by J. R. Tate
There were a few mumbles of disagreement, but each of them men got back in their vehicles to leave. It was the hardest decision Harlan could honestly say he ever had to make. Feeling defeated, he climbed back in the fire engine and took one last glance back at the wall of flames he was leaving two of his men behind in.
“God be with them.”
***
“Guess we better get moving. The winds start picking up pretty early in the morning hours and with as unstable as it all is, there’s no telling what’s going to happen,” Lawton said as he adjusted his gear. “You need me to carry him?”
“Nah, I’m okay.” Michael pulled his fire coat off of Trevor and lightly shook his shoulders to try and wake him up. The boy swatted at him and mumbled. “I really don’t want to carry him while he’s asleep, though. Too much dead weight.” He slowly picked him up, hoping the sudden movement would get him to open his eyes. “Trevor, wake up. We gotta get going.”
“Still sleepy,” the child said through half closed eyes.
“Need some water?” Michael grabbed Lawton’s canteen and offered it to Trevor. He quickly snatched it out of his hand and took two long gulps before Michael was able to pry it from him. “I know you need more, but right now we have to save as much as we can.”
“Why?” He swiped the back of his hand over his eyes and sniffled. “It’s still dark out. Can’t we sleep until morning?”
Michael sat Trevor down on a tree stump and knelt down at eye level with him. He looked back at Lawton, pretty much knowing the other guy wouldn’t have much input on this. He seemed uneasy with the kid and Michael didn’t want to force him to interact if he didn’t want to.
“The fire is right behind us and coming fast. We have to try and get out of here, okay? I told you I’d keep you safe. Part of that is not getting quite enough sleep or water until I can guarantee that we won’t run out.”
A tear trickled down the boy’s cheek, leaving a trail in the dirt and soot on his skin. “I’m scared, Mikey.”
“It’s okay to be scared, Trev. You just gotta trust us.” The boy nodded and Michael pulled him back up. “You ready to go?” He asked Lawton.
“Let’s do this.”
Michael knew that they’d find out the direction of their future during this walk. A lot of questions would be answered as to what way they needed to go and if any areas were clear, and hopefully it would all be positive. They moved at a speed walker’s pace. With the uneven ground, Michael felt that they should slow down, especially since it was dark. Lawton seemed to be set on how quick they were going. Did he know something Michael didn’t?
He tried walking in the same areas Lawton did. At least he was experienced with the landscape here. Michael was used to sidewalks and streets. He had been hiking a few times, but the land wasn’t near as hilly and questionable as what they were trekking across.
Lawton stopped abruptly, catching Michael off guard. Standing beside him, he put Trevor down to get some rest. “What is it?”
“There’s a house right up there. I’m sure it’s abandoned, but we should check anyway.”
They slowly walked up the driveway and it was as if the houses were all carbon copies of each other. They all had livestock barns and had the same farm look to them. “Trevor, stay with Lawton. I’ll go search the house real quick and make sure it’s clear.” He smiled at Trevor. The last thing they needed to do was take him into an unknown structure. “It won’t take long. I’ll be right back. Stay right here.” Fears of being separated were fresh on his mind, but they were in the front yard.
He slowly walked through the ankle high grass. Something felt eerie about the place and his instincts shouted out at him to stay away. He felt his pulse thump quicker with each step closer to the home. The wood of the porch creaked under his boots, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. The door was cracked open just a tad, so he pushed it completely open.
“Manor Fire Department. Is anyone inside?” He took one last glance back at Trevor and Lawton before entering. It was pitch black so he clicked on his flashlight to get a better view. It looked as if no one had lived here for years. There were a few old pictures hanging crooked on the wall, along with some random pieces of old furniture in the middle of the room.
The floors were all hard wood and felt weak under his weight. The living room and kitchen were the only two rooms on the bottom story. He gripped the rail of the staircase, feeling the sweat bunch in his palms under his gloves. He tested the first step by putting his foot down hard on it. It felt sound enough so he slowly made his way to the top story, questioning the stability of the entire house as he made his way to the landing.
