Chapter 28—Day One in the Crater

An orange sliver of light hugged the horizon as Joe pulled into the driveway of Christina's apartment building. Jake got out, leaving the jeep's door wide open. He rang the bell at exactly 4:45 a.m. Seconds later Laurita opened the door. She looked sleepy in her pink robe and slippers. One untidy braid hung over her shoulder.

"She'll be right down, Jake," Laurita said. "Come in for a minute."

"Sure, but a minute is all we have. We want to get in a full day, if Christina can handle it."

"Oh, she can handle it. She once danced the lead of Swan Lake, you know. Don't let that princess facade throw you off."

"I got that impression." Jake grinned. Laurita gave him a sleepy smile and climbed up the stairs to alert her daughter. She knocked once on the bedroom door and said in a loud whisper, "Honey, Jake's here, and he's in a hurry. Are you ready?"

"Come in," Christina groaned. "I'm ready, but I feel stupid in this outfit."

Laurita stepped into the room and saw her daughter glaring into the mirror.

"What's wrong? I think you look perfect."

"It feels weird to have my legs showing, and I feel awkward in these feet." She did a clumsy grand plié in her boots. Laurita stifled a giggle.

A loud voice came from downstairs. "Christina, we've gotta go. Everyone's waiting at the trailhead."

"Coming," she yelled back and then turned to her mom. "No turning back now, I guess."

"You look good, and you'll do just fine." Laurita patted her shoulder. "Your pack's by the front door. Good thing we loaded your gear and the medical kit last night, huh? I put in your lunch, snacks, and water. Do you have your phone?"

"I do, but remember, no service in the mountains." Christina took one final look at the stranger in the mirror—that Chris person Jake had seen. Then she ran down the stairs.

Jake's eyes widened, but he was savvy enough to not say anything about the transformation from Spanish princess to hiker. He did have a sister, after all. So instead he said, "Let's go. Dad's waiting to drive us to the trailhead. We'll hike in from there."

* * *

"Here you go, guys," Joe said as he pulled in close to the trail that would lead the team up the side of Scouter Mountain. Nikki, her dog, Ranger, and Devin, the mapmaker, were already there organizing their gear.

"I'll be back at five tonight," Joe said, squinting as he removed his sunglasses. "Be careful."

"We will," Jake said, as he lifted their packs and a ring of thick rope from the back of the jeep. "Today we map the tunnel openings and figure out which ones might be dead ends."

"Yep, got that—good luck and remember, safety first. I know you'll text if there's any trouble. My phone'll be right here." Joe patted the high left pocket of his green camo vest.

"Thanks, Dad, everything's cool." Then Jake looked at Christina and gave her an encouraging grin. Her mouth quivered with a slight smile.

Joe replaced his sunglasses and turned the jeep back onto the road. As soon as he drove off, Nikki frowned at Jake and Christina. "What took so long? We've been here ten minutes already."

Both Christina and Jake started to answer but then stopped and laughed. Devin fiddled with the straps of his pack and nodded a hello.

"It's my fault we're late," Jake said in a way that ended the conversation. Then he made introductions. "Devin, Christina." She smiled and adjusted the cap over her ponytail.

Ranger approached Christina but she backed away.

"Don't worry about Ranger," Nikki said. "He'll be your new best friend in five minutes. See his tail?" And she pointed to the wagging appendage.

"All right, team," Jake said, taking control. "We know the plan for today. We hike up the side of this hill until we find an abandoned road. That road will lead us to the edge of the crater. We'll rappel seventy-five feet down into the base, and after that we'll take inventory of the tunnels, and Devin will map them. That's probably all we'll have time for today. We'll go inside the tunnels on our next trip in. Just so everyone knows, I'm the hike leader and Nikki's in charge of the overall expedition. I'll go first, and then Nikki, Christina, and Devin."

"Ranger usually runs ahead," Nikki said as she bent over and ruffled his ears. "But we'll catch up with him eventually."

