Chapter 20
The main parking area at the Sugar Pine Railroad was packed with vehicles when Jack arrived. With some maneuvering, he found a spot to wedge in the jeep, where the overflow had parked along the side of the road. It was obvious that a lot of people had shown up to aid in the search, and he wondered if Ennis had returned yet.
He got out of the jeep and noticed two guys from work, Bob and Mick, getting out of their truck. They exchanged greetings, and the three of them walked over to check in with several people holding flyers, who were standing near cases of water bottles. They were given a flyer, water, and the choice of walking, or being driven in an off-road vehicle the two miles to the Base Camp.
They took off on foot, along the railroad tracks, now and then hearing the voices of search party volunteers calling out Fred's name. With only a few hours of daylight left, and Fred still out there somewhere, it seemed that everyone understood the gravity of the situation.
By the time he and his co-workers reached Base Camp — taking their time to examine the areas off the tracks — he felt out of breath, and it wasn't exertion from the walk. It had to do with the fact that the missing man was the grandfather of a friend. Voices on the radios could be heard around them, although he only caught a few words now and then. Rescue personnel were hurrying to set up operations, and everyone looked worried and focused on the tasks at hand.
Jack glanced around again, slower this time, and noticed Mrs. Hunter sitting on a folding chair under a canopy, tissue clutched in her hands. She looked like the weight of the world was on her shoulders, and that wasn't far from the truth. He started over just in time to see Gavin heading toward her holding a bottle of water. He could see the look of recognition as Gavin noticed him. Their eyes met, and Gavin quickly handed the water to his grandmother and closed the distance between them, sagging into Jack's arms.
"Thank-you for bein' here," Gavin said, his voice muffled from being pressed on top of Jack's shoulder.
Jack tried with all he had to give encouragement and assure Gavin that everything would be okay as he held on tightly and patted Gavin's back for a brief few seconds. When they parted, Gavin hastily wiped a few tears and focused his attention on his grandmother, pulling on Jack's wrist.
"Come say hi to my granma."
Mrs. Hunter looked up when they approached. "Look who I found," Gavin said, in what sounded like his best effort at cheerful.
It was obvious how hard Gavin was trying to keep his grandma's spirits up. Jack remembered when Gavin had danced with her at the Whoa Nellie Deli last summer, with Gavin's granddad looking on. It really tugged at Jack's heartstrings, and he wondered if there were any other family, since he'd never heard of any mentioned. If that were the case, Gavin had a lot on his shoulders.
"Hi, Mrs. Hunter," Jack said. He knelt to her level, placing his hand over hers, giving it a little squeeze.
"You remember Jack, don't you granma?" Gavin asked.
"Yes, I certainly do. How are you, Jack?" she asked.
"I'm doing fine. I've come to help look for your husband."
"Oh, that's so very nice of you," she said, patting his hand. Tears welled up in her eyes, and Jack was on the verge of choking back tears as well.
"They even have men on horses searching," she said, turning her gaze toward a man on a large Bay horse just as a second man rode up and stopped beside him.
"They're gonna bring dogs in the morning if they haven't found him," Gavin added.
"Ennis is out on horseback. He's probably in the group that's coming in now," Jack said.
He noticed a faint smile from Gavin at hearing that bit of news. Mrs. Hunter smiled too. "Ennis Del Mar is a very nice boy," she said. "He drove our wagon when we went on the cook-out from Tenaya Lodge in the summer. I told you, Gavin."
"Yeah, I remember," he answered.
"He was so helpful that evening, and he made a very handsome cowboy."
"I'm sure he did, granma," Gavin said.
Jack couldn't help but notice a wistful look on Gavin's face. He wondered if he'd dated anyone during the last year. Obviously there wasn't anyone special in his life if he and his grandma were going through this ordeal all by themselves.
Jack was surprised when he recognized Pete trudging up to get water from a volunteer. He looked beat, and it was clear how thirsty he was. He drank an entire bottle in a matter of seconds.
"That guy over there works with Ennis," Jack said, indicating who he was talking about.
"Yosemite Trails...that job must suit him to a T," Gavin mused. "And, Jack, where are you workin'? Your phone call in the summer was so quick I never got to ask," he said.
"I'm headquartered at the Yosemite Valley Information Center. I got a job as Consulting Utility Forester. We've been doing controlled burns the last few days."
"Good for you. Sounds like you and ol' Ennis are livin' the good life." Jack couldn't tell if Gavin was happy about that or not. Maybe a little of both he figured.
"I'm going over to say hello to Pete. I'll be right back," Jack said.
While he said hello, he noticed two more men arrive on horseback. He wondered when Ennis would show up. Pete said his back hurt and he didn't stay long, so Jack joined Gavin and Mrs. Hunter again. He didn't know where he could do the most good - out searching for Fred, or staying with Gavin and his grandma. He decided to stay, and besides, he was anxious to see Ennis ride up. He couldn't help but notice the other four riders checking their watches, and one of them kept using the radio. They all appeared a little worked up.
