Chapter 23

Tuesday — a month later: The next month went by pretty quietly. Then one day, we were standing the communication watch, when Lee noted two blips coming across the screen from east to west and the one seemed to be chasing the other, indicated by the turns the first one would initiate and the second would follow. Jenn manage to find the frequency which allowed us to hear the first plane.

They were broadcasting a "Mayday" saying that some unknown plane was trying to force them down. He identified himself as John Turner with his wife and twin daughters aboard. He gave his present location, then requested aid. No one answered. I was tempted to answer but knew we could not be of any help.

Jenn was recording the broadcast when Jacob and Vivian entered. Vivian took over the scope and was able to make to get a range and bearing on them. Jacob took over the radio and suggested the pilot turn on a heading of 185o and head back towards us. Vivian said they had completed their turn and were now heading through the valley. Jacob was in the process of broadcasting a warning when we received a final communication from the plane that said, "We are being forced into the side of the mountain." Then screams, which stopped suddenly.

I told Jacob "Don't broadcast" and I requested that Vivian try and track the remaining plane but if it turned towards us to shut down the radar. I grabbed a snowmobile and headed for Art's cabin. I wanted to mount a rescue mission as soon as practical.

By the time I explained what we had heard and the fact the plane went down Art was gathering his gear. Aunt Lee who was visiting said that they would move down to the hanger to provide additional coverage while we were gone. Nukka was gathering her stuff as well. When I questioned this, she asked, 'Who is going to supply first aid?"

I took Aunt Lee, swung by and picked up Uncle Lee, before dropping them at their cabin. Then, heading to mine, to dress for an extend outdoors stay. Jenn went with me and help me get ready. By the time I was dressed, she had a pack made for me along with the Smith and Wesson .223, ready for me to go. When I questioned the choice of weapons, she pointed out that the rifle was lighter and the scope was better since it had been set up as a varmint gun and had better long range capabilities. Jenn also handed me my P99 to take with me.

Other than a change of clothes and some additional freeze dried food, I took my sleeping bag. Jenn said Art would have a tent that would hold us all. Shortly I was back at the hanger and we were ready to go. It was decided we would take two snowmobiles and pull two toboggans that Art had built. I call them toboggans, but they were a modified dog sled, having a 16 inch rail all the way around it to hold the contents in. Art would lead, pulling the toboggan that held just my pack and Nukka would ride with me and I would also be pulling the one loaded with our supplies include extra gas. I was instructed to hang back, so that if anything went wrong, I would have time to stop. Besides if I got too close to Art, I would be eating the snow kicked up by his snowmobile.

Vivian appeared and supplied Art with a map with the most likely place the plane went in from the data she had before the plane disappeared from the screen. Vivian also told us the other plane made a turn and headed back north before turning due east and she thought they must be heading for Wiseman.

Art led off at a good clip, driving down the center of the river. Nukka yelled, "This is the fastest way to travel and would leave less of a trail to be followed especially from the air."

I had not given that any thought. We were on our way in less than an hour after the plane had crashed. I suspected it would take us three hours to reach the point that we would just have to climb up to reach the crash site. Art did not pause but kept the pace up until we turned up the smaller stream where we had found the plane late last summer.

At this point he reduced speed slightly. I suspected it was because, unlike the river, there were obstacles sticking up out of the ice and hitting them would wreck your whole day. An hour and a half later we met with a surprise.

The plane had not been forced into the side of the mountain but had tried to land on the stream. The undercarriage of the plane had been ripped off and one wing was gone but basically the fuselage of the plane was still intact. Art stopped a short distance back and we approached carefully with our weapons ready. No one answered our calls, nor did we see any tracks leading from the plane. Art had taken the left side of the plane and I the right, as we swung around it looking for possible tracks or an ambush. When we met several yards behind the rear of the plane, we turned and began our approach.

Once I had ducked under the horizontal stabilizer, I hit the side of the fuselage and yelled, "Is anybody in here?" I heard some motion inside but heard no verbal response.

