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Chapter 3 - Waiting

WEDNESDAY, LEO'S OFFICE

"Charlie?" Josh asked.  

Leo glanced absently at his deputy. "You need an assistant. Toby can't spare Bonny, Ginger's on holiday and Donna's not back until tomorrow."

"What about the President?"

"He says it's fine. Charlie'll be back on Friday. What's the problem?"

"None. If Charlie's happy to play nursemaid......"

"Josh," Leo sighed. "You really think Charlie...." he shook his head. "Never mind. What time are you leaving?"

"The flight's at 9.30."

"I'll see you before you go. Don't forget you're taking Ryan with you."

"Ryan?" Josh sighed, he had been hoping to escape from his intern for a few days.

"Yes. It'll do him good. He's suppose to be experiencing all aspects of the job."

"Yeah," Josh reluctantly agreed. 

After Josh had left the office Leo sat in silence for a moment. It had been a week since Josh agreed to stay, but things between them weren't much better. Josh was reading too much into everything, in Leo's opinion anyway.

FRIDAY

Josh hung up the phone and walked back the others. "Leo says it's fine, as long as we're not paying anything." He looked questioningly at Ryan.

"He's flying back to National anyway so it's no bother for us to get a lift," Ryan insisted.

"How big's the plane?" Will asked, trying not to sound too worried.

"It's a mid size business jet," Ryan replied as they set off across the airport. "Don't look so nervous. It's a twin engine jet, with a separate cabin that seats eight, a galley, a restroom, DVD players. It's pretty cool," he smiled.

"It's a different world," Charlie muttered. "Hey," he nudged Josh and nodded across the concourse, "look who else is stranded." 

Josh grinned mischievously and led them through the throng of angry, delayed passengers. "Hey."

Danny turned round and gave a mock sigh, "Well if I'd known you were here I'd have tried walking home. How long you been delayed?"

"Four hours, you?"

"Boarded the plane and had to get off again. Which I don't understand 'cos our baggage was already onboard. So, does this strike have anything to do with you lot then?" he grinned.

"More than likely," Josh agreed. "We got a flight out, you want a lift?"

"How?" Danny asked suspiciously.

"Private jet," Ryan supplied.

Danny raised an eyebrow, "Isn't that a misappropriation of government funds?"

"You want a lift or not?" Josh grinned.

"Yeah." Danny collected his hand luggage and followed them across the concourse. "So who's plane is it? Am I going to be part of government conspiracy?"

"It's a friend of Ryan's father's," Charlie supplied, with a grin.

"Wow, it really is who you know rather than what you know."

"I enjoyed that, I could be an assistant," Charlie announced, as he returned from the galley area with a tray of drinks.

"It'd be a salary cut," Josh pointed out.

"If they cut my salary by much, I'll be paying them," Charlie smiled. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked Will.

"Yeah." Will was sitting across from Josh and Charlie, gripping the armrest and trying to look calm.

"Really?" Josh asked doubtfully.

"I don't like small aircraft."

"Well, I guess if you get scared on Air Force One," Charlie pointed out.

"You get scared on Air Force One?" Danny asked from behind them.

"The landing gear was stuck. Anyway I'm not scared, I'm just cautious."

"Cautious? You hold onto that arm rest much harder they're gonna make us pay for it," Charlie grinned, before turning his attention back to Josh. "So you think I should stay were I am then? 'Cos it seemed like a solution. I mean if Donna and I swapped jobs then you'd have no excuse not to ask her out."

"Apart from the fact that she'd more than likely laugh at me?" Josh asked.

"If you'd have quit last week, she'd have gone with you."

"Only 'cos she likes the idea of living in California."

"Yeah, that could be right," Charlie agreed. "Deanna loves it out there."

"You miss her?" Josh asked, as a strange knock echoed through the plane. 

"What was that?" Will asked.

Josh shrugged, "Turbulence?"

"What do you mean, 'missing'?" Jed asked.

"It disappeared off radar about thirty minutes ago, Sir, after a mayday from the pilot. Search and Rescue have been deployed to the area, but it's mountainous terrain and heavily forested, so it may take some time to locate and reach them." 

"Thank you, Peter, keep me informed."

"Yes, Sir."

Jed watched Peter leave, then he walked into the adjoining office. "Leo, have you got a moment?"

"Mr President." Leo went to stand but Jed waived him back down. 

"Peter Marsh has just been to see me. It appears that the plane carrying Charlie, Josh and Will has gone missing somewhere over Shenandoah "

"Missing?" Leo paled. "How long ago?"

"About thirty minutes. There was a mayday, S & R have an idea where to look, so......" Jed trailed off.

"Yeah. I should tell the others." 

"They'll be alright. S & R's already out looking for them."

Leo nodded. Once Jed had left he phoned Toby and asked him to bring CJ and Donna with him. When they arrived at Leo's office they only had to take one look at his face to know something was very wrong.

"What's going on?" CJ asked.

"There's a plane gone missing over Shenandoah," Leo looked at the three faces before him. "Josh, Will and Charlie are on board."

