"Route for the Home Team"

Chapter 5

The morning dawned bright and fine, the sun's first rays of light shone into her bedroom causing her to stir awake. Stretching her arms high above her head, Lidia stood on the wooden floor for a few minutes before grabbing fresh clothes from her closet for the day. With measured steps, she reached the bathroom and quickly stepped from the chill of the morning into the shower. Letting the warmth of the water wash away the night's cares and waking fully, she stepped out and toweled off before donning her clothes. Sighing, she made her way to the kitchen and hit the on button on her coffee maker before turning on the morning news.

"When we come back, Hillary Matthews will follow the story of a missing pilot and the search for his remains."

The words had her eyes glued to the set, and she searched for some sign of Altan. Feeling like she'd been kicked in the stomach, she sat waiting as the news logo flashed on before a commercial. "You'd better come back soon, Miss Hillary Matthews!" she shouted at the television feeling helpless.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the news report came back. HIllary Matthews was a slinky, blonde who made her want to rip her hair out of her head and scream. The woman knew next to nothing, and "as of now there is no word," seemed to be her favorite saying. They wouldn't mention the pilot's name, all they'd say was he had been on his way to San Francisco with freight. Sighing, she switched off the television and reached for the phone. By memory, she dialed the number she'd dialed next to eighty time this past week. Where was Altan?

"Altan, it's Lidia again. I'm worried about you. Call me back when you get this!" she said to his answering service. If and when he got home he'd hate her for the number of messages she'd left over the week.

Taking a deep breath, she hung up the phone and stared out the window toward his house. Where was he? Her heart thudded that she knew the answer, her mind reeled as she took in the possibilities. Altan was somewhere between here and San Francisco hurt or even more possibly dead. Tears burned at her eyes and she wiped them back furiously, why would he come back into her life only to be ripped away again?

Sighing, she grabbed the phone there was only one person to call for a rescue mission. Dialing the number she knew by heart, she waited for the voice on the other end to sound. "Dane, I need help."

--

Oxygen. Fighting the frustration and fright that closed in around him, Altan tried to catch what little breath he had left. He had no idea how long he'd laid in this same spot, paralyzed by the pain and elements that swirled to life around him. Birds flew above his head, calling to one another in their own native tongue. For once he felt part of the things going on around him, not an outsider intruding on the peacefulness of nature. However, he noted, peaceful wasn't a word he'd use for the things that surrounded him for what had to be an eternity now. No, this colidescope of colors that swirled around him had life of its own, quite a stressful one as well. Bears, wolves, mountain lions, they all roved somewhere in the distance searching for their prey. Their calls could be heard at all hours of the night as he tried to sleep away the exhaustion lethargy had preyed upon him.

Beyond the animals that surrounded him, was the elements. Wind, water, and sun were among the harshest of all. If it wasn't raining in the form of a torrential downpour, it was so hot he could barely lay still. He was sure most of his skin had burned off in the light the sun gave off. Even the thought of the wind that blew through the trees at night had him shivering. He was so sick he could hardly believe it when he heard voices in the distance. Maybe he was hallucinating, he'd heard that that could happen during extreme cases such as he was in.

Staring up at the clear blue sky, he once more ignored the throbbing pain in his back and limbs, he wondered what Lidia was thinking right now. Laying there on his back, surrounded by nature, he decided one thing. Should he come out of this ordeal alive, he'd look at life much differently. Beginning with his relationship with Lidia first.

--

Dane climbed the foot of the mountain along side Lidia, his best friend of ten years, shaking his head at the situation. How did she get herself into these things? A question he voiced out loud, only to be silenced by a quelling look from his counter part. "Fine, hate me, like I care!" he exclaimed, extending a hand to help her up to the next rock.

"Shut up, Dane." she commented moving up past him, "I'm listening for Altan."

"You do know chances are pretty slim that he's in this mountain range, right?" he cocked an eyebrow and waited for her reply.

Apparently she'd chosen to ignore him, for she walked past again hands on hips and a closed look on her face. Her mouth moved as she muttered a curse when she tripped over a large piece of scrap metal.

"What is that?" he asked focusing in on the piece of metal instead of his now injured friend.

"Like I know, or care at this moment..I do know that my leg is now ripped open." Lidia muttered, biting her lip as she inspected the cut on her leg.

Grabbing the metal with both hands, he inspected it closely a number 32 was printed in big bold letters. Under the bold numbers were the smaller letters, AEB. "Lid!"

"What?" she muttered, looking up at him ready to pounce.

"What number did they say Altan's plane was?"

"132, why?" standing again, she moved to his side looking over the piece of metal in his hands.

"What are the chances?" he asked, handing it to her.

"I'd say their pretty slim, let's get moving though." she led the way up the mountain through trees and brush, hoping against hope they'd find Altan this way.

"I just hope we find him alive." Dane whispered to himself watching with concern as Lidia climbed further ahead.