He stood up to stretch his legs and check his phone, but there weren't any messages from Ennis, not since the one telling him he was going out to search. He tried calling him, but it went straight to voice mail, which wasn't a surprise, since in these mountains, it was unlikely to get a good signal. He sat back down next to Mrs. Hunter to wait, since it would be dark in less than two hours, and the thought of Fred out there after dark was troubling. He could only imagine the tremendous worry for the man's wife and grandson. He listened a bit to Gavin and his grandma reminisce about Fred, commenting and asking questions at times. He wondered if they'd leave at dark so they could try to get some rest — he couldn't imagine Mrs. Hunter sitting out there all night.
A familiar voice caught his attention, and he looked over to see Brian Weaver talking to Chief Ranger Adam Harrison, who he recognized from having met at the Valley Information Center his first week on the job. Gavin must have noticed that he was staring, because he said, "That guy with the cowboy hat was talking to the men on horseback a minute ago."
"I wonder what's up...and I wonder why Ennis isn't back yet." Jack was careful to keep his voice down because he didn't want Mrs. Hunter to overhear.
"You're not worried about him, are you?" Gavin asked quietly.
"I'll be back in a minute. I'm going over to talk to the guys with the horses," Jack said.
He approached one of the men holding a radio crackling with static. He heard him say Ennis, come in. Can you hear me?
"Uh, sorry to interrupt," Jack started.
"What is it?" the man said abruptly, his annoyance clear. He must have regretted his tone because in a calmer voice he asked, "What can I do for you?" as he shut off the radio.
"Uh, I was just wondering if Ennis Del Mar would be back soon. I heard he was out searching on horseback."
"Yeah, well, he should be here now...twenty minutes to half an hour ago in fact...but he's not, and I can't reach him on the radio. By the way, I'm Hank Dillard, and you are?" He extended his hand.
"Oh, sorry, I'm Jack Twist," he said, briefly shaking hands. "You don't think anything's wrong, do you?"
Hank opened his mouth to answer just as Brian walked up and interrupted. "I told Mr. Harrison about Ennis not gettin' back when he was supposed to."
Hank looked a little aggravated. "I think we can handle it, sir. There's nothing for either of you to concern yourselves with at this time."
"Mr. Dillard, this here's Ennis' partner, and he should be informed of any concerns you have about his whereabouts," Brian said.
Jack was becoming more nervous by the second. He wanted to ask questions, but his mind was racing, and he wasn't sure what to say. Truthfully, he was glad when Brian basically took over.
"He was supposed to be back at six o'clock, and here it is near six thirty and he can't be reached by radio, is that right?" Brian asked.
"Yes, but I'm sure there's a logical explanation, so let's not jump to conclusions. Who knows, maybe he found Mr. Hunter, and is busy tending to him. I'm sure he'll be back soon. Let's relax and wait it out." He turned and headed over to where Mr. Harrison and some others were standing.
"Damn," Jack said.
"It'll be okay. Don't worry," Brian said, but concern was written all over his face, which wasn't doing anything to help Jack's anxiety.
Just then Gavin walked up. "Hey, what's goin' on?" he asked Jack.
"I'm not sure. Hopefully nothing," Jack said. He became aware of Gavin and Brian staring at each other, so he quickly made introductions. "Gavin, this is Brian Weaver, he works with Ennis. Brian, this is Gavin Hunter, the grandson of the missing man."
They shook hands and exchanged hellos. Gavin again turned to Jack and said in a low voice, "Come on; tell me what's got you lookin' so pale."
"It's just that Ennis isn't back yet, and they can't reach him by radio, but I'm sure he'll be here soon."
"Did you try callin' him?" Gavin asked.
It irritated Jack when Brian answered at the same time he did, making it plain that he'd been trying to get hold of Ennis too. Jack noticed Gavin's look of surprise, but he must not have caught on to Jack's annoyance toward Brian, because he invited the fool over to sit with them.
"I need to get back to granma. Come on over and sit with us."
Brian followed like a little dog, obviously delighted by the invitation. "Granma, this is Brian, a friend of Ennis' from work."
"We've met," Brian said, removing his hat. He patted Mrs. Hunter on the shoulder. "I met you at the Wagons and Dogies cook-out in July, remember?" he asked.
"Oh, yes, I do. That was a real nice evening."
"I'm so sorry to hear your husband went missing today. I came straight after work to search, along with a lot of the people I work with." He looked at Jack and named off some of the people who had come out to help. "Mr. and Mrs. Knapp, Clint, David, just about everyone really."
"Thank-you," Mrs. Hunter said, her voice cracking.
"I'm sure he'll be found any minute," Brian said.
"Even Pete came," Brian said, looking at Jack.
"Yeah, I saw Pete. He's gone home now," Jack answered.
"Sit down. You too Jack," Gavin said.
