottom and rounded on top, they extended up as far as he could see. He leaned back and stared toward the top of the mesa.

"Think somebody cut these out?" Alex asked.

"Had to be the Anasazi. They used them when a ladder wouldn't work."

"Where do they go?"

"One way to find out." He stuck his toe into one and his fingers in another.

"Josh, wait." Alex frowned when she glanced up the cliff. "Think it's safe?"

"We're trying to get to the top of the mesa, right?"

"Yeah, but--"

"These go up. So what's the problem?"

She looked down and shuffled her feet. "I...I'm afraid of heights."

"Oh, come on. This is just like rock climbing at the mall."

"Yeah, but without the safety harness...and a lot higher."

Josh put his foot back on the ground. "You want to go first?"

"I don't want to go at all."

"Then wait here." He turned.

"Don't go, Josh. Please don't go."

"But Al, it's a way to the top."

She exhaled. "Alright, but you're not leaving me here." Putting her toe in the first step, she asked, "Anything else I need to know?"

"Oh, yeah. I read somewhere that they used to make traps. If you start out on the wrong foot, you get up pretty high and bang--the rocks crumble from under your feet."

Alex stepped back and shook her head. "Forget it. We'll find some other way up."

"Like what, an elevator or something?"

"Don't be stupid. It's just--"

"This'll work, Al, if we're careful...and start on the right foot."

"You're sure it's the right one?"

"I mean the correct foot."

"So which one do you pick?"

"Don't know. We've got a fifty-fifty chance either way."

She folded her arms across her chest. "Look, it's not worth it."

"Yeah it is. I'll go first," Josh said. "Most people are right handed, so I'll start with the left." He stuck his gloves in a pocket, and jamming his fingers into a hole, climbed up the wall.

After he rose about ten feet, Alex said, "You sure you should start with the left foot?"

"It's worked so far."

"And what if you're wrong?"

"Just have to be careful. Wait here if you want."

"No, I'm coming too." She pulled off her gloves and followed him.

Progress up the cliff sucked the wind from Josh's lungs. The rocks scraped the skin from his fingers and the higher he went, the more his muscles ached, especially those in his injured arm.

Alex sounded scared when she asked, "How much farther?"

"Can't tell. He paused to catch his breath. "Keep going." He climbed a few more feet, his knees on fire with pain.

"How high...are we now?"

"About sixty feet...Don't look down."

"That's like...way too high!"

Josh didn't have the breath to talk. "Can't quit...now." They were probably higher than that. He'd counted almost sixty steps, and they were about a foot and a half apart, but he didn't see a need to tell her that.

The notches continued. He pushed up to the next, paused for more air, and rose to another. Climbing up here was a mistake. He didn't have the strength to make it back to the bottom, and didn't know how much higher it was to the top. And if he'd started on the wrong foot...

He pushed to the next step, figured he could go maybe three more. His head came level with a ledge. He pulled himself up, over the side. He lay flat, gasped for more air. "Just a little more, Al."

"I can't..."

He leaned over the edge and stuck out his hand. "Two more...you can do it." He grabbed her wrist. "Push!"

He dragged her up beside him. They lay side by side, gasping for air. "Lucky...We can both...use a break."

Alex pushed to her knees and leaned on her hands, her face red. "Can't believe...we..." Her gaze locked on something at the end of the ledge. She pointed toward a jumble of rocks that had tumbled down the cliff. "Hey...look at that little guy."

A chipmunk stood on his back legs, froze, and then scurried over the pile. He disappeared behind it.

"Where'd he go?" Josh crawled over and found a small passageway cut deep into the rock. Light came from the far end. "Might be a tunnel...to the top."

# CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

AFTER CATCHING HIS breath, Josh helped Alex push the stones from the opening. Some of them tumbled down the mesa, crashing to the bottom.

"Wow, that's a long way down," she said after a large rock hit the canyon floor.

"I counted sixty-three steps on the way up."

"So how high is that?"

He ran the numbers over in his mind. "Somewhere around a hundred feet."

"You had me climb over ten stories?" Alex put her fists on her hips. "Are you nuts?"

He grinned. "No more than you." He pushed more rocks over the side and nodded toward the opening. "That's the best we can do. Don't know if it's big enough for me."

Alex peered through the passageway, the other end of the tunnel just a few feet through solid rock. "I'll try." She crawled on hands and knees, and once on the other side, stood and looked around in wonder. "Hey, it's a little city!"

"Wait for me." Josh's shoulders were too wide to fit, but he scrunched them sideways and managed to squeeze through the tunnel. He dragged the backpack behind him and soon stood beside her. "Awesome! This must be where the Anasazi lived." He paused, then added, "Or still do."

He studied the tan walls made from square stones stacked like bricks. The solid side of the mesa formed the backs of the buildings. Wooden ladders, tied with grass rope, reached to tiny square windows across the front.

Alex pointed toward the ends of cedar trunks sticking out in horizontal rows. "What are those sticks poking out up there?"

"My guess is they hold up the floors in those higher rooms. Must be several stories tall."

"And why are those holes along the bottom shaped so funny?"

All the ground-floor openings were narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, shaped like a fat T. "They're called keyhole doors. That way they can carry in a load of sticks or food on their shoulders. A bigger door would let in more cold air." He shrugged. "At least that's what they said in that magazine article."

Even with the several buildings built along the back, the flat stone floor in front made a courtyard wide enough for at least a hundred people to gather. An overhanging arch of stone formed a natural ceiling that would keep them dry.

"This is really awesome!" Josh crept toward the edge and looked straight down. "They didn't waste any time building a safety rail."

Alex took a careful step behind him and peeked over the side. "Wonder how they kept their kids from falling off."

Because of the narrowness of the canyon, Josh couldn't see the opposite mesa rim or the creek bed below. "It's the perfect hiding place. You can't see in here from the top or down there, either."

"I'll bet nobody's ever found this place before."

He thought of the man with the spear. "No modern-day people, anyway."

Next to the edge, along the side of the cliff, they found a round room cut in the floor, like an open basement. Square stones filled the edge along the cliff. "They were a lot better at building rock walls than I am," he said. "Look how they all fit together, just like pieces of a puzzle."

"They had a lot more time, and people." She cocked an eyebrow. "What is this place?"

"A kiva." He nodded toward a circular pattern in the rock floor. "Probably one over there, too, with a roof."

"And another over there...what are they for?"