CJ was the first to speak. "When?"

"Half an hour. S & R are out looking."

"This is why I hate flying," Will said to Josh. "You think it's broken?"

"I don't think so, but then I failed the only first aid course I ever took."

"Then get away from me," Charlie muttered with an attempt at a smile. 

"The pilot's broken his arm," Danny told them. "He's given me our location to tell the emergency services. Let me take at look at Charlie."

Josh stood and let Danny check Charlie over. "How are you now?" he asked Ryan.

Ryan pulled the cloth away from his head. "The bleeding's stopped, I'll be fine."

"What about you?" Josh asked Danny.

"Well, it's the last time I hitch a ride with you," Danny smiled. "The pilot's given me his cell phone, but there's no signal," he said.

"We need to be higher up," Will informed them. "I could walk up the hill a little."

"I'll come with you," Josh said, causing Charlie and Danny to laugh. "What? I keep telling you I'm an outdoorsman."

"We got lost in the National Arboretum," Charlie reminded him.

"But Will must have learnt some kind of outdoor skills in his time in the Air Force," Josh replied.

"I'm a JAG reservist," Will pointed out. "Come on."

Josh took the cell phone and map location from Danny and they set off.

"I'm briefing the press in two minutes. Someone needs to call Sam," CJ told Toby.

Toby reluctantly picked up the phone and dialed the number, it was answered on the third ring. "Hey, Sam."

"Hey, Toby," Sam replied. "How are the twins?"

Toby smiled slightly at the mention of his babies, "The twins are fine." He sighed as he caught CJ's look. "Sam, there's a plane gone missing, a business jet." He knew he couldn't stall any longer. "Charlie, Will and Josh are on it." 

"Oh God."

"It's not been missing long, it disappeared off radar forty minutes ago. The pilot sent a mayday that he was making an emergency landing."

"Where?" Sam asked, praying that Toby was going to say an abandoned airstrip or a road or at least the desert, but knowing deep down that he wasn't going to say that at all.

"Shenandoah."

"Oh God," Sam repeated. "Well someone's looking for them though right? I mean if the pilot sent a mayday...."

"S & R are out looking now. I'll call you as soon as we hear anything."

"I should be there."

"By the time you got here, they'd have been found. I'll call you as soon as we hear anything."

"Yeah, Ok. I'll speak to you soon. Toby, is everyone alright there?"

"As you'd expect."

Leo was suppose to be reading a memo. He was suppose to be thinking about at least ten things at that moment. But all he could think about was Josh, Charlie, Will and Ryan. Why was it that every time things seem to be going right something else happened to bring them crashing back down. Surely this wasn't how it was suppose to be.

"Leo, Howard Pierce on line three," Margaret interrupted his thoughts.

Leo picked up the phone and pressed three. "Howard."

"Leo, it's been almost two hours, what the hell's happening?"

"I don't know anymore than you do."

"Well find out. My son's missing out there for God's sake. I sent him to you, you were suppose to be taking care of him."

"He's not six, Howard, and I'm not his nanny," Leo snapped. He took a deep breath before continuing, "Look, I'm sorry. I know you're worried, we're all worried. As soon as I know anything I'll call you."

"Fine," Howard hung up the phone and Leo sighed.

"Are you alright?" Margaret asked from the doorway.

"Will you not hover like that," Leo snapped. "I'm fine."

"Okay, if you need me...."

"Yeah," Leo replied. "Margaret," he called after his assistant's retreating back, "thanks."

Once Margaret had left Leo tried to focus back on work, but it was hopeless. Since Jed told him about the crash, he hadn't been able to stop thinking how he left things with Josh, and now Howard Pierce's words were echoing in his ears. He realized it was twenty five years since he'd told Noah he'd keep an eye on Josh, make sure he was okay, but he still felt that responsibility. How did they go from being so close to having such distance between them in the space of a couple of months?

He had always liked Josh, even when he was a child. In the last six years, as he got to know Josh better, he'd come to trust him above almost everyone else. Of course he knew before he employed him that he could count on Josh, that was one of the reasons he hired him, he knew were Josh's loyalty would lie. 

So how did their relationship deteriorate so quickly? He understood what Josh meant when he shouted those words at him, when he told him that there was a time he would have done anything for the administration, 'administration' wasn't the word Josh had intended. 

"Leo," Margaret appeared in the doorway again. "Senator Bruce is here."

"Show him in," Leo told her, trying to ignore the concerned look she was giving him.

Josh stopped and looked up the slope they were climbing. "How high do we have to go?" he asked.

"Tired?" Will smiled.

"I'm fine, I just thought you looked a little winded there that's all."

"Hey! I'm as fit as the next man." Will looked up at the sky, "I think it's gonna rain."

"Yeah," Josh agreed as the first spots of rain began to fall. "I think you could be right there."

"Do we have any idea how to get back to the plane?" Will asked.

"I thought you were keeping track?"

"What with? I haven't got a map or a compass."

Josh grinned at that. "You see if we'd been in my car we'd be fine."

