Rescued Duty (Last Chance Fire and Rescue #5)

Chapter 8

EIGHT

Z ack raced to the truck to grab the burn blanket in case a fire erupted from the car their victim was being extricated from. Given the gasoline leak, they couldn’t risk it. A group of onlookers hovered near the curb, pointing and gasping. Other cars were at a standstill, and Ramble redirected traffic down a side street. An older man talked with another officer nearby.

“Door’s removed,” Eddie yelled. He handed the rescue tool to Ridge before sliding the driver’s-side door out of the way.

“Let’s move it. No time to waste.” Fire truck lieutenant, Amelia, whistled.

Izan and Zoe, part of the fire engine crew, held the hoses, aimed and at the ready to keep a greater catastrophe from claiming the scene in front of them if the flicker of any flames surfaced.

“I need the spine board, stat,” Ridge yelled.

Trace and Kianna, the paramedics on duty, raced over to the patient’s side.

“Here.” Zack handed Trace the blanket.

“Leak contained so far.” Bryce nodded. A bucket captured the liquid before it had a chance to run down the pavement and come in contact with something flammable.

Zack grabbed some biohazard bags and worked with the rest of the crew to secure the scene from any debris and hazardous materials leftover.

“Patient out and being assessed.” The update came through Zack’s headgear, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

He’d sealed one bag to put in the disposal receptacle when Bryce’s radio blared. “Rescue 5. Pine Crest Pinnacle. Victim trapped on boulders. Extent of injuries unknown from fall over edge of mountain.”

Zack gritted his teeth. He wished Eddie had been wrong about it being a long day, although they’d been able to stabilize one patient.

He prayed the same for this next call. God had already shown Himself strong in small ways every day since Zack had joined the fire department. He could remain confident that God would show up again.

“Copy. Rescue 5 en route. ETA twelve minutes.” Bryce relayed the information through their headsets. “Amelia, you got it from here?”

“Of course she does.” Eddie smirked.

Amelia gave Eddie a playful shove. “Yeah, yeah. Get to your job.” She turned back to her crew. “I want everything inspected and cleaned up right. No chance for mistakes.”

Ridge hopped in the driver’s side. Eddie and Bryce climbed in, and the tires of the rescue truck squealed the moment they peeled away from the street. Bryce turned on the sirens, and they headed toward the mountain top. The loud alert sent everyone else on the road parting for them.

Thankfully, a service road had been put in a few years back, a valuable resource for emergency vehicles to get to the summit, where all the trails at Pine Crest met.

Zack scooted forward in his seat, his grip on the door handle. Ridge gunned it on the incline, and the bumps along the way jostled Zack in his seat.

This terrain wasn’t new to Zack anymore. Not when calls came in often for those dehydrated, trapped, or injured one way or another.

“Where’s the fuel at?” Eddie groaned, sweat glistening on his forehead.

“In the tank, goofball.” Zack nudged his shoulder.

“Hey, watch it. I meant the food.” Eddie rolled his eyes, then chugged some water.

Bryce tossed a protein bar to the back seat. “You’ve got forty seconds to chow down. We need all hands on deck.”

“I’m surprised they haven’t built a guard rail for the overlook.” Zack shook his head. “That would be something for the environmental group to advocate for.”

“I second that. It would save us a few preventable calls every year.” Ridge turned the wheel to the right into the lot.

The second the truck parked, Zack hopped out of the back and opened the rear compartment that held the gear.

“Grab those rescue ropes and webbing, Stephens.” Bryce swiveled on his heel. “Ridge, assess the area. Make sure we don’t have any other points of danger.”

Zack hefted the rope over his shoulder and handed another to Eddie before heading in the direction of the woman waving her hands. Bryce had let him take the lead. Time to get to work.

Bushes lined the walkway, and Zack’s boots crunched over the gravel.

The weight of his gear grew heavier when Zack realized who stood a few feet away. “Ingram!”

She gasped. “Zack! Over here!” Her brows were pinched together, and her messy bun bobbed with her frantic motions. “I can’t reach her. I’ve tried. It’s too far down.”

He rushed over, followed by Eddie.

