Chapter Nine
Fallon closed the manual she’d been studying and stretched.
In the three days since the Women’s Plus Crew had left, she’d discovered there was still plenty going on at base camp with other teams and staff and equipment.
A Firecamp leader had plenty to learn besides how to handle a chainsaw, but for now, her head was full, and she was ready to do something active. Or at least have lunch.
As Fallon neared Reva’s open office door, the phone rang. After her usual greeting, Reva’s next words were “Nora? Slow down. Where are you?”
Her urgency might have been enough to make Fallon hesitate, but hearing Nora’s name made her stop in her tracks.
“I see…uh-huh…and they’re both in jail? But you’re secure at the moment?
” After a pause, Reva said, “Okay, good. I’ll be on my way as soon as I can get Jade to cover for me here.
Stay where you are or text me if you move.
” She rattled off her number, then said it again more slowly.
“Yes. You did the right thing to call. Good. See you soon.”
Fallon counted to five before resuming her casual stroll past the doorway. When Reva called her name, she turned, doing her best to act clueless. “Yes, ma’am?”
Reva had her cell to her ear as she spoke. “I need you to find Jade for me. I think she must be having lunch. She’s not answering.”
“Is anything wrong?”
“Just hurry. Please.”
The politeness sounded like an afterthought, so Fallon knew she had gotten all she was going to get. “Yes, ma’am.”
Racing to the dining hall, Fallon found Jade laughing at a table with Mae. She tried not to sound flustered. “Ranger Reva needs to see you immediately. It sounded urgent.”
Jade took a quick swallow of water, looking wistfully at her untouched plate while Mae said, “Go. I’ll bus your tray.”
As they ran toward the office, Jade pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Shit. Three missed calls. Do you know what this is about?”
Fallon didn’t want to lie, but she didn’t want to admit to eavesdropping. “I’m not sure, but I think I heard her giving out her cell number to someone.”
“Sounds serious. Reva rarely does that.”
She’d given it to Fallon to invite her to Firecamp, but this was as different as it could be. Once they’d reached the office, Fallon followed Jade in, trying to act like she belonged.
It didn’t work. “Thank you, Fallon. Please close the door on your way out.”
Knowing Reva’s office window was almost always open, Fallon sprinted to the outside wall.
She heard the words “incident around a drug deal” and “Nora managed to stay out of” before a group walked by, and the sound of their conversation drowned out Reva’s voice.
After they passed, Fallon stretched to hear better as Reva said, “pretty shaken up, but at least she didn’t get busted, unlike Gwen and Tina. ”
“So what happens now?” Jade’s voice sounded unsteady.
“Gwen and Tina will probably have to do time. This program was their chance to avoid incarceration, and obviously, they’ve blown that.
Their future is out of our hands.” Paper shuffled, and a chair scraped.
“As for Nora—” The jingle of keys muffled the next few words.
Fallon strained to hear, but all she caught was “when I get back.”
She stayed pressed against the wall until the sound of Reva’s engine faded.
When Fallon returned to the office, Jade’s grim expression made her heart race.
“Please tell me what’s going on. I know it has to do with Nora, and she’s in some kind of trouble.
I promise Reva will never know you told me. Please?”
Jade shook her head. Fallon opened her mouth to protest, but Jade stopped her with a hand. “I’m not the one to talk to about it. You’ll need to take it up with Reva. Or Nora.”
Fallon hung her head. She shouldn’t have asked. From her studies of the manual, she’d learned Jade could get in real trouble for sharing anything about an ongoing incident.
Jade cleared her throat. “I didn’t actually get to eat lunch. Do you think you could grab me a sandwich? Tell Mae it’s for me and that I’m covering for Reva this afternoon.”
Fallon hoped the walk would help settle her nerves, but Mae took one look at her and asked what was going on. Fallon only meant to say “Nora’s in trouble,” but the rest spilled out of her.
Mae sighed. “We’ve had similar trouble with a couple of the male crews before. I guess it’s the women’s turn.”
“Does it matter that Nora wasn’t arrested?”
“I’m sure Reva will get the whole story out of her during the drive. And she has the final say. This is a Forest Service program, so she’s the boss.”
Fallon fought not to clench her fists. “But how will our crew function if we’re three people down?”
Mae blew out a breath. “I don’t know. Your sawyers may be absorbed into another team.”
