Chapter Sixteen #3
They shook. “I’d like to see him again too,” Fallon said. “Maybe after we get this mess cleaned up. Meanwhile, please let me know if my crew can do anything to assist, here or at the main burn.”
The sound of the rotors returned, louder this time, the chopper flying low enough for Nora to see Rudy in the pilot’s seat, waving before he headed up the mountain. She waved back.
“We’ll do that,” Art said, glancing around at the firebreak. “Your crew has done a great job here. But I wouldn’t mind if you could turn down these gales a bit.”
Fallon smiled. “Thanks. I’ll see what I can do about that.”
A voice came over Art’s radio: “Spot burn under control. Heading up.”
“Guess that’s my cue.” Adding a wink, he said, “Make sure you take good care of my little sister, will you?”
Nora bristled at Art’s implication that she needed looking after, so typical of the men in her family, but the pink tinge in Fallon’s cheeks distracted her. What did she think he meant?
“Nora is quite capable of taking care of herself, as I’m sure you know.”
He laughed. “That I do.” Touching his helmet again, he squeezed Nora’s shoulder as he passed. “See ya, sis.”
Almost instantly, he vanished into the smoke. Nora shook her head. “That was surreal.”
Tyler emerged from behind the van. “I got pictures of the whole thing.”
“You sneak. Why didn’t you come say hi to Art?”
“I just saw him a couple of days ago,” Tyler said, still grinning.
“Let me see those photos,” Nora started toward him, hand out for the camera.
“Maybe I will and maybe I won’t.”
Nora caught Tyler by the shirttail, threatening to tickle him until he gave in and handed over the camera, while Fallon spoke into her radio. “Maris, meet me on the forest edge of the break. I want to make sure we’re clean before the trucks go.”
“Roger.”
Tyler gave in easily, and Nora began looking through his shots, raising an eyebrow at him. “These are pretty good. For an amateur.”
“Hey, Tyler,” Caden called. “When’s lunch?”
Tyler hurried off while Nora continued looking through his photos from the day before.
She heard the picker and log truck engines start up.
After their rumble faded, it was strangely quiet, and Nora had the thought that maybe Fallon had found a way to control the atmosphere.
The idea had barely crossed her mind when a violent blast of hot wind whipped dust and grit into her face.
She spun away, shielding her eyes, only to jerk back around at the sharp, ripping crack from across the break.
She watched in horror as a tree began to fall, Fallon and Maris directly in its path.
Standing a few feet apart, they stared up, seemingly paralyzed.
Then Fallon raced forward, pulling Maris for several yards before shoving her clear.
The tree twisted as it crashed down, and Fallon disappeared under its branches as she tried to lunge for safety.
The air left Nora’s lungs. Was she screaming? Was Maris? Then she was running, everyone was running, toward the spot where Fallon had been swallowed by the thick tree limbs densely covered with needles.
“Where is she?” Maris said over and over. “Can anyone see her? Where is she?”
Only Caden had the presence of mind to bring a saw but passed it to Nora. “You’re fast and steady. Get her out of there.”
Nora started to shake her head but realized she didn’t want anyone else working with a chainsaw close to where Fallon might be. “Pull the slash away as quick as you can,” Nora told the other crew members. “Maris, stay beside me, and tell me when you see her.”
Maris nodded, and Nora called, “Starting up.” She cut and cut. The branches disappeared from her view so quickly, it was almost as if they’d never been there.
Finally, Maris called, “Stop!” Nora hit the chain brake. “There.” Maris was pointing. “Isn’t that her helmet? Oh God. God, no.”
Nora understood why Maris was crying. She wanted to cry too. But every second counted. If Fallon’s helmet had been knocked off, the best place to look for her body would be in the thinner branches right below it. No, not her body. Herself. Her smile. Those beautiful eyes.
“Move with me,” Nora ordered, shifting along the mass of branches until she was closer to the trunk. “Maris. Maris! I need you to watch for her so I can concentrate on cutting. Can you?”
“Yes.” Maris choked back a sob. “Okay, go.”
Four cuts later, as the branches were pulled away, Nora saw her.
On her side. Her hand to her head. Her face streaked with blood.
“Fallon! Oh, Jesus.” Nora dropped the saw and crawled forward, disregarding the sharp sting of the needles digging into her skin.
She reached out and put her fingers on Fallon’s neck.
“She’s alive. But her pulse is fast.” Fallon’s left shoulder looked warped, almost sunken.
“Don’t touch her, please,” a male voice called from behind the group.
Everyone turned to see three EMTs and Tyler coming across the break. Nora trembled with relief that he’d the sense to call 9-1-1.
“Are you the sawyer?” a different voice asked. Nora could only nod. “Okay. Let me show you where else you need to cut so we can get her out.”