Fire From the Sky: Trial by Fire

by N. C. Reed

  “We got it,” Gordy said over the radio. “Nice and slow and I think we can manage.”

  Black smoke belched from the stacks of the semi as Ellen began to pull the firetruck onto the trailer. It took nearly five minutes, several shoves, pushes and readjustments, and no small amount of bad language, but eventually the firetruck sat on the lowboy. Ellen began to unhook the straps so she could pick the trailer back up while Gordy and Kade began strapping down the firetruck for transport. Brick moved back outside to help stand guard.

  “Look, I'm really not trying to be mean,” Jose told Olivia. “But we have got to go. I don't want to leave you here alone, especially with two kids, but. . .we can't stay here. Our homes and families are at risk every minute we delay and we've been gone too long as it is. You know Gordy and Kade both apparently. Do you-”

  “We go to school together,” Olivia was obviously still in a daze. Things were happening very fast suddenly when for months there had been only one thing; survive. Jose recognized the signs of PTSD in the girl. It wasn't always combat that caused trauma.

  “What do you think of them?” he asked gently. “Are they the kind of young men who would go wrong? Do something bad to you or to others?”

  “I don't think so,” she sounded hesitant. “I mean, I know Gordy's family from church. But he wouldn't be the first boy from a good family to turn bad. And lately most everyone is bad.”

  “I can't argue that,” Jose nodded. “Hard times often bring out the worst in folks. In your case I'd say it brought out the best. You've survived and you're made sure your sisters have as well. That's something not everyone can say.”

  “But we really are good people,” he stressed, watching as Ellen hooked the lines back to the trailer. “We have families, including a number of small children. A school teacher named Jerrolds is even holding class for every-”

  “Dixie Jerrolds?” Olivia had a penchant for interrupting but at least she was talking.

  “Yes,” he nodded. “She teaches class most every day. I admit not today, with the fire and what have you, but most days. There are several families at the farm now, living in newly build cabins. The largest is the Webb family. There's also the Goodrums, the Georges, the-”

  “Marcy George's family?” Olivia once more interrupted but this time seemed more animated.

  “Yes.”

  “Marcy and I are friends,” she said almost to herself. Jose could tell that this girl was on the verge of breaking down.

  “Please let us help you,” he encouraged gently. “We have to go,” he said, looking back to where the others were finishing up, preparing to move out. He turned back to her once more.

  “We have to go,” he repeated. “Will you come with us? Let us help you? Maybe you can help us with something. You may know things or have skills that will help us. You're certainly smart enough, that's clear to see. But we really and honestly can't wait any longer.”

  “I…I don-”

  “Hey, what's the hold up?” Gordy demanded, walking toward Olivia with Kade in tow. “C'mon, Olive Oyl, we got to go, like right now!” he clapped his hands and Olivia seemed to jump just a bit.

  “Gordy-” Jose began.

  “Olive Oyl,” she didn't quite hiss. “That stopped being funny in fifth grade, Gordo.”

  “Ouch,” Gordy grabbed his chest in mock pain. “Look, be mad all you want, but be mad in the truck. We got to go. Get Lindsey and Caroline and whatever gear you want to take with you and let’s get going! We 'll help you.”

  “We don't. . .all of our clothes are…are…d-dirty,” she seemed flustered and embarrassed.

  “Get two garbage bags from the Hummer,” Gordy told Kade who nodded and ran off. Gordy turned back to Olivia.

  “Look, O, we aren't kids anymore,” he turned serious. “I get it. You got issues and problems. I got a sister, remember? I get it. Whatever it is, you ain't got to be embarrassed. Hell, you did great just keeping you guys alive. I doubt I could have done half as well,” he told a white lie. “So, stop being so flustered and-”

  “Here,” Kade returned at a run, thrusting two large, heavy garbage bags at Olivia. “Use these.” She took them as if afraid they might bite.

  “C'mon, Olivia,” Kade encouraged. “I swear it's okay,” he told her, and even crossed his heart which actually made her laugh.

