by Sarah Markel
“Burns!” Lorelei screamed, her head swinging around as she tried to pinpoint which of the dozens of trees near her was about to go down, “Burns!”
“Blaise!” The sudden boom of Stephanie Burns’ voice