The sky had cleared for now and according to the Rescue team leader 'conditions
were good for searching'.
Not that his confidence seemed to be making any difference they still had not found her.
The Leader stood in front of Simon now
Simon tried his best to avoid the mans gaze......
There was something about the way the Investigator that had arrived with the Rescue team
had surveyed the inside of the mud hut that made him uneasy.
Did it look like there had been a struggle?
Simon hoped not ........he knew he was to blame for this ....
The Investigator barked at him "Have you called your company yet?"
Simon jumped at the forcefulness of the question "National Geographic?....erm no.... I uhm.... didn't think to"
"Don't you think you should radio them ..if one of the team is missing the next of kin have to be informed and they will want to release a press statement"
Simons blood chilled..he stuttered "Ssshe has no.... next of kin ......well she has a boyfriend.. somewhere"
"Well then he should be told"
Simons cockiness returned to him "I don't know if the company know about him ....
it's a 'recently formed' relationship"
Simon couldn't believe the coldness with which he was explaining her life.
The Investigator eyed him suspiciously "Then I suggest you inform Geographic and let them decide"
The Rescue Leader commanded Simon’s attention away from the steel glare of the Investigator "What was she wearing ?"
"What?"
"Miss Reeves... you said she was in the valley doing 'night photography'....what was she wearing?"
Simon had momentarily forgotten this small fabrication.....and like a true professional liar he tried to cover his tracks quickly .His nerve however was failing him
"Uhm ...I....erm.."
"I understand your distress sir but we need you to be specific we need any clues we can get here....are we looking for a bright orange jacket or camouflage jeans?"
Simon sighed
"She was.....is.... wearing a pinkish t-shirt...and some....” he coughed and looked away ...
"pale pink panties"
The Rescue Leader looked up at him from his notepad..."AND?"
"and that's it!"
"That's it?"..."She was doing photography in her underwear and a t-shirt...at night ..in the rain?"
"Yeah!"...
The Investigator walked back into the hut and came out with Heather's camera
equipment "Who's camera is this sir?"
Simon thought fast ... "It's mine!"
He was not fast enough...
"Then who's is that on the bunk?"
"Ahm.... we bought a spare!"
The Rescue leader and the Investigator exchanged a look.
Simon knew they did not believe him..... but kept bluffing it out.
"You don't think we'd come all this way without spare cameras do you?"
The Rescue leader spoke into his walkie talkie.
"Bravo two ...our subject is wearing......."
He paused before repeating Simon's description of Heathers clothing ....
Simon heard the voice at the other end become incredulous.
The man in front of him stared past him into the mud hut
"That's what he said Bravo two .....now let's step it up.. I don't like the look of these skies!"
He turned his attention to Simon and eyed him as he gave his next order to his second in command.
"Get me National Geographic on the line.....now!"
*Hotel room in Paris.. several hours later*
Nick stared at himself in the bathroom mirror...before reminding the guys about his predicamentfor the tenth time that hour. "She hasn't called in twenty four hours guys..maybe more".
''Nick just chill .....she's probably up some mountain or something''
''Thanks Kev that makes me feel so much better''
''Maybe she's dumped you and this is the easy way out''
A loud chourus of ''AJ!!!!!''
''You're such an asshole sometimes Mclean''
Aj turned his gaze on the TV in the corner of the room "Hey this TV is amazing .....we got CNN and sports ..and....hey cool ...Brian.... basketball in fifteen minutes"
Brian sat up from his slumped position on the sofa and called to Nick..."Nick c'mon bball's on ......"
Nicks voice echoed from the bathroom .."be there in a minute"
AJ was still fascinated by the remote handset and just how many channels there were.
Kevin snatched the remote from AJ....
"AJ we are in France not on Mars...now can we please have CNN on...I would like to know what is going on in the rest of the world instead of in this hotel room!"
AJ gave him one of his freaky stares before slumping next to Brian .
They grinned at each other and started bickering about Basketball
Howie soon joined in and Kevin had to turn up the volume to hear anything "Dammit which is the volume control?...will you guys keep it down please?'
Kevin located the button as the noise of chaos kept on in the background ...
It was only the Newcasters voice on CNN that stopped them in 'mid yell'
They stared at the TV unable to believe the what they were hearing and seeing.
Heathers face smiling out from the screen...
"National Geographic photographer Heather Reeves is missing following a massive landslide south of the volcano Cotopaxi in Ecuador. Eye witnessess say the freelance photographer was knocked off her feet by the force of the swell before dissappearing under the mud and being swept away. It is thought to be highly unlikely that she could
have survived and rescue workers are now searching for her body''
As stunned as they were their thoughts turned at once to Nick
AJ hit the volume button to take the sound down ''Jesus where's Nick'' whispered AJ ''don't let him see this,he can't find out this way''
But it was too late, they turned their heads and there in the bathroom doorway stood Nick, his blank staring eyes fixed on the screen.
His body felt numb.......
His 'brothers' watched him slowly move to the TV
Kevin started to speak ... "Nick....I...."
Brian touched his arm motioning him to silence.
Nick couldn't hear anything anyway ....just the voice in his head ...saying
'dead' over and over
In front of the screen he sank to his knees ....his fingers pressed to her image....willing her to still be alive....
His empty eyes looking at hers ,his angel gone.
The tears came slowly, but when they came the grief overwhelmed his
body... and he curled himself up and and let the pain take him.