Northern Lights

the same time, Bunch claims to have been assaulted by Igleberry. Chief Burke and Deputy Otto Gruber responded. Both complainants offered evidence of facial and bodily bruises, and in Bunch's case, a bite mark on the left buttock. No charges filed.
     
    3:40 P.M. James and William Mackie were charged with reckless driving and excessive rates of speed on Ski-doos. William Mackie contends that "Ski-doos aren't damn cars." As recreational vehicles, he believes they should be exempt from posted limits and plans to bring this matter up at the next town meeting.
     
    5:25 P.M. Snow removal crews discovered a man walking in a disoriented manner on the roadside near south Rancor Woods. He could be heard singing "A Nation Once Again." Subsequently identified as Michael Sullivan, the man was transported to Lunacy PD and turned over to Chief of Police Ignatious Burke.
     
     
     
    ALONE IN THE STATION, Nate scanned the rest of the log. It continued, with reports of drunk and disorderlies, the loss and recovery of a missing dog, the call from one of the out-of-towners with a serious case of cabin fever claiming wolves were playing poker on his porch.
    Names were printed on each and every item, no matter how embarrassing it might be for the individual. He wondered what it would've been like if The Baltimore Sun, for instance, had been so thorough and merciless in listing the calls, the names and the actions taken by the police force in Baltimore.
    He had to admit, he found it endlessly entertaining.
    Max and Carrie must have put the paper together and gone to print the minute the storm was over, he thought. Pictures of the storm and the aftermath were damn good, too. And the story on it, with Max's byline, was almost poetic.
    He didn't mind the story on himself as much as he'd thought he would. In fact, he was going to keep his copy, along with his first two issues of The Lunatic.
    Whenever he could get out to Meg's again, he'd take her one.
    A week after the storm blew in, the roads were clear enough. Dropping by her place to take her a paper couldn't be considered a date.
    Giving her a call just to make sure she was there and not flying around somewhere couldn't be considered plans.
    It was just being practical.
    Expecting his staff to come in any moment, Nate tucked the newspaper in a desk drawer and started out to put some fuel in the woodstove.
    Hopp pushed through the outside door.
    "We've got trouble," she said.
    "Is it bigger than four and a half feet of snow?"
    She shoved back her hood. Under it her face was bone white. "Three missing boys."
    "Give me the details." He backed up. "Who, when and where they were last seen."
    "Steven Wise, Joe and Lara's boy, his cousin Scott from Talkeetna and one of their college friends. Joe and Lara thought Steven and Scott were down in Prince William for winter break. Scott's parents thought the same. Lara and Scott's mother got together on the radio last night to pass the time and catch up, and it came out some of the things each of the boys had told them didn't jibe. They got suspicious, enough that Lara tried calling Steven at college. He's not back—neither is Scott."
    "College where, Hopp?"
    "Anchorage." She passed a hand over her face.
    "Then they need to notify the Anchorage PD."
    "No. No. Lara got hold of Steven's girlfriend. Those idiot boys are trying a winter climb up the south face of No Name."
    "What's No Name?"
    "It's a damn mountain, Ignatious." Fear was jumping in her eyes. "A goddamn big mountain. They've been gone six days. Lara's out of her mind."
    Nate strode to his office, yanked out his map. "Show me the mountain."
    "Here." She jabbed a finger. "It's a favorite with the locals, and a lot of climbers from Outside use it for entertainment or a kind of training ground for a try at Denali. But trying a climb in January's just bone stupid, especially for three inexperienced boys. We need to call Search and Rescue. Get planes in the air at first light."
    "That gives us three hours. I'll contact S and R. Get on one of those two-ways, call Otto, Peter and Peach in here. Then I want to know who all the pilots are, other than Meg, in the area."
    He scanned the phone numbers Peach had neatly listed. "What are the chances they're still alive?"
    With a two-way in hand, Hopp sat heavily. "They need a miracle."
    • • •
     
     
    FIVE MINUTES AFTER she got the call, Meg was dressed and loading up gear. She was tempted to ignore the radio call from Lunacy PD, but decided it