Chapter 3

“Two days have passed and we have not been able to reestablish contact with them. We have divided into four groups each with a guide and walking in an agreed direction but we found no trace of our companions.”

Conrad's voice, the tour organizer, sounded distressed even mixed with the static sounds of the radio. The Park Ranger chief noticed this and tried to calm him down.

“When did you separate?”

“The day before yesterday around noon.”

“That is, before the storm started. It is likely that they have found refuge in the forest.”

“What worries us is that there has been a great avalanche in a river bed that was dry before. We fear they were walking down the riverbed, were unable to get out in time, and were swept away by the current and buried by a sea of mud, rocks, and logs.”

The Park Ranger hesitated a moment and answered.

“I understand your reasons. It is true, there have been floods of water from thawing in the mountains that flowed down several dry rivers and streams. Let's not lose hope. Right now we will prepare three land patrols in all-terrain vehicles and I am going to ask the Gendarmerie to send us a helicopter. Now please give me your coordinates as accurately as possible and tell me which way the four teens were moving.”

Having given the information about the intended path of the missing members, the head of the Rangers named Kovacs asked.

“What age are the missing kids?”

“Between nine and fifteen years.

“Where they are from?”

“There is one Argentine girl, two Chinese siblings and a French.”

“Can you contact their relatives if necessary?”

“If we don't have news tomorrow I will.”

“All right. I recommend that until further notice from us you do not move from where you are.”

“Okay, but we will continue our search. We cannot stand idly by.”

“All right, but keep me updated on where those search groups are located. We need to know at all times what people are in the National Park in anticipation of cases of danger.”

Meiling peered intently at the bark of a large diameter tree. Aylen noticed it and as she had already realized the fine perception of the girl who knew how to discover small clues that others missed, she approached and followed her gaze with that of the little girl. Soon she distinguished in those parts of the thick trunk that were not covered by the rough bark, an ascending and descending parade of ants. Those who went down carried small pieces of leaves and other materials, while those who went up carried no load.

"I see that you are particularly interested in ants." Said the young woman.

“What interests me is understanding how they communicate. In the anthill I looked at before, the ants touched each other with their antennae, and when the one who led them lost contact with the next one, they returned until they took it again. It makes me think of people advancing hand in hand. But in this tree the ants are not in contact and, nevertheless, follow the leader.”

"What happens is that here the contact is chemical." said Jean Luc, who had joined the small group of observers.

“Listen to Jean Luc's explanation.” Aylen added addressing Meiling. “You know that he studies science.”

“The leader of the column leaves behind it a trail of secretions, with smells that the following ants are able to capture even if they are not in contact.” Then the boy added a question.

“What conclusions have you drawn from the observation of these ants?”

“That they are calm now, not scared.”

Remarkably surprised the boy replied.

“Explain yourself. Why do you come to that conclusion?”

“These ants carry all the bits of leaves and branches to their anthill, no doubt to tent them there. On the other hand, when we were in the dry riverbed, just before the flood, all the ants took out the entire contents of the nest trying to carry it up the ravine, away from danger.”

Xiang, who had also approached and heard his sister's reflections added in a voice that showed his pride.

“What Meiling is intuitively trying to do goes beyond understanding how an ant column is formed. You are trying to understand the keys to the forest, its functioning as a natural environment.”

While this talk was taking place the sky had been blackened by the displacement of fast dark clouds carrying rain and electrical storms. A dull thunderclap came from the western sector of the sky and a lightning bolt momentarily illuminated the celestial vault, also electrifying the air between the trees.

“Look at the termites as they quickly retreat to their anthill carrying their loads.” Meiling exclaimed.

“Let us do the same. Let's get out of this place full of tall trees and go back to the clearing where we have set up camp. We have to hold the tents well and put everything we have saved inside them, so that it is not carried away or spoiled by the rain.”

“But these trees can protect us from the rain and also interpose between the storm and us.” Said the girl.

“That protection is only psychological. Being tall and pointed objects, trees attract lightning, since they give them a quick and easy way to discharge their electricity on the ground.” Jean Luc replied. “Quickly, let's go back immediately, it is already raining hard and it is not convenient to be moving wet because we too can attract lightning.”

The four comrades returned to the tents and secured them, watching what was happening outside them through the narrow windows. The downpour covered the view and made it impossible to see some sectors of the forest while the continuous lightning flashes momentarily illuminated other areas. Meiling leaned in fear of her brother who covered her shoulders with his arm. Suddenly a formidable outburst thundered the forest glade as a yellow flare illuminated its outline; one of the large trees distant no more than one hundred feet from the tents was struck by lightning and literally exploded, emitting fiery blights along with sparks of all colors, some of which fell near the camp. From another of the tents Aylen emitted a cry of terror that forced Jean Luc to leave his and go to see what was happening. When Xiang, in turn, leaned out the door, the other was already returning and he made a reassuring gesture with his hand.

“No. It was just a scare.” He said in a voice that could barely overcome the intense noise of the rain on the foliage.

In one of the rainiest areas of the Andes, nature displayed its power as if it wanted to expel the four expeditionary from the forest.

Given the evidence of the storm that was brewing, Conrad ordered the members of the four search groups to take cover, also giving them instructions to avoid lightning that would undoubtedly fall due to the electrical nature of the storm, evidenced by the flashes that lit up the tops of the distant mountains. Returning to the large tent that served as the expedition's headquarters, he had to run to answer a radio call. It was Kovacs, the Park Ranger chief.

“Conrad, do you hear me?”

“Yes, although with a lot of atmospheric interference.”

“All right. I wanted to tell you that we stopped searching with the land groups due to the storm and advise you to do the same.2

“I just gave that order. In fact I just returned to my tent.”

“All right. Obviously, the Gendarmerie helicopter cannot approach the area.”

“I get it.”

“The storm comes from the Pacific Ocean and crossed the Andes Mountains. The prognosis is that it will last between twenty-four and forty-eight hours. My advice is not to move until further notice from me.”