Fatalis

At the entrance to another cave the movement slowed and the breathing turned around. The smell settled into a place above another tu

There were other smells coming from below, the smell of salt and decay. And new sounds, the sound of water.

And the waiting began again.

Chapter Fifteen

The Coastal Freeway went on sale at noon. Within two hours the office of the County Board of Supervisors-the six-person committee that represented the districts in Santa Barbara County-a

Use the press when you need them, Ha

The press conference started nearly fifteen minutes after four as Gearhart was late getting in from the mountains. Ha

In usual Gearhart fashion, it wasn't so much a conference as a recitation; the sheriff said he wouldn't take questions until the end when, of course, he would be in a hurry to return to the scene.

Gearhart began by saying that the sinkhole on the road itself had been cleared out. There was a map of the Santa Ynez Mountains behind Gearhart and he called on Dr. Thorpe to explain how there was a series of fissures that wound through the mountain, possibly co

Gearhart then revealed that "the team" had also found a flashlight, apparently belonging to Bill Roche. It was discovered in a cavern beneath the cave where the radio had been found. The sheriff speculated that it had been washed down with the radio and said that nothing else had been located.

Overall, Gearhart said, the search-and-rescue effort now consisted of twenty-four deputies covering the ravine, the roadway, and the surrounding mountains-a total of twenty square miles. He also indicated that helicopters would be watching the surrounding area for fresh sinkholes or persons such as hikers or campers who might have seen or encountered the engineers. When Dr. Thorpe returned to the site, she would lead a better-equipped unit into the Painted Cave fissures to make a more complete exploration.

Regarding possible explanations as to where the men had gone, Gearhart still believed they'd be found in the area, possibly in the fissures. He acknowledged that a great deal of blood had been reported at the site and that it was lost in the second-phase collapse of the road. That was one reason he thought Roche may have ended up in the sinkhole. Looking directly at Ha

Gearhart sat and Chairperson Danza returned to the podium.

"Thank you, Sheriff Gearhart." Danza looked out at the press corps and smiled. "We'll take a few questions before Sheriff Gearhart and Dr. Thorpe return to the field-"

Ha

"That's correct."

"Can you tell us anything about those?"

"In all the places we've checked, the prisoners are accounted for," Gearhart said. "We've expanded our investigation into surrounding counties. Those results will be available through Sergeant Levy later in the day."

"And the engineers?" Ha

Danza pointed to Carl Lessin.

The Caltrans information officer rose. Ha

"Psychological profiles are private and privileged," he said.

"I understand." Ha

"There is no discernible risk," said Lessin, "and as Sheriff Gearhart indicated we do not intend to speculate."

A few reporters asked about the sinkholes-how they were created and whether the roads in other areas of the mountains were safe. Dr. Thorpe explained the process concisely and "Joe Caltrans" added that his department had dispatched emergency teams to other sections of mountains to "ascertain the stability of the tertiary road system."

Indicating that Sheriff Gearhart and Dr. Thorpe were needed back in the field, Chairperson Danza ended the press conference. She said that reporters would be contacted via phone or E-mail if there were new developments.

Gearhart left then, promptly and directly, by a side door. The TV reporters went over to Chairperson Danza to discuss going up to the Painted Cave sinkhole and taking videos. Ha

The Coastal Freeway was located in a two-story house down the block from the main post office on the corner of Anacapa and Canon Perdido streets. Ha

"Who knows," she muttered. "Someone might slip and answer one."

Ha