“There!” Drew hollered from the copilot’s seat. “Dang it. I lost it.”
Sadie strained to see through the downpour. A glimpse of white against the black rock caught her eye. She lifted her binoculars and frantically searched. Was it just a wave stirred up from the storm or the hull of a boat?
Another flash of light brightened the area, followed by a deafening boom. The hairs on her arms stood as residual electricity snapped the air.
“That was close.” Bo’s eyes were wide on his face as he looked across the cabin at her.
Nodding, she swallowed the fear down and brought the glasses back up to her eyes. She methodically searched along the coastline, praying she’d see some sign of the kids. She passed white squeezed between rocks and swung back to it.
“I see it.” She explained where it was to the others as she followed the terrain inland. Red flashed, and she sucked in a breath. “I see them. Just above the boat in the trees.”
“Got them.” Bjørn’s voice sounded strained for the first time, and her eyes shot to him.
His muscles were tight as he flipped switches.
“There’s only three.” Gunnar’s words yanked her attention from Bjørn to the kids.
Ice slid under her skin, lodging itself just below the surface. Three teenagers stood in a small clearing, waving their arms wildly above their heads. She scanned the forest behind them, looking for a sign of someone.
“Base, this is Rebel.” Bjørn nosed the chopper toward an outcropping of rocks a half click from the kids.
Gunnar unbuckled and grabbed the medical bag stashed in the storage area. She hated this part of search and rescue, when dread overshadowed the joy of finding the lost. She tightened her hold on Rowdy’s collar as the chopper bucked. Gunnar braced himself against the metal roof.
“This is Base, go ahead.” Her mom’s voice broke through the headset, and, for some reason, the sound made Sadie want to cry.
“We’ve found the—”
A deafening crack vibrated around them. All her hairs stood on end as the air filled with electricity. Alarms beeped and buzzed. Panic climbed up her throat. The chopper shuddered, the coastline spinning out of view.
“Hang on!” Bjørn yelled over the headset. “We’re going down.”
The island spun back into view as the chopper lurched. Sadie squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her arms around Rowdy’s neck. Would they crash into the rocks or drown in the frigid ocean? Her body trembled as she tucked the dog closer to her, though any protection she gave didn’t mean a thing as they hurled to their deaths.