2. AXEL
The hum of the engine fills the cabin as we wind our way up the mountain in my truck, a sleek, black Ford F-450 Platinum—a beast of a machine with every bell and whistle money can buy. Raffle, my German shepherd, is sprawled out on the back seat, his big head resting between Jace and Tanner. The guys are all crammed in, but no one’s complaining. We’ve been through tighter spaces, and besides, the mood’s light.
“Man, that last drill was brutal,” Tanner says, stretching his legs out as much as he can in the cramped back seat. “I thought Axel was gonna pass out halfway up that ridge.”
I scoff, throwing a glance over my shoulder. “Please. I could’ve run up that thing twice as fast if I wasn’t busy making sure you didn’t fall on your face.”
“Sure, keep telling yourself that,” Tanner shoots back with a grin. “Next time, I’ll bring a stopwatch and prove it.”
Jace laughs, shaking his head. “Come on guys, we’re a team. We’re not supposed to be bickering like a bunch of rookies.”
“Hey, what’s a little friendly competition?” I say, my eyes still on the road as I navigate another curve. “Keeps us sharp. Besides, you know Tanner lives for this kind of trash talk. It’s what gets him out of bed in the morning.”
Tanner leans back, crossing his arms over his chest. “Damn right. Can’t let you guys get too comfortable.”
Raffle thumps his tail against the seat, as if he’s agreeing with Tanner. The dog’s always been good at picking up on our moods, and right now, he’s as relaxed as we are. Yes, the training was absolutely brutal, but that’s what drives me, makes me get out of bed every morning. I know the others feel the same.
Tanner nudges Raffle playfully, and the dog responds with a low, contented growl, thumping his tail against the seat. “You’re lucky you’ve got Raffle here to keep you warm, Jace,” Tanner jokes. “Wouldn’t want you catching a cold before the big day.”
Jace rolls his eyes, grinning. “Yeah, yeah. Just make sure you clowns show up tomorrow to help me out, alright? I don’t want to be dealing with my sister alone.”
“Hailey isn’t a bridezilla,” I say.
“You’re saying that because you don’t know what she can do.” I catch him rolling his eyes in the rearview mirror.
“Any girl, really, when her wedding is threatened,” Ben replies. I’m surprised when he speaks because he’s been quiet for the past half an hour or so. Nothing unusual. He likes to keep to himself.
“Seriously, guys, I need you there, all of you,” Jace says.
“Don’t worry, Jace,” Tanner chimes in from the passenger seat, turning to shoot Jace a smirk. “We’ll be there bright and early. Or, you know, bright and hungover.”
I chuckle, eyes on the road as I navigate another sharp turn. The road’s getting steeper, the trees thicker as we climb higher. “No promises, man,” I say, glancing at Jace in the rearview mirror. “Might just sleep in and let you deal with it solo.”
Jace snorts, but I can tell he’s a little tense about the wedding. Can’t blame him. Family stuff’s always complicated, especially when it’s your baby sister getting married.
“You know,” he says, leaning forward, “I’m just saying, we should be getting hazard pay for the crap we went through today. What kind of sadist puts us through that kind of drill right before my sister’s wedding?”
“Welcome to the life of a Hotshot,” I reply, smirking. “We signed up for this. You’ve been around long enough to know they don’t give us any breaks, even if we’ve got weddings to go to. Especially then.”
Ben rubs his shoulder as if remembering the heavy gear we’ve been carrying up and down. “At least we don’t have to deal with an actual fire today.”
Tanner laughs, the sound filling the cab. “Yeah, because riding up a mountain to drop Jace off for wedding duty is so much better. At least with the fires, we get a little action.”
Jace makes a face. “You get this scenic drive to make up for that.”
“The weather’s changing out there,” Ben says abruptly. I see Tanner and Jace exchange a glance.
“You think it’s going to storm?”
“My sister is going to have a coronary.” Jace winces. “So, I hope for all our sakes that’s not the case.”