The aircraft was tilted towards me leaning on its wing. Art indicated for me to remain where I was, while he moved towards the front of the plane. Shortly Art said, "I can see into the cabin, the pilot and copilot are slumped over, either dead or hurt real bad from the amount of blood on them. I then moved up onto the wing and pulled the door open.

It was not a pretty sight. Laying my rifle across the top of the cabin, I checked the pilot, then copilot for a pulse and found none. By then, Nukka had brought up the snowmobile with our supplies. I noticed two more bodies in the back and told Art about them.

Art help me pull the pilot out onto the wing to allow us access to the back of the plane. We found two girls who were alive, but unconscious. Nukka climbed into the plane and checked the girls out as best she could, and decided they could be moved. As Art and I pulled the girls out of the plane, Nukka pulled out two sleeping bags and we placed them in the sleeping bags.

At this point, we also checked the plane for baggage and found none. Art also noted the plane did not have much gas left in its tank. Nukka had preformed quick first aid on minor cuts and abrasions; before using a capsule of ammonia spirit to revived one of the girls and was now working on the other.

When we asked the girl her name, she responded with, "I am Mandy Turner and my sister's name is Mindy. How are our parents?"

"Mandy, I am sorry to say they did not survive the crash. Why was the other plane chasing you?" I asked.

"We escaped from Wiseman. Some men had taken it over, are killing the men and raping the women. Dad saw it and was trying to keep us hidden, when someone gave us up, hoping for a better deal. Dad shot two men before we were able to take off. Then a plane came after us, shooting at us. They hit Mom in the side of the head and tried to force Dad into the mountain. Dad slipped under them hitting the bottom of their plane, but he lost control and we started to crash." explained Mandy.

Art said, "We need to get out of here and cover our trail in case they come back."

"What about our parents?" asked Mindy, who had revived during Mandy's explanation.

"Honey, we have no way to bury them. We can have a funeral pyre for them. That will help us cover our trail and keep them from looking for you possibly." said Nukka.

Both girls nodded their heads so Art and I placed their father back into the pilot seat. I took the time to fill the snowmobiles with gas, while Art empty the contents of a spare gas can inside the cab of the plane. Once we had the girls in the toboggans and the gear redistributed, we moved the snowmobiles south of the plane and waited while Art started the fire.

Nukka said, "Now is the time for each of you to say something nice about your mother and father. Then tell them good-bye."

Both girls did, taking turns and were in tears when the cab of the plane burst into flames and Art was headed back as fast as he could move. Just as Art reached the snowmobiles the fuel remaining in the plane's gas tank exploded and then the whole plane was on fire. We did not stay to watch it burn, but started on our way back.

We had not traveled far, when the last of the daylight faded away. We continued on using the headlights of the snowmobiles. We stopped every hour to check on the girls and once we pulled off into the trees to make a quick meal and warm tea. Art said he doubted the attackers would return tonight, so we would keep going to get clear of the area, instead of camping for the night. I agreed and after we ate, we hit the trail again.

Art had cut several pine boughs, tied them to the back of the toboggan so they would erase our tracks a bit. I pulled them until we made the turn onto our river. We stopped to check on everybody and throw the boughs under some trees to hide them before continuing on our way. The remaining residents of the mining camp must have been watching for us because everybody was in front of the hanger when we pulled up.

All the women took over from that point. I thought Mandy and Mindy would be spending the night in the Hanger or the small Quonset hut, but I guessed wrong. Jenn and Lee insisted they stay with us, so Art took them to our cabin, while I followed with my wives.

When we arrived, Lee served us some hot soup and tea her mother had previously brewed for us. I do not know what was in the tea or maybe it was being inside and getting warm again, but in a short time, it was all I could do to climb the stairs and get into bed.

Wednesday: The next day Jacob put on his State Trooper uniform and interviewed the girls separately. Jacob taped the interview for later use in court and had filled out all the proper forms by noon. Vivian was in the communication room, when a plane from the east appeared on the screen again. They could be heard asking for anybody to respond to their radio call. The same ID was displayed on the radar from the day before so we did not respond but did monitor their activities. When they turned down the valley that the crash had taken place in we warned everybody to get inside and stay undercover until we gave the okay. Shortly they flew up our river but they did not circle or slow as they flew over.