“He yelled that our sons were trapped in the vehicle down in the ravine, and he said the person who forced him off the road was still hiding in the woods nearby,” Austin said.

“He told me not to come any closer until he signaled that it was clear.”

“Did you see the truck down in the ravine?” I asked.

“Yes, I could see the taillights flickering through the trees below,” Austin recalled.

“Why didn’t you go down to help my boys right away?” I demanded, anger flaring in my chest.

“Because Brandon insisted he was going to circle around the person in the woods, and he begged me to secure the top of the ridge,” Austin pleaded defensively.

“Then a huge gust of wind hit, the rain came down violently, and I lost sight of him completely in the dark.”