  “My mom will be glad to see you and I'm sure Grand will love to have you and the girls at the ranch,” Gordy added. “But we got to be headed back like ten minutes ago, O. Please?”

  “Al-alright,” Olivia suddenly found her feet and began to move. “Can you help me?” she asked hesitantly.

  “Of course!” both boys replied at once.

  “Oy,” Jose shook his head. “Five minutes guys, and we're moving, one way or the other. And I don't mean five-and-a-half, either,” he cautioned.

  “We 'll be there,” Gordy promised. “Won't we, O,” he turned back to Olivia.

  “Yeah,” she nodded, more confident this time. “Yeah, we will.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  -

  Olivia Haley sat huddled with her two younger sisters in the Cougar, on the way to the Sanders ranch. Gordy was driving and Vicki, 'Vee', was standing in a hole near the front doing something. Kade was in the other truck with 'Pancho'.

  And sitting across from her was the hulking 'Brick', rifle cradled in his arms as he leaned his back against the wall with his eyes closed.

  “Something wrong?” he spoke without opening his eyes, but Olivia never doubted that he was talking right to her.

  “No,” she replied hastily, cringing a bit.

  “There's really no reason to be afraid,” the large man's voice was calm, almost soothing. “I know we're a rough looking lot, but we're not bad people.”

  “I…I never said-”

  “You're thinking it,” Brick gently interrupted her denial. “It's okay,” he shrugged his massive shoulders. “You're a teen girl with two smaller sisters, alone in the world. If you weren't afraid, or at least a little cautious, I'd be worried about your mental state. It's completely normal for you to be concerned.” His eyes opened suddenly and she was startled to realize how. . .clear, yeah, how clear the big man's eyes were. She couldn't tell what color they were, exactly, but his gaze was almost hypnotic.

  “You are still concerned,” it was a statement, not a question. Flustered, she tore her gaze away from him and looked at her sisters.

  “Yes,” she admitted. “How can I not be? I didn't make it all winter without being careful.”

  “Of course not,” Brick nodded, then rested his head against the wall once more and closed his eyes. “And not just careful, but smart. You approached things very cleverly. Did your grandfather teach you all of that?”

  “Most of it,” she nodded, then remembered Brick's eyes were closed. She suddenly had a feeling that he could still see her, eyes closed or not.

  “He taught you well,” was all he said. “I'm sure young Gordon and Kade will be able to get you settled when we arrive at the ranch. Perhaps you will eventually be able to allow yourself to rest. A few nights of good rest and few days of good food and all three of you will be much better off.”

  Olivia couldn't imagine being. . .anything. Clean. Not hungry. Not sleepy. Not. . .scared. Terrified.

  But she refused to let herself believe it yet. Just as she refused to let herself cry. She had held on this long, she could manage a little longer.

  Just a little longer, she told herself as her eyes closed. The rocking motion of the Cougar, foreign after so many months of walking everywhere, or running, lulled the exhausted teenage girl into the first real sleep she had had in a long while.

  Brick's eyes didn't open, but a small, satisfied smile slowly appeared on his face.

  -

  “Damn it, damn it, damn it!” Abigail swore as the wind picked up again. The day had begun with the wind hitting about ten miles an hour. She estimated it was now closer to fifteen, and was gusting closer still to twent
y every now and again. It didn't seem like much of a change to the uninitiated, but that simple increase in the wind would mean her rough calculations about the fire's movement would be off. Worse yet, she estimated they had only about three hours of light left. While the machines could keep going into the dark using lights, the men cutting trees and clearing brush would have to be out of the woods before full dark. With the fire roaring toward them it was too dangerous for someone to be in the bush in the dark.

  She had worked non-stop since getting her plow running. Twice she had met her uncles near the middle, but had merely waved as they turned to head back to the edges of the break. Her one machine could do what it took two of them to do because of the plow behind her dozer, cutting grooves into the ground behind her that she hoped would prevent the fire from moving over the break.

