Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
As they headed out onto the highway, a howling wind blew the snow into great sheets that made it appear like giant wings flapping across the blacktop.
Driving in a snow globe might sound like fun but it terrified Jenna.
Blasts of snow smacked the windshield, slowing the fast-moving wipers.
A sea of white spread out before her and even the dirty piles of snow alongside the highway had received a thick coating, making them indistinguishable from everything else.
Glad of her sunglasses, Jenna peered into the brilliant white.
Although the snowplow had gone through earlier this morning, the blizzard had already covered the ice retardant.
By the time they reached the main highway into Black Rock Falls, the visibility had dropped to zero.
The blacktop had turned into an ice rink and Jenna gripped the seat as Kane took the sharp corner onto the highway.
They hit a patch of thick treacherous frozen snow and the tires spun struggling for grip.
She held her breath as Kane turned the wheel and they drifted over the ice and onto the highway.
It would be slow going into town as a number of vehicles crawled along the inside lane. “That looks like patches of black ice.” She pulled out her phone. “I’ll send a message to the mayor. He needs to get a salt sprayer out here ASAP.”
As Jenna finished the message, a rush of wind buffeted the Beast and ice shards splattered them like buckshot as an eighteen-wheeler sped past spraying them with ice.
“What an idiot.” Kane’s eyes flashed with anger. “He’s lost control. Hang on, Jenna. It’s going to get nasty.”
With both hands pressed on the dashboard, Jenna gaped in horror as the eighteen-wheeler slid sideways and fishtailed as the driver tried to right it.
It slid along the highway out of control, the cab and trailer bending frighteningly.
Suddenly the trailer whipped around, clipping vehicles trying desperately to get out of its way, but the crushing impact tossed them into the ditch alongside the road.
Brakes screamed as drivers tried to avoid the collision.
Just ahead of them, the heavy trailer righted itself for a few seconds and then swung erratically back and forth, crashing into other vehicles and tossing parts of them across the hard-packed snow.
Jenna held her breath as the eighteen-wheeler bounced with each sickening bang as vehicles collided.
Panic gripped her as the truck screamed in a wail of metal, jackknifed, and slid toward them.
“Dammit.” Kane pulled the Beast to a stop in the middle of the highway.
Shaking with fear, Jenna couldn’t so much as blink and held on waiting for the impact.
The Beast’s engine roared as Kane reversed along the wrong side of the slippery blacktop, the truck’s snow tires spinning.
Behind them drivers panicked, moving in all directions to get some distance between them and the out-of-control truck.
Heart pounding, Jenna stared in horror, as the eighteen-wheeler skated across the ice, completely blocking the highway.
It trembled, shuddered, and in an almighty crash, the trailer came around to smash into the cab.
Sparks flew and gas spilled onto the snow and then silence. Everyone around them had stopped.
“You, okay?” Kane squeezed her arm. “Take a few deep breaths. We’re okay, Jenna.”
Trying to breathe, Jenna swallowed hard as the shock rushed through her. She turned to look at Kane, calm and in control as usual. “That was close. My heart is beating so fast.” She peered out of the window. “It looks bad. I hope everyone is okay.”
“So do I. Let’s go and see the damage.” Beside her, Kane pulled his black woolen cap down over his ears and pushed on his Stetson. He turned to look at her. “I’ll grab the first aid kit. Stay close. Duke, stay here. Good boy.” He left the engine running and climbed out.
Jenna pulled out her phone, running the procedure for multiple car wrecks through her mind.
She called Maggie and gave her the details.
“We’ll need fire trucks, tow trucks, and the paramedics, and notify the council so someone can come out and clean the debris from the road.
Explain what’s happening and we might get someone to push this truck over so we’ve got enough room to move traffic.
I’ll need Rio and Rowley. The driver is going down for this accident. ”
“I’m on it.” Maggie disconnected.
Climbing out of the warm truck and into the freezing wind, Jenna pushed her hands into her pockets.
The snow lashed at her face and built up on her sunglasses.
She stayed close to Kane, his large frame easily recognizable in the thick snowfall.
Glad of her warm snow boots, Jenna followed him to the first damaged vehicle.
She peered inside, seeing a woman still gripping tight to the steering wheel with the airbag in her face.
The eighteen-wheeler had badly gouged one side of her vehicle but she seemed to be okay. “Are you okay, ma’am?”
“I think so.” The woman’s window buzzed down an inch or so and she punched down the airbag.
Jenna nodded. “It’s surface damage. Keep your engine running to keep warm. Help is on the way.”
She photographed the damaged vehicle and asked the driver to show her license.