Jack felt too keyed up to sit, but he did anyway. He kept looking across at Hank to try to get a handle on what he was thinking, and what he intended to do about Ennis.
"Do you live in Oakhurst too?" Brian asked Gavin.
"No, not anymore. I live on the Tioga Pass road."
"Oh, real nice area," Brian said.
"Fred and I have lived in Oakhurst ever since we were married, and that's over fifty years," Mrs. Hunter said. She sounded like she was in a daze, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.
Gavin and Brian continued to talk, but their conversation sounded like a foreign language to Jack, as upset as he was, and becoming more so as the minutes ticked by. Mrs. Hunter seemed in a world of her own too. Besides being physically exhausted, the stress of the situation couldn't be good for her.
He wondered about Mr. Hunter's medication. He'd heard he was on some, and that he had none with him, but no one had said anything about that, so hopefully it wasn't a big concern. Finding him sure was, and Ennis getting his ass back there was too.
The disturbance of an off-road vehicle driving in drew everyone's attention. Several folks climbed out holding covered plates of food and one gallon containers of green and orange Gatorade.
"Look grandma, the volunteers brought food. You think you can eat something?" Gavin asked.
"I don't think I can eat a bite," she said weakly.
"I want you to try," he said.
Jack felt like Mrs. Hunter looked, and he wasn't interested in eating either, but he knew he needed to try, but he decided to go talk with Hank again first, and on his way over, a man leading a chestnut horse arrived on the scene. It took a moment to place him as David Knapp.
From out of nowhere Brian appeared by Jack's side. "That's the horse Ennis left on. Why's David got his horse?" he said in alarm.
"Oh, my God, I don't know," Jack said.
He went straight to David, with Brian tagging along, but he didn't mind because he knew that Brian could get more information than he could. He let him talk first.
"This is Cody, the horse Ennis went out on. Where is he? What happened? Is Cody all right?" Brian asked, bending down to run his hands along the horse's legs.
"I checked him over. He seems okay," David said.
As his heart beat a mile a minute, Jack remained silent, waiting for David to answer about Ennis.
"I have no idea. A couple of searchers happened to run into me and mentioned having seen a horse in tack grazing nearby, so I went to check it out and found Cody. I knew he was one of our horses, but I didn't know why he'd be out there wandering alone."
Before Brian or Jack could ask any more questions, Hank rushed over. "Any sign of Ennis?" he asked.
"No...what's going on?" David asked.
Hank had nearly finished filling David in, with Jack and Brian listening closely, when Adam Harrison came over followed by two other men.
"Well, it looks like we have a second missing person," Adam said.
Jack felt like he'd been stabbed through the heart. Ennis was out in the wilderness alone, probably hurt and unable to get back. He couldn't believe it. How did he get separated from his horse? He didn't even want to go there.
"We know the area he was searching in, so we'll start there," Hank said.
"We only have an hour of light left. After that it won't be safe to be out there looking," one of the men that Jack hadn't met said.
"It won't take that long if he stayed put," Hank said.
If...That's a big if. The behavior of a lost individual becomes unpredictable, we all know that. Look at Fred Hunter. If he'd stayed put we'd have found him by now," one of the men said.
"But the horse returned without him, indicating that he might have been thrown. He could very well be unable to walk far," Adam said.
"I can't figure why he's not answering his radio," Hank said.
"That's a concern," Adam said.
David patted the horse's saddle pouches. "I feel something in here." He opened the pouch, pulling out Ennis' radio, map, and a full bottle of water.
"Oh, no," Brian mumbled. "I hope he still has the canteen and granola bars I gave him."
"If you'd all taken this seriously when he didn't come back when he was supposed to, we could have been out looking before it's almost dark," Jack said in a raised voice.
"Stay calm...Mr. Twist, was it?" Hank said. "Not staying calm creates many problems in these types of situations."
Jack felt like punching the man.
"Jack, I knew I'd seen you before," Adam said, reaching out to shake hands. "We're all going to do the best we can with the circumstances we've been dealt." Adam took a deep breath before continuing. "We have numerous volunteers out there combing the area. The horse was found, and I'm sure that Ennis will be found too, as well as Fred Hunter. It just may take some time, but we're going to do it. In the morning we'll begin a full-scale search."
"I'm getting on my horse and heading out for a quick look," Hank said. He waved over the other three men from the Search and Rescue Mounted Unit and asked them to help out, and they readily agreed.
Jack watched the four men ride away until they disappeared around the bend. It hardly registered that Brian was still next to him, and he hadn't even paid any attention to what Gavin was doing all that time he'd been talking with the rescue team. Raking his fingers through his hair, he dreaded having to break the news to Gavin and his grandma. He was frozen in place, as if he just couldn't pick up his feet to walk back over to them.
He couldn't stop staring through the trees at the mountains in the distance, once so beautiful and up until now, it had been a privilege to live in such an amazing wilderness area. Now the sight of it sickened him, and there was nothing he could do but sit tight and wait.
To Be Continued...