"It's where they held meetings and religious ceremonies, like with medicine men." He hopped on one foot, then the other, mimicking Hopi Indian shamans he'd seen on television. The sound of rocks skittering across the floor came from inside one of the buildings.

"What was that?"

Josh stopped his dancing, balanced on one foot. "It came from over there, by that door cut in the wall."

"Another mountain lion?"

"Don't think so." He put down his foot. "Wouldn't make that much noise."

Alex took a step back. "What, then?"

"Don't know." He dug through the backpack and found the tiny penlight. "Better check it out."

"You're not going in there, are you?"

He flicked on the switch. "Like you said, there might be another way to the top."

"Josh, I don't think--"

"We've done okay so far." He crept forward toward the keyhole-shaped door.

"Please, don't go in there," she pleaded.

"Just gonna stick my head in, shine the light around."

Josh tried to act brave, but his heart was pounding so hard he could hear little else. The room had a strong musty smell and the darkness gobbled up the tiny light's beam. He took a step inside, then another. "Hey, it's a lot warmer in here, but something sure stinks."

"What is it?"

"Never smelled it before. It's like..." His foot landed on something round, like a fat garden hose. It moved. He shined the light toward the floor. A tangle of rattlesnakes slithered around his feet.

# CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

JOSH'S STOMACH LEAPT to his throat and he dropped the flashlight. It broke. He wanted to bolt out of there, run as far away as he could, but a quick move would cause the snakes to strike. He couldn't tell where to step.

"What is it?" When he didn't answer, Alex added, "Josh?"

"It's s-s-snakes."

"Snakes?"

"Shh. Can't move." In the darkness, he couldn't tell where to step.

"How many?"

Geez, he didn't know. One wrapped around his ankle. Clammy skin scraped against his sock. He'd have to pick up one foot... slowly... try to set it down away from the mass of reptiles.

He lifted his right, balanced on the other. The shoe felt heavy, too heavy. Must be lifting the snakes with it. He pointed his toe, waited for the serpents to slide off. A rattle filled the silence, followed by another. He hoped that wasn't a signal for the others to sink their fangs into his leg. One dropped away, then another. At last the weight fell off and he moved his foot toward the door. But how far? He couldn't step into the nest again, at least and not get bitten. If only...

"Josh?"

"Not now." His eyes adjusting to the dim light, he spotted a bare spot.

Just as he stepped, a shadow filled the door. Darkness swept across the room and he almost lost his balance. Alex stuck her head in the opening. She gasped.

He waved his arms, trying to not fall face down into the writhing nest of rattlers. "What is it?"

"Must be hundreds...they're all around..."

"I know. Get out of the way." She ducked out and the dim light returned.

Josh put down his right foot, started to lift the other. Icy fingers ran up his spine. A snake was crawling up his pant leg. On the inside, against his skin. He fought back the urge to reach down, jerk it away. But if he tried, it would strike for sure. And others would follow.

He put all his weight on the right, eased the left upward. The heel came off the ground, then the toe. Not too fast. The scales against his shin seemed to bristle. He froze. Waited to see what the snake would do.

It squirmed. He could feel the forked tongue lash out, taste his flesh. He stood on one foot, the other some six inches off the ground. One bite and he was done. No way could he climb the mesa after that, much less make it back to the canyon floor. Not with a leg swollen from venom.

He held his breath, waited. Before, when he passed out from hunger, Alex and Mickey had dragged him to the cave, kept him warm. The landslide, maybe from the Anasazi, had helped with the mountain lion. Now, no one could help. He couldn't even help himself. Whether he lived or died...it was up to the snakes.

At last, the scales seemed to lie down. The reptile, ever so slowly, backed down his leg. It fell from the cuff and he turned toward the door. The snake rattled. Josh stopped, moved slower. The toe landed on the rocks. He put more of his weight on that foot. Took a careful step, then another.

He moved into the sunlight and shuffled sideways through the door. Sinking to the floor, he leaned against the rock wall. Only then did he realize he was still holding his breath.

He exhaled and Alex ran to his side. She threw her arms around him. "Josh...you okay?"

"I, I think so." He ran his hands down his pant legs just to be sure no snakes remained. "That was close."

"Why were they like that...all in a bunch?"

"Denned up for the winter, I guess."

"They didn't bite?"

"No...the cold makes them sleepy."

"Let's get out of here."

"Take some pictures first...from the outside."

Alex found her phone and took photos of the walls and kivas. She glanced toward a keyhole door. "Don't guess there's another way to the mesa's top in there."

"If there is, I'm not looking for it." He crawled back out onto the ledge and waited for her. "Looks like more handholds going up."

"Yeah. How far this time?"

"No idea." He glanced back at the tunnel, half expecting to see the snakes crawling after him. "But I'm not staying here."

# CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

ALEX STOOD ON the ledge where the rock cutouts continued up the cliff. "How much higher to the top?"

Josh leaned back for a better look. "I'm guessing half as far as last time. Want to go first?"

She shook her head. "That means we have a lot farther to fall."

"Yeah, and a lot less chance of getting tired. Let's go." Josh led off and ten minutes into the climb, Alex shook her hand, blisters forming on her fingers. "That hurts! And my legs don't want to work."

"We have maybe ten more steps if I figured right."

"Which foot did you start climbing with this time?"

"Oh, I forgot. Don't really know."

"Me neither. Maybe we should go back down and start over."

"Forget it." He glanced up. "I can see the top. Maybe eight more...Hey, listen."

Alex turned her head. From somewhere near came the drone of an airplane engine, the propeller's noise unlike any other. "It's close. Hurry, Josh, Go!"

He took another step and the stone crumbled beneath his toe. He clawed at the rocks and slid down the cliff. Alex hung on just below him, using the same hand holes he had used moments before.

"Be careful!" Broken pieces of rock pelted Alex's head and face. She hugged the wall, braced for the impact of his body against hers.

Josh clawed at the cliff face, missed a rock step. Then another. A root stuck out from the cliff. He grabbed for it.

His foot landed on Alex's shoulder. She screamed. Her blistered fingertips dug deeper into the wall. She bit her lip, held on. Rocks rained down on her head. Dust filled her eyes. She clamped her lids shut, gritted her teeth. Held her breath.

Pain lanced down her arms. Every muscle burned. She couldn't hang on. But she had to. If she let go, both would fall to the canyon below. She had to save herself, save Josh. At long last, the shower of pebbles ended. She opened her eyes, took a breath.