Ranger bounded to Christina and nosed her lightly, wanting an introduction. She gulped and stepped back, lifting her arms. His head came to her waist. Ranger licked her leg and barked once before sauntering to the trailhead, ready to go. Christina scowled and wiped her leg with the orange bandana she had tied around her wrist. That had been Jake's idea, to wear a bandana as a bracelet. He had plenty of hiking tips. She glanced at Nikki and Devin. Neither of them smiled. They were two of the most serious kids she had ever met. At least Jake is fun, she thought.

Devin adjusted his safari hat and placed his map cylinder securely across his chest. The cylinder held several maps, his pencils with good erasers, and his protractor. Even though his tools were always with him, the real map making—bringing order to the chaotic world—always went on inside his head. Putting it on paper was the easiest part of what he did. The maps in the cylinder showed the general area, but he had not mapped the tunnels. That would come next.

Jake stood at the trailhead and asked, "What are we waiting for, team? Let's go." He waved an arm and started up the steep trail that would lead them to the crater's edge. Everyone followed, in the correct order.

* * *

"I see it," Jake said. They had been ascending for a while. The team stopped, took some deep breaths, and looked ahead. Jake could see a small part of the road that led to the old mine. He peered into the thick brush and pushed several branches aside with his arm and the single ski pole he usually brought on hikes. He saw the cairn that had been built a few years ago to mark the turn onto the road. The pile of rocks hadn't moved in years. Cairns usually didn't move, which was why they were depended on as trail markers.

The foursome had hiked up like disconnected train cars with Nikki looking back every so often to see how Christina was doing. But Christina had quietly made the ascent, carrying a heavy pack for the first time, watching closely to copy everyone's moves. She had bristled a few times, though, when she saw bugs and snakes.

Her stomach churned as she remembered her reaction to a large snake sleeping lazily in a beam of sunlight on the edge of the trail. Her "eek!" had been a half-squeak, half-scream, and she had backed up into Devin, who had thrown his arms up in defense. "What is it?" she squealed.

"Contortrix—otherwise known as a copperhead," Devin said, regaining his balance. "They do bite if they're stepped on. But if it woke up, it would probably just slide away. It prefers bugs and mice to people."

They tiptoed past. Another time, Jake had touched his lips and pointed to a massive hornet's nest hanging off the side of a nearby tree. Christina went pale and put her hand to her throat. Nikki sighed and moved on, undaunted.

Now Jake walked back from the edge of the brush to the cairn and to the others. "Gather around, team. The road levels off here, but it's overgrown, see? So we'll have to bushwhack through."

Christina had no idea what bushwhack meant. But she was too proud to ask. Luckily, Jake gave an explanation in a way that didn't embarrass her. Very considerate, Christina thought. Nikki rolled her eyes.

"I'll go first again," Jake said. "The way's mostly hidden. Christina, you move behind me, then Devin, you can clear away the brush for Nikki."

"I know the route," Nikki said haughtily. "I've been to the crater lots of times with Jesse and Chaz; that's where we first saw the—" Then she shut up, remembering she...hadn't told them about the apparition. How could she tell the truth, she wondered—that they were not in fact looking for unique crystals for NASA, but were really on a quest for an angel? Jake, and especially Devin, would howl with laughter. And she hated being laughed at.

"Never mind. You're the hike leader, Jake; we'll do it your way."

"Thank you, your highness," Jake said with a formal bow. "This'll give Devin and me the chance to behave like gentlemen." His grin grew toothier than usual. Christina laughed, and even Nikki couldn't hide her lopsided smile. Who could resist his flashing beam?

The foursome adjusted their packs and one by one disappeared into the thick network of small trees and thickets.

"Watch your footing for stuff sticking out of the ground like rocks or roots," Jake said. "There will be no sprained ankles on this hike."

For a while the only sound they heard was that of the branches being pushed away and then snapping back. The boys knew better than to let a branch slam back. Bush hikers had to focus on their feet and what was in front to avoid being scratched or hit in the eye by a rogue branch.

