The Oil Tycoon Rescue
Disaster City Search and Rescue
Ginny Sterling
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Epilogue
Afterword
About the Author
Also by Ginny Sterling
Remember Love
Claudia Jenkins wasn’t about to let anyone tell her what to do! When fire threatens the safety of her team, she knows the right thing is to evacuate the oil platform until a gorgeous rescuer tries to bully her. This is her rig, her money, and her dominion – so who does Tobin Randall think he is by telling her to abandon it?
Tobin has never met anyone so stubborn in his life! The enchanting blonde with a smear of oil on her cheek is adorable in her hardhat; but when she opens that beautiful mouth, it's like arguing with any of the ‘boys’. She's tough, smart, and irritating – until he sweeps her up into his arms.
When temperatures flare, can Claudia get past her initial reactions to Tobin? He has no intention of leaving her emotionally and financially compromised once he sets his sights on the Roughneck woman who sets fire to his heart.
Step into the world of Disaster City Search and Rescue, where officers, firefighters, military, and medics, train and work alongside each other with the dogs they love, to do the most dangerous job of all — help lost and injured victims find their way home.
Praise for Ginny Sterling
What can I say except I absolutely loved this story, I laughed out loud and I shed emotional tears.” – Amazon Reviewer (Lawfully Gifted)
“This series has quickly become one my favorites. Love the storyline, love the characters, love the back stories and love the sweet romance between each couple.” – Amazon Reviewer (Remember Love)
“What an amazing start to a new series, Healing Hearts, a clean contemporary and extremely emotional tale. I loved the characters, the angst, and the honest discussions, along with the chemistry and interactions. The people are broken, but with encouragement, friendship, and the added benefit of animals, it is the beginnings for healing.” – Amazon Reviewer (Remember Hope)
To my Readers… you make this wonderful!
Ginny Sterling Newsletter
Chapter 1
Tobin looked out the window of the pickup truck and rolled his eyes. His best friend, Gavin, and his dog, Domino, were warbling painfully to music at the top of their lungs. His dog was howling directly in his ear and Gavin was encouraging it, grinning. The man was crazy when it came to music, hence the nickname Poprocks, that he’d given him. It always amazed him that Gavin actually became a paramedic – he would have been an amazing music teacher if he could have gotten that impetuous wild streak under control. Music teachers didn’t dash into the fray cutting jokes – but Gavin did. He had been his best friend since the moment he met him. It was like a moth being drawn to a light bulb… Gavin was full of life, outgoing, and friendly.
He was the exact opposite – quiet and calculated, he distanced himself in order to keep from getting his emotions tangled or hurt. He used stoic pride as a way to keep others from seeing his how he really felt on the inside. Gavin was fearless – Tobin was terrified before going into any fray, yet somehow he dug deep and went regardless. Some called that feature the definition of ‘courage’ – he wasn’t courageous in his mind.
Tobin liked to think of it as ‘temporary insanity’ on his part.
…Just like hitching a ride with Gavin all the way to Disaster City in a truck with no air conditioning in Texas knowing full-well that his ears would be assaulted by singing for hours.
“Domino! Here’s your part…sing it, buddy!” Gavin encouraged, taking a second to remove his hands from the steering wheel and point both fingers at the dog. The large dog immediately began barking and howling in cadence, making his friend laugh as he continued to sing off-key over the animal’s howling.
Didn’t they realize others could see them or hear them? It was like listening to an animal in pain screeching and wailing as they sang. There were barely any words, just a bunch of ‘OOOOh’ and ‘Whoaaaa’s’…
Tobin was pretty sure Gavin did NOT know this song in the slightest. Rolling his eyes, he slunk down in his seat to hide, embarrassed. He covered his eyes to prevent him from looking at the other cars that slowed down beside them, honking, and laughing.
“But that doesn’t mean we don’t drown out the memories, right Domino?” Gavin blurted out suddenly, ruffling the dog’s ears affectionately.
“Are you talking to the dog again?” Tobin asked wryly in disbelief.“You know Domino is my partner and will be working with me at the Disaster City Training Academy.”
“We both know that, don’t we, buddy?” Gavin crooned, rubbing the large Dalmatian’s forehead affectionately.
Whoof!
“You don’t have to sound so tough, big guy. It’s just you and me… and the ‘party of three’ against the world…” Gavin teased, smiling at Tobin. The loveable ogre really knew how to push his buttons! He was the third wheel? Seriously? He and Domino were partners. It took several weeks to develop the working relationship with his animal and Gavin’s playfulness better not undo anything, causing him to start over again. The man just didn’t understand – or didn’t care – because everything could be ‘patched’ in his mind.
Tobin held up a finger rudely when they turned up the radio even further. He was getting a headache and hoped they would be there soon.
“You are certifiable, Poprocks.”
The two friends grinned at each other.
