Rescued Duty (Last Chance Fire and Rescue #5)

Chapter 7

SEVEN

N aya hadn’t been able to shake the feeling of being watched, and she’d spent the night tossing and turning. A caffeine jolt had become her friend this morning, and now that she’d finished lunch, Naya was already getting the afternoon slump. Good thing she and Ingram were going for a hike.

After a quick change into more comfortable athletic wear, Naya gathered her belongings and closed her office door, then headed out to the parking lot. No one else loitered in the lot as she made her way to her car, keys in hand.

She’d considered calling Officer Tazwell to do a drive by her place, but Naya didn’t have any evidence that someone was indeed tracking her whereabouts. The last thing Naya wanted was to take advantage of the contacts she had at the station. Tazwell and the other officers had better things to do than worry about her and chase dead ends.

If Tucker had written the note, what did he hope to accomplish? It didn’t matter. She wouldn’t let it distract her from the story at hand.

Naya headed to Pine Crest Pinnacle. She spotted Ingram stretching by the curb at the entrance to the park and jogged over to meet her.

“How’d the meeting with Drew go this morning?”

Naya stuck her keys in her pocket and fell in step with Ingram. “He’s going to talk to Tucker. Said harassment of any sort was unacceptable.”

“As it should be. I still can’t believe that guy has the nerve to assert himself like that. Who does he think he is?” Ingram huffed.

“Whatever his motive, it’s not going to deter me from writing this story.”

Ingram smiled. “Attagirl. To help you in that quest, I’ve got news for you.” She pointed at Naya and chuckled.

“About the story?” Naya quickened her pace.

The first part to the pinnacle was a nice walk along a dirt trail, but the second half always proved to remind Naya she needed to stay in shape to climb the steep incline among boulders and other rocks and sticks.

Climbing the hill was like going after everything she wanted, step by step. And it gave her the chance to think through the investigation. Sometimes the exertion combined with a mental break gave her a great idea.

“Bingo. The entire staff got an email today from Mr. CEO himself. A follow-up to our meeting yesterday.” Ingram whistled. “He told us the company is preparing legal action against the Green Warriors for harassment and invasion of private property. They have three days, until Friday, to pack up their things and find another place to picket.”

“Wow. They really don’t want to deal with the accusations or remediate any of the claims.” Naya walked faster, pumping her arms. They entered the forest brush, and her mind spiraled with an array of questions. “Why don’t they make a statement? Or even let a taskforce come in to check their products?”

“Beats me.” Ingram shrugged. “You’d think that would be the logical step to take.”

This new development proved the validity of Naya’s original thought. The one that nagged her like those incessant reporters in other people’s business. They wouldn’t relent until they had their answers.

Oh, wait.

Someone might say she was that person. Although, she hoped not, because Naya tried to be respectful of people’s boundaries.

“Logic might have nothing to do with it.” Naya snapped her fingers. “Unless they have something to hide, in which case they’d have every reason to silence the probing.”

“For the sake of my job, I hope you’re wrong.” Ingram groaned.

“I hope I’m wrong too, Grams. But I’ve got to figure out how the water contamination got to the river in the first place.”

“And this is why you’re good at your job,” Ingram said. “You know how to get to the bottom of something to find the truth.”

“It’s the only thing that makes sense. We live in a well-developed country with access to top-of-the-line sanitation processes. Something like this doesn’t just happen.” Bile rose in her throat. She’d read through some of the accounts of those whose health had deteriorated because of the chemicals entering their bloodstream.

How could these preventable situations occur here? Waterborne illnesses were only supposed to be found in third-world countries.

Like when her?—

Naya went to step over a rock but missed, and her foot caught on the edge. She stumbled forward and grabbed the top of another boulder to keep herself from slamming into the hard stone.

Oh Lord. Why did you take him?

“You okay?” Ingram extended her hand.

Naya brushed dirt off her leg and straightened. “Life has a funny way of turning out differently than you expect.” Naya let out a breath. “Losing Dom. My parents. Even this story.” The past should have been washed away in the current that had taken her old life with it, but it always seemed to come back like a tidal wave. “I don’t want to forget him.”

“Dom?”

Naya climbed over the next boulder.

The picture on her desk of her brother flashed through her mind. “Sometimes I still hear his laughter. Can still smell the mountain air around our village.” Naya cleared her throat. “When all we knew was innocence and forever.”

“Nay.” Ingram stopped walking and embraced Naya, squeezing her shoulders. “It sucks sometimes. It was never meant to be this way.”

Naya held on to her friend. “No, it wasn’t.” She leaned her head back and chuckled. “But who am I to throw darts at God and blame Him? God didn’t promise us a grand life.”

