In Strange Company

Day 6 - On the Slopes

"Officer Stacey." Larry approached, holding out a hand once he saw the police officer land on his two feet after paragliding down the rock face.

Simon Stacey took the man's hand and shook it. "Thank you for returning to the scene for us. It helped us pinpoint the location much faster with your snow-ploughs."

"Glad to be of help" Larry said.

"I think you can take your team back to town now, get some warmth into you" Simon said as he walked briskly towards the bus, already surrounded by his team. "We'll reach you again if we need to ask you any questions." Larry nodded. Simon looked around for his assistant and spotted Boyd by the bus. "Boyd, will you please see to it that Larry here and his team are delivered safely to Charlotte." He turned back around to Larry and nodded, asking to be excused.

He approached his men. "How's she looking?" he asked eyeing the bus with due regard.

"She took quite a beating," one replied, "from our quick analysis of the wreckage and the examination of whatever is left of the skid marks on the road," he walked Simon towards the windscreen area of the bus. "It's quite clear that something unexpected might have come bounding onto the road, which the driver must have tried to avoid, and hence the skidding, resulting in the bus plummeting".

"So what caused it to fall off the road?" Simon asked, looking up at the road, hands on hips.

"Well, skidding on the ice sheets could be it, but here's what makes it interesting", the man said, pointing to the front of the bus. "This is what took the brunt of the fall, massive injuries to the driver; he most likely died on impact." He pointed up at the right side of the bus, which faced the sky. "Icy road and speed, it's not that far-fetched to think that the driver could have accidentally driven the bus off the road, however, that impact over there," he said, pointing towards the front of the bus, "that suggests that the bus got pushed off the edge by an impact of some sort. "

"Perhaps another vehicle", Simon commented.

"Yes," the man nodded. "However, you'll be interested to know that this other vehicle was large as well, judging by the expanse of the impact, which flows the entire height of the bus." He looked at Simon. "Perhaps even another bus turning that blind corner where the crash seemed to have taken place." He pointed up to the sharp bend in the road. "I'd say our driver here got taken by surprise."

Simon nodded thinking to himself, rubbing his bristly jaw. "And what about the number of dead, what number did we come to?"

"Kirby took the inside tour and he confirms Larry's count", Jim replied. "Twenty-one bodies, and we believe most of them died on impact or shortly thereafter."

Simon nodded, remembering how many people Sam had said should be there. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"We've counted several times, sir."

"Alright," Simon said, "have the men conduct a search at least few kilometres across the whole area, perhaps some of them left the scene."

Jim left Simon and recruited almost all the team for the search. "Fan out, men, vigilance is the key. We're looking for any signs of people, not just bodies."

Simon watched his men disperse and approached the two men still inside the bus. They were busy freeing bodies from the bus and bagging them.

"I wouldn't have wanted to be any one of them," one of them said, as they brought the first of the bodies out and laid it in a plastic bag. He turned to Simon. "Where shall we put them...?"

Simon looked towards the cliff. "Near there would be fine, I just don't want you men to clutter the scene."

The men scouted the area and, upon seeing a raised area, they laid the body down on it. Suddenly something unexpected happened. The snow atop the small plain rolled down the surface, revealing a closed sleeping bag.