Gavin spun the dial on the old truck’s radio face, flipping through to another song. The Spice Girls began to play on the speakers. The dog and Gavin shared a glance as they both recognized the song instantly. Tobin rolled his eyes again, knowing it was about to escalate exponentially. The duo freakin loved Spice Girls. Domino began to bark/sing again and Gavin chimed in right on cue with Scary Spice’s voice.
“I swear my dog responds better to you,” Tobin quipped under his breath, putting his head down in his hands as a jeep pulled up next to them. His head was throbbing now and he knew if he said something to Gavin, his friend would turn down the radio, but he didn’t want to ruin their fun. There would be plenty of time in the next few months for work.
“Do you have to dance like that while you are driving?” Tobin’s face was beet red and almost matched the intensity of his glare. A jeep full of girls pulled up beside them, waving and laughing, before speeding past. It was mortifying – and a little envious. Gavin was healing from a long relationship, whereas, Tobin couldn’t keep one. It was like he seemed to irritate every woman out there by just breathing.
“Yep. It’s disgraceful that their music doesn’t make you want to shake what your momma gave ya,” Gavin joked and grew quiet, as if he was lost in thought.
Tobin understood – their lives were about to change going through the Academy. It was the premiere place to be accepted to further your career and he’d been accepted into the Fire Rescue division portion.
He looked at his friend, who was staring sightlessly over the steering wheel. The light was green, wasn’t he going? Just as he was about to say something to Gavin, a horn honked behind them. Tobin stared at him silently with an arched, knowing eyebrow.
“Natalie, again?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You probably need to at some point.”
“Not now.”
Tobin let the subject drop. They w
ere almost at the Academy and tearing open a painful part of his best friend’s life wasn’t going to help either of them. They needed to be on their ‘A’ game for the onslaught of information and training they were about to have thrown their way. If Gavin needed to push memories of his ex-fiancée down in order to function, Tobin could appreciate and accept that. He would be wearing his own ‘game face’ among their new work associates.
Disaster City was nothing like he imagined and everything he secretly wished for deep down inside. It was an incredible compound that had every sort of emergency training available. The elite in their respective fields were brought in and some remained to become instructors. He recognized names from news articles and commendations he’d read online. It was humbling to be among men like ‘Sarge’ Young or Ben Miller, the commanders of the facility.
The facility was like a world of its own.
Large barracks, a kitchen, training grounds, and kennels lined the property. They were expected to behave like the professionals they were and each animal was given a uniform that mirrored their owners’. K9 handlers were just as important in the field. The classes were small, with one instructor to every three students. Disaster City Training Academy was a blessing for those in dire need and he was a part of this world.
Tobin had applied with Fire Rescue division, since that is what his job normally entailed; however, he’d also requested a chance to work with the water rescue team as well, if a spot opened up. That wasn’t approved right away, but within the first week of drills, he’d shown that he was driven, apparently to the instructors. He was given an exception due to the workload and began training in water rescue as well.
He had always been drawn to the water.
Tobin loved to scuba dive, snorkel, and go on deep-sea fishing excursions The last one he’d dragged Gavin on resulted in him being sick and hanging his head over the railing the entire time while Tobin fished. He’d tried anti-nausea medications, lying down, cold rags on his face, etc. and finally they ended up going back to shore due to the swamping guilt Tobin felt and fear that his friend would end up dehydrated. It just was no fun to be around someone that resembled a creature from The Walking Dead. Gavin had been utterly sallow and his face had a greenish tinge.
Tobin had a sunburn and smiled the entire time.
Now, he was going to get a chance to indulge in the two things he loved the most: helping others and being in the water. Giving a sharp whistle, he watched Domino’s head pop up in alert as the dog froze. They had already finished the classroom training portion and now they were gonna get wet.
Tobin jumped bodily into the pool in full fire gear.
Today’s training would be a little easier. He followed direction and removed his helmet and facemask. Pushing the mask under his belt as instructed, he felt the air from his tank filling his clothing, adding to his buoyancy. Being in the water in gear that weighed over fifty pounds was a little unnerving but he knew was it was like to wear the heavy scuba tanks already.
Yesterday’s training had really drawn on his reserves in remaining calm. He repeated mentally over and over again, ‘remain calm’ mentally. His composite bottle and PPE mask were dragging him face first into the water. Some of the other men were panicking just a bit but this felt like the first time he went scuba diving. If you weren’t weighted appropriately, the tanks held you face first in the water.
Blinking and breathing slowly, he watched the waterline on his PPE mask as it bobbed before his face. Rolling his body, he pushed the massive weight of his booted feet upwards and felt relief as the balance finally turned. He was now on his back, his feet floating, and the tank beneath him – holding him steady.
