Excerpt of Canyon Standoff

"From the end of the earth I will cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed.  Lead me to the rock that is higher than I; For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy."

Psalm 61: 2-3

Storm clouds darkened the north rim of the Grand Canyon, casting ominous shadows into the abyss. Pounding desert rain was threatening to sweep across the miles of open canyon and deluge the south rim helipad before rangers of the Search and Rescue team could fully mobilize.

Holly trembled with trepidation. She knew what was going to happen - what must happen - when Gabe realized who she was. And then there he was, jogging toward her. The one person who set her nerves on edge while also bringing assurance of safety, even while dangling from a rope suspended below a helicopter or repelling down a cliff. Except she was no teenage novice seasonal volunteer anymore, she was Agent Holly Forbes of the FBI. And she was there for one purpose, to do her job, not because she'd once had a foolish crush on National Park Ranger Gabe McClelland.
Wind was picking up, whipping strands of her long, dark hair across her face and stinging her cheeks, but that was the least of her worries. She stood tall and still, expecting some kind of reaction when Gabe recognized her. Instead, he passed by as if she were simply in his way and began shouting orders to his men - and one woman - as they stowed their gear aboard the chopper.

The vibration of her cell phone startled her. Pressing it to her ear she tried to shelter it from the wind with her body.

"What? I can't hear you!"

A firm hand grasped her elbow. Her eyes locked with Gabe's for an instant before he tapped the side of his flight helmet and shouted, "I just got the full report by radio, Agent Forbes. Let's go."

"Are you sure?"

His dark eyes narrowed slightly as he nodded but that was the only sign he was perturbed. If she hadn't known him so well in the past she'd have missed the reaction.

"Yes." Keeping temporary hold he urged her toward the chopper. "I'll give you a headset and brief everybody once we're in the air. In case you haven't noticed, there's a storm brewing."

"Well, yeah." Holly had to hustle to pace him. "It'll be safer below the rim."

"Usually is." Gabe handed her up to two other rangers who hoisted her aboard and made room for her. "Belt in."

Still, he'd given no indication that he remembered her, whereas she would have been able to pick him out of a crowd of thousands. So much for the way he'd made her feel so special when she'd worked in the park. Their brief summer acquaintance had obviously meant a lot more to her than it had to him.

The whomp whomp whomp of the blades sped until the sound was one deafening roar. They were airborne. Holly felt an imaginary hole in the pit of her stomach and grabbed the edge of the seat as the pilot banked to the left before straightening out. Then, the loaded chopper passed over the edge and dropped into the magnificent canyon.

She'd often wondered how something so beautiful could claim so many lives and she'd come to the conclusion survival depended upon respect. If hikers or other visitors to Grand Canyon National Park paid attention to the rangers, stayed on the trails and were properly equipped and hydrated during the blazing summers, they lived.

She shivered. Disregard the warnings or wander from safe trails and the canyon was apt to swallow you like a mythical fire-breathing dragon. She'd seen it happen. And she never wanted to witness that kind of fruitless death again.

Her gaze darted from the scenery outside to Gabe's face. Stoic and fully in control he epitomized the perfect Park Ranger. How he could work Search and Rescue and keep his cool despite the fact they couldn't hope to save everyone was more than amazing to Holly, it was terribly, terribly sad.

*

Gabe stayed focused on the task at hand, yet something about the serious FBI agent kept niggling at his subconscious. The park was very attractive to athletic young people looking for a challenge or just unwinding after rough college finals so there was a chance this agent reminded him of one of those green kids. It had surprised him when she hadn't balked at climbing aboard with his team. It would have please him more to have made this rescue without extra baggage but that couldn't be helped this time. Orders to include her had come from above.

Gabe tapped the side of his helmet again and began talking to his SAR team. "The latest news from Spirit Ranch station is bad. We have one ranger down and two missing." He had to hold up his hand to stop questions. "I haven't been given particulars that make a lot of sense. We have conflicting reports, at best."

"What are our plans?" someone asked.

"Rescue, above all." He eyed the FBI agent. "After that, maybe our ride-along FBI agent can fill us in."

"Armed and dangerous to begin with," Holly reported. "At least three men plus their driver fled Las Vegas after a drug cartel meeting went bad." She paused and sobered even more. "They took out two of my fellow agents. One of them is clinging to life in a hospital right now."