For the Sake of One Lost

Chapter Two

The reins. Where were the reins? Pearl groped the horse's muscled neck, sand granules stinging her eyes and coating her tongue. She reached lower, and her fingers brushed the leather straps. She caught them and eased back, concentrating more pull on one rein. Lucy's head turned to the side and she slowed, whinnying. Pearl walked the palomino in a tight circle until she was calm, and tried to blink the sand out of her eyes.

Grabbing her water bottle from the saddlebag, she fumbled with the lid, tilted her face up, and forced her eyes open. The water was cool and emptied too soon. Her eyes continued to sting, though not as bad. Pearl blinked and spit sand, water dripping from her nose and chin.

What on earth happened? She squinted at miles and miles of twilight sky and sand in every direction, jerking her head from left to right. Her hat was gone, but never mind. How had the sun set so fast? And where were the McDonnell Ranges? The open plain? She didn't remember dunes. A shiver ran down her spine. Pearl blamed the cold and zipped the top of her puffer jacket.

Lucy flattened her ears and whinnied.

Pearl patted the palomino's sweaty neck. "Don't worry, girl. I'm taking you home right now." Her hand stilled. No more water. She hadn't brought any extra bottles. Whatever had happened, they couldn't be far from Tennant Creek . . . She simply needed to find the McDonnell Ranges.

Pearl prompted Lucy into a canter, and slowed her when they'd rounded a sandhill and came upon the last of her tracks. Still no sign of the McDonnell Ranges, and the hoof prints ended at an impression. The sand around the impression was lined and rippled.

Untouched.

Pearl shivered again. They hadn't fallen out of the sky, and mountain ranges didn't pick themselves up off the ground and walk away. There had to be a logical explanation. She hadn't died. Death wouldn't leave her in the desert on horseback. Pearl took a deep breath. She had bigger problems than different surroundings. The light was just about gone, and the temperature continued to drop. Being lost in the Tanami Desert without food and water wasn't exactly how she wanted to spend her first night in Australia. Dad had told her to take extra supplies. She should've listened.

The phone.

Hope surged as she located Caroline's satellite phone in the saddlebag. Thank God her sister-in-law had thought to give it to her. Pearl flipped it open and punched in the numbers to her brother's house. No dial tone. She frowned at the screen, hitting the call button a second, third and fourth time. "Come on." Why weren't the satellites working? It had to be the phone. Inflating her cheeks, Pearl pushed the air back out, then shoved the phone back in the saddlebag.

A blur of light winked from the southern horizon. Had that been there before, or was it an angel of God, coming to lead her back to Jeb's station? Heart quickening, Pearl coaxed Lucy into a full gallop. The light took the shape of a line, a line of blazing torches. They were saved! She breathed a sigh. "Thank you, God."

At several hundred yards, the line of torchlight morphed into a silhouetted caravan. Not a search party. Pearl shook off disappointment and slowed Lucy. Should she just ride up and say hello? They didn't have cattle, so they weren't stockmen, and they were all riding camels and donkeys. Were they tourists? Where were their trucks and jeeps?

A camel rider broke from the group. And another, both headed in her direction. Whoever they were, they had to know the way to Tennant Creek.

Lucy fought Pearl's lead, whinnying.

"What's wrong with you? Don't you want to go home where there's food and water? These people can help us." Pearl nudged the horse a little harder.

Lucy bucked.