“Our plane seems tired,” she said to Fred.
“That’s because I’m carrying an extra gas tank lashed to the fuselage,” he explained. “We may not find Danny, but we’ll be the last ones back from the search.”
After sailing aloft, they began to circle, while with powerful binoculars Sally searched the sea for some sign, a speck of white, a dark, drifting object, just anything that spoke of life.
As the moments passed, their circle grew ever wider. Slowly, the big ship faded into the distance.
From time to time, with eager eyes, Sally lifted her glasses to scan the sky and count the planes slowly soaring there. She hoped against hope that one of these might show some sign of an all important discovery, but still they circled on.
At last she saw them, one by one, start winging their way back toward the carrier.
“Their gas is about gone,” said Fred.
“Will they refuel and come back?” Sally asked. There was a choke in her voice and an ache in her heart.
“I don’t know,” was the solemn reply. “That’s up to the big chief.”
“Danny’s out here somewhere,” she insisted. “He just must be.” Still they circled on.