In the shakiest of voices, almost too quiet for her to hear, Josh said, "We stopped. Are you okay?"

"I can barely hang on."

He pulled on the root. "I think I can..." Rocks crumbled when it pulled free. More of his weight landed on her shoulder.

She coughed as the dirt fell into her mouth, down her throat. "Can't...hold out..."

Something moved beside her, long and thin. She remembered the snakes back in the dark room. One must have...

No, that wasn't it. A vine, maybe? Alex looked closer. It wasn't green, like ivy, more of a tan color, the same as the bindings on the wooden ladders down in the ancient village: a knotted grass rope.

"I've got it," Josh yelled.

The weight on her shoulder slackened. She looked up, but more rocks fell from above. All she could do was close her eyes and lean against the cliff.

"Almost there," he called.

The falling rocks stopped. She wanted to rub her eyes, clear the grit, but couldn't let go of the cliff. She cracked open her lids. Burning, they slammed shut. She held on, caught her breath. Tears ran down her cheek. At least they'd wash out the dirt. After a minute, she tried again. Her eyes still hurt, but she fought back the pain and turned her head. The drone of the engine was fading. Peeking toward the mesa rim, she screamed. The rope, and Josh, were gone.

# CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

IF HE'D FALLEN, he would've hit her. Then again, the rope was off to the side and her eyes were shut tight. If he wasn't touching the wall, he'd have gone right past without a sound.

She dared not look down, didn't want to see his mangled body on the rocks below. But he could've landed on that ledge, might need her help.

She pushed back from the cliff, slanted her burning eyes downward. A little at first. Her fingers slipped. She gasped and hugged the rocks.

She looked once more, tried to see past her arm. Moved her head sideways. Almost lost her balance. There. The ledge. No sign of Josh. It didn't stop him.

"Oh, please," she muttered. "Don't tell me..." He must be smashed on the rocks below. But to see the canyon floor, she'd have to lean out farther. She couldn't. He was gone. She hugged the rock and sobbed.

Alex couldn't go any higher. Stopping Josh's slide sapped the last of her strength. She might make it back down to the ledge, but wasn't even sure of that. Her lungs burned, the taste of dirt still in her mouth. A sip of water. Just a sip and she could do it.

Pebbles fell past her face, then blades of dried grass. From the corner of her eye, she saw the rope dancing beside her, a large loop tied in the end. She glanced up. A head popped out from the mesa's rim, the face dark, silhouetted by the sky above.

"Put your arms in the loop. I'll pull you up."

"Josh, that you?"

"Of course it's me. Take it."

"Can't...can't let go."

He moved the rope so it dangled across her shoulders. "Do it, Al. Just one hand at a time."

She hooked an elbow inside the loop, let it take some of her weight. She could do this. With one hand, she let go, circled the rope, and reached for the rocks. Her fingers seemed to scream out in pain.

"That's it," Josh called. "Now the other."

She took a deep breath, worked her other elbow inside the loop. She let the rope take more of her weight and jammed her free arm inside, wrapped it around her wrist.

She lost her grip with the rocks and fell. The rope jerked tight and she swung against the cliff. She bounced away, twisted her body. Have to snag the wall on the next swing.

The rope creaked. Dust squeezed from the fibers, filled her nose. She squinted, reached for the rocks. This time, she held on.

"You okay?" Josh called.

"I...I think so."

"Try to climb. I'll help."

Her knees burned. Her arms ached. She pulled to the next step, then the next. After what seemed like forever, she reached a hand to the top of the mesa.

Josh squeezed it and helped her over the edge. Gasping for air, he said, "You saved...both...our lives."

Alex couldn't answer. She lay on the ground, her lungs on fire.

"If you hadn't hung on, we'd have..."

Panting, Alex held up a hand. "The rope...where..."

"Nobody...here." He pointed to footprints in the melting snow, leading away from the edge. "But if...my guess...is right..."

"I know." She gulped in more air. "The Anasazi."

# CHAPTER FORTY

STILL GASPING FOR breath, Josh studied his new surroundings. Brushy cedar-like shrubs and small trees covered the top of the mesa. It smelled like the bags of scent his mom used around the house, something she called piñon. The sky was almost blue, only thin clouds above as the overcast broke. He glanced at Alex. "The phone, where is it?"

She nodded toward the backpack. "In there...how about some water, too?"

"Sure." He peeled off the straps and handed her the rubber football. "Not too much. Better catch your breath first."

She nodded, the makeshift canteen already to her lips.

Josh found the phone and turned it on. He waited as it searched for a signal.

She handed him the football. "Here, better drink some, too."

"Waiting for a signal...darn!"

"What?"

"No bars...and the battery shows just ten percent."

"Turn it off then, save what little we have left."

"Yeah."

"So what now?" she asked.

"Time to start on a signal fire...if the snow didn't get all the wood up here too wet to burn." Josh started to head off, but stopped. "We'd better not go too far. Couldn't find these handholds from on top."

"I'm not climbing back down that cliff, not after that."

 "Maybe we can find another way."

"And what if there isn't one?"

"What choice do we have?" Josh said. "Better mark this spot." He glanced around. "Why don't we stack up those flat rocks, make a pedestal? That game trail runs close to the rim. Follow it back and we'll find the rock ladder."

Her shoulders sagged. "If you say so."

"We'll build a signal somewhere above the wrecked plane, then start looking for another way down."

After stacking the rocks, Josh led off. While they hiked along the mesa and looked for a clearing, he couldn't put the near disaster out of his mind. "If you hadn't stopped my fall, we'd both be splattered on the canyon floor."

"If not for that grass rope, it might've turned out like that anyway."

"Yeah. We owe that Anasazi a lot."

"How come you're the only one who's seen him?"

From the tone of her voice, Josh wondered if she still thought this was some imaginary friend. "He's real."

"If you say so."

"What about those footprints in the sand?"

She didn't answer for several steps, then said, "Without any rain, tracks could last a long time out here. Could be left over from months ago."

"Not the ones in the snow."

"They could be from some animal, started off small and the holes got bigger as it melted."

"And the spear point and pot of corn?"

"Could both have been here for centuries and we just missed them."

He stopped and turned. "And what about the rope?"

She lifted an eyebrow and cocked her head. "That one has me puzzled."

Josh trudged on. If Alex didn't believe him, no one would. He was sure he'd seen the primitive man, wouldn't be alive if not for his help. Then again, why would he help them? They were from another world, and the word 'Anasazi' was Navajo for 'ancient enemy.' If the cliff dwellers were enemies of the other tribes, they wouldn't likely take pity on strangers trespassing through their hunting grounds and stone villages. Unless he was alone...the last of his people.

