20. Gabe
20
GABE
The flames are everywhere. The smoke is thick, and I can barely see anything except for the three men beside me. I take my helmet off and wipe my brow. I’m the captain, and I should be able to figure out a way to get us out of here.
I’m not sure how we got into this mess. Rick and Keaton got separated from the group, and Spence and I went to find them. In that time, the wind picked up even more, and there was no telling which direction to go because flames were shooting up all around us.
These men are depending on me to get them home tonight, but I’m lost on how to do that. We’re completely surrounded, and unless there is a miracle, we’re not going to make it. But I’m not the type to give up, so I’m going to have to figure out something.
My voice is so raspy, I don’t even know if the men can hear me. “We have to hold. Help is coming.”
I raise my eyes to the sky. The only thing that is going to help us now is God or a miracle.
Keaton coughs. “What the hell are we holding for? We’re done.”
We’ve tried to build a perimeter around us. We’ve done all we could to keep the fire at bay, but I don’t know what our next move is. However, I do know we can’t give up. I promised Chrissy I was coming home to her, and I’m going to do everything in my power to keep that promise.
I pick up my radio and try it again. I hit the button, and there’s only static. We can’t call out, and I’m not sure if the rest of the crews know our exact location. At this point, I’m not sure of anything.
Rick shouts, “It’s over. We’re trapped. No one is coming.”
I point at him, trying to keep my shit together. “Rick, you have kids. Don’t you dare give up right now because I’m not going to tell them their dad is dead. Just give me a minute. I’ll think of something.”
The flames and smoke continue around us. We’re barely able to breathe, and we’re running out of time. Spence, who has been quiet through this whole thing, is just staring at me as if I’m about to have some miraculous idea that will get us out of here.
I can see the hope and desperation on his face, and I’m sure it’s the same emotion on mine.
I open my mouth, but before I can say anything, I hear it. It’s a thumping sound, coming somewhere from the valley.
“Do you hear that?” I ask.
Keaton nods. “What is it?”
The sound gets louder and louder, and it takes me a minute, but when I hear the chopping sound of rotor blades, I know exactly what it is. “It’s a helicopter.”
Spence nods. “That’s more than one helicopter.”
We’re staring up at the sky when the helicopters fly all around us. They hover over us, and I scream at the others, “They’re going to drop. Brace yourselves.”
The first one opens their chute, dumping water down the mountainside. There’s hissing as the water hits the flames. There’s smoke, steam, and charred earth all around us, but we don’t have the time to hesitate. “Let’s go! Follow the path they’re making.”
We take a few steps, and I’m screaming instructions the whole way. “It’s going to be slippery.”
“Work together, the terrain is giving away.”
“Keep moving.”
We’re climbing through the smoldering debris, making our way down the mountain. I look back, and the flames have picked back up behind us. Fuck, we don’t have much time. The helicopters keep dumping in front of us, and I’m hoping that they are leading us to safety. “Go, guys! Push it!”
We’re moving as fast as we can, and when I see the clearing in front of us, we all pick up more speed. It’s not until we’ve reached the rest of the crews and are into safety that I fall to my knees. The other three men do the same, and then we’re surrounded by people trying to help us.
Someone grabs me by the shoulder. “Gabe, you need medical attention.”
I jerk away. “Check the other guys first. ”
“There are people helping them. I’m here to help you.”
“I’m fine,” I tell him and try to move to my feet. Just as I do, I collapse again, and King is there to catch me. “Hey, brother, you scared us to death.”
“Chrissy?” I mutter.
He helps me to my feet. “I need you to get into the ambulance. I told her that I’d bring you to her.”
I nod, struggling to see with the soot, sweat, and tears in my eyes. “The other guys…”
“They’re getting treatment. They’re all going to the hospital. Come on, let’s go.”
One of them tells me to get on the stretcher, but I refuse. “I’ll walk.”
I wait for King to argue with me, but he puts his arm around me and all but carries me to the ambulance.
He helps me in and then climbs in beside me. They cover my mouth and nose with oxygen, but I pull it off and look at my brother. “Did you get the helicopters here?”
He nods. “I called in a few favors from Walker. He was happy to do it. He said he owed us anyway.”
“Thank you,” I tell him.
He squeezes my shoulder, and his voice is filled with emotion. “I wasn’t losing another brother, Gabe.”
I nod at him in understanding. When I was on the on the side of the mountain and thinking I was going to die, that was one of my thoughts. I thought about Chrissy and leaving her. And I thought about what this would do to my family if they had to bury me so soon after Ledger’s death.
“Is Chrissy okay?”
He just looks at me. “She’s scared to death.”
I close my eyes and lay my head back. Sometime between the mountain and Jasper hospital, I lose consciousness.