Chapter 15 Race Against Time
Dispatch Emergency
The rain began before sunrise.
Days like this always kept first responders busy.
Julian zipped his station jacket before stepping into the apparatus bay. Overnight crews were finishing reports while the incoming shift checked medications, oxygen supplies, trauma bags, and vehicle readiness.
Routine.
Familiar.
Necessary.
Even after months in Ashcroft, those rituals still grounded him.
"Morning."
His ambulance partner, Emma Brooks, tossed him a cup of coffee.
"You look like you actually slept."
Julian accepted it with a grateful smile.
"For almost six hours."
"That's practically a vacation."
"It felt like one."
Emma leaned against Rig 4.
"You've been distracted lately."
Julian took a careful sip.
"I've had a lot on my mind."
"The council investigation?"
"Partly."
She studied him for a moment.
"You know everyone at the station still trusts Cooper Auto."
Julian looked toward the garage doors.
"Not everyone."
"No."
Emma admitted.
"But the people who actually work beside those ambulances do."
Her words meant more than she realized.
Julian thanked her quietly before beginning the morning inspection.
Every compartment opened.
Every medical bag checked.
Every monitor tested.
Everything looked exactly as it should.
Even so, his eyes lingered longer than usual on the braking inspection sticker inside the driver's door.
The date stared back at him.
Two weeks before Miller Automotive's temporary inspection period.
He quietly closed the door.
His conversation with Harold Dixon replayed through his thoughts.
Recalled brake components.
Altered serial numbers.
Hidden invoices.
Someone hadn't merely sabotaged ambulances.
Someone had built an entire business around deception.
The station intercom suddenly crackled.
"Station Six, respond."
Every casual conversation stopped instantly.
The dispatcher's calm voice filled the building.
"Priority medical response."
"Chest pain."
"Possible cardiac arrest."
"County Road Twelve."
Julian and Emma moved without another word.
Within seconds they climbed into Rig 4.
The diesel engine rumbled to life.
Dispatch continued speaking through the radio.
"Medic Four responding."
Julian answered automatically.
"Medic Four en route."
The ambulance pulled into the rain-soaked street, lights flashing against wet pavement while the siren echoed through the awakening town.
Traffic moved aside quickly despite the worsening weather.
Emma monitored updates from dispatch while Julian focused entirely on driving.
Heavy rain reduced visibility.
Water pooled across intersections.
Wind pushed against the ambulance each time they crossed an exposed stretch of highway.
"Patient's unconscious now."
Emma reported after another radio update.
"Family performing CPR."
Julian nodded.
"We'll be there in six."
He increased speed carefully.
This wasn't the time to take unnecessary risks.
Not anymore.
Not after everything they had learned.
Several miles later the radio sounded again.
This time the dispatcher's voice carried unmistakable urgency.
"Attention all units."
"We have an additional emergency."
Emma reached for the microphone.
"Go ahead."
"Medic Two has reported mechanical problems while responding to a priority trauma call."
Julian instinctively looked toward the radio.
"What kind of mechanical problems?"
The dispatcher answered immediately.
"Driver reports severe steering instability."
"Vehicle becoming difficult to control."
Emma's expression changed instantly.
"Location?"
"Mountain Pass Road."
Julian felt a cold sensation spread through his chest.
Mountain Pass Road.
Steep grades.
Sharp curves.
Limited guardrails.
One of the most dangerous roads in the county.
Especially during heavy rain.
Dispatch continued.
"Medic Two is attempting to continue to the patient."
Julian couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"They're still driving?"
"They're closest available unit."
The dispatcher sounded equally concerned.
"Law enforcement and fire units are responding."
Julian tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
Every instinct screamed that the ambulance should stop immediately.
But if they stopped...
A critically injured patient waited without medical care.
If they continued...
Everyone inside the ambulance remained at risk.
Emma looked toward him.
"What do you think?"
Julian didn't answer immediately.
Instead, another memory surfaced.
The handwritten ledger.
Rig numbers.
Replacement schedules.
Counterfeit parts.
His pulse quickened.
"Emma..."
he said quietly.
"...what unit is Medic Two using today?"
She reached for the fleet assignment sheet clipped beside the radio.
"Rig Six."
Julian's heartbeat stopped for a fraction of a second.
Rig 6.
He knew that number.
Not from today's assignment sheet.
From Jax's photographs.
From Harold's invoices.
From the maintenance records he had secretly reviewed after hours.
Rig 6.