  Normally such a break might be only one 'furrow' wide, essentially a one lane road in the middle of nowhere. But normally there would be others helping her, and volunteer firemen standing by with water and equipment to support her and the other members of her crew. There was no such help here. No equipment, no water, no trained manpower.

  So, she had decided they needed a much larger fire break. One that hopefully would protect the farm, especially backed by the creek that bordered her family's ranch. Thirty yards was ninety feet, as opposed to twelve or so feet of a normal break. On a fire this size they would have cut at least two furrows around the fire if possible, so make that twenty to twenty-five feet. But Abigail had seen fires jump that far and further, especially in wind like this. She didn't expect them to get the full fifty yards, or even thirty yards all the way down the five-mile stretch she had outlined, but had made a calculated gamble that thinking they needed that much to be safe the crews would work hard to get it. If they managed to make a twenty-five-yard barrier clear down the five-mile border of the ranch, Abigail was pretty sure they could hold the fire off no matter how big or bad it got. It was a gamble, but a necessary one from her perspective.

  She had to be careful. Everyone was counting on her to get them through this. While it was nice to be wanted or needed after a winter of being ostracized, the pressure associated with all of this was almost crushing. It wasn't that she feared failure in general, or even that failing here would make people look at her with even more disdain. She honestly didn't care about that for all that it was unfair and infuriating.

  For the first time since she had decided to pursue this line of work, it was Abigail's own home, own family, her own future and theirs that was on the line. She had never slacked at fighting a fire just because she didn't know the people she was protecting, but she was finding that it being her family and farm in danger was creating an almost insurmountable pressure to do well. Until this event, she had worked hard but that pressure wasn't nearly as strong because at the end of the day the only important thing was that she remain uninjured. She could go home, clean up, and rest without dealing with any of the aftermath of such fires.

  She reached the edge of the break and turned around, heading back the way she had come. She glanced at her gauges and realized that she was burning fuel at a furious rate. She would have to call her grandfather to bring her diesel soon. Her rumbling stomach reminded her that she had skipped lunch and had only a piece of bread for breakfast.

  Maybe he could bring her a sandwich as well.

  -

  The small convoy arrived without fanfare, pulling into the lot before building Three, where Jake was supposed to be. If he could get the firetruck to run they could carry it to the creek on the trailer if they had to, so long as the pump would work.

  “Where's Jake?” Jose asked Greg Holloway when he saw the deputy walking around the building.

  “Took Ronny's backhoe out to the fire,” Greg replied. “They called needing more manpower and…well,” he motioned to the convoy.

  “We went as fast as we could,” Jose was aware that he sounded defensive.

  “I'm sure,” Greg nodded agreement. “You weren't really gone very long,” he glanced at his watch. “Just bad timing. Wind began to pick up again and I think the fire is moving faster. But Abigail got the forestry plow running and is already out on the line, helping.” Jose turned to where Gordy and Kade were unloading Olivia and her sisters and their belongings.

  “You two can come with me,” he ordered. “Get Mitch and Nate as well. Doc, you're in command here until me or the Bossman returns. Keep Jody on watch. Heath stays. . .no,” he changed his mind. “Mitchell stays and Heath comes with us,” he turned to Greg.

  “That will leave you two experienced men on the ground with you while we head out to help with the fire. If Jake isn't here to get this thing running,” he slapped the fender of the fire truck, “then it was all a waste anyway.” He fought to keep the bitterness out of his tone but lost the fight.

  “You guys be careful,” Greg nodded. Two minutes later the five men headed for the fire carrying rakes, axes, shovels and three chainsaws. Greg looked at Tandi Maseo.

  “So, what's the deal with the truck?” he asked.

  “No key,” Olivia said and Greg turned to see her standing there with her sister.

  “Are you. . .aren't you Ben Haley's girls?” Greg asked after a minute of looking at her and her sisters.

  “Yes,” Olivia nodded.

  “Your mom and dad?” he asked gently.

  “Why don't you two come with me?” Tandi said suddenly, kneeling before the two smaller Haley girls. “Do you know Miss Patricia? She's a doctor.”

