When none of the others moved to help, he took Hugh's long flashlight and walked with her around the deadfall, turning the beam on the path their car had taken into the yard. They spent an hour searching through the rubble, through the rooms, this time opening closets and poking under tables. They spent an hour, and they found nothing. And when they came outside again, Peg had lost the armor she'd forged from her revenge.
At the sidewalk she stopped.
"I… we can't go until we find him," she said.
"In the morning," he said. "We'll never find him tonight."
"I won't go."
"You don't have to."
"Hugh said-"
"Hugh says a lot of things. And if he insists, well, there's more than one boat, you know." He put an arm around her waist, held her close. "We'll find him. I promise."
She seemed ready to agree, then shook herself and stared at him. "No. You go if you want. I can't. I just can't."
He touched a hand to her shoulder, nodded
They stopped at the edge of the path, and he licked at his lips. The way ahead was dark, filled with the growl of the sea climbing the rocks. Peg took his arm; they left the road behind.
"Peg," he whispered, wanting to tell her how fruitless this was. But she tightened her grip to silence him, and he stared ahead, trying to see beyond the reach of the light, swinging it side to side, hunting for a telltale break in the undergrowth.
Five minutes and he was freezing.
Five more and she stumbled, nearly knocking them both down.
He sensed her resolve weakening, yet she pulled him on gently until they reached a widening of the path and saw the body ahead.
"Oh my God," she murmured.
The flashlight poked closer, and the body elongated.
"It's El," he said flatly.
Peg looked away, a cheek against his shoulder, and he had a hand out when he felt her stiffen and clutch him fiercely. He turned quickly, and saw the figure in the middle of the road, the shadow waiting for them in the middle of the path.