“Great job, Randall. Team - use what you have and remain calm,” his instructor praised, clapping in appreciation. Tobin gave a thumb’s up in acknowledgement under the gear. He felt a moment’s flash of pride, knowing he could get himself out of a dire situation if needed. Domino took that moment to jump into the pool, pulling himself directly on top of Tobin’s chest. He laughed in his mask, fogging it up, petting the dog.
“Good boy!” he whispered; it sounded hollow in the mask.
“Team, again – use your tools and resources available to you. Your K9 animal is your partner. You would never leave someone to drown – so don’t leave your animal. While Randall has decided to become his animals’ life raft, others might choose a different method or the same.”
Smiling, he ruffled Domino’s ears again, grateful that he and his K9 seemed to think along the same lines. It was all about remaining calm and being quick on your feet in a situation.
Pulling himself out of the pool would be fun as the waterlogged gear would feel like a ton. These were things they would need to know in an emergency and this is exactly what he wanted – to be safe to help out another day.
Three weeks later, Tobin stood with Gavin and several other men surrounding the one large screen television that was in the lounge/reception area, listening to the weather reports coming in. Gavin had been packing up his things, excited for his trip back home and to his already planned vacation. Tobin was heading back to work, ready to put the new information and skills he’d picked up to good use.
The storm here this afternoon had been utterly insane, with lightning everywhere that caused them to lose power during the graduation ceremony for a moment before the generator kicked on. Tobin knew it was really bad, because the outer bands of the storm were just starting to travel inland. They were all taking a break to watch the reports coming in on Tropical Storm Dottie.
He stood there, crossing his arms over his chest, focusing on reports coming in. Gavin crossed his arms over his chest too, almost a mimicry of his own stance. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear that Gavin was mocking him but the concerned look on the man’s face was telling.
The storm was increasing in intensity. The two friends looked at each other and shared a glance that didn’t require explanation. This was going to be bad if it hit the coast directly, and they would most certainly be called up.
Tropical Storm Dottie is gaining speed and momentum over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Currently we are seeing sustained winds of seventy-three miles per hour. We are expecting to escalate this up to a hurricane within the hour. The projected path is headed for Brownsville, Texas at this moment but could still turn. All along the coast of Texas are preparing for inclement weather at this time. Stay tuned for more…
“Your vacation,” Tobin asked with an arched eyebrow in question.
“Meh,” Gavin shrugged, “What’s a little rain in the area?”
“You could get slapped in the face with a hurricane.”
“Then I’ll already be in the right spot to help if I’m needed, won’t I?” Gavin hoisted his bag onto his shoulder.
Tobin had a week left until his own graduation due to his dual classes. Gavin had graduated already and was supposed to be hitting the road in the morning. His friend had promised to return to pick him up before they headed back to San Antonio for good.
“All right boys-let’s gear up,” Officer Billmont announced, stepping directly in front of the television screen. “Break time is over and we need to wrap up the day. Get a good night’s sleep this evening and bring you’re A-game with you in the morning. Prepare to head out bright and early unless things change overnight. We want to be on the scene if things go south and help the evacuation process. Brownsville is almost seven hours from us and we are going to be in for a long drive unless Dottie changes course.”
“Something on your mind, Eagle Scout?” Gavin said sarcastically to the blond man walking beside them. Whatever was going on between the two men certainly had Gavin riled up. Tobin recognized that stance and that look.
“Gear up doesn’t mean bringing your headphones, Poprocks,” Evan said scathingly, walking off.
“Just because I’ve graduated and you haven’t yet doesn’t mean you get to be a hater. Jealousy doesn’t become you, Eagle Scout. Badges are for whit
tling and woodwork… not whining. Go sing Kumbaya with the other students. I’ve got to get on the road,” Gavin sassed smoothly before looking at Tobin for silent approval.
Tobin had the good graces to look away, hiding his smile.
“Seriously? You had to tell everyone that you nicknamed me Poprocks? Couldn’t you have given me something a little more macho?”
“What’s with calling him Eagle Scout?” Tobin asked, evading the question as the other man walked away.
“You’d have to work with him to understand,” Gavin said, rubbing his hand over his face in exasperation. Just then, fire instructors Teresa ‘Tex’ Daniels and John Gatlin, burst into the room. The two were highly respected by Tobin, as were all the instructors by their students.
It was truly humbling to be taught by so many great men and women.
Tex Daniels had scars on her hands from a massive fire. She’d run into the building after hearing there were children still inside. There was no telling the level of pain that woman could handle nor the amount of therapy it had to have taken in order to gain usage of them again. When it came to her team, she was like a protective mother hen.
John Gatlin and Ben Miller were both 9/11 survivors. Miller was a bomb detection handler and now second-in-command of the Academy. He’d seen him several times giving interviews, whereas Gatlin hovered in the shadows, avoiding the limelight. Tobin had said that the man was very quiet, reserved, and driven to give back to his brothers in the field.
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