Page 59 of Natalie's Nighthawk

Natalie struggled to her knees and began to dig into the dirt wall. She needed protection from the rain. Why hadn’t she thought of that earlier. Weakness seized her body. Her strength waning. Still so tired.Keep digging! She could hear Graham yell.

“I am!” she yelled back out loud.

Faster!

“I’m going as fast as I can with only one hand,” she told him. Her exasperation towards him growing.Hewasn’t hurt.Hewasn’t chilled down tohisbones.Hewasn’t in constant pain.Hewasn’t even here!God! She was losing her mind. Arguing withno one!

Get a grip, Natalie. Her own chastising voice pealed through her head as she continued to dig. Her fingers ached. The nails had been torn away long ago. She could barely feel the tips anymore; they were scratched up so bad. And so cold. Numb with the cold. Not for the first time, she wished she’d kept gloves in the pockets of this coat.

She tried using her injured hand to dig, but the pain was excruciating, nearly causing her to pass out. After dislodging a large rock, she used that to dig and was able to move the dirt much faster.

Finally!Finally, she thought she had a space big enough for her to climb into. She had to lay on her side in the fetal position, but at least it was helping to keep the rain off her. She lay there, exhausted, cold seeping deep in her bones. Hopelessness swamped her again.No! She wasn’t going to give in to it. How does one combat hopelessness?

She remembered Colin and Lucy then. Thinking of them all alone in their own prison gave her a tiny bit of courage. If they could survive at their ages, then so could she.

But they had food.“Shut up!” She told the voice.

Itwasn’tas cold then too!“Can you just stop!” Now, back to Colin and Lucy. What did they do? How did they cope when all hope seemed lost?

Sing! The kids were singing when they found them. She could do that, couldn’t she? “Frosty the snowman. Was a jolly happy soul,” Natalie sang. Soon exhausting her repertoire of Christmas songs. She moved on to nursery rhymes. Sometime during her rendition of “Oh Suzanna,” she drifted off to sleep again.

Halfway through the morning on Monday, Graham and his team were packing up to go home. They had done all they could for the victims of the flood. There would be a lot of clean-up once the waters receded, but that was for somebody else to worry about. He had enough on his mind. He still couldn’t get ahold of Natalie. He’d tried the sat phone at the cabin a few times, but there had been no answer. He figured she was out skiing or something, and he kept missing her. But this morning, he’d tried texting her again. He thought for sure he’d get her before school started. Had been hopeful she’d answer his desperate text begging her to just let him know she was safe, but still nothing. Where was she? He was itching to get out of here. To get home. To wrap Natalie up in his arms, apologize, and gather up the courage to tell her how he felt about her.

David called to him, interrupting his thoughts. He held out his phone a strange expression on his face. “It’s Maddie,” David said in explanation. Graham’s heart clenched. Natalie.

“Graham, can you hear me?” Maddie called.

“Yeah, Maddie. What is it? What’s the matter?” At this point, Finch and Logan had stopped packing to listen, the fear in Graham’s voice alerting them.

“I’m not exactly sure. Lucy is here.” Lucy? “She said Natalie wasn’t in school today. She was worried. She’s been babbling about seeing Natalie in the woods or something. I’m worried, Graham. If she went to your cabin, could she be hurt or something? Hold on a sec,” she broke off as a small voice tried to get her attention. He could hear her muttering assurances to somebody. “Lucy insists Natalie is in the woods,” Maddie told them. “Are you guys coming home soon?”

“We’re packing up now,” David told her. The worry in Maddie’s voice was scaring him. He was convinced now more than ever that something had happened to Natalie. He had to get to her now! It was still going to take them hours to drive. That was too long.

“I need a helicopter,” Graham said to no one in particular.

Finch, the Nighthawk’s helicopter pilot, said, “On it!” He dashed away, phone already to his ear.

Logan spoke up then. “I’ll continue to pack up here and drive back. You guys go with Finch.”

“Right,” Graham said, already trying to think five steps ahead. He paused briefly to place a hand on Logan’s shoulder. “Thanks,” he said sincerely, squeezing his shoulder. Logan nodded.

David hung up with Maddie after assuring her they were on their way. Finch was back in no time. “Made a deal with a buddy. He’s got a helicopter he’s willing to let me borrow. He’s getting it ready now. If we’re done here, let’s go.” They all hopped into the truck to make the short drive to Finch’s friend’s landing pad.

In no time, they were in the air. But still, it wasn’t fast enough. He willed it to go faster. His sole thought?getting to Natalie. “Should we go to your cabin first?” Finch asked him through the headset.

Operating on pure instinct, Graham replied, “No. Go to Lake Haven.” He couldn’t explain why, but he knew she wasn’t at the cabin. David, meanwhile, was calling in as many Nighthawks as he could. Telling them all to meet at Natalie’s place.

“I’ve got Jude, Evan, and Tin Man coming. Lauren’s not answering.” David told him.

“Just leave her a message.”

“I did.”

“Good,” he replied distractedly. He was trying to figure out what Lucy meant. She said woods. What woods? Was Lucy talking about the same woods she and Colin had gotten lost in? And if so, why would Natalie go in those woods by herself? Especially after seeing what had happened to Colin and Lucy. She must have gone in with somebody to help them with something. Or maybe … he shook his head, denying the direction his thoughts were heading. But the theory slipped out and took root. Did someone force her? Fear gripped him. The note.

Was Erik still locked up? Graham took out his phone, searching for the number for Lakeland Correctional. He wasn’t above using his credentials to get the information he needed. When he finally reached the right person, he breathed a little easier. Erik was still locked up tight.

“What are you thinking?” David asked.

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