The room Max had rented was rather full. Isabel had gotten the room next door, but for now everyone was gathered here.

“Alright Max, so Liz is close. How close?” Isabel asked.

“Yeah, do you think she is here in Flagstaff, or what?” Alex perched on the edge of the bed beside her. “Do you think we could find her tonight?”

Max smiled, at his sister and his friends, and shook his head. “You guys.” He said. This was what he had felt in the circle. That one for all and all for one feeling. And this time it was for him and Liz.

“Max!”

Maria volunteered the info, before Isabel blew a gasket. “Max thinks she is north of here in the Canyon. Though ‘what’ she could be doing there is beyond me. Anyway, if she is still there tomorrow morning, we’re going in after her. Oh I can’t ‘believe’ you guys got here ahead of us! How did you do it? I mean did you like feel Max and Michael, or what?”

Isabel exclaimed, “In the ‘canyon!” At the same time Alex said, “Maria you need to take a breath between sentences or you will asphyxiate yourself.”

“Yeah, I feel Liz.” Max answered. “She’s close to or in the canyon, as near as I can tell. Except for campers, they won’t let anyone in after dark. So we have to wait till morning. Now, will you tell us how you managed to get here ahead of us? I’d really like to know.”

Alex volunteered the how, with numerous interruptions from Isabel. He thought his Izzy was rather clever and wanted them all to know it. He also told them that Kyle and Tess would have been there too, and how they got caught. “I think we should call them, they’ll want to know how we made out.”

“Yeah, I got to call Mom.” Maria said. “She is so pissed right now that even I can feel it!”

“And me.” Added Alex. “And me. Us.” Said Isabel. She looked at Max, who had the grace to look embarrassed. “I’ll call.” He mumbled. “I don’t know what I’m going to say, but I’ll be the one who gets to experience the yelling and crying.” Max looked up at Isabel. “I owe you that.”

“You bet you do!” She answered with a smile.

Michael hugged Maria close. “Well, I guess we all stay here tonight.”

Maria took his hand and undid his arm from around her waist. “Michael Guerin, ‘you’, Max and Alex, are staying here tonight. Isabel and I are taking the next room. Boy’s room, girl’s room. Get the picture?”

***

Somewhere in the Grand Canyon:

6:00 PM: Luke had found a stream and talked Liz into camping there. “We have water, for drinking and washing, and handy bushes for a restroom Liz. I really don’t think we should keep going in the dark.”

Liz sat down and rubbed her shin. Just because Luke could see in the dark, didn’t save her from stubbed toes or barked shins. She agreed.

“If it will make you feel any better,” Luke offered. “I brought a cell phone along. We can call Elsie and let her know where we are camped, and that we will be back tomorrow.”

Liz perked up at that. “That’s really great. Where did you get that? Do you really think the signal will get out of this canyon?”

“Sure. There’s a receiver up on the rim, just so people can call out if they need to.” Luke dug the phone out of his pack. “This is Jarod’s. He left it behind so I brought it along. You know, in case.”

They called Elsie and found out that Jarod didn’t expect to be back either. She was grateful for the call. “I do worry a lot, I know, but I’m glad you two youngsters are having a good time. I’ll see you tomorrow then, goodnight.”

Liz began unrolling her bedroll. “I hope Jarod doesn’t mind us using his phone. How are you at starting fires?”