The Next Morning

Makayla was awoken by a knock on the door. She stumbled out of bed to find Gina, looking serious.

"Alex didn't make it back last night," she said looking past Makayla, "and I see Gaby didn't either. They may have got caught out in the storm."

"Oh!" Makayla gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Don't worry," she said, "we know where they were going and the Ranger will be here shortly. Could you do me a favor though and look to see if she had her phone with her, we've been trying to call them, and knowing if they are in a 'dead spot' would help the ranger know where to look."

"Yeah," Makayla answered, to much in shock to know what she even agreed to.

After shutting the door, Makayla collapsed onto her bed and began crying. Oh my God! I was so angry at him for not being there last night I didn't even stop to think something might have happened to him. And... OH GOD, Erik....

"Morning, Miss Gina, Bianca," Raz said, nodding to the two women. He noticed Bianca looked sad.

Gina led him over to the map.

"This is the trail they took," she informed Raz.

He followed the trail with his finger.

"Ah-ha. You see this thin line here," he said tracing it with his finger, "last night's storm turned that little line into a rather thick one. Good chance they got caught on the other side. And if they did, I have a pretty good idea where they went, and I'm sure they're fine. I'll give you a call as soon as I have 'em."

"Thanks so much," Bianca responded.

Raz placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, smiled, nodded, then left.

When Makayla finally stopped sobbing, she remembered she was supposed to look for Gaby's phone. She wiped her eye and looked on the dresser, in the top of her suitcase, on the nightstand. She didn't find it. She was about to give up, then she thought to check the drawer of the nightstand.

"Disgusting!" she exclaimed, finding the box of condoms. But, out of curiosity she looked inside and noticed two missing. Geeze how many guys has she...

She dropped the box like it was a snake, and backed toward her bed. Oh no, he wouldn't, he wouldn't, he wouldn't, she kept repeating in her head as she curled up into a ball on her bed.