Zack tried to speak, but no words came out.

Eddie clapped a hand down on Zack’s shoulder and asked, “What happened?”

“She’s down there. I didn’t see what happened.” Ingram covered her face with her hands. “I went to take a call and, and someone screamed and Naya was nowhere in sight.”

The words spilled from Ingram’s lips so fast it took Zack a few seconds to process what she said.

No. Not Naya. Zack steeled his feet against the ground to keep from swaying. He’d never known her to be clumsy. What had happened?

“Where is she?” Zack set the rope down and followed Ingram to the edge of the cliff.

Ingram sucked in a breath. “Down there.” She peered over the edge, and tears streamed down her face. “Naya! Help’s here.”

“I’m here,” Naya cried. She stared up at them, standing on a landing of rock no more than five feet wide. “Get me out of here. I can’t…” She lifted her arm halfway before she dropped it back to her side and cupped her elbow with her other hand. “Don’t leave,” Naya hiccupped, “me here.”

Zack surveyed the terrain while his heart pounded in his chest.

At least fifteen feet from the top of the mountainside.

A straight drop down, which meant this rescue fell under high angle. But the right ropes could handle the situation. A few pointy rocks would provide a decent foothold to grab onto if necessary. His stomach flipped and a lump rose in his throat, but he ignored them and turned to Bryce. “Let me go down, Lieutenant.”

Bryce nodded. “Grab the line rope and hook up. You and Ridge are going down.”

Zack attached the gear and rope to his equipment. Then he tugged on the knots. Don’t let me mess this up, God.

Bryce inspected Zack’s work and did a quick test to make sure the clips were secure. “All good.” The lieutenant slapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s get to it!”

Eddie manned the truck and had the rope set up to unravel every few seconds for Zack’s descent. The line ropes would give Zack and Ridge the ability to pull Naya back up.

Ridge went first, then Zack sat back in his harness and let the pulley drop him down the side of the cliff.

“Good so far,” Ridge yelled.

“Keep going,” Zack echoed.

He used his feet to scale the rocks and guide his weight down. Ten more feet and they’d be able to assess Naya’s condition.

His rope jerked to a stop.

Zack braced his foot against a rock, but the unstable stone cracked under his weight. It broke away from the cliff with a groan and tumbled down the side, echoing across the open expanse. His foot skidded across the terrain, grasping for another landing point.

Ridge dodged the falling rocks. He went to stop, but his foot missed a landing, and he swung into the side of the mountain. His head knocked against the boulders. “Ow,” he mumbled.

Zack peered over his shoulder. “Sorry.”

“It’s all good, man.” Ridge rubbed his forehead and waved his hand, but blood dripped off his fingers.

Zack grimaced. He went to keep moving, but his rope didn’t follow suit. “Why’d the pulley stop?” He spoke into the radio.

“We’ve got a predicament up here.” Eddie’s voice crackled in his ear. “There’s a brush fire. Lieutenant wants me working with him to contain it. I need to drop you guys down faster.”

“Copy.” Zack wrapped one hand around the rope and scaled the wall faster next to Ridge. One hand over the other. “Naya!”

“Zack? I’m gonna fall.” She leaned against the wall of rock, as far away from the edge as possible.

He gauged the distance between them. “I won’t let that happen.”

The rocks were uneven, and Ridge stood a few feet away, higher up on the other side of Naya. Zack shielded his eyes from the sun with one hand and studied the ground, calculating each step. He refused to let a blind spot take him by surprise.

Although, he recognized the area. If it was the same strip of the pinnacle he’d explored a few months ago on a day off, there was a cave nearby that overlooked the river.

He climbed up a few rocks on all fours, then eased onto the ledge and grabbed his radio. “Hold.”

“Copy. How’s the patient?”

Zack crouched. “Assessing now.”

He did a quick perusal for physical signs of injury. Naya’s cheeks were damp with drying tears, while blood stained the middle of her right arm. “Where does it hurt?” He took note of her left foot, slightly swollen.

Ridge came down next to them, then unzipped his medical bag. “Did you hurt your ankle?” His eyebrow was caked with blood from the wound on his forehead.

