Praying that Maddie would be found soon, Eva plunged into the woods behind Willis. The dark shadows of the pine trees swallowed the searchers’ silhouettes within a few yards. All Eva could see were the bobbing flashlights of the people with her. The underbrush clawed at her clothes, and branches scratched at her face and hands as she trudged forward. Willis shouted for Maddie every few minutes, and Eva strained her ears to hear a reply.
They had been moving forward slowly for about thirty minutes when the light Jenny was holding danced wildly. “I found something,” she called out.
Eva and Willis moved to join Michael and Jenny in a small clearing. Sadie whined, clearly eager to forge on.
Jenny held a scrap of fabric in her hand. She looked at Willis. “What color dress was Maddie wearing?”
He shook his head. “I’m not sure.”
Eva shut her eyes and thought back to that morning. She remembered seeing the girl’s black kapp and apron as she sat on the swing. She opened her eyes. “Blue, her dress was royal blue with a black apron over it.”
It was hard to tell the color by flashlight, but Eva was sure it was the same material. “That’s from her dress.”
Willis grasped her hand and squeezed gently. “It means we’re on the right trail.”
The radio Michael carried crackled to life. “This is Sgt. O’Connor. Do you copy?”
“We hear you. Sadie is leading us away from the Arnett farm and down toward the river,” Michael said. “Over.”
“Do you think she is still on the trail of the child?” O’Connor asked.
“We do. Jenny found some torn material on a thornbush. Eva says it’s the same color Maddie was wearing. We seem to be following a game trail. It’s narrow and twisting. Between the darkness and the terrain, we are holding Sadie back. She could cover the distance much faster without us. Over.”
“She’s your dog. Will she stay with Maddie if she finds her?”
“She will,” Jenny said with confidence.
“Willis, what do you think?” Michael asked.
Willis rubbed a hand across his chin and turned to Eva. “What’s your opinion?”
“I think having Sadie with her will give Maddie comfort until we can reach her, but it’s your decision.”
Willis looked at Michael. “Let’s do it.”
Michael spoke into the radio. “We are going to send Sadie ahead. Over.”
“Understood. The radio you have is equipped with GPS. That means we can track it from here. Can you attach it to the dog?”
“I can use my kapp and tie it around her neck,” Eva said.
There was silence on the other end. Finally, Sgt. O’Connor came on again. “I’m sending two deputies on ATVs down to the river. They’ll work their way toward you. The four of you follow the dog if you can. Your GPS says you are a quarter of a mile west of the river. Keep moving east. Do you have a compass? Over.”
“We don’t but I see the Lord has provided a big yellow moon rising now. We’ll be able to keep it in sight through the trees.”
Eva knelt and tied her kapp tightly to Sadie’s collar with the radio inside it. She prayed it wouldn’t be pulled loose by the dense underbrush.
“Find her, Sadie,” Eva whispered into the dog’s ear. Sadie lifted her head and growled deep in her chest. Michael unsnapped her leash and she bolted away, barking loudly.
Willis helped Eva to her feet. Sadie’s barking rapidly grew faint, but Eva could still hear her. Willis kept a hold on Eva’s hand as they pushed forward. He shouted Maddie’s name when Sadie stopped barking.
There was only silence. The rising moon gave Eva enough light to see Willis’s worried face. Had it been a mistake to let the dog loose? If she had gone home, how would they know?
He pulled Eva to the top of a small rise. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled Maddie’s name again.
“Hello? Sadie, stop licking my face. Hello?”
Eva threw her arms around Willis at the sound of that welcome reply. He hugged her tight as relief sucked the strength from her bones. “That’s her. She’s okay. Thanks be to Gott for His mercy,” she whispered against his chest.
He let her go and they all hurried down the hill, shouting that they were coming. A snarl erupted in the dark ahead of them followed by Sadie’s fierce barking and Maddie’s scream.
Fear gripped Willis. “Maddie! Answer me.” He tried to rush forward but the thick brush held him back. He finally forced his way through into another clearing. His flashlight showed Sadie standing on her back legs with her front paws on a dead pine. She began jumping and barking again. Ten feet over her head a black bear clung to the tree, glaring at them.
Willis heard a whimper behind him. He spun around. Behind a fallen log, Maddie was crouched with her eyes closed and her hands over her ears. Relief sent a surge of joy to his heart. He dropped to his knees beside her. “Maddie, it’s Willis.”
He didn’t see any blood. Was she okay? He wanted to grab her up but knew that would frighten her even more. He reached out and gently touched her shoulder. She flinched, her eyes popped open and she launched herself into his arms.
“I knew you would come,” she sobbed.
He held her tight as he struggled to his feet. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. Are you hurt?”
“Bubble got us lost.”
Willis caught sight of Eva standing a few feet away with her arms around Jenny. They were both smiling although he saw tears on Eva’s cheeks. “Shame on Bubble. You should stop listening to her.”
He carried Maddie to Eva. She cupped Maddie’s cheek. “You scared us. Are you okay?”
Maddie nodded but didn’t release her grip on his neck. “I got scared, too,”