Again he yelled out, “Fire department. Say something if you’re up here!” No response. He averted the flashlight down the hallway, taking note that there were three doorways. It was evident that the house was vacant, and probably was even before the fires, but Michael still had to be one hundred percent certain they weren’t leaving someone behind. What if another kid was here, scared to death to even move?
Wiping the sweat from his face, he forced his body to move toward the hallway. A loud shudder shot through his eardrums, along with an earthquake like shake that sent him careening downward. The floor had given way underneath him and pain shot through his entire body as he fell. He landed on his back and found it hard to breathe in. From what he could tell, the floor had collapsed above the living room, and he was now back at ground level of the house. It tasted as if he had a penny in his mouth and he could feel liquid trickle down the side of his forehead. Exhaustion hit him blindside and everything slowly began to turn black. The darkness completely overtook his vision and he drifted away from consciousness.
Chapter Fifteen
“McGinnis! Wake up! Can you hear me?” Michael slowly opened his eyes. Everything was fuzzy and it was as if someone was shoving a nail through his head. Something was bright, accentuating the pain that radiated from his head, all the way down his spine and legs. “Open your eyes!” Was that Lawton? He couldn’t tell. It was so blurry that all he could see were outlines of someone hovering over him.
“Turn the light…” Just speaking the few words he had sucked the last bit of energy out of him. “Wha?”
“It’s me, Lawton. You fell through the floor upstairs.”
“Shh.” Even his voice was hurting him. Michael tried to sit up, but he felt someone’s hands hinder the process. He was too tired to fight. “Where’s Trevor?” He was still unable to completely open his eyes, but his mind went right to the kid.
“He’s right here with me. He’s fine. Can you try and open your eyes for me, Mike?”
Attempting to do it again, he felt worthless when he couldn’t even accomplish the simple task of doing what Lawton asked. “Why is it so bright?”
“The sun is starting to come up.”
Michael finally fought through the discomfort and forced himself to look. The blurriness was still present, but he could now make out Lawton and Trevor’s faces. They didn’t have time to be pining over him. Whatever was wrong, he had to tough it out and get up. There was no other option. He tried to get up again, only to be stopped once more.
“Hold up there, McGinnis. I need to take a look at what’s going on.” He wiped a cloth over the edge of Michael’s hairline and when he pulled it away, Michael saw the red that had soaked in to the fabric. He grew nauseous at the sight of it. “I think you probably have a concussion, which means your ass better stay awake.”
He opened up Michael’s jacket, a look of fear overtaking his features. Michael grabbed the man’s wrist, wanting to know what he saw. “What? What in the hell is wrong?”
“Your side is bleeding.” He pulled Michael’s jacket off completely and unhooked the suspenders of his turnouts. Michael wanted to sit up and take a look for himself, but aside from Lawton not allowing it, a sharp sting would erupt each tie he tried. He felt his undershirt being lifted up. The shirt stuck to the wound like paste before Lawto
n forced it off, causing even more discomfort. Michael let out a low groan, trying to mask it so he wouldn’t terrify Trevor even further.
“It looks like the bleeding has slowed down.” Lawton pulled out a small first aid kit from his gear and grabbed a package of gauze and some ointment.
“Can you tell what caused it?” Michael asked between breaths. It was funny how adrenaline worked. He didn’t even realize the pain in his side until Lawton had pointed it out, and now it was excruciating.
“It looks like a puncture wound of some sort. It didn’t go completely through. Might’ve been a shard of wood or something that happened in the fall.” He squeezed out some of the medicine onto a gloved finger and applied it to Michael’s midsection. “You’re gonna need some medical attention soon, though. Could be something internal going on, but the good thing is it’s far to the side. What I’m doing here isn’t gonna be enough. I don’t know how deep it is, but I’ll doctor it as best as I can and get it covered.”
