by Jana Leigh
Jez grinned. “Ohhhhhh, love in a fire zone!”
Keely turned and glared at her. “Um no, I would just as soon go out with Red ‘Needledick’ Humphries than them. At least he has a sense of humor. Those three are like cyborg clones.”
Jez chuckled and then got up out of bed. “You never know.”
“Uh yeah, the only one who is gonna be getting any around her is you. That is because according to the headman, you are moving rooms. I was told to tell you to pack up; from now on, you are in the command trailer. Jeb and Gibs are staying in The Shack and your mother is my new roommate.” Keely grinned.
She froze, what? Keely pulled on her long pants that they wore under her thick leather fire pants, and then her long sleeve shirt, and so on. It was heavy and when Keely was done, she looked like a yellow stay puff marshmallow.
Jez shook her head and then said, “Yeah, well we’ll see about that, no one asked me if I wanted to move.”
“Good luck with that. I have to go; we are leaving in a few. Also there is a meeting in the tent in an hour, you have enough time to shower and get there. It is a briefing they said. Gonna show everyone the plan they came up with,” Keely said.
“Got it,” Jex said and grabbed her towel and went into the bathroom. “See you in twelve.”
“Yep,” Keely said and flashed her a smile and left.
Twelve-hour shifts during a hot fire was the norm. Jez quickly showered and looked at the clock for the first time. She had only slept six hours but that was enough. She needed to find out what was going on, plus she needed to check on her baby, make sure the soot wasn’t in the engine.
Chapter Thirteen
Jez walked into the huge tent they had set up and looked around. There was a long table of coffee and food on one side, and a bunch of tables on the other side with men sitting and eating. There was a path through the middle to the other side where computers and a long table was setup with maps behind them hanging on the wall and what looked like a schedule as well.
She saw Nix and the others, she stopped before going to them and detoured to the table with the food and grabbed a plate and a cup for coffee. She didn’t know what to think. Keely told her she was moving, and honestly, living close like they did with the crew, it was like announcing something to your family. She was apprehensive about how people would look at them, if they knew, or if the guys were going to announce it or just do it. Either way, she felt like a fish in a bowl.
Someone had gone all out, she thought when she actually looked at the food. There were breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burritos, pastries, bagels, and cream cheese. She took a burrito and then walked to the coffee and filled up her cup. The whole time she was well aware the guys had seen her and all of her movements were being tracked by their eyes. Yep, a fish in a bowl.
She put cream and sugar in her coffee and then turned and took a sip out of the cup looking as if to see where she was going to sit. One of the guys held up his hand and called out to her and she nodded and then made her way over to where he was sitting.
Jimmy was one of the youngest men on their team. He was happy and friendly, something that none of the guys were, so he was refreshing. She smiled as she sat down and said, “Hey, Jimmy, guys.”
The others grunted like it was another day and Jimmy chuckled and said, “Hey, Jez. How you feeling today?”
“Better,” she muttered, not wanting to talk about the fact she was on a date with three men when they were trapped in the fire.
“Good, heard you are moving to the bus,” Jimmy said casually and all the guys froze and looked up waiting for her to answer.
She paused and then shrugged before picking up her burrito and then she said, “Sounds like it,” right before she took a bite.
The guys stared at her then at each other and one by one they began to eat again. Jimmy once again chuckled and then leaned into her and said, “Hey, it is cool. The guys are awesome, and truthfully no one cares where the fuck you sleep.”
She grinned and then took a sip of her coffee and said, “Yeah, well that’s good, ‘cause I am pretty certain that it is none of your business anyway.”
“Ahhh, Jez,” Jimmy said with a whine. “Come on, none of us are getting any, we are living vicariously through you all.”
Jez laughed when Jimmy’s head was hit from behind by a large hand, and when she looked up she saw Nix, Trystan, and Gray standing there.
“You were saying?” Nix said and all of the guys laughed when Jimmy’s face went bright red and he shook his head.
“Sorry, boss,” Jimmy said and then winked at Jez who giggled. She was grateful because it meant she was still just one of the guys no matter who she was sleeping with.
“Come on,” Gray said firmly, “briefing is gonna start.”
The guys nodded and finished their meal, Jez all but shoved her burrito into her mouth and stood with her cup of coffee and followed them as they walked to the back of the tent. Gibs was there already, she had missed his entrance. She wanted to talk to him about Jeb and her mother if there was time.
“Okay, folks,” Gibs said loudly and everyone got real quiet so they could listen. “The county chief is going to speak to the media but I wanted to bring you up to date with information.”
He turned and began pointing at the map, showing them were there were active hotspots, and also pointing out where the road blocks were set.
“We have four teams, we are waiting for the weather report from down in the valley to see if the copters from Denver can take off. If they can, they will be bringing reinforcements. Jumpers will be let off here, in the middle of town at the park. Then we will have five teams. Right now, the fire has burned 3700 acres. Now, we all know there are miles and miles of forest north of us and the terrain is rough. If the fire gets up there too far, the Forest Service is gonna have a problem. Then we have Wyoming and Utah who are gonna be threatened by the blaze if it continues to move. If it goes west, we have several issues as well, including those small towns up there that depend on us to get them out. Which we will not be able to do if we can’t get to the road that swings around there. Now, if it continues to go east and south, once again, we have a problem. Beetle bugs have killed a lot of trees this last year, the Forest Service has not had time to clear some of the worst areas, so all the trees right along here are tinder,” Gibs said and the air in the tent got thick with tension.