“I heard two guys talking about it earlier. It’s going to hit pretty hard,” Tanner says.
I crane my neck over the dashboard to look up at the sky. “I think we’ll make it before the storm hits.”
I’m not particularly fazed by blizzards. I’ve faced it before. I can only think of the poor souls with zero experience with the weather driving up the road alone.
“Most of the wedding guests have made it up, so that’s fine,” Jace says. “And others will come tomorrow.”
“Yeah, anybody driving up so late in the evening would be a fool,” Tanner says.
“A brave fool,” Ben says.
“I’m not worried about the guests, but the caterers don’t get here till tomorrow. My sister needs everything to be very particular and perfect.”
“Everything is going to be fine,” I say, turning up the music on the dashboard.
But it’s not. As soon as the words come out of my mouth, the weather starts to shift, fast. The sky darkens, and I feel a prickle of unease. Snow begins to fall. At first just a few flakes here and there, but soon it’s coming down hard. Visibility drops quicker than I expect, and I ease off the gas, focusing on keeping the truck steady.
“Damn, this is coming in quick,” Ben says, squinting through the windshield. “You think we’re gonna make it up there?”
“Of course we are,” I reply, but my tone’s more serious now, eyes scanning the road ahead. “This thing’s built for this kind of weather. We’ll be fine.”
But the blizzard’s hitting harder than I’d like. The road’s starting to disappear under the snow, and the wind’s picking up, rattling against the windows. I can hear Raffle shifting uneasily in the back seat, his big body tensing as he senses the change. The wipers are working overtime, but they’re no match for the blizzard that’s now in full swing.
“Everyone stay sharp,” I say, my voice calm but firm, my firefighter instincts kicking in. “We need to keep our eyes on the road. Tanner, keep an eye on the right. Ben, you watch the left. Jace, check the GPS. Let’s make sure we’re still on the right track.”
“Got it,” Jace says, pulling out his phone and adjusting the GPS. The screen flickers as the signal wavers, but it’s holding for now. “We’re still on the main road, but it’s going to get trickier the higher we go.”
I focus on the road ahead, what little I can see of it. The truck’s tires crunch through the snow, but even with the F-450’s power, keeping us steady is a struggle. The wind howls, pushing against the truck like it’s trying to force us off the mountain, and the snow is coming down so hard that it’s like driving through a wall of white.
“Axel, how’s it looking up there?” Tanner asks, his voice more serious now, all traces of humor gone.
“It’s rough,” I admit, steering us carefully around a bend. The road is narrowing, the drop-offs on either side hidden by the snow, but I know they’re there, waiting. “But we can make it if we stay focused. Just keep your eyes peeled.”
The snow is so thick now that it feels like we’re driving in a tunnel, the walls of white closing in on us.
“Jace, how much further?” I ask, my voice tight as I concentrate on keeping the truck from sliding.
“About a mile now,” he says, checking the GPS again. “But it’s going to get steeper. We need to be careful.”
“We’re almost there.” Good. My hands are starting to ache from gripping the wheel so tightly, but I don’t dare relax.
“But what next?” Jace says.
“What?” I say. I hadn’t thought that far.
“The snow isn’t going to blow over anytime soon,” Ben says practically.
“We’re not gonna make it back down tonight,” Tanner says. “We’re gonna have to stay at the lodge.”
“I hate to say it, but Tanner’s right,” Ben says. “Even if we did make it up to the lodge, trying to drive back down in this weather would be suicide.”
Jace nods, his face lit up by the glow of his phone screen. “We’ve got the whole place booked out for the wedding. There’s more than enough room for all of us. We can crash there tonight, wait for the storm to pass, and you guys can head back in the morning.”
“Axel, you hearing this?” Jace asks, glancing up from his phone.
“Yeah, I’m hearing you,” I reply, still focused on the road ahead. “I just don’t like the idea of being trapped up there if this storm doesn’t let up. But…” I trail off, knowing that I’m outnumbered here. “It’s the smart call. Better to be safe than sorry.”