Josh spotted an opening in the brush large enough to be visible from the air. I'd better forget about the Anasazi and concentrate on getting rescued. "What about putting the signal fire there?"

"Good as any. And there's green cedars close by to make letters from."

"Start breaking off branches and I'll see if I can find some tinder and kindling."

Alex broke limbs and laid them on the ground, forming the SOS. "Ouch!" She pulled a prickly piece of bark from her palm and scratched it. "Now that we're not climbing any more cliffs, better put my gloves on."

"Should've brought those cotton balls and petroleum jelly, too. Looks like the snow got everything too wet to burn." After a few minutes, he found an abandoned bird's nest. "Hey Al. The twigs in this thing should light." He then found a lightning-struck cedar with reddish shards reaching upward in jagged spears. He pried it apart and found the wood dry and brittle. "This should, too."

With the sharp blade of the scalpel, he carved off long, slender curls. If he could light the bird's nest, the twisted shavings would catch, then the dried cedar sticks. He hoped they would make enough heat to dry out larger limbs that were scattered just about everywhere. And if they would light, he could throw green boughs on top, causing dense clouds of white smoke.

Josh pulled off his backpack and found the football. He took it to Alex and they paused for a drink. "Thanks. Those juniper limbs are hard to pry off."

"Yeah. Take a break and I'll get the rest after we have a fire." He dug through the pack and found Mickey's DVD. "We can use this for a signal mirror. Look through the hole and you can flash the sun's rays toward the horizon." He showed her how to aim the reflected light. "Somebody might see the reflection if we run it back and forth along the horizon."

"But how far away?"

"I read in a survival book that signal mirrors have been seen from over a hundred miles."

"Cool. Let me try."

 Josh handed her the DVD and found the magnifying glass and compass. He cleared the grass and leafy debris from where he wanted his fire and placed the bird's nest upside down in the center. Alex scanned the horizon with the reflected sunbeam for a minute and stopped to watch him.

He removed a screw from the compass and shook it, causing liquid to spew from the hole and onto the bird's nest.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "You're getting it all wet."

"Yeah. With kerosene." He grinned. "If I figured this right, we should have a fire in no time."

"How'd you know the compass held kerosene?"

"Your dad's a vet, so you know a lot about animals. My dad works at the airport, remember? He teaches me stuff about airplanes."

"And about compasses, too?"

"Compasses too...Didn't figure I'd ever need to know that, though."

Alex glanced at her reflection in the DVD and ran fingers through her hair. "Never thought I'd use one of these for a mirror, either." She again aimed the sun's reflection along the horizon.

After shaking out about half the compass's contents, Josh set it down with the screw hole on top and picked up the magnifying glass. It wasn't as big around or as powerful as the one at school, but he hoped it would gather enough of the sun's energy to start a fire.

"Well, here goes." He moved the glass in and out, varying its distance from the kerosene. "The idea is to focus the sun on a spot the size of a pinhead."

He held the glass very still, keeping the brilliant point of light stationary. The twigs just smoked at first, then burst into flame when the kerosene ignited. He fed in more of the dry cedar, then the larger branches and soon had a roaring fire.

He jumped up, pounded his chest, and said in the deepest voice he could make, "Me hairy man. Use sun. Make fire."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Okay, Tarzan. Now call in the elephants and get us a ride out of here." He chuckled, not realizing their actions had already set into motion a very positive chain of events.

# CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

FAR TO THE south of the mesa, a small plane flew low over the mountainous terrain looking for the missing aircraft. The pilot, a member of the Civil Air Patrol, specialized in searches.

His aircraft was a specially designed scout plane, with one seat in front and one in back, a high wing, and powerful engine. Perfect for this mission, large windows lined both sides and provided an unlimited view of the ground.

The pilot sat in front, navigating their assigned route. In the back seat an observer held binoculars to his eyes to get a closer look beneath the trees passing under the small plane.

"Did you see that?" the pilot asked over the intercom.

"See what?"

"There was a flash up to the north, on top of that mesa. Hey! There it is again."

The observer's voice crackled over the intercom. "Saw it that time. Not much up that way as far as civilization goes. Maybe we'd better go have a look."

The pilot banked into a shallow left turn. He lined the plane's nose with the position from which he'd seen the sun's reflection, marked the heading on the compass, and added power.

"How far away is it?" the observer asked.

"Close to twenty miles, but that's just a guess."

"So how long will that take?"

"Ten minutes, more or less," the pilot said.

"Then I'll keep watching out the sides. Let me know if you see that flash again."

***

As soon as Josh had the fire going, he and Alex went back to gathering cedar branches. They laid them on the ground, forming the letters SOS. The first S was completed and the O halfway done when Alex stopped. She stood up straight, very still, and cupped her hands to her ears. "Listen. An engine!"

Josh heard it and let out a yell. "Get the DVD and flash in that direction. I'll pile some green branches on the fire."

Soon, Josh saw the speck of the plane, but it would pass off to the west. "Over there!" He shouted and waved his arms.

"I see it." Alex tried to focus the reflected sunbeam from the DVD on the aircraft. "Can't hold it steady, not where the sun is."

Josh grabbed the limbs forming the bottom of the O and dumped them on the fire. The blaze disappeared beneath the green needles of the branches. "Darn, I put it out!" He snatched the ends nearest him and jerked them away.

The airplane continued on its course, headed north, maybe a mile away. Alex dropped her hands. "He missed us."

"Keep trying!" Josh pulled another green branch from the fire and used it to fan the flames. "As long as it's in sight."

Alex at last tamed the dancing sunbeam and placed it on the nose of the airplane. The Scout banked immediately to the right, now heading toward them just as white clouds of smoke billowed from the fire. Alex and Josh jumped and waved their arms above their heads. The plane flew past, only a few feet above the trees surrounding their clearing. Both the pilot and observer waved to them as they passed.

The search plane flew figure eights and motored by twice more, then over the rim of the mesa and above the wreckage on the ground. On the third pass, the window opened and something dropped from it, bouncing near Alex's feet. She picked up a piece of PVC pipe painted bright orange and fitted with a red streamer. After unscrewing the cap, she found a handwritten note inside that read:

STAY WHERE YOU ARE. A HELO WILL PICK YOU UP WITHIN 2 HOURS.