“But this was the year for the Women’s Plus Crew to show our stuff to the world. And Nora’s our best, besides Jade.”
Patting her arm, Mae said, “I know, honey. All I can tell you is if you’re going to be her advocate, you’ll need to state your case right away.
Once Reva makes up her mind about something, she doesn’t usually change it.
” She gave Fallon a hard look. “And don’t go putting your own future here on the line.
Especially if there’s no chance of saving Nora. ”
After delivering Jade’s lunch, Fallon returned to the desk she’d been using and began making a pros and cons list, grounds for Nora to be kicked out of Firecamp and reasons for her to stay.
This had always been her way of dealing with something she wasn’t sure she could control.
Otherwise, the swirl of emotions—from anger to fear to a deeper distress about the future—would be overwhelming.
After an hour, the list was somewhat weighted against Nora, but Fallon knew she had one big leverage point.
The trick would be using it at the right moment.
Too restless to sit any longer, she went outside.
Almost everyone else was at dinner, so she found a quiet spot and took deep breaths while she surveyed Brownly Mountain.
The rugged peak, its avalanche chutes green with small shrubs, still had a few patches of snow.
Paltry human struggles seemed inconsequential in the presence of such timeless beauty, and she felt her tension ease.
The sunset had faded to deep purple by the time she heard the rumble of Reva’s truck.
Moving quickly, she positioned herself outside the office to wait.
Her hope that Nora had been able to explain herself faded at Reva’s grim expression as she entered the building.
When Fallon looked past her to see Nora, she gasped.
A bruise colored her right cheek, and dried blood crusted her split lip.
Fallon wanted to comfort her, but she knew this wasn’t the time. “Hey,” she said quietly.
“Hey, Fallon.” Nora’s eyes filled with tears, but her voice was steady.
Jade moved into the hallway to stand beside Fallon, nodding at Nora as she passed.
“This young lady and I need to finish our conversation,” Reva said, guiding Nora into her office. “So if you two don’t mind…” She started to close the door.
Fallon steeled herself, stopping Reva’s motion by stepping into the small room. “As someone who’s worked on the Women’s Plus Crew with Nora, I’d like to stay. I have information to offer on her behalf.”
“This isn’t a trial, Fallon.”
“Isn’t it?” Ignoring her frown, Fallon pushed on.
“I mean, what happens now will determine Nora’s future here, so you’re like the judge and jury.
But her actions took place during the break week.
She wasn’t on the grounds or doing anything related to Firecamp work.
She wasn’t identifiable as a member of the Women’s Plus Crew.
Shouldn’t that be considered before a decision is made? ”
“Fallon, don’t.” Nora’s voice was low, as if she was speaking only to her. “I screwed up. I already admitted I shouldn’t have put myself in that position.”
“Nora is unquestionably the best sawyer on the crew.” Fallon and Nora both turned at Jade’s comment from the doorway.
“And she’s been willing to work with others to improve the overall production of our group.
She’s never caused any trouble and has pitched in when asked, even volunteering for extra duties at times. ”
Ranger Reva sighed. “I’m sure she’s an absolute saint in camp. But there was the incident at the ice cream shop, and now this. The reputation of our program in the local community and across the state needs to be upheld.”
Nora stared at the floor as Reva reached into her desk and pulled out an official-looking form. Fallon looked to Jade, who only shrugged. It was time to play her final card.
“Speaking of our program’s reputation, have you been able to generate any widespread publicity for the Women’s Plus Crew?”
Reva stopped writing and let out a short breath. “Fallon, let me deal with one thing at a time, okay?”
“No, this is related.” Fallon gave Nora a quick glance before pressing on.
“Did you know Nora is practically a professional photographer? She’s been admitted to a prestigious photojournalism school in Arizona.
If you don’t want her on the crew, couldn’t she stay on as our official publicist?
Assign her to get pictures of us doing our jobs and put it together into some kind of video for the website or to send to the TV stations or something? ”
Reva turned. “Is that true? You’re a photographer?” Nora seemed reluctant, but she nodded. “And you have your camera here with you?”
“In my bag.” Nora pointed to the duffel she’d left outside the door.
“Bring it in, please.” Reva seemed to go through everything else in the bag before placing the camera on her desk. “Why haven’t you been using this all along?”