Still Waters

N'a plus, a British slang term from World War I, a pronunciation of French il n'y en a plus or il n'y a plus, there is no more. It means something is finished, inoperative, or someone is dead. Friday, October 18, 844 A.M., Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Superior National Forest, Minnesota. The boat ghosted over water, slicing almost silently through a vivid reflection of blue sky and wispy clouds. At the edge of the narrow lake, stands of pine towered above ragged piles of granite, while mist danced atop the still surface near the shoreline. High overhead, a raptor glided, wings outstretched, riding the upper-level wind, its prey safe far below. Not yet time to kill. At the front of the boat, the black Labrador stood with his front paws braced on the curve of the inflatable bow, his head high, nose constantly scenting the air, the plume of his tail waving back and forth. A dog in his element, on the hunt, waiting for the first sign of the trail. Has he got it? Meg Jennings, search and rescue dog handler for the FBI's Human Scent Evidence Team, took her eyes off her dog just long enough to glance over her shoulder at the man clad in a wetsuit, buoyancy control vest, and air tank, sitting farther back in the boat. Like her, he was perched on the rounded side of the boat. But he also held a GPS unit in one hand, careful to ensure only he could see the screen. Meg moved to keep her eye on her dog, but turned her head enough that her voice would carry and not get lost in the wind the boat generated as they traversed the lake. I don't think so. I'm still learning Hawk's signs for a water-based search, but based on his physical stance, he hasn't picked up anything yet. Meg turned her attention back to Hawk and tightened her hold on the leash, wrapping it around her hand one more time. An experienced search and rescue dog, Hawk had done water searches before, as he had after Hurricane Cole struck the eastern seaboard the previous year. But those had really been transports over water, to get to land searches. And as a black lab who loved his time in the water, Meg didn't want him to get overenthusiastic about catching a scent and leaping out of the boat to track it, like he would on land. Have faith. You know he's better trained than that.