The plane made one more pass and Alex waved the pipe and streamer over her head. The pilot waggled the wings, banked to the west, and climbed away. "They're coming!" She hugged Josh. "It won't be long!"

He stepped back and gave her a high five. "You did it, Al. They saw the flash."

"We both did. Can't wait to get home."

"Me too." Together, they watched the plane become a tiny speck and disappear over the horizon, headed for Durango.

# CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

AS SOON AS the search plane gained altitude, the pilot radioed in his report. On the second pass, he had marked his GPS to record the latitude and longitude of the mesa. By relaying these coordinates, a helicopter would be sent to the exact location of the survivors. He also radioed that he had seen three people on the ground, two on the mesa and one below.

Deputy Garcia received the report and phoned the emergency helicopter service at the hospital. They dispatched a chopper with two pilots and a pair of emergency medical technicians on board.

The deputy then strode to the conference room where the worried parents and Moose waited. "Mr. Schmidt, we've found them."

He jumped up. "They're okay?"

"As far as we know. A search plane located the missing aircraft, on the ground with three people sighted in the area. We have a chopper on the way to pick them up."

"Only three?" Mr. Schmidt locked eyes with his wife. "There should be four."

Deputy Garcia sighed and reached down to pet Moose, who was nuzzling her hand. "The report was brief. Maybe they just couldn't see everyone. It's rough country up there."

"Where will the helo land?" he asked.

"The only chopper we have is the CareFlight unit at the Durango hospital. Hang on a sec." She stepped out and came back with a map on which she'd circled the sheriff's office and the hospital, just minutes apart. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to put out the word to the other searchers." She smiled. "They'll be glad to know we've found them."

"Tell them thanks from us, too." Mr. Schmidt led Moose to the car and held the door open for his wife. "Wish they'd seen them all."

"I'd feel better, too."

He put Moose in the back, climbed in the driver's seat, and drove the short distance to the hospital. Three people. Who was missing, and why?

# CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

JOSH SAT DOWN beside the fire. He still couldn't believe how well the signals worked, and that they were finally going home.

Alex joined him. "What should we do now, Josh?"

"We need to do a couple of things before the helicopter gets here. First, this fire has to stay lit so it'll smoke when we throw on more green limbs." He glanced up at the sky. "Depending on which direction it comes from, the sun might not be right to flash it with the DVD."

"It'll be back before dark, won't it?"

"If it gets here within two hours...The other thing we need to do is get word to Mickey and Doc."

Alex picked up the PVC pipe and its streamer. "Let's put the message back in this thing and see if we can throw it down to them. We can wait up here and signal the chopper."

"And not have to climb back down that cliff."

She grinned. "Exactly."

Josh stuffed the message back in the plastic container and pushed to his feet. "We still have plenty of green limbs for the smoke. Look around for more firewood and I'll try to get Mickey's attention."

"Okay. Be careful next to that cliff."

He pushed through the brush to the edge of the mesa. "Mickey!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. His younger brother trotted away from the rock shelter, shaded his eyes with a hand, and peered up toward the top of the cliff wall.

Josh waved so Mickey could see him, then threw the pipe over the side as hard as he could. The streamer fluttered behind the message container and landed about twenty yards from where the younger brother stood. Josh watched him look it over and read the note. When Mickey waved and charged off toward the shelter, Josh trotted back to help Alex.

"Wish I'd checked what time the plane left. We'd know when the two hours are up." He put the compass and the magnifying glass into the backpack and strapped it on so he wouldn't forget it when the chopper returned.

Alex stuck the DVD in her coat pocket. "I'm taking good care of this."

They sat on a log and watched the horizon. Josh's stomach growled and he realized how hungry he'd become. "What do you want to eat first, I mean when we get back?"

"I'd go for a chocolate sundae."

"Make mine a double cheeseburger with lots of ketchup." If the truth were told, he was hungry enough to gobble down both and not even come up for air.

Atop the quiet mesa, a gentle breeze from the south carried the scent of pines. Most of the clouds were gone and the bright winter sun hung in the sky. Until now, Josh had been so worried about rescue he hadn't noticed the immense beauty of their surroundings. Now he found the brownish-red hue of the rocks, the grey trunks of trees, the green needles of the evergreens, and the blue sky above breathtaking. Thinking about how good it would be to get home, he didn't realize Alex held his hand in hers.

From off in the distance, a familiar sound registered in his ears, the deep, rhythmic 'Whop, Whop, Whop' of a chopper's rotor.

They jumped up and gave each other a high five. Josh piled the green boughs onto the fire, this time making sure he didn't smother the flames.

# CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

THE SOUND OF the chopper grew louder. It at last became visible above the northwest horizon and turned toward the billowing white smoke.

Since Josh had built the fire in the center of the clearing, the chopper circled twice before it located another area, not far from the first, large enough for a landing zone. The engine and rotor noise became deafening and the downdraft sent dead leaves, grass, and twigs in all directions. Josh kicked dirt over the now unneeded fire while Alex poured the remaining water from the football on the coals. Once it was out, they tore through the brush toward the landing chopper.

A paramedic wearing goggles and headphones met them. He cupped his hands and yelled over the noise of the helo. "Keep your heads down and stay close behind me!"

The kids bent low and followed him, shielding their eyes for protection from the blowing debris.

The medic helped them into the side door, the other crewman handing them headsets and showing them their seats. As soon as they were buckled in and had the earphones in place, he said, "Push that little button there on the wire to talk."

Alex held it in and spoke into the microphone. "My dad has a broken leg and hurt his head. Josh's little brother is down there with him."

"Roger. We saw the wreckage on the first pass," the pilot answered. "We'll fly down and pick them up...How in the world did you get up here?"

Josh pushed in his button. "Just climbed up the side."

"The side of the cliff? Wow."

The noise increased; the helo shook. Josh grabbed the side of his chair. The engine in Doc's plane had caused it to vibrate, too, but nothing like this. The helicopter cleared the mesa's rim and descended toward the canyon floor. Josh glanced out the window and hoped it was wide enough to clear the rotor blades. Just before they touched down, he winked at Alex, glad they didn't have to scramble back down that cliff.

The pilot maneuvered the chopper, landing a few feet from the wreckage. "Bet that was a wild ride," he told the copilot, pointing to the mangled sheet metal of the crumpled plane.