One of the ambulances listed repeatedly in Miller's handwritten ledger.
One of the vehicles identified for counterfeit component replacement.
The realization hit him with terrifying clarity.
"This isn't random."
Emma looked confused.
"What?"
Julian accelerated toward the next intersection.
"Rig Six."
He repeated.
"It was on the list."
"What list?"
"The vehicles connected to the counterfeit parts."
Emma stared at him.
"Julian..."
"I know."
"I'll explain later."
He grabbed the radio microphone.
"Dispatch."
"This is Medic Four."
"Confirm again."
"The disabled ambulance is operating Rig Six?"
A brief pause followed.
Then the answer came.
"Affirmative."
"Medic Two is operating Rig Six."
Julian closed his eyes for one brief second.
Everything fit.
The counterfeit brake assemblies.
The altered serial numbers.
The hidden ledger.
The recalled components.
Rig 6 wasn't experiencing ordinary mechanical trouble.
It had become another target.
Another ambulance placed deliberately in danger.
And somewhere beyond the rain, another crew was unknowingly driving one of the vehicles listed in Miller's records toward one of the most hazardous roads in the county.
Julian looked through the windshield as lightning briefly illuminated the storm ahead.
This wasn't simply another equipment failure.
This was exactly what Jax had feared.
The sabotage had reached another ambulance.
And unless someone stopped it in time, innocent people were about to pay the price.
Mountain Pass
Jax burst through the rear entrance of Cooper Auto Repair with rain dripping from his jacket and his heartbeat still refusing to settle.
The photographs stored on his phone felt heavier than any toolbox he had ever carried.
The hidden ledger.
The handwritten entries.
The rig numbers.
The profit calculations.
Every page confirmed what he and Julian had suspected for weeks.
The sabotage wasn't random.
It was organized.
Deliberate.
Someone had systematically replaced safe, manufacturer-approved components after Cooper Auto completed legitimate repairs.
He hurried into the office, plugged his phone into his computer, and immediately copied every image onto two separate encrypted flash drives.
One remained inside the office safe.
The other disappeared into the hidden compartment beneath his father's old tool chest.
Only after making the backups did he finally allow himself to breathe.
His phone vibrated violently across the desk.
Julian.
Jax answered immediately.
"I'm listening."
Julian's voice came through over layers of static, wind, and distant sirens.
"Where are you?"
"At the garage."
"You got out?"
"Barely."
"I'll explain later."
Julian didn't waste another second.
"Rig Six is failing."
Jax stood instantly.
"What?"
"Steering instability."
"They're responding through Mountain Pass."
His blood ran cold.
"Mountain Pass?"
"They're almost there."
Jax's eyes moved automatically toward the maintenance board hanging beside the office.
Rig Six.
Counterfeit steering components.
Modified suspension hardware.
He remembered the handwritten entries inside Garth's ledger.
That ambulance wasn't simply breaking down.
It had been prepared.
"When did dispatch receive the call?"
"Three minutes ago."
"How far are they from the descent?"
"I don't know."
"But they're still moving."
Jax grabbed his truck keys.
"Tell dispatch to slow them down."
"They've already tried."
"They've got a critical trauma patient waiting."
Jax swore under his breath.
Mountain Pass Road wasn't forgiving.
The highway climbed nearly twelve hundred feet before dropping sharply through a series of narrow switchbacks carved directly into the mountainside.
In dry weather, experienced drivers respected it.
During heavy rain...
Even healthy vehicles demanded complete concentration.
An ambulance with steering problems could become uncontrollable within seconds.
Julian continued.
"I know exactly what's on that rig."
"So do I."
Jax answered.
"I'm coming."
He ended the call before either man could say anything else.
There wasn't time.
He sprinted across the garage.
"Tyler!"
The younger mechanic appeared from Bay Three.
"What's wrong?"
"I need the heavy recovery truck."
Tyler immediately recognized the urgency.
"The Peterbilt?"
"Now."
Within seconds, both men were moving.
The heavy tow truck occupied the rear equipment bay, normally reserved for overturned semis, logging equipment, and commercial recovery operations.
Its hydraulic systems could lift nearly anything on the road.
Jax climbed inside while Tyler loaded specialized recovery equipment into the rear compartments.
Heavy-duty hydraulic jacks.
Portable air compressor.
Emergency brake line repair kit.
Industrial steering stabilizers.
High-pressure hydraulic hoses.
Portable lighting.