“So we are fucked?” someone said and Gibs shook his head.
“I don’t think so. However, we have a mess on our hands. We have a four-sided fire we need to have lines cut out on and we only have so many men. So twelve-hour shifts are going to be a must, make sure when it is your down time you are eating, sleeping, and making sure that your head is in the game. Now the Chinooks are not working with us, I am certain we will not get help for at least another twenty-four to forty-eight hours. The forecast is calling for hot and windy, unusual for this time of year, but something we do not need. Nix and Trystan will be making sure all your equipment is ready and if you need something, you go to them. Jeb will be back here in a few hours, and then he will assume lead over our teams. Nix, we need you to lead a team this go-around.”
Nix nodded and then Gibs turned back to the board and finished their briefing. Damn, this was seriously fucked up. They weren’t sure about much of anything, other than at this particular moment they were on their own, and that totally sucked.
“Now,” Gibs said, as he was finishing up, “all of that being said, Jez, you need to check your bird. We are going to need some airdrops. There is a reservoir right here and here. You can use the bucket and make drops.”
The men stilled and she nodded.
“Okay, I need a bit of time to clean everything and check for soot. But should be ready to go in a few hours if everything checks out,” Jez said.
“Good, next shift change will be in ten hours, so get some rest and be ready to go.”
The group dispersed and Nix and her guys stood right by her as she fin
ished her coffee, not saying anything. She finally looked at them and said.
“So, I am moving?”
Trystan grinned, took her cup, and threw it away and then said, “Yep, let’s get your bird ready and then we will move your stuff.”
She put her hands on her hips and said, “Do you think maybe you should have asked first?”
Nix shook his head. “No, cause then we would be getting the sass you are gearing up to throw right now. It is a done deal, no one cares, let the shit go. Now, we have bigger things to get done so move that cute little ass along so we can maybe break in our new bedroom before the next shift.”
She rolled her eyes but allowed Gray to take her hand and lead her back out into the smoky air and around The Shack to the helio pad. There she was, ‘Stryker’ sat covered in soot from the fire. It happened all the time during a fire, and there were hoses and materials to clean her, but since she had not been here when the fire started and the soot began to gather, it was thick. This could lead to problems with her engine, and that was something she nor anyone else wanted.
They cleaned her bird with a blower first, so not to make the soot congeal anywhere on her machine. Then they cleaned it, making sure the hoses and everything else was good and hadn’t been singed or damaged. Then they went to grab some lunch and get briefed again. The fire was moving and the winds had not died down yet so they were right where they had been before except the fire was now 4900 acres, it was moving fast and everyone was getting tense. They were sitting in the tent when Jeb and her mother showed up.
“Jez!” she heard her mother say and then she was wrapped in her arms and was hugged fiercely.
“Mom,” Jez said and tried to pull back. “MOM!” Jez said and finally her mother laughed and let her go.
“What?” her mother said. “I am just happy to see you.”
“I am at work,” she said softy, her mother looked around and saw the men all watching them closely, and her mother chuckled.
“Yeah, your father was the same way.”
“Well…” Jez said and her mother leaned toward her and said.
“Are those three guys the three you were talking about? I mean they are staring at us like they are gonna grab you and take you away so I am assuming so.”
Jez rolled her eyes and then turned to look at the three men who were standing, staring, waiting for an introduction, and sighed.
“Yeah, Ma,” Jez said. “Come on, let me introduce you.”
“Soja, this is Nixon, Gray, and Trystan. Guys, this is my mother, Soja,” she said and bit her lip as she waited for her mother to say something completely inappropriate.
“Hey, fellows!” Soja said and Jez rolled her eyes. “Now, I will want to have you over for dinner and all that. You know, to make sure your intentions are good.”
The guys grinned and Jez wanted to melt away from embarrassment. Seriously, she loved her mother, but she needed to get a life.
“Come on, Mom,” Jez groaned. “Let’s go and make sure your stuff is taken into The Shack.
As they approached the table, there was a burst of activity as Jeb and Gibs both moved quickly to the computer and the radios. Something was going on. Jez and everyone paused and waited to hear.
“Base,” they heard a male voice come over the intercom. He was out of breath and they could hear the actual fire in the background.
“Yeah, Remi,” Jeb said into the mic. There was a long pause and they all held their breaths.
“Fuck, boss, we got a situation. Just found a fuckin’ propane tank up here with a cabin someone built that wasn’t on the map. We would leave it, but the problem is it looks like someone is here, there is an SUV parked out front. We are going to…”
The line went dead and they heard a huge explosion to the north of The Shack.
“FUCK!” Jeb roared and ran for the yard.
