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“And Aria?” Miles lowered his voice. “Tell Booth I’m sorry, but we’ve called off the search for now. We need all hands on deck.”
The news hit Booth like a gut punch. He turned to Aria, not sure what to say. Not sure the words would form if he tried.
She glanced at him. “I’m sorry, Booth. We have to give up the search for now…” Her voice trailed off. She sounded distraught.
Booth could relate.
He nodded. “I get it. It’s not your fault. You’re following orders.”
The embers of hope that had burned within him began to fade. A cold emptiness took its place.
He understood the decision, though. Snowhaven had hundreds of lives in the path of the fire. No one liked to leave a man behind, but if they didn’t pull the crews now, they’d risk losing the town.
Booth sighed. He knew what he had to do. What Nova would want him to do. “All right. Let’s head back. I’ll go out with the next crew and help with the fire.”
Aria pressed her lips together and nodded.
The plane turned, making a wide loop around the Kootenai mountains. Booth’s gaze was fixed on the darkness below. He couldn’t shake the feeling that they’d been so close to finding her.
Nova was out there somewhere in the vast expanse of burning forest.
Halfway back to the jump base, Booth caught a sudden flash of light in the distance. His heart skipped a beat.
He all but jumped out of his seat. “Did you see that?” He pointed as he strained to see through the darkness.
Aria squinted. “I saw it. What was that?”
“It’s Nova!”
“Are you sure? It could be?—”
“No, look!” Booth unbuckled and leaned over to point to the spot. “In that clearing down there. See the red glowing dots? Those are flares. The fire’s way over there.”
Aria’s eyes went wide. “Look!”
Booth watched as a white light flashed between the two flares. Three short flashes, then three long flashes, followed by three short flashes. “It’s an SOS. It’s Nova! She’s signaling for help.”
Her mouth fell open. “Thank You, Lord. We’ve found her…”
Booth stood. “Take us up to three thousand. I’m going down there.”
Aria nodded. She guided the plane upward and radioed Command.
Booth headed to the back as Aria updated Miles and gave him Nova’s coordinates.
A flood of adrenaline coursed through his body at the possibility of rescuing Nova. His breaths came rapid and shallow. The chest strap on his harness pressed tight.
He took a steadying breath. Now wasn’t the time to get frazzled. He’d be no good to Nova if he lost focus and messed up his jump.
The plane ascended, leaving the burning forest below. Booth hooked up his drogue static line. Completed his four-point check. Took another breath and readied himself for the jump.
“No time for streamers tonight,” Aria’s voice announced over the intercom. “Winds are still tricky, so be ready for anything. The jump spot’s in that little meadow just south of the fire, where Nova’s lights are. Do you see it?”
“I see it!”
He stepped closer to the door and braced himself. Yanked the handle and let the door swing back, careful not to get sucked out by the slipstream. Smoke-filled wind roared in.
Aria glanced over her shoulder. “Get ready!”