Alder

S hit, shit, shit. Fuck. It plays on a loop in my head. I take a deep breath as I reach the hangar. I cannot panic. Panicking will get me or someone else killed. I walk into the big metal building and see Nate. It’s good to see him. I’m going to need him with me out there.

“Hey, ,” my dispatch organizer calls.

“I need to be in the air as soon as possible,” I tell her. Nadine smiles.

“Always eager to help. We don’t have any emergency calls out just yet, but I’ll make sure you’re on the first flight out. Most of the activity has been on the western slope, and it’s clear for now. Teams on the ground have set up barricades. No one’s getting through. We just wanted to make sure?—”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I know someone is up on that mountain. I need a team, and I need to get airborne,” I cut her off. She looks at me for only a second. I know she has questions, but I thank my lucky stars that she doesn’t decide to ask any right now .

“Nate, Griffin, Ty, you’re with ,” she orders, then looks at me. “Be safe out there and stay in contact.” I nod at her.

“We will,” I respond, and then we’re getting in the helicopter, thankful all preflight checks were done beforehand. Nate gets in the pilot's seat. Good. That’s where I need him today. I need all my focus on scanning the mountain and finding my girl.

“Where are we headed, ?” he asks.

“Lovers Leap.”

“Who’s out there at this time of day?” he questions.

“Someone who doesn’t know the area well. Someone I’m madly in love with,” I answer honestly. He whips his head around to me. “I’m serious,” I tell him.

“I believe you. I’m just surprised.” His eyebrows are raised when he responds to my declaration.

“No one’s more surprised than me, Nate. I didn’t expect this, and I didn’t see it coming, but I have to find her. She could be in real danger.”

“Alright, let’s go get ’s woman,” he says over the headset, and everyone cheers.

“Focus,” I bark. Nate continues to smile, but we all quiet down as the helicopter takes flight, and we make our way to Lovers Leap, to Ivy.

The air is thick with tension, and we can all feel it. We have maybe forty minutes of daylight left, and then we’ll be using a spotlight, and even though everyone in the cabin of this aircraft is well-trained in night searches—they’re less likely to have a successful outcome. Temperatures are starting to drop, and my adrenaline is rising. We need to find her and soon.