The road finally opened up into a clearing and took on a different topography, one of sand and rocks. They were getting closer to their destination—the crater's edge.

Jake stopped. "Let's take a break. See that flat rock up there?" He pointed up to the left. "We'll go up, take off our packs, and have some water."

Christina was relieved. This hiking thing felt awkward, but she was surprised at how coordinated she felt. Although she was breathing heavily on the steep, when it was over she felt light enough to fly. She wasn't sure she loved it, but she hadn't been bored, not for a second.

They climbed onto the ledge where they got an open view of the nearby hills and valleys. At a thousand feet up, they could see the snowy peak of Mount Hood in the distance.

With loud sighs, everyone dropped their packs and sat to stretch out tired legs. They were ready for a drink. Jake had explained, for Christina's benefit, that it was best to only take a couple of ounces at a time. They didn't want to run out of water and become dehydrated.

Christina screwed up her courage. "Is it okay to eat a protein bar now?"

"Sure." Jake rubbed his stomach. "I'm hungry too. Let's all have a snack. Whoever wants to, that is," he added, looking over at Nikki.

Nikki lay flat on the ledge with her eyes closed, the sun illuminating her hair, freckles, and still face. Jake wasn't sure she'd heard him because she didn't move at all while the others ate and drank. She was preoccupied, trying to figure out how to explain the real reason for this expedition. She knew she had to say something eventually, but wasn't sure when or how she would find the words to describe the angel's visitation and the quest. It was hopeless, she thought, and hiccupped.

"We must be getting close to the crater," Devin said, noticing their surroundings looked like a mining site with piles of dirt and rocks everywhere. The old mine entrance had been filled in and blocked off years ago, after the closure. The landowners had worked to make it inaccessible so they wouldn't be sued by someone getting hurt or even killed. To get in, the team would have to divert onto an animal trail that led to the top of the mine crater and rappel down. But for now they rested while Nikki twiddled her thumbs, her chest heaving every few minutes.

* * *

"Jump now!" Jake told everyone, and Christina let go of the rope and dropped about eight feet. Her landing was like a dancer's, with arms shooting up and knees bending gracefully.

"Good landing, Chris." Jake gave her a light shoulder tap. Christina beamed and started rearranging her pack with the important medical supplies. Jake noted she didn't react to being called Chris.

The rest of the team was already at the base of the crater, and Nikki and Devin were hovering over an opened map. They pointed to various tunnel openings around the base, more than Nikki remembered.

Jake turned back to the rope they had just used to rappel down and secured it by clipping it to the lower piton he had pounded into the rock wall. They needed to be sure it was still there at the end of the day to use to climb back out.

When they were ready, the team set off on the long task of examining the entire crater base, trying to assess which tunnels might be deep enough to explore on their next trip in. Tonight, Devin would recreate the scene on paper—a precise map with locations of all the openings. That would be enough for this trek.

The end of their first long day finally arrived, and on the way back, Jake and Nikki agreed things had gone as well as could be expected.

"I don't think we missed any tunnels," Devin said. After going inside every opening, the team had deduced which ones probably had dead ends and which ones they needed to explore more deeply on their next trip in.

Everyone was quiet on the last leg. Nikki replayed the truth in her head like a broken record, feeling guilty for lying. Devin was in his head too—mapping every detail of what they'd seen, wondering which tunnels might have unique crystal veins.

Christina worried she wouldn't make it back down the trail as she dragged herself along on legs that felt like stone pillars. If only I could lie down for a minute, she thought, but she knew she'd sleep till morning. So she pushed ahead, all the while gaining a new admiration for mountain hikers, and feeling less cocky about performing long ballet leads.

Joe showed up at 5:00 p.m., just as the team stepped out of the woods. Soon everyone had pulled their tired bodies into the jeep. Devin and Nikki accepted the offer of a ride and loaded their bikes on top.

"How did everything go?" Joe asked as Jake slid into the front seat.

"Great. Perfect day." Jake wanted to avoid more questions so didn't elaborate. The less his father knew about this expedition, the better.