A Cache of Trouble: A Cassidy Callahan Novel. Kelly Rysten

down. Scan it and print out some copies in the right size and play with the pieces. You might find something that clicks.”

      Creativity was not my strong suit but I promised to give it a try. I was glad I did because once I printed the picture on vellum it softened the look and made the picture appear more romantic and less childish. I put the vellum over parchment paper, added a ribbon to the side that matched the wedding colors and left the card on Rusty’s desk.

      I never had a chance to hear Rusty’s opinion of the card or go shopping with Rhonda because trouble tracked me down on my next search. How many different ways could trouble find me, I wondered.

Chapter 4

      It was a simple search, a lost kid. How dangerous can a search for a lost kid be? The trail was fresh, the kid hadn’t gone far. Searchers should have been able to find him but Victor and I had been the only ones available that day on short notice. The boy had been gone five hours and only planned on climbing a hill near his parent’s car at a pullout. He’d climbed up the hill, disappeared down the other side and was still gone. The dad had climbed the hill and circled around. Trevor had to be close. He wasn’t known to just take off. It should have been a quick track over a hill, maybe a short hike down the other side. We were afraid the reason Trevor hadn’t returned was because he was injured somewhere so Victor was along for medical support.

      I was glad to have a fresh trail, but set out irritated at being called for something so simple. I followed Trevor’s footprints up one side of the hill and down the other side, and then down a wash to an old shack. I followed his trail in, out and around the old building and then into an abandoned mine. Behind the shack I found creaky timbers supporting the entrance of the old mine.

      I hadn’t brought my big pack because the track didn’t look like it warranted it. So I was only prepared for a daylight search.

      “Victor, did you bring a headlamp?”

      “No,” he said, “but I’ll run back to the car and get one.”

      The trunks of the search vehicles were packed with an odd assortment of tools, ropes, weapons, climbing gear and flashlights. We usually found what we needed in there, but had to guess what we would need.

      Victor took off and I looked around outside the mine trying to locate a trail leading away from the area. I didn’t find one. Trevor was definitely in the mine somewhere.

      I spotted Victor jogging back down the hill when suddenly the earth came alive beneath my feet. There was a rumbling like a heavy train going by. I saw Victor lose his balance and tumble down the hill as I fought to keep myself steady. Earthquake! I heard a startled scream from inside the mine and dashed in. I collided with Trevor, grabbing him to keep from bowling him over. I was going to make a run for the mine entrance, but it started crumbling so I headed deeper inside. There was a deafening roar followed by a cloud of dust which engulfed us and made us cough. Not knowing how much of the mountain would fall, I just kept going until the noise settled down. We were enveloped in pitch-blackness. We couldn’t even see our hands in front of our faces.

      “Trevor?” I gasped.

      “Who are you?” he cried in fear.

      “It’s okay, we’ll be okay. I’m Cassidy. Your parents got worried about you and called me to find you.”

      “Why’d they call a girl?” he asked.

      “They couldn’t find you when they looked for you and they were worried so they called the police. The police called me because I know how to follow tracks.”

      “I got lost in the tunnel. It’s cool back there but then it got too dark and I couldn’t find the way back.”

      The ground shook again and in fear, Trevor nearly dove for cover. I wondered how stable the mine shaft was but figured it had withstood many earthquakes in the past.

      “It’s okay, I know earthquakes can be scary but my search partner is outside. He knows where we are. He’ll call in help and they will dig us out soon.”

      “I don’t like this dark.”

      “I know, that’s why I sent Victor for a flashlight but he didn’t get back in time. It’s a good thing he’s out there, though, and not in here, or nobody would know where we are.”

      My radio crackled.

      “What’s that noise?”

      “It’s my radio. It’s probably Victor trying to contact me but the signal won’t go through the rock.” I pushed the button on the radio. “Strict? Victor? I found Trevor. We’re in good shape. When can you get us out of here?”

      Nothing, maybe a little crackling. They didn’t hear me. Hopefully they at least got a little crackling back so they would know I tried to respond.

      “We might as well get comfortable. It’s going to be a long wait.” I took off my pack but kept it in easy reach. “We’ll be all right in here. I have enough food and water in my pack for an over night search so we won’t starve to death. Have you ever eaten back packer food?”

      “No.”

      “It isn’t the greatest but it will have to do. How old are you?”

      “Ten. I’m in fourth grade.”

      “Are you from California? Have you ever been in an earthquake before?”

      “No, my family was visiting from Texas.”

      “So, are you from the tornado part of Texas or the hurricane part?”

      “The tornado part.”

      “Have you seen a tornado?”

      “Only from a distance but my uncle’s house got torn apart by one.”

      “So, what’s scarier, earthquakes or tornadoes?”

      “Earthquakes, I think. I’m glad this didn’t happen when I was on the roller coaster yesterday! What do roller coasters do in an earthquake? Do they go flying off the track? I always thought they would fly off the track.”

      “No, they don’t fly off the track. If they did, they wouldn’t have roller coasters in California.”

      We talked for hours. Trevor was talkative, which was good because it distracted him from being scared. My radio crackled again. I sent a probable crackle back to let them know I could respond.

      “What are all those numbers you said?” Trevor asked.

      “They are codes that the guys out there understand. You’re our 10-65, our missing person. And you’re 10-45A. That means you’re in good shape, not injured seriously. 10-01 means I don’t have good radio reception.”

      “How do you remember all that?”

      “If you use it a lot, you remember.”

      I wondered what time it was. It was hard to tell without light. I’d set out after Trevor about two in the afternoon. I wondered if it was night yet and if I should cook up a packet of food.

      “Trevor, tell me when you get hungry, okay? I don’t want to cook until we need it but I don’t want you to go hungry either. So you let me know, okay?”

      “Okay, right now I need to go to the bathroom. How long are they gonna take?”

      “Well, don’t wait on a rescue to go to the bathroom. Just go back down the tunnel a little ways and go there.”

      “I’m not going with you here!”

      “I won’t look when you go if you won’t look when I have to go. I can’t see you anyway.”

      “There’s no toilet paper here.”

      I fished around in my pack and handed him a half roll.

      “Conserve