Every tool that might save an emergency vehicle stranded in impossible conditions.
Ben appeared carrying another equipment case.
"You'll need this."
Jax looked inside.
Electronic diagnostic scanners.
Portable battery packs.
Wireless brake pressure monitors.
Exactly what he had forgotten.
"Thanks."
Ben closed the compartment doors.
"Be careful."
"I'll bring everybody home."
The massive diesel engine roared to life.
Rain hammered the windshield hard enough that the wipers struggled to keep pace.
Dispatch frequencies filled the cab through the emergency scanner.
"...Medic Two reports increasing steering resistance..."
"...visibility less than fifty yards..."
"...law enforcement approaching western entrance..."
Jax shifted into gear.
The heavy truck rolled through the service yard before accelerating toward the highway.
Every minute mattered.
He knew that road better than most people in Ashcroft.
Five years earlier, he had recovered a fuel tanker from the lower ravine after brake failure during another storm.
Three firefighters nearly died that night.
He refused to watch another emergency crew become victims of mechanical sabotage.
Rain intensified as he reached the highway.
Water sprayed from oncoming traffic.
Thunder rolled across the mountains.
The scanner crackled again.
"Medic Two to Dispatch..."
The driver's breathing sounded strained.
"...steering pulling harder left..."
"...speed reduced..."
"...approximately five miles from Summit Marker..."
Jax mentally calculated the distance.
Five miles.
Too close.
Much too close.
He pressed harder on the accelerator.
The Peterbilt responded with deep mechanical confidence.
Unlike the sabotaged ambulances, every component inside this truck had been inspected personally.
He trusted every bolt.
Every hose.
Every brake chamber.
His phone rang through the truck's hands-free system.
Julian again.
"Where are you?"
"Crossing Miller Bridge."
"I'm about eight minutes behind them."
"I'm coming from the opposite side."
Julian answered.
"I'm diverting after dropping my patient."
Jax frowned.
"What about your assignment?"
"Emma's staying with the patient."
"I'm meeting you."
"Julian..."
"There isn't time to argue."
Jax almost smiled despite everything.
"No."
"There isn't."
The connection ended as both men focused entirely on reaching the mountain.
The rain became almost blinding.
Water rushed across the pavement in shallow rivers.
Tree branches bent violently beneath powerful gusts of wind.
Emergency lights flashed faintly in the distance.
Police cruisers.
Fire engines.
Ambulances.
Too many.
Not enough.
The first emergency vehicles appeared near the western approach to Mountain Pass.
A sheriff's deputy waved traffic aside while firefighters attempted to establish a safe perimeter.
Jax slowed only long enough to lower his window.
"Where's Medic Two?"
The deputy pointed uphill.
"About three miles."
"They're still moving."
"Road's getting worse."
Jax nodded once before accelerating again.
The heavy truck climbed steadily through the winding road.
His eyes constantly searched ahead.
Then he saw another set of flashing lights approaching from the opposite direction.
Medic Four.
Julian.
The ambulance stopped sideways across the roadway.
Julian climbed out before the vehicle fully halted.
Rain soaked his uniform within seconds.
Jax pulled alongside him.
"What do we know?"
Julian climbed into the passenger side of the tow truck without hesitation.
"Dispatch just updated."
"Rig Six lost almost all steering response."
"They're trying to coast toward the summit before the descent."
Jax looked ahead.
"They'll never make the switchbacks."
"I know."
Julian unfolded the photocopied maintenance summary he had carried from the station.
His finger stopped on one highlighted line.
"Look."
Jax glanced over briefly.
Rig 6
Counterfeit steering linkage replacement recorded.
Exactly what they feared.
Neither man spoke for several seconds.
The truth had become terrifyingly real.
This wasn't an investigation anymore.
It was an active rescue.
The rain eased just enough for the summit road to appear ahead.
Beyond it lay the beginning of Mountain Pass's infamous descent.
Sharp curves.
Steep grades.
Rock walls on one side.
Empty air on the other.
Then, through the curtain of rain, both men finally saw it.
Rig Six.
Its emergency lights flashed wildly as it crawled toward the edge of the summit.
The ambulance swayed unnaturally across the roadway, fighting against steering that no longer obeyed the driver's hands.
Jax tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
Julian stared through the windshield.
They had arrived.
Barely.
Only a few hundred yards separated the struggling ambulance from the first downhill curve.
If it crossed the summit before they reached it...
The mountain would decide the outcome.
And mountains never showed mercy.
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