Northern Lights

might be an update on the lost climbers.
    "This is KUNA responding. Over."
    "I'm going with you. Pick me up by the river on your way. Over."
    Irritation rippled through her as she stuffed extra medical supplies in her bag. "I don't need a co-pilot, Burke. And I don't have time to waste showing you the sights. I'll contact you when I find them. Over."
    "I'm going with you. Those boys deserve another pair of eyes, and mine are good. I'll be ready when you get here. Over and out."
    "Damn it. I hate heroes." She hauled up the pack and, with the dogs beside her, went out. She grabbed the rest of the gear and, using the flashlight, trudged down to the lake in snowshoes.
    She'd made two runs since the all clear to fly and thanked God she didn't have to take an hour now to dig out her plane. She didn't think about the boys, dead or alive, on the mountain. She simply took the steps.
    She pulled off the wing covers, stowed them. It was work, but less work than scraping the frost from uncovered wings. After draining the water traps in the bottoms of the wing tanks, she climbed up to check the gas level by eye. Topped off the fuel.
    Making a circuit, she checked flaps, tail feathers, every part of the plane that moved to make certain everything was secure.
    Lives had been lost, she knew, due to a loose bolt.
    Her mind focused only on the safety check, she turned her prop several times to remove any pooled oil.
    Swinging into the plane, she stowed the gear, then strapped in.
    She hit the starter, switched on the engine. The prop turned, sluggishly at first, then the engine fired with a belch of exhaust. While the engine warmed, she checked gauges.
    She was in control here, as much as she considered anyone was in control of anything.
    It was still shy of dawn when she released the brakes.
    She set the flaps, the trim tab for takeoff, gave the controls a shove and yank as she looked out to be sure the ailerons were moving, if the elevators responded. Satisfied, she straightened in her seat.
    She kissed her fingers, touched them to the magnetized photo of Buddy Holly stuck to the control board. And rammed the throttle forward.
    She hadn't yet decided whether to head to Lunacy or not. As she circled the lake, building speed for takeoff, she let the decision hang.
    Maybe she would, maybe she wouldn't.
    She nosed up, rising into the air just as dawn began to break in the east. Then with a shrug, aimed that nose toward Lunacy.
    He was where he'd said he'd be. Standing on the edge of the ice with a mountain of snow at his back. He had a pack slung over his shoulder. She could only hope someone had told the cheechako what to bring as emergency gear. She saw that Hopp was with him, and her stomach sank when she recognized the other figures as Joe and Lara.
    It forced her to think of what might be. Of the bodies she'd transported before. Of the ones she might transport today.
    She set down on the ribbon of ice, waited with the engines running for Nate to cross it.
    The prop wash blew at his coat, his hair. Then he was climbing in, stowing his pack, strapping in.
    "Hope you know what you're in for," she said.
    "I haven't got a clue."
    "Maybe that's better." She kissed her fingers, touched them to Buddy. Without looking at the terrified faces to her right, she pushed to take off.
    Using the hand mike, she contacted control in Talkeetna and gave them her data. Then they were up, over the trees and veering east, northeast into the pale rising sun.
    "You're eyes and ballast, Burke. If Jacob wasn't in Nome visiting his son, I wouldn't have settled for you as either."
    "Got it. Who's Jacob?"
    "Jacob Itu. Best bush pilot I've ever known. He taught me."
    "The man you shared your popcorn with at the town meeting?"
    "That's right." They hit a pocket of air, and she saw his hand fist against the bumps. "You get airsick, I'm going to be really unhappy."
    "No. I just hate flying."
    "Why's that?"
    "Gravity."
    She grinned as they continued to bump. "Turbulence bothers you, you're going to have a really bad day. There's still time to take you back."
    "Tell that to the three kids we're going after."
    The grin vanished. She watched the mountains, the fierce rise of them, while the ground below blurred with speed and low-lying clouds. "Is that why you're a cop? Saving people's your mission?"
    "No." He said nothing as they shuddered through another patch of rough air. "Why does a bush pilot have a picture of Buddy Holly in her cockpit?"
    "To remind her shit