There was a small burn as he rubbed around the wounded area and then a slight numbing sensation. “Do what you gotta do, Lawton,” Michael grunted. “Just do it fast so we can get moving.” He wasn’t even sure how well he’d be able to walk, but he was certain he was going to give it his best and try.
“You sure you’re gonna be able to make that hike again?” Lawton cut a square of gauze and taped it.
Looking at Trevor and back and Lawton, he propped himself up on his elbows, getting the first glance at what it all looked like. There was a circle of blood saturated into his shirt and already a small amount seeping into the gauze. “I know I don’t want to stay here and not try, Lawton. I’m not gonna fucking give up.” He moved his body and moaned as his elbows slid out from under him. His back fell to the floor with a hard thud. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as a massive burst of pain shot through him. “Sorry for cursing around you, Trev,” he said, smiling at the child through squinted eyes.
“Are you going to be alright?” Trevor asked, kneeling down next to Michael.
“I’ll be fine, kid.” Michael relaxed his head back on the floor of the house, wanting so bad to just fall asleep. The pain was still strong in his head and in his side, and the thick scent of smoke in the air was a harsh reminder that there was no time to lounge, regardless of the injuries. He had to push through and stop wasting time. “Look at me getting hurt again.” He said as he adjusted his weight on the hard surface.
“Again?” Lawton packaged up the first aid kit and gathered up their stuff. “Here, take a drink. I know we’re trying to ration, but I’d say right now is a great time for you to have some.” He held the canteen over Michael’s mouth and poured in the lukewarm water slowly. It tasted so good and Michael savored it. “What do you mean, again?”
“Nothing, never mind.” He didn’t want to get into details about Viper and Casey. He felt guilty. For the second time in less than a year he was stuck in a predicament where he got seriously injured, foiling not only his, but other people’s chances of getting out of harm’s way. How could he be so reckless? His instincts told him not to go in and he did anyway.
“McGinnis, I think the knock on your head has made you crazy,” Lawton replied. “I say you rest a bit longer. The winds still haven’t picked up yet. That’ll give us a little more time. Then we’ll get moving again. You think you’re gonna be able to walk up out of here?”
Michael opened his eyes and glared up at the other firefighter. “I guess we’re gonna find out.”
***
Lieutenant Harlan was not feeling too positive about the search for McGinnis and Lawton. He had gone home the night before to try and get rest and spent most of the night awake, pacing at the foot of his bed, wondering what kind of hell his men were going through. And to make matters worse, McGinnis was FDNY and new to wildfire fighting. The only thing Harlan found comfort in was thinking that with Lawton’s experience with the area and Michael’s knowledge of fire fighting in general, that they would make a good team and find their way back.
When he got to the firehouse around six AM, he had several messages on the answering machine. Many were from other stations reporting that they were unable to find the two missing men. Ducking his head, Harlan opened the bottom drawer of his desk and sifted through the manila folders that contained all of his volunteer’s personal information.
He had only ever had to notify a family member of misfortune one other time before, several years ago when a young man got struck by lightning when they were out at a call during a thunderstorm. It was calls like that he prayed he would never have to make again, and here he was, staring down at Lawton’s and McGinnis’s files. At least there was still hope that they were alive. He even debated with himself on whether or not he should call at all, but the families had a right to know about their loved ones.
Harlan dialed Lawton’s emergency contact first. He had his sister up in Dallas listed. His heart raced as the line rang and a knot formed in his throat when he heard her voice on the other end.
“Hello?” She sounded groggy and he failed to take into consideration that it was still very early in the morning.
“Is this Sara Burns, Jack Lawton’s sister?”
“Yes it is, who is this?”
Lawton clicked the end of his pen continuously before tossing it aside. “This is Lieutenant Harlan. I’m sorry to be calling you so early, ma’am, but I’m afraid I have some bad news in regard to your brother.”