  “You remember Miss Patricia, Carol,” Olivia told the oldest of them. “Remember how she would give you a sucker when you had to get a shot.”

  “No shots,” Caroline spoke for the first time, a mighty frown on her face.

  “If you need a shot you 'll take one,” Olivia replied firmly. “Lindsey, I want you to take Caroline's hand,” she placed her sister’s hands together. “Now you go with Mister Tandi and you let Miss Patricia make sure you're okay. Then it will be my turn. I 'll be there as soon as I can tell the policeman about the truck we found. Okay?”

  “No!” Lindsey shook her head violently. “Stay with sissy!” she grabbed Olivia's hand with her free one.

  “You aren't leaving me, Lindsey,” the older girl said, prying her hand from her sister's death grip. “You just get to go first because I have work to do, that's all.”

  “I'm first?” Lindsey stilled at that, looking at her big sister.

  “You and Caroline both,” Olivia nodded. “You're going together. Just like we practiced.” Lindsey looked at Caroline, who smiled.

  “C'mon Lissy,” Caroline pulled gently. “Let’s go and see Miss Patricia. She has candy!”

  “Candy,” Lindsey's eyes sparkled the tiniest bit. “Okay.”

  “This way kiddos,” Tandi smiled and led them toward the clinic. Olivia waited until they were out of ear shot.

  “Mamma died the night the sky lit up,” Olivia told Greg. “We were outside watching the lights and she just. . .died. No warning, no sound, nothing. One minute she was fine and then. . .she wasn't. Nothing worked anymore so there was nothing I could do about it. I…the next morning I buried her. . .I covered her grave with rocks…so animals couldn't get to her. I saw that on television,” she added.

  Greg nodded, remembering that Janet Haley had had a pacemaker since he had known her. It had probably gave out when the pulse hit.

  “Daddy ain't never come home,” Olivia shrugged helplessly. “We don't know where he is or if he's alive. I try not to mention it in front of them because it makes them ask me when he's coming home and I…I don't think he is,” she choked off a sob. “He won't even know that Mamma's g-gone.”

  “It's okay, Olivia,” Greg assured her. “Lots of other people had the same thing happen only they didn't handle it nearly as well. A lot of them haven't survived and yet you kept not only yourself but your two little sisters alive as well. Keep that chin up, girl. You did good, especially considering the situation you found yourse
lf in. You say the truck didn't have a key?” he tried to get her to think about something else.

  “It didn't when we got there,” she nodded, wiping her eyes. “No idea if it will run, but the lights worked for a while.”

  “If the lights worked after the storm then it will run,” Greg said definitely. “Why don't you catch up to Tandi and your sisters,” he pointed to where the trio was just entering building Two. “Patricia is there and she can see to your needs and get you set up. Okay?”

  “Does your being here mean we aren't going to. . .I mean that we won't have to...” she trailed off, not knowing exactly what she wanted to say.

  “It's okay, Olivia,” he promised her again. “You've known the Sanders all your life. They're some of the best people anywhere around here, bar none. You know that, too. They've taken a lot of people in since things went bad, including me,” he jabbed his own chest with a thumb. “I promise you it's all going to be alright. You're as safe here as you can be anywhere in the new age we're living in. You saw Gordy and Kade, and there are others here as well that you 'll know, and more besides. Now you go ahead and let Patricia make sure you're healthy, hear?”

  “O-okay,” Olivia nodded and turned to follow her sisters. Greg waited for her to go before looking at the fire truck, still on the trailer.

  “What are you thinking about?” Ellen Kargay asked, leaning on the cab of the Beast.

  “I'm not Jake,” he told her, “but I've pulled more than one engine out of a car using a chain and a tree limb. Might as well see what I can do.”

  “I'm not a real mechanic either, but I could play one on teevee,” Ellen chuckled dryly. “How about I help you. Maybe we can get this thing running and help save this place. I'd really like to lay down and sleep tonight without worrying about that fire.”