Free Sara by Tony Hayden Page A

talking about those two girls who went missing up in Rawah Wilderness last spring. They found their car and their tent and all their supplies, but it was like they just vanished off the face of the earth.”
                  Mike thought for a second, then asked, “Was there an investigation? Did anyone ever discover what happened to these girls?”
                  Trina shook her head sadly. “No,” she said. “The sheriff organized a search team. The Civil Air Patrol was called in, and search dogs were even brought in from Larimer County, but they found no sign of the girls.”
                  Mike puzzled over the information, “Could have been a simple case of the girls getting lost on the trail. Rawah is pretty rugged.”
                  Mr. Lang joined in, “That’s what many people believe, but when you look out over the history of this area, it seems to fit a pattern. Five years ago, a young man and his girlfriend from Weld County came up missing. They had stopped here in Ranch Springs for gasoline on their way to the mountains for a picnic and that’s the last anyone ever heard.”
                  Trina added, “It was written off as ‘lovers eloping and disappearing forever’, but that only happens in bad novels. Something terrible happened to those kids, I just know it.”
                  Brian Lang nudged the frittata toward Mike. “You need to eat,” he said. “The asparagus gets a bit stringy when it gets cold.”
                  Mike scooped some of the dish to his plate and took a bite. “This is delicious, thank you,” he said. Taking a sip of coffee, he asked over his cup, “Have there been any others?”
                  Mr. Lang passed a fresh biscuit to Mike. “Oh yes. Over the years, I would say that as many as ten or twelve youngsters have disappeared. Most of them were just girls hitch-hiking or passing through this area. Several weeks later, a parent shows up with a photograph asking if anyone remembers seeing their child.”
                  Trina took over, “Sadly, no one ever remembers because so many kids pass by. There is a rivalry between CSU in Fort Collins and the University of Wyoming, but these kids also party together a lot. There’s a huge rock out on the highway that they’re always painting messages on. The point is,” Mrs. Lang took the photo of Sara from her husband and studied it carefully before handing it back to Mike, “it is impossible to tell these kids apart. She is a beautiful girl. I hope you find her safe.”
                  Mike took the photo and rubbed it with his thumb. His heart had been replaced by a lead weight and his eyes watered.
                  Trina Lang reached out and touched his hand. Empathy etched her face.
    “When you finish your breakfast, why don’t you cross the street and talk to Pastor Popineau. He lives in the ministry quarters attached to the church, and I know he could be a big help to you.”
                  Brian Lang smiled and added, “Pastor Gary is full of fire and brimstone on Sundays, but he’s a big teddy bear in person. He can help you see God’s plan a little clearer.”
                  Mike placed Sara’s photo back in his pocket and smiled.
    “It’s been a long time since I have passed through the doors of a church,” he said. “It just might fall in on me.”
                  Trina and Brian Lang stood together.
    “We’ll leave you alone,” Trina said . “Give the pastor a holler. God speaks to us in lots of different ways, Mr. Haller. It’s up to us simply to listen.”
     

     
    Mike stood outside the Sightseer Inn and checked his cell phone for the time. He wanted to find the sheriff and talk to him about these other missing persons, but he knew that Jean would show up at any minute. Pushing a small rock from the sidewalk with his left