There was a short pause before she asked, “What is it? I told him not to be volunteering, that it was as if he had something to prove.”
He was caught off guard by her abrasiveness and lack of care. “Ms. Burns, he has gone missing. We have been busy fighting the Bastrop County fire and he was sent on a search and rescue order. The fire moved faster than anticipated and now he and another man in the department have not been found.” Again, more silence. He could hear her heavy breathing on the other side. “I truly am sorry to deliver this news. We have our department, as well as others out looking for them. We’ll keep you updated as much as we can, and feel free to call any time you want.”
“Thanks, Lieutenant, for giving me a call.”
He heard a click and the line went dead. Staring at the phone receiver for a few seconds, he was still in awe at the lack of emotion from her. It didn’t matter. People handled their stress in different ways. Who was he to say her reaction was odd? He gathered up Lawton’s paperwork and filed it back into the drawer. McGinnis’s stuff stared up at him. His file wasn’t near as thick. Just the emergency contact information scribbled down quickly. He was amazed he even remembered getting McGinnis to fill it out in all of the confusion and hustle to get him out there.
He had three people listed. His mother, Betty McGinnis was the primary contact and Eva Crisante and Casey McGinnis were secondary. He hoped that he could just call one of them and they’d pass on the news. It was killing him inside, especially when he thought about how hesitant the New Yorker had been about pulling duty so fast. Maybe he had rushed him too fast.
Reaching for the phone again, he took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his palms.
***
Eva found it funny that she was now waking up on Mikey’s side of the bed. It smelled like him and if she closed her eyes and imagined hard enough, she could almost feel the outline of his body in the mattress. Glancing at the alarm clock, she was surprised at the fact that she slept until eight AM. She used to still get up around six on days off, but with Mikey gone she tended to stay asleep longer. There was no one to make breakfast for or send off to work.
Snuggling into his pillow, she took a deep breath in, the smell giving her brief memories. She thought she heard a knock on the door, but who would be visiting her this early? Pulling the covers up, she closed her eyes, not yet ready to be out of bed. Again, a few more light knocks. Her curiosity was running wild so she kicked her legs off the side of the bed and grabbed her housecoat. The wood floor was cold beneath her feet
and she tiptoed to the door, peering through the peephole. Was that Betty? What was she doing here?
Opening the door, she noticed that Mikey’s mother appeared to have been crying. “Ms. McGinnis?” She pushed the door wider, inviting her in. “What’s going on?”
The older woman didn’t speak at first and wiped her nose with a tissue. “I’m sorry, hon, for coming by. I just figured it’d be best to tell you in person.”
It felt like a ton of bricks had toppled on top of Eva. Her mind went to Mikey. “Tell me what?”
“How about we sit down?” Betty said as they both went to the couch. She pulled Eva’s hands into hers. “I got a call from Michael’s lieutenant down there in Texas. He said Michael and another guy have gone missing.”
Eva wasn’t sure if she was hearing her right. Missing? All of her premonitions and fears about it all had really happened? “He’s what?” It was such a stupid question to ask. She had heard Betty loud and clear, yet that was all she could think to say.
“They can’t find him. They went to search through some houses to make sure people weren’t in them. They lost radio contact and now the fire has surrounded them. No one can find them.” A tear trickled down Betty’s face. How was she being so strong after hearing news that no one knew where her son was?
“How could no one know where he is?” Eva asked, standing up. She raked her hands through her hair and went to the window, unable to comprehend the whole situation. “Aren’t they all supposed to stay together?” She was trying so hard not to lose control. Tears stung her eyes and her voice shook.
Betty joined her at the window, her green eyes comforting as they looked at Eva. “They were in a very rural area. Due to lake of manpower they had to split them up to make sure no one was still in their homes.” She handed Eva a tissue. “He’s just missing right now, Eva. We’ve gotta keep faith in knowing that he’s still alive and okay. Just remember, my boy has been to hell and back already, more than once. There’s nothing he can’t handle.”