"Okay," Will said a little indulgently. "Apart from the fact that I don't think your car's ever likely to need to make an emergency landing in Shenandoah. Why?"

"I have a box in the trunk for emergencies."

"Me too," Will told him. "Flashlight, blanket, rope, waterproofs. My dad's idea. Once a soldier always a soldier," he smiled. "You?"

"My mom," Josh replied, as he grabbed hold of a tree branch to stop himself slipping, again. "She sends me things to add to it at regular intervals. I swear if I put everything in there it'd be bigger than the car."

"Bet she's never sent you a thermal all weather blanket with a hood."

"No," Josh agreed, "she obviously hasn't seen any of those yet." He stopped to catch his breath and glared at the cell phone. "You think maybe this phone's broke, 'cos we've been climbing for thirty minutes now and there's still no signal?"

"Well, it's been in a plane crash, so there's a good chance." Will agreed. "What should we do?"

Josh shrugged, "Keep trying I guess."

Ten minutes later, they were both tired, wet and covered in mud and there was still no signal. "I suppose if we walk for long enough we'll reach civilization," Josh commented.

"God I hope so, otherwise we're going to have to walk back. Bet you wish you'd quit now."

"What and miss this adventure," Josh smiled. "It's like being a frontiersman in the 18th century."

"Only in suits, with a cell phone," Will added.

"Yeah. And there's probably less likelihood of us getting ambushed by natives who are a little angry that we're stealing their land."

"Maybe. But knowing our luck we'll stumble across a survivalist camp."

"At least it'd be dry," Josh complained. "Hang on, I've got a signal."

"Thank God for that," Will sighed and sat down on a convenient rock.

Josh grinned and dialed 911. He gave the operator their location and details and hung up.

"Call work," Will told him.

Josh nodded and dialed.

Donna looked at her ringing cell phone but she didn't recognize the number. "Answer it," CJ told her.

"Donna Moss."

"Hey," a familiar voice said on the other end of the line.

"Josh," Donna sighed with relief and CJ grinned. "Where are you? Are you alright? What about everyone else?"

Josh laughed, "I have no idea. I'm fine. Will's here, he's fine too. Charlie's hurt his shoulder. Ryan and Danny are okay and the pilot's broken his arm. How are you?"

"Better now. You have called for help haven't you?"

"Yes. The pilot gave us the co-ordinates, we'll be home before you know it. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, we were all worried, but it'll be okay now."

Josh caught Will's sigh and grinned. "We're going to go now and get back to the plane before the weather sets in anymore. Will's looking a little chilly."

"Why aren't you with the plane?"

"We crashed in a ravine, Will and I hiked out."

"You hiked! Well thank God Will's with you," Donna smiled. "Hang on, Danny?" she asked, glancing at CJ. "Danny Concannon?"

"Yeah, he was stranded at the airport, we gave him a lift."

"He must be really grateful for that," Donna smiled.

"We are. He's the only one of us who knows first aid. I've got to go. I'll see you soon and try not to worry."

"I'll see you soon."

Josh hung up the phone and caught Will's smile. "What?" he asked.

"If you don't tell her how you feel I'm going beat the crap out of you."

Josh followed Will down the slope. "You think you could do that do you?"

"I could get Toby to do it," Will smiled.

"Danny?" CJ asked.

"Hitched a ride with them. Josh says he's fine. They're all fine, apart from the pilot who's broken his arm."

"Okay," CJ nodded. "How did he sound?" she asked as her and Donna rushed to Leo's office.

"Same as always," Donna smiled. 

Leo looked up as the two women entered his office. "What?" he asked.

"Josh has just phoned me," Donna told him. "They're all fine.

Leo smiled with relief. "Thank God. Where are they?"

"He didn't know, but they have a map reference and he's called the emergency services. They crashed in a ravine, him and Will hiked out to get a signal on the cell phone. Charlie's hurt his shoulder, but other than that they're all fine." Donna was well aware that she was babbling, but she was just so relieved.

Leo smiled at her, he knew just how she was feeling. "I'll tell the President. Toby should he back from the Hill soon. CJ, hold off telling the press anything until we have more information."

"Danny Concannon's onboard as well," Donna added.

"Danny? Is he okay?" Leo looked questioningly at CJ.

"He's fine apparently," CJ replied.

"Okay." Leo knocks on the door and walks into the Oval Office. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Sir. Do you have a minute?"

Jed excused himself from the three men he's sat with and followed Leo across the room.  "Well?"

"Josh has just phoned Donna. They're all fine. They crashed in a ravine, him and Will hiked out and called the emergency services from a cell phone."

"Thank God for that. So they should be home soon."

"By nightfall hopefully. Also, Danny Concannon's with them."

"Was he just hiking in the area?" Jed asked.

"Hitched a ride with them," Leo amended.

Jed smiled. "So we have a senior White House staffer, a senior member of the VP's staff, my bodyman, an intern who's the great great grandson of a former president and a Washington Post reporter stranded out there somewhere?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

Continued......