103. The insane leader

The search party is standing on a hill scrutinizing the woods that stretch over the length of the horizon. They have advanced over an open plain that eventually climbed up to an escarpment on top of a small mountain that descends steeply down on the other side and ends up in a piece of earth full of cracks and gorges that now lies in front of them. Cracks formed deep gorges where superfluous flows of rainwater formed flourishing dense woods that almost succeeded in hiding the cracks which like veins spread under the green foliage. This unwelcome reality stares them in the face and slowly takes over their emotions. The reality of the impossible task to find the two lost children in this maze. Recce intently scans the horizon through his telescope before he lowers his rifle and shakes his head despondently: "No, oh hell, we took no direction indicators. That blind gorge where we turned back when we heard Tanya and the guys’ shots was the perfect place. They must be somewhere in that are