Ingram offered her a soft smile. “He doesn’t expect you to endure the hardships alone, either. Jesus is acquainted with your suffering. He’s with you every step. And so am I.” Ingram clasped Naya’s hand.

One day eternity would come, and the perfect wholeness Naya longed for would be a reality. Until then she’d keep preaching the truth to herself, even when her heart didn’t catch up right away.

Naya lifted her gaze to the never-ending array of rocks and trees that littered the final ascent to the overlook. “This last stretch always seems daunting.”

“That’s what you say until you get to the view.” Ingram propped her hands on a rock and hoisted herself up. “One step at a time.”

Just like her faith walk. One step at a time. One day her faith would turn to sight.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ingram stood still, her eyebrows raised.

“I have to be.” Naya smiled through clenched teeth. She stepped from one boulder to the next.

“That didn’t answer my question.” Ingram propped her hands on her hips. “This story and those memories.”

Of course Ingram would probe deeper. When all Naya had ever known growing up was rejection by those around her, Ingram had stood by her.

And Zack.

Naya rubbed her wrist, then realized what she was doing. “Seeing Zack again after all these years has added another layer of complication.”

Ingram rolled her eyes. “Boys are always complicated.” She winked.

Naya smiled. She appreciated her friend’s attempt to lighten the mood. “Zack is a part of my past, though.” He might have been her second brother. From another mother. But he’d eventually left too, and she couldn’t risk the hurt again. Aside from their brief run-ins, and a slip in her judgment to let him help her paint, she planned to stay as far away from him as possible.

“I can’t allow myself to go back to that time in life.” Or else it would eat her alive. “I need to focus on this story and see it through. For Dom’s sake.”

Ingram slowed to a stop. “Mm-hmm.”

Naya gritted her teeth and dug her heels into the crevices between the rocks. She pushed herself up with her hands and scaled the remainder of the trail. “What happened then is all the more reason to find the truth now. Especially if it will save someone from the same fate I had to endure.”

“Well then, you have my support.” Ingram smiled. “Whatever happens, I’m here.”

Naya braced her arms on her hips to catch her breath. “Thanks.”

She pivoted a few feet to admire the overlook. Hundreds of trees dotted the horizon with their green leaves in different hues. The sun cast a golden spotlight on a section to Naya’s left, while the other half of the trees were a darker green from the shadows. A subtle visual that spoke volumes to Naya’s heart.

A gentle reminder from the Lord.

“Wow, it’s stunning.” Ingram made a full turn to admire the view.

“You don’t say.” Naya stared, soaking in every detail.

“Look how far you’ve come.” Ingram smiled.

Naya couldn’t help seeing the correlation to her life. She wasn’t the same little girl who had prayed for Dom to live.

A buzzing made Naya jump and pulled her from her thoughts.

“Sorry.” Ingram bit her lip. She pulled out her phone, then slapped her hand against her forehead. “Good thing I had my reminder set. I almost forgot. Will had plans for us to go see a movie tomorrow night, and he wanted me to order the tickets.”

Naya chuckled. “And he couldn’t do it because…”

“I’m the rewards member.” Ingram rolled her eyes. “Gotta get those points for discounts.” She tapped a few buttons before a sigh escaped. “And there’s no cell service up here.”

“Try around the corner.” Naya pointed down the trail to the right.

“I’ll be right back.” Ingram jogged off.

Naya stepped to the edge of the overlook and pulled out her phone to capture a few pictures of the scenery. A bird soared low over the valley, and she snapped a few more. The angle of the sun added the perfect exposure.

A few minutes later, heavy footsteps came up the trail.

“Did you get those tickets?” Naya laughed and turned, expecting to see Ingram.

Instead, another runner jogged toward her, his head bent low, phone in hand. A man’s build, athletic pants and a T-shirt. He sported a black ball cap with a crisscross emblem and wore sunglasses. She couldn’t see his face, but if he kept going, he would be in danger of falling over the edge.

“Excuse me.” Naya waved to get the guy’s attention. Did he realize how close he was to the edge of the cliff? Maybe he had earbuds in and couldn’t hear her.

Naya took a step to the side and went to pocket her phone. The runner barreled right into her, and Naya dropped her device. She bent to pick it up.

A hard shove to her back knocked her off-balance.

Naya reached for the person’s arm to steady herself, but it was too late. He stepped aside and Naya fell backward. Her foot caught on the edge of the cliff and slipped over the edge.

A scream erupted from her lips.

The air came up to meet her, and she tumbled over the side of the mountain.