She snapped a photograph of it and then followed Kane to the next vehicle.
The images and licenses would be used for insurance claims. Five vehicles had been damaged on their side of the highway.
The eighteen-wheeler blocked her vision of the other side.
She turned to Kane. “The driver looks okay. I’m surprised.
I figured the trailer had smashed his cab, but it only took out the front of it. ”
“I’ll go and check on him but I’m more concerned about who smashed into the truck on the other side of the highway.
It sounded like World War Three from here.
” He brushed the snow from his sunglasses and peered at her.
“Please, stay close. I don’t want to lose you in the blizzard.
If you fell into the gully, the snow would cover your head. ”
Jenna snorted. “I was thinking the same thing about you. If you fell into the gully, there would be no way I’d be able to pull you out.
Although I admit you’d be a bit hard to lose in the blizzard.
” She stared into his reflective lenses, seeing herself in miniature.
Her independence still drove him crazy. “Stop worrying about me, Dave. We need to go and check for injuries. It might be some time before the paramedics get here.”
“Sure.” Kane held out his hand. “It’s slippery and together we’re stronger.”
Gripping tight to each other, they made their way slowly to the truck driver and Kane climbed up to check him. Jenna kicked snow over the leaking gas. “Is he okay?”
“He has a few lacerations to his face where the windshield shattered but nothing serious. He has blankets in the back. He’s going to climb in there to keep warm. We can leave him and go and look around the other side.” Kane jumped down and slid over to her. “Whoa, it’s slippery.”
Gripping tight to Kane’s hand, she followed him around the back of the truck and her mouth fell open at the sight of the carnage.
One pickup trapped up to the windshield under the side of the eighteen-wheeler had been pushed forward by a number of trucks all smashed together.
From the position of the vehicles, it appeared that most of them had tried to stop and ended up spinning out of control or sliding sideways into each other.
Steam rose from the damaged vehicles and bits and pieces of metal stuck out from the snow across the road.
With care, they picked their way through the damage, checking on the drivers of each vehicle.
None of them were bleeding to death and most had superficial cuts on their face from flying glass and debris.
The man in the pickup wedged under the eighteen-wheeler, possibly had broken legs.
“We’re going to need more doctors. I’ll call Wolfe and Raven.
” She made the call as she followed Kane.
Jenna stood to one side as Kane wedged open the door to the pickup.
He found blankets and another coat on the back seat and wrapped them around the man.
It was all they could do until the paramedics and fire trucks arrived to cut him out of the damaged vehicle.
She turned at the sound of a man’s voice. “Please, stay in your vehicle.”
“I’m Dr. Villard, an orthopedic surgeon from Black Rock Falls County Hospital.” He smiled at her. “What can I do to help?”
Blowing out a sigh of relief, Jenna smiled at him. “We’re currently checking victims. We haven’t found anyone badly injured apart from this man so far. He’s trapped and maybe has broken legs. There’s not much we can do for him until a fire truck arrives. They’ll be able to cut him out.”
“I’ll take a look.” Dr. Villard held up his bag.
“I have a few supplies with me. I might be able to relieve the poor man’s pain until we can get him to the hospital.
Give me a wave if you find anyone else who needs urgent medical attention.
” He frowned. “The cold is going to be the killer. Have you called the paramedics?”
“Yeah, first up.” Kane gave him a long stare. “We’ll leave you to it.” He headed off into the snow.
Shivering, Jenna followed. The bitter cold seeped into her clothes and she couldn’t feel her nose or cheeks.
Concern for the pain Kane would soon suffer from the metal plate in his head was at the front of her mind.
His debilitating headaches caused by the cold weather had never abated and although he bundled up, the pain would hit like a tornado.
They’d been in the freezing temperatures too long.
She needed to get him back into the truck.
“Dave.” She grabbed his arm. “If your head starts to ache, you’ll be no good to anyone.
I can handle the rest. Go and get warm.”
“Right now, I’m okay, so keep going.” Sunglasses masked Kane’s expression. He’d pulled up the collar of his coat to his ears. “Move as fast as possible. There are only a few we haven’t checked and help will be here soon.”
Nodding and pulling her scarf up like a mask, Jenna followed him, his hand wrapped tightly around hers, strong and dependable as always.
They checked three more wrecks and found no serious injuries but some of the vehicles were totaled and the occupants were in shock.
She straightened from cleaning up a man with a cut on his cheek and pulled examination gloves from her freezing fingers.
As she dragged on her thick leather gloves, she peered into the blizzard.
Blue and red lights flashed and the wail of sirens increased.
“Oh, thank goodness, the cavalry is on its way.”