Alex, Josh, and the two paramedics climbed out, the EMTs carrying a stretcher and medical supplies for Doc. At the shelter, they examined him, splinted the leg with new fiberglass braces, and recruited the others to help move him. Doc grimaced, but otherwise showed no emotion as he was first lifted and then strapped down on the litter.

"We'll only have room for one other person with him on the helo," the paramedic yelled over the noise of the engine. "Who wants to go first?"

"Take Doc and Mickey," Josh said.

"Might be a while...this is the only chopper we've got."

"You'll be back before dark...Right?"

"We'll do what we can...just wait here."

Josh answered with a nod.

The medic nodded back and they eased Doc across the rocks and into the waiting helicopter, its rotors still whirling. Mickey and the medics climbed aboard.

Josh stood at the door and yelled above the noise. "Good job taking care of Doc."

Mickey broke into a wide grin. "Thanks, Josh. Be careful."

The medic handed bottled water and food bars out the door. Josh and Alex watched the helo disappear beyond the rim of the canyon.

She sipped from her bottle. "Guess there's nothing to do now but wait."

"We can pack up what's left, and there's one thing I want to do first. It'll be a while before they get back."

Munching on the food bar, he strode off down the canyon. Alex followed.

Josh found the tree where they had rigged the snares and removed the wire nooses from the limbs leaning against the trunk. "No sense killing anything now. We'll let these guys die of old age." Their lives were tough enough, and Josh had a new appreciation for wilderness survival.

When all of the snares were removed, he bundled the wires into a twisted knot and headed back to the shelter. They picked up the pottery jar and remaining gear and placed it in the backpacks, leaving the unburned firewood and the aircraft battery. It was too heavy to carry, and besides, maybe someone else would end up here another day, needing shelter and a warm fire.

They sat on the ground of the rock alcove. Josh picked up his spear, wiggled the stone point from it, and stuck it in a pocket. The adventure they had shared almost over, the only thing left was the endless wait.

When the sun's slow march to the western horizon neared its end, Alex asked, "They did say they'd be back before dark, didn't they?"

"The medic said they'd do what they could."

"You didn't ask the pilot?"

"He wasn't by the door, and I didn't have a headset."

"But it'll be dark soon. What if..."

"We've made it so far, haven't we?"

"But another night alone, out here by ourselves..."

This time, Josh took her hand. "We'll be fine. We know what to do now."

"But..." She turned an ear toward the familiar beat of the helicopter. "Hear that?"

He grinned. "Sure do. Looks like we'll be having a cheeseburger tonight after all."

"And that chocolate sundae."

Soon, they strapped into their seats and Josh's stomach jumped to his throat when they lifted from the canyon floor. He stared out at the mesa, the chopper taking but a minute to soar above it, the landing light bright against the cliffs in the growing darkness.

Just before they made the turn toward Durango, the beam swept past a lone pine standing in a clearing. It reminded Josh of the Christmas tree in their living room, the one so tall the angel on top bumped the ceiling. From behind the pine, the animal skin-clad man stepped out, leaned on his spear, and raised a hand.

Josh nudged Alex. "Look, there he is."

"Who?"

"The Anasazi. By that tree." The landing light went out and darkness filled the clearing.

"Let it go, Josh. Let it go."

Mickey had said the angel on the Christmas tree was watching over them. Maybe she'd sent this ancient man to keep them safe. Josh didn't know whether or not that was true, but he waved goodbye...to the last Anasazi.

# CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

THE HELICOPTER LANDED on the hospital helipad long after the sun had set, quartz floodlights illuminating the area. From the window in the helo, Josh saw Mom, Dad, Mickey and Moose huddled together against the rotor's blast. As soon as the crew let him, he dashed across the tarmac and hugged his mom. Tears streamed down her cheeks, the family once again reunited.

She then hugged Alex. "Your dad's going to be just fine." Together, they walked inside, but Josh and Alex stopped for a final wave to the helicopter crew.

Doc was in the operating room while the surgeons set his leg and checked for a concussion. "It will be a while before we know anything," a nurse told Alex.

Happy as the family was to be together again, no one showed it as energetically as did Moose. His tail thudded against anything that got in the way. He licked the boys' faces again and again. Hospital policy didn't allow dogs in the waiting room, but the smiling staff looked the other way.

Mickey had already been examined, but the doctors wanted to check Josh and Alex. Dad loaded Moose in the car and drove to get burgers at a drive-thru. He arrived in the waiting area just before the physicians finished their exams.

"They're fine," the doctor said as he brought in Josh and Alex. "I bandaged those scratches on his arm, but we need to keep an eye out for infection."

"But they're okay?" Mrs. Schmidt asked.

"Just a little undernourished and dehydrated."

"Hungry and thirsty," Mr. Schmidt said. "I think we can fix that." He handed them the bag of burgers, fries, and drinks. "Oh, and for dessert," he added, "chocolate sundaes."

The doctor chuckled. "Under the circumstances, a fitting prescription."

"And Doc Alvarez?" Josh asked around a mouthful of fries.

"They're finishing up now, will be moving him to recovery soon. Won't be but a few more minutes."

While they waited for the report, Mickey sat at a table, pulled out the deck of cards, and started a game of solitaire. "I didn't know you could play that game," Dad said.

"Alex taught me. She said it's a good thing to do when you're lost in the woods."

Josh told his parents of their adventure, beginning with the dog show, the doomed flight, finding the shelter, the water, and the cliff dwelling. He stuck a hand in his pocket and fingered the stone spear point. "We got by, just like the Anasazi did."

"Like the cliff dwellers, hundreds of years ago?" his mom asked.

He grinned. "Maybe not that far back."

Alex explained how they signaled the plane with the DVD and built the fire, and how Mickey took care of Doc while they climbed the mesa. "And there were these snakes..." She stopped when the attending surgeon, wearing light green scrubs, stepped in.

He cleared his throat. "We set Dr. Alvarez's leg and put it in a cast. He had a pretty bad break, but it should heal just fine...if he stays off of it for a while."

"I'll see to that," Alex said.

The doctor looked at her and smiled. "I'm sure you will. He also had a minor concussion and we're going to keep him overnight for observation. If all goes well, we can release him tomorrow morning."

"When can we see him?" she asked.

"He'll be transferred to a private room when the anesthesia wears off, probably a half hour or so. But please make your visit a short one. He needs his rest."

"I just want to give him a hug and let him know we're all okay."

The doctor left and they sat back down to continue telling their adventures. Mrs. Schmidt walked behind Mickey and put her hand on his shoulder. She listened to their tale and watched him play cards. After a minute, she said, "You know you could put that black seven on that red eight, don't you, Honey?"

Mickey didn't look up from his game. "So where were you a couple of days ago?"

Josh stopped his story in mid-sentence and looked from Alex to Mickey and back. The room fell silent, Mrs. Schmidt staring at her younger son.

The kids couldn't help it. They burst out laughing.

# SOMETHING YOU CAN TRY  
(ADULT SUPERVISION REQUIRED)

On a sunny day, take a silver-colored CD or DVD outside with one or more friends. Have your friends stand between you and the sun, thirty or more feet away.

Face in the direction of the sun and look through the hole in the CD. Place your other hand about 12 inches or so in front of the CD, palm inward. Move the CD until the reflection of the sun is on the palm of your other hand. Now turn so that the hand, with the sun's reflection, is toward your friends and just below the line of sight to them. Rotate the CD so the reflection of the sun is focused on your friends.

They will be amazed at the brightness. It has been reported that on a clear day an aircraft can spot this reflection from as far away as 105 miles.

# ABOUT THE AUTHOR

George Goldthwaite grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland and flew the carrier based A-6 Intruder for the United States Navy. When not performing official duties, he spent most of his free time backpacking, canoeing, and skiing throughout the northwestern United States. George is an avid outdoorsman. He is married and has three sons--all pilots. George retired after 25 years as an airline pilot and now resides with his wife and Golden Retriever in a tiny town in north Texas.

# SURVIVAL GLOSSARY

Alcove - a recess in the rocks, like a small room or nook.

Altimeter - a gauge that uses air pressure to determine height above sea level.

Amber - a yellowish-brown color.

Anasazi - an ancient civilization that once thrived in the area where the states of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona come together.

Astronomer - a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as stars, planets, and moons.

Cold front - a moving weather pattern that consists of a mass of cooler air.

Compressed - pressed together so it takes up less space.

Cruise altitude - the height where an airplane levels off for travel, measured in feet above sea level.

Deadfall - a type of trap where something heavy falls on the animal.

Dehydrated - needing water.

Descended - flew down to a lower altitude.

Deviation - a turn from the planned route.

FAA - the Federal Aviation Administration, a part of the government that deals with airplanes.

Flash point - the temperature at which a substance bursts into flame.

Fuselage - the central part, or body, of an airplane. The wings, tail sections, and engines are attached to it.

Gangrene - the death of skin cells and other soft tissue caused by a lack of blood flow. The cells then decompose and rot.

Immense - extremely large.

Inescapable - no way go get away from.

Mayday - the international radio distress signal, an urgent call for help.

Mesa - a tall, flat land formation.

Mesa Verde - a national park in southwestern Colorado.

Mike boom - an arm hooked onto an earphone that holds a microphone near the wearer's mouth.

Nitrate crystals - a chemical compound containing nitrogen found in fertilizers and explosives.

Pitot tube - a part of an airplane system used to measure airspeed.

Primer - A lever or button pushed to pump fuel into an engine's carburetor.

Puma - a large animal in the cat family, also known as a mountain lion, panther or cougar.

Retriever trials - a competition involving the hunting skills of retrieving dogs such as Labrador, Chesapeake, and Golden Retrievers.

Scientific process - a method to determine scientific fact through experiments and data collection.

Splint - a medical term for something that keeps an arm or leg from bending.

Stalk - to sneak up on.

Terrain - the ground with all of its natural features.

Three musketeers - characters in a French novel of the same name written by Alexandre Dumas in 1844. Musketeers were the royal guards of the king.

Throttle - a lever in an airplane that controls the speed of the engine, much like the gas pedal does in a car.

Tinder - small twigs, grass, or other things that are very easy to light. As they burn, they create enough heat to set larger branches on fire.

Topped off - completely filled the tanks with fuel.

Vendor's booth - a stall or stand where things are sold, like one would find in the center of a shopping mall or at a fair.

Visual flight plan - a route filed with the Federal Aviation Administration to track where a plane plans to go. It is used when the plane will not be flying through clouds or fog. In that case, an instrument flight plan is required.

Volatile - easily set on fire.

Warthog - the nickname for the airplane officially known as the A-10 Thunderbolt II. Many were painted with a red shark mouth, much like those of the World War II aircraft flown in China by a squadron known as the Flying Tigers.

Yoke - an aircraft control, sort of like a steering wheel, that makes a plane's nose rise or fall or causes the plane to roll from side to side.

# COMING SEPTEMBER 2018

RETURN TO MYSTERY MESA

EAGLE MOUNTAIN ADVENTURES  
BOOK TWO

THE TV CAMERAMAN flipped on the bright lights. Thirteen-year-old Josh Schmidt squinted and turned his head. In the studio of a local station, he shifted his feet, nervous at all the attention. He, his little brother Mickey, and their friend Alex Alvarez were the hottest news story in the town of Eagle Mountain.

The producer stepped in front of the camera and announced, "Ms. Connors is starting with the national headlines and will be here in just a few minutes. We'll go on the air right after the commercial break. Positions everyone."

The interview would be on the noon news, a local TV celebrity acting as host. When the kids were told to take seats on tall stools, Josh gave Mickey a boost up, his legs too short to reach the footrest.

An assistant clipped small microphones to their shirts, black wires trailing down their backs to an electronic box located out of the camera's view. After a quick sound check, he gave a thumbs up.

The producer motioned for the kids' attention. "Remember, we're broadcasting this live. Be sure to look into the camera, speak up, and answer Ms. Connor's questions in as few words as possible. No rambling. Understand?"

"Can I have a drink of water?" Mickey asked.

The man frowned. "No time. Here she comes now."

Laura Connors hurried in and took the remaining stool. After brushing back a strand of blonde hair, she clipped a microphone to her red blazer's lapel. She looked down her nose at the kids. "Ready?"

Josh nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"The last bunch of you kids clammed up on me. I need you to answer my questions just like we're having an adult conversation."

An adult conversation? The producer had just told them not to ramble. Josh looked to Alex, wanting to know if she understood what they were supposed to do, but a red light glowed on the camera and Laura Connors turned toward it. She broke into a broad smile that didn't seem to reach her eyes.

"With us today are three of our local young people, survivors of an airplane crash in the wilderness of northwestern New Mexico. They are here to tell their incredible story." She introduced them and began the interview, "So, Alex, how did you feel when you realized the plane was going to crash?"

How did she feel? What kind of stupid question was that? Josh wanted to scream, 'We were scared witless!' Instead, his friend just smiled and said, "We were all pretty frightened. The engine quit and we knew we were going down. But my father's a good pilot, so we figured we'd make it."

"We looked for a place to land and ended up in a dry creek bed between two mesas," Josh added.

"But weren't you scared?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "We crashed into a canyon. My father was knocked unconscious and we smelled smoke. It was too dark to see, and we had trouble getting out of the plane. Yes, we were scared."

Josh watched the news anchor, wondering if that was more of an answer than she'd wanted. Since she showed no reaction, he couldn't tell, but she directed her next question to him. "Tell about the smoke and how you survived."

"A brake got hot and the tire started burning." He went on to tell how they put it out with a bottle of soda. After another question, he explained how they found shelter, used parts of the airplane to start a fire, and insulated themselves from the cold ground with seat cushions and cedar boughs. The news anchor seemed to be ignoring Alex, but she broke in and told how they found water and food.

The reporter again looked to Josh. "And you did this all by yourselves?"

Something about her, the way she smiled with her mouth but not her eyes, made him uncomfortable. He sat up straight, ready to tell of a mysterious man who'd helped them, one he imagined to be the last Anasazi. He glanced at Alex, who shook her head, and answered for him. "My father had a broken leg and a bad concussion. It was pretty much up to us to get by." She paused, then added, "We found a piece of pottery filled with dried corn." Grabbing the pot, she held it up for the camera. "As near as we can tell, it was left over from an ancient civilization."

Laura Connors avoided looking directly at Alex, but took the clay container and turned it around in her hands. "It has such an intricate design...and you say it was filled with corn?"

"That's right," Josh said. "Dried corn. We boiled it and ate it."

"But it could have been hundreds of years old. Scientists would want to--"

"We were hungry," Mickey said. "We'd been eating rabbits and squirrels Josh killed...and there was this mountain lion."

The reporter slanted her eyes toward the younger boy, obviously disturbed with his cutting into the conversation. "A mountain lion? Really." She changed the subject and asked about digital pictures Alex had taken. They appeared on a monitor in front of them.

"These paintings on the rocks were made centuries ago," Josh said.

"Hieroglyphics?"

"Actually, they're called petroglyphs." The monitor changed to another photo. "And these were taken in a cliff dwelling we found when we climbed the mesa to signal a search plane."

"A cliff dwelling? How fascinating."

Alex grinned. "It was until Josh stepped in a bunch of rattlesnakes in their winter den. We got out of there fast."

The reporter continued to smile, but her cold eyes bored through them. "So how did you get rescued?"

Whenever they got to a scary part of their story, she changed the subject. Either she didn't believe them, or just wanted to get over the interview as fast as she could.

"A helicopter from the Durango hospital rescued us, after we climbed the cliff," Josh said. "And almost fell," he added.

He glanced at Alex, who again shook her head. They'd been saved when a grass rope dropped from the mesa's rim, lowered by that mysterious man dressed in animal skins. Only Josh had seen him, but he hadn't been able to convince her the character actually existed. And if the reporter didn't believe them about the mountain lion or the rattlesnakes, she surely wouldn't buy into a story about some strange human from the past.

Laura Connors asked a few more questions, the interview ended, and the lights on the cameras went dark. She glared at Alex. "Don't ever sass me like that on television again. That was so...so childish."

"Then don't ask childish questions."

The news anchor stomped out and Josh exhaled, glad to get that behind him. Maybe now their time in the spotlight was over and things would get back to normal. At least, that's what he hoped would happen.

***

Boss Bloodstone ran a fence. Not a picket fence or a chain-link fence, but a place where burglars sold stolen items for whatever they could get. The loot was then moved to other towns and resold to unsuspecting buyers at great profit. Being in the Southwest, Boss made the big money from antiquities: ancient items, most of them robbed from the tombs of Native Americans. The trouble was, all the known graves were either under guard or already emptied. Except for one of his partners, an insider at a local university who stole from a collection there, Boss was getting very few treasures to sell.

A clanging telephone pierced the dark shadows of his rundown warehouse. The newer models in the front office had caller ID, but not this old one. Thinking it might be one of his Eastern buyers, Boss used his best British accent. "Hello. Quentin Bloodstone speaking. How may I be of assistance?"

"Vinnie here, Boss. Just got a lead on a new set o' cliff dweller ruins."

He exhaled. This was a rat-faced dirtball who worked for him. No need to keep faking that accent. "Yeah? Where?"

"A couple o' rug rats claim they discovered it, somewhere in New Mexico."

"Well that narrows it down."

"No, wait, Boss. Southeast of Durango, maybe a hundred miles or so. It was just on th' local news."

"So some brat says he found a cave and you get your shorts in a bunch?"

"They had pictures. Like buildings in the side of a cliff... and a pot they found."

He paused. "A pot?"

"Yeah, Boss. It was white, with like little black diamonds painted on it."

He ran fingers through his black hair, frowned, and wiped the resulting grease on his slacks. Slicking it back was a look he'd hoped would make him look high-class when dealing with his richer clients. That and a pencil-thin moustache patterned after some character in a James Bond movie. "A whole pot, not just a shard?"

"What's a shard?"

"A broken off piece, you ignorant dolt."

"The whole dang thing, Boss. Just like the one you sold that Easterner last month. Said it even had dried corn in it when they found it."

"They showed that, too?"

"No. The stupid kids ate it."

Boss glanced at the now-empty shelves where he kept his antiquities. He'd sold the last pot, similar to the one Vinnie described, to a New York collector for seven thousand dollars. One filled with five-hundred-year-old corn would be worth twice as much.  If this discovery was real, the ruins could hold hundreds of pots. A fortune, if he could just get his hands on them. "So where are these kids?"

"Eagle Mountain."

"Where?"

"Some podunk town just a couple o' hours from where I'm at right now."

 Boss grinned. The young rubes had no idea what they'd found, had no clue how to cash in on it. "Get a hold o' those brats and squeeze 'em 'til they sing. I got buyers itchin' for some pots. Prob'ly get 'em into a biddin' war."

"Look, Boss, after droppin' off that loot, kind o' short on cash. Think you could--"

"Get them pots, Vinnie, and your money troubles are over. Got to grab 'em before those yokels figure out what they're worth."

"You seen what gas costs? Hardly have enough dough to--"

"I said move it. Get back to me by Monday."

"Sure, Boss, sure. I'll get right on it."

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