A helicopter flew straight up the river toward the dam—searching for bodies, no doubt. But they were very much alive.
Erin and Nathan stepped out of the concrete tower and onto a railed overhang that appeared structurally secure and unaffected by the collapse. They jumped up and down and waved their hands.
“We’re here!” Erin shouted. She almost couldn’t believe they were near the end of this catastrophe.
The copter approached, then hung in the air near the dam above the river. Terra waved at them from the opened door, her smile beaming! Erin could sense the sheer joy and relief coming off her friend. Jack leaned over her and gave them a thumbs-up.
The helicopter slowly approached, careful to land in a space free of trees or any obstruction that would disrupt the landing or cause harm. Once the copter was on the ground, Terra jumped out and ducked beneath the spinning rotors and ran to Erin. Grabbing Erin up in a bear hug, Terra almost bowled her over.
Erin clung to her friend a few moments, soaking up the warmth and relief that she and Nathan had been found. Rescued.
Terra finally released Erin, shouting over the rotor wash. “I was so worried! I didn’t want to give up, but I was afraid you were gone.”
Caught up in Terra’s tears of joy, Erin let hers flow too.
Erin backed away but gripped Terra’s arms. “What about my mother?”
“We’ve already radioed in that we found you alive and, I hope, well.”
Erin nodded. “I’m well.”
“We searched downriver, but Jack had the brilliant idea—albeit a little late—that if you had survived, you guys would have tracked back to the dam, the closest structure. I’m so sorry we didn’t think of that until early this morning. It was still dark, and by the time we got a pilot and were in the copter, the sun was already up.”
“It’s okay, Terra. You found us.” Erin was running on fumes. “Can we go now?”
Terra laughed and pulled Erin toward the helicopter that remained powered up. Erin and Nathan climbed in. After she buckled in, Erin rested her head against the seat and closed her eyes. She was safe, and she’d once again survived a near miss.
She had never doubted that Terra—a US Forest Service Special Agent and SAR team member—would not give up until she found her. The smallest of smiles lifted the corners of Erin’s mouth. In the midst of this horror, there was a silver lining—Nathan. Her head told her that kind of thinking was dangerous. But her heart warmed at the thought. What would he think if he knew Erin considered reconnecting with him the bright side of their shared trauma?
Still, though she agreed with him that every cloud had a silver lining, some clouds carried violent storms with them.
And she could feel one raging toward them in her bones.