Nix closed his eyes and sent up some fast words to the heavens. The only way for the ground crew to escape certain death would be for Jez to take to the air and lay a water trail so his guys could build a firebreak. There was no other choice, but he was worried she might attempt to drop down and go in hot to try to rescue the crew. With the way the trees were exploding and the heat causing the helio to loft in the spots where the fire was burning hotter, she could still lose control without the heroics. Unless she followed instructions and laid the water, turned around and got back, she wouldn’t make it, and that would be his breaking point.
Gray was looking over the water chute and Trys was staring at the fire and smoke covering the mountainside. They were all worried, and attempting to deal with the fear as best they knew how.
Jez walked toward the chopper and the three men met her at the door that she was just about to climb into. They all looked sad and determined, which might have been funny at another time. There was nothing funny about what she had to do. It was what she’d spent hours and hours of practicing for, and she knew she was as ready as she could be. She plastered a bright smile on her face and decided to tell them what was in her heart. If something went wrong, well at least they would know.
She went into Gray’s arms first for a firm hug and panty-dampening kiss. She held his beautiful face between her hands and told him what was in her heart. “You be safe, I expect to see you in one piece later on.” She leaned into their embrace and said into his ear, “I love you, so take care of you for me, all right?”
He turned his head and kissed her again before saying, “Now you tell me? I finally hear the word Love coming from your beautiful mouth, and I can’t show you how much the words and emotions mean to me. I can only tell you to be safe yourself and come back to us, because I love you too. And I don’t know what to do with this lump in my chest knowing you are going to be flying into that inferno by yourself and no safety net. I just have to trust that everything works out as planned, because if you don’t make it, none of us will ever get over it.” He kissed her again and gave her a swat on the ass before he turned and hurried away from the chopper. She saw a hint of watery eyes just before he turned, and she wanted to go to him, but Trystan was standing there, and she needed to tell him how special he was to her.
His embrace was fierce, and he wasted no time taking her lips with his in the most carnal kiss they had ever shared to date. He spoke first. “I love you, and I believe you will give us a safe passage so we can rescue Keely and Gaige and the crew. I know you can do this, and that you don’t need me to lecture you but, baby, come back to us when you are done. You’ve become the glue to hold us together, and whenever I see you smile, I know that we’ll be fine. Now give me another kiss and say goodbye, I’ve got things to do.”
She gave him the kiss that he wanted and she craved. “I love you too, you know. I also expect you to stay safe for me, so no running into the fire with a bag of marshmallows.”
He grinned, wiggled his brows, and nodded his head to where Nix stood nearby. “Did you know the man has loved you for over a year now? When he carried you out of that fire, a few of us heard him tell you to stay alive because he had plans that involved you. He said a lot of other things that I won’t repeat, I just think you should know that he’s been at this loving the lady pilot even longer than Gray and me.”
He touched her cheek and walked away, following the same path Gray had taken. It sucked to see him walk away, but she had a job to do, and lives actually depended on her to do that job. She turned to see Nix staring at her and it was as natural as breathing for her to walk into his embrace.
“I swear I’ll kick your ass if you start lecturing me about following orders. I don’t plan to do any rescuing or drama filled moments. I will lay the water down, and you can build that firebreak, but for the love of all that’s holy, don’t lecture me right now. Just stand here while I tell you that I love you, and I plan on meeting back here with you and the other two as soon as I get back and you get that fire lane open for traffic.”
She leaned in for his kiss and was picked up into his arms and lying agains
t the pilot’s door of the bird. His hands held the cheeks of her ass, and his lips and tongue began a journey that was destined to be interrupted by the circumstances they were faced with. By the time he allowed her legs to lower and her feet to touch the ground, his head was resting on her shoulder, and he was breathing heavier than she was.
“I have all the faith in the world in you, Jez, I know you will do the job, and never think I don’t trust you to follow instructions. I watched your father’s helio go down, and it haunted me for months afterwards. I was given a gift that day, even though two of my team died, you were still alive. You have no idea how deeply I love you, but I do, and I’ll always love you.” He drew back to look into her eyes. “If I wasn’t needed on the ground for the team, I’d gladly do the run for you. I have the licensing to pilot the bird, but I can’t leave my team and I can’t allow you to think I don’t believe in you and your abilities as a pilot. All I can say is be safe, and remember I love you; all three of us love you. I also think I speak for the other two when I say that at the end of the season we’ll be planning something on a permanent basis.
“Now, let’s get you in this bird and in the air so I can get the team ready to follow your path.” He opened the side door and she climbed into the seat. He buckled her safety harness for her while she placed the helmet on her head, and gave him a thumbs-up. He nodded his head and stepped back after closing the door. The motor started and he wanted to jerk the door open and drag her out of that seat, but tried to manage a reassuring smile for her as she looked out at him before the bird started to rise from the ground.
Chapter Fourteen
She threw the bottle against the wall. How did the flame keep missing them? It didn’t make sense, never had the flame actually failed. Since she was twelve it had solved her problems. Her parents, the first boy who took her without permission, the boss who yelled at her constantly, the ex-husband who cheated on her. All of them the flame took care of, all of them had paid dearly for wronging her.