“I slammed my arm against the rocks when I fell. I kept sliding until I finally caught myself.” A few tears slid down Naya’s cheek, but she lifted her chin.

“We’ll get your ankle in a splint and bandage the wound.” Zack bent down to inspect Naya’s ankle. “It’s bruised.” He pulled a few supplies from the bag while Ridge bandaged her arm.

“What’s your status?” Bryce’s voice came through the earpiece.

“We’ll be ready in four,” Zack replied. This cramped space wasn’t the most ideal place to help a patient, and it was taking him longer than he wanted.

Ridge dabbed at his forehead. He pulled away the cloth, now covered in red, and grunted.

“Make it two.” Bryce’s command echoed loud and clear. “We’ve got smoke up here from the brush fire. There’s no telling how fast it’s going to spread.”

Zack turned to Ridge and furrowed his brow. His partner’s face had turned a shade paler. More blood trickled down the edge of his face.

“That should hold your ankle for now.” Zack stood up and returned the supplies to the bag.

“Thanks.” Naya swallowed and offered a small smile.

“You ready to hoist?” Zack wrapped the harness around Naya’s abdomen, then secured his arm around her waist and turned to Ridge.

“I’m going to be sick.” Ridge turned and heaved over the side of the landing. He let out a cough, then suddenly, his body went limp, the rope holding his weight.

“Firefighter down,” Zack yelled into his radio and rushed over to his friend. “He’s got a gash to the head, and he’s unconscious.”

“We can pull him up with Naya,” Eddie said.

There was no way Zack could hold Ridge’s weight and make sure they didn’t crash into the side of the mountain on the way up.

“I’m going to need to take two trips.” Zack couldn’t risk anyone’s safety.

“Bring the patient up, stat. This fire is growing, and I don’t like it,” Bryce said. “There’s no way we can lower down a basket.”

“Here.” Zack handed Naya another clip that would connect her to his rope.

She shook her head and folded the clip back in his hand. Naya’s hand trembled and her eyes darted between the two men. “Take him up first. He needs help. Just don’t leave me behind again.” Naya’s eyes widened, shining with unshed tears. “Please.”

For a split second, Zack witnessed the terror in Naya’s gaze. It hit like a knife to his heart and served as a reminder of the trouble he’d caused that forced him to leave her behind once before. But he wouldn’t let it happen again.

“I won’t leave you.” After the words left his mouth, Zack bit his tongue. He didn’t like the choices in front of him, but there was no time to delay. He hoisted his hands under Ridge’s legs and yanked on the rope. The pulley tugged them back up, and Zack used his feet to guide them so they wouldn’t sway into anything.

“Take him.” Zack hefted Ridge up to Bryce, who pulled him over the edge. Smoke wafted through the air, and Zack let out a cough. A quick glance revealed the flames skirting the edge of the path not far from the truck.

More sirens pierced the air from what Zack hoped was the other truck en route.

“I’m going back for Naya,” Zack yelled.

Eddie held the rope and nodded.

Zack rappelled down the side of the mountain.

His feet touched the ground.

“I came back.” Zack stepped over to Naya and handed her the clip once more.

Naya closed her eyes for a brief second, and more tears peaked at the corners. She blinked quickly. “Thank you.”

He pulled her against him and held on for a second. “Anytime.” He wiped a mix of dirt and blood from her forehead.

She stared up at him, her brown eyes a well of relief.

In this moment, the past didn’t stand between them. She’d leaned into his embrace and let him hold her. He was there for her. Her friend. Her protector.

What was he thinking? She was the patient, and he was supposed to be saving her right now.

Zack cleared his throat and helped her hook onto his harness. Then he pulled on the rope once more to signal they were ready to climb.

“We can’t pull you guys up.” Bryce’s confession in his ear sent Zack’s heart into a faster rhythm.

“What do you mean?” Zack gritted his teeth to refrain from shouting.

“The fire is too close. If the wind picks up and catches on the rope, you’re toast.” Bryce paused. “We can’t risk it.”

Zack turned to face the edge of the landing and studied the area to place where they were in comparison to the rest of the trails.

If they couldn’t go up, Zack needed to find another escape route pronto.