Chapter Two
“We’re flying right into it!” Lieutenant Mack Casey said.
There was no real need for the pilot to announce it, though. The fact that he was guiding the Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk chopper right into the eye of a raging storm was obvious.
Howling winds blew all around them but he had enough experience to hold the bird steady. Dark clouds swirled directly ahead and a moment later large drops of water started lashing at the windows and spilled in through the open side door.
Senior Chief Petty Officer Declan O’Connor looked out that open door to his right and straight down. The normally beautiful Pacific was a swirling cauldron of dark, ominous waters.
“We don’t normally see this kind of storm during the summer,” he noted.
There was no reason to yell since the mic he wore patched him through to the three fellow members of the U.S. Coast Guard who were aboard that aircraft. So, he spoke in an even tone that relayed the sense of inner calm he felt.
He probably shouldn’t have been so calm, he noted silently. He was flying right into the storm, after all. More than that, he was strapped to a rig that was about to lower him into that swirling ocean. But he’d done this so many times he’d lost track of the number. It wasn’t that he was arrogant or didn’t account for the dangers. It was that experience had taught him that remaining calm was the best thing he could do for those he was rescuing. And for himself.
Losing his head wouldn’t help anyone.
So, he focused on his breathing, relied on his training and experience, and waited until the moment was right.
“I’ve seen a few summer ones like this,” the co-pilot replied. “But it’s been a while.”
While California didn’t really see any hurricanes, they had their share of storms off the coast. Winter was the active season, however, but every now and then a freak one decided to boil over in the warmer months. Like now.
“There he is!” Petty Officer Third Class Marcie Bowman cried, pointing toward a shape in the tumultuous sea.
Declan squinted and, sure enough, he saw the small form of a man being tossed around helplessly by the churning waves.
“Good eye. Let’s get ready,” Declan said.
They waited until the chopper got into the right spot and then descended a bit. As the bird hovered over the desperate man, Declan read the “go signal” from Petty Officer Bowman and then stepped out.
The fall was always thrilling.
It was a measured plummet, but he was still zooming toward a stormy sea. His stomach flipped an excited somersault, but his emotions regulated the moment he arrived at the water’s surface.
“Thank…God!” the scared, stranded man yelled.
Now that Declan had a good look at him, he could see it was a young guy, probably no older than twenty-one.
“It’s going to be okay,” Declan yelled, trying to be heard over the roar of the rising and falling waves, along with the overhead chopper. “Do exactly as I say. You’re going to be fine!”
The man opened his mouth to speak but just then was swept beneath the water.
“I got you! I got you!” Declan cried.
His line gave some slack and he was able to go deeper, actually into the water now instead of suspended above it. He caught the guy and then said into his mic, “Bring us up a little.”
The line went taut and they came up quickly from the water.
“I’m going to put this on you,” he said, grabbing an extra harness that was clipped to his own vest. “When I say go, you just hold on.”
The man tried to nod but coughed and sputtered instead. He spit out some salty water. A moment later, he said, “I…don’t…wanna die.”
Declan smiled reassuringly. “No one’s going to die today. What’s your name?”
He worked as he spoke, moving efficiently to prep the evacuee.
“Andrew.”
“You out surfing, Andrew?”
“Yeah.”
“Waves good?”
Even with the blowing rain, crashing waves, and howling winds, Andrew managed a smile. “They were awesome. Until…t-this.”
“Well, guess what, Andrew. You’re safe now. Enjoy the ride.” Speaking into his mic again, Declan called, “Bring us up.”
Apparently, the realization that he was saved caused Andrew’s fear to melt away. Because, as he was being pulled up toward the hovering chopper, he yelled, “This is awesome!”
Declan couldn’t help but smile. He’d never lost anyone yet and he didn’t ever plan to, either. Still, he knew the ocean could be unpredictable. There was only so much a person could do in the face of a behemoth like that. It was beautiful, endless, but also terrifying. Sometimes he wondered if perhaps mankind hadn’t been made to explore it too much.
That was above his pay grade, though.
The truth was, no matter what his feelings on the topic were, people got into trouble out in those waters all the time. And it was his job to save them.
Not just a job.
It was his calling.
That being said, a guy needs a break even from his calling sometimes. That’s why he was glad vacation started tomorrow.
Three months of vacation!
Though it would be a working vacation. Still, way different than the daily grind he’d done for the past fifteen years with the Coast Guard. And before that, he did a four-year stint in the Navy.
He wasn’t the type to complain. But the way he figured it, he was long overdue for a little break. If he didn’t recharge soon, he wouldn’t be any good to anyone.
Yeah, a break was needed.
And what better place to take that break than Camp Mountainville?
He took one last look at the angry ocean while the pulley system drug him back up to the awaiting helicopter.
“Three months with no waves. No sharks. And no near-death experiences,” he said aloud. “I hate to say it, Pacific. But I won’t miss you.”
“What was that?” Petty Officer Bowman asked as she pulled him back into the bird.
He chuckled. “Just talking to myself and daydreaming about vacation. Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
He looked at Andrew who appeared to be in a bit of shock now that the adrenaline of the situation was wearing off. He had a blanket wrapped around him, but the poor guy was still shivering. His face was green, too, and Declan was quick to hand him a barf bag just in case.
There would be a medical team waiting for them upon landing. The sooner they got there, the better.
Declan shut the door and the chopper took off toward the beach, carrying them closer to land and his vacation.
And maybe, just maybe, to a Little to call his own.