“Exactly,” Ben says, ever the practical one. “Besides, it’s not like we’re roughing it in the wilderness. Mt. Snowlodge’s supposed to be a nice place, right? We’ll get a warm bed, some hot food, maybe even a drink or two. Could be worse.”
“Yeah,” Tanner adds, grinning despite the tension in the truck. “And who knows? Maybe there’ll be some bridesmaids who could use a little company tonight.”
Jace rolls his eyes. “Someone’s got their priorities straight.”
“Hey, we’re just making the best of the situation,” Tanner says with a shrug. “We’re firefighters, right? We adapt.”
“And hey, we’re almost there,” Jace says, relief seeping into his voice as he looks up from the GPS. “Just a little further, and we’ll be at the lodge.”
I nod, feeling the same sense of relief as the snow begins to let up, the storm easing just enough to give us a clear view of the road ahead. We’re nearing the turnoff for Mt. Snowlodge, the last bend before we can finally park this truck and get out of the damn storm.
But then, without warning, Raffle bolts upright between Jace and Tanner, his ears perked and his body tense. He lets out a loud, sharp bark, startling everyone in the truck.
“What the hell?” Jace says, turning to look at Raffle. The dog’s never been this agitated before, not even during the worst of our missions. Raffle’s barking grows more frantic, and he starts pawing at the window, desperate to get out.
“Raffle, what’s wrong, boy?” I ask, glancing at him in the rearview mirror. But Raffle doesn’t calm down; he only gets more worked up, clawing at the window like he’s trying to escape. It’s like he senses something we don’t, something out there in the storm.
“What’s gotten into him?” Jace asks, worry creeping into his voice as he tries to calm the dog down. “He’s never acted like this before.”
“I don’t know,” I say, my grip tightening on the steering wheel as we take the last turn. “But something’s spooked him.”
Raffle continues to whine and bark, his tail stiff as a board, his eyes fixed on something outside the truck. He leaps over Jace, pressing his nose against the glass, pawing at the door like he’s trying to warn us about something.
“We’re almost there,” I mutter, my eyes narrowing as I focus on the road. The lodge is just up ahead, a shadowy silhouette against the snow-covered landscape.
“Should we stop? Something’s really freaking him out, Axel.”
I hesitate, my instincts as a firefighter battling with the logic that tells me we’re almost safe. But there’s something about Raffle’s behavior that I can’t ignore, something that gnaws at my gut.
“I’m gonna park the truck,” I say, my voice steady despite the tension coiling in my chest. “And I want you to let Raffle out.”
Jace’s eyes widen, and he turns to me, incredulous. “Are you crazy? In this weather? We don’t even know what’s out there!”
“Trust me,” I reply, my tone leaving no room for argument. “Raffle’s trying to tell us something, and I’m not about to ignore it. We need to know what’s got him so worked up.”
Jace looks at me for a long moment, then nods reluctantly. “Alright.”
I leap out of the truck, the cold wind cutting through my jacket as I follow Raffle. The dog’s barking is frantic, like he’s found something urgent, something we need to see. Jace, Tanner, and Ben are right behind me, their boots crunching in the snow as we make our way toward the turnoff.
“Raffle, what is it, boy?” I call out, my flashlight beam slicing through the dark, snowy night. Raffle’s already ahead of us, his nose to the ground, barking and growling as he leads us toward the edge of the road.
“Axel, you see anything?” Tanner asks, his breath coming out in visible puffs of steam.
“Not yet,” I reply, but my gut tells me something’s wrong. Raffle wouldn’t be this worked up otherwise.
As we reach the turnoff, Tanner suddenly stops dead in his tracks, his eyes wide. “Holy shit, there’s a car down there!”
I swing my flashlight in the direction he’s looking, and sure enough, there’s a car halfway down the slope, its headlights barely visible through the thick curtain of snow. It’s stuck against a tree, the front end crumpled from the impact, and its position is dangerously precarious, teetering on the edge of a steep drop.
“Damn,” Ben mutters, his voice grim. “That thing could go over any second. It’s too dangerous.”
I know that. I can’t even tell if there’s someone inside but every last nerve ending in me is telling me I need to get closer, I need to do something.
“I’m not sure if someone’s in there,” I say, my voice steady, “but we’re not taking any chances. Get the gear out of the back. Now.”
Without hesitation, the guys spring into action. Jace runs back to the truck, popping open the trunk to grab our emergency gear—ropes, harnesses, the works. Ben and Tanner are already moving closer to the edge, assessing how we’re going to get down there without causing a landslide.
Raffle’s barking grows more frantic as he circles the edge of the slope, his eyes locked on the car below. It’s like he knows something we don’t, like he can sense the danger.
“Easy, boy,” I murmur, but my heart is pounding. This is bad, real bad. If there’s someone in that car, we don’t have much time.
“Got the gear,” Jace says, returning with the equipment. He hands me a harness, his face pale but determined. “What’s the plan, Axel?”
“We’re going down there,” I reply, slipping the harness on and securing the rope around my waist. “Tanner, you and Ben secure the line up here. Jace, you’re with me. We’re gonna see if anyone’s inside and get them out, fast.”
“Got it,” Tanner says, already tying off the rope to a sturdy tree, his hands moving with practiced precision despite the cold.
Jace nods, tightening his harness. “I’m right behind you.”
We move quickly, Raffle’s barking still echoing in the background as the snow continues to fall. My pulse races as we approach the edge of the slope, the ground unstable beneath our feet. I take a deep breath, pulling the hood of my jacket over my face to protect my eyes from the snow.
With the rope secured, I begin lowering myself down the slope, with Jace following close behind. The snow is thick, making it hard to see, but I keep my eyes locked on the car.
Almost there…
Finally, we’re within reach of the car. The front end is smashed against the tree, the metal twisted and bent, but the rest of it seems intact. I peer through the windshield, wiping away the snow with my gloved hand, and my heart skips a beat.
There’s someone inside.
A woman, slumped over the steering wheel, her face obscured by her hair.
“Jace, we’ve got someone in here!” I shout up to him as he makes his way down. “We need to move fast!”
Jace nods, his expression grim as he reaches me. “Let’s get her out of there.”
Raffle’s barking is louder now, more insistent as if he knows time is running out. I grab the door handle, but it’s jammed, the impact from the crash having bent the frame. I curse under my breath, adrenaline pumping through my veins.
“Help me with this!” I call to Jace, and together we pull, the door groaning as we force it open. Snow and cold air rush inside, but I barely notice. All I can focus on is the woman inside, her breathing shallow, her body limp.
“We’ve got you,” I murmur to her, not even sure if she can hear me. “You’re going to be okay.”
I pull her against my chest to support her head, checking for injuries as I work to free her from the seatbelt. The car creaks ominously, the whole thing shifting slightly, and my heart races. We don’t have much time before this thing goes over.
“Jace, we need to get her out now!” I say, urgency in my voice. But Jace is frozen, staring down at the woman in my arms. I didn’t get a good look at her face before, but I do now, and my heart stops. She’s beautiful. Right then, her eyes flutter open, and she looks up at me, dazed. A jolt goes through me.
She moves in my arms, and that brings me back to the present. “Jace,” I bark. “Now.”
He finally seems to break out of whatever trance he was in before. We’ve got seconds, maybe less, before it goes over. The guys at the top are pulling on the ropes, helping us haul her up, and Raffle’s barking reaches a frantic pitch as the car slides further down, hanging on by a thread.
“You’re going to be okay,” I whisper to her. “You’re safe now.”
Just as we make it to the top, there’s a loud crack, and the car breaks free, tumbling down the slope into the darkness below. We’re all panting, covered in snow, but we’ve got her—we’ve got her out.