Page 61 of The Search

Logan drew a deep breath. “Sorry. I know he is.”

Fifteen minutes later Monty barked. He came running back in a delirium of joy and then took off running down the mountain.

“He’s found him.” Quickly following, Logan slid and slipped down the bank. “He’s found him!”

Sarah muttered a prayer as she stumbled after Logan. The rain was so heavy, she could no longer see him or Monty, but they had to be straight ahead. “Logan!”

No answer.

“Logan, where—” Then she saw him.

And she saw Monty standing over a mound of mud beside the creek, whimpering.

“Sweet Jesus, no,” she whispered.

“It may not be the kid.” Logan fell to his knees and clawed desperately at the mud. “It may not be—” He stopped, staring down at the delicate arm of a child he had uncovered. “Shit.” He dug frantically until he’d uncovered the still, small body. “Shit. Shit. Shit.” He sat there, his shoulders slumped as he gazed down at the baby. “It’s not fair. He’s only a little kid.”

“One of the later mudslides must have gotten him.” Sarah knelt beside Logan. Poor baby. Poor Ming Na.

She couldn’t move for a few minutes and then she slowly struggled to her feet and got out her flagging tape. “Come on, Logan. We’ve got to get back to Ming Na.”

“What are you doing with that tape?”

“You know what I’m doing. You’ve seen it before. Marking the spot.”

“Not him.” Logan reached out, picked up the little boy, and rose to his feet. “I promised Ming Na I’d bring back her baby. I’m not going to leave him here in the mud.”

“You can’t carry him up that mountain. You barely made—” She stopped as she saw his face. The cords were standing out in his neck, and tears were running down his cheeks. “Can I help?”

“No. I’ll make it.” He started up the mountain. “I promised her.”

She stood there with Monty, watching him struggle up the slippery slope. Why was it so heartbreaking to see a strong man like Logan with that baby in his arms? She wanted to rush forward and help him, comfort him. She knew what agony he would face when he handed the baby to Ming Na. She had faced that agony any number of times in a hundred different places over the years.

But he wouldn’t let her help.

“Come on, Monty.” She slowly started up the mountain after Logan.

The team washed their dogs, showered, and changed at the airport before they boarded Logan’s plane. They took off at a little after eight that evening.

Logan was quiet. Too quiet. He’d spoken only a few words since he’d placed the baby in Ming Na’s arms and walked away. Well, she hadn’t been very talkative herself. There was a pall over the entire team. It had been a nightmare of a search operation. She started to settle down for the night.

Oh, what the devil. She strode over to the chair where he was sitting. “Are you okay?”

He smiled faintly. “You held out longer than I thought you would.”

“You shouldn’t have come. I warned you that you didn’t belong on the search.”

“I had to come.”

“Just as you had to go after that baby.”

He nodded.

“It happens. Searches don’t always turn out as they should. You have to think about the good ones.”

“Since this is my first, I don’t have a happy experience for comparison. And I don’t think I want to try another one.” He looked out the window. “How the hell do you take it?”

“Hope. And the knowledge that almost always there’s someone waiting for us to come. Maybe it’s only one or two, but those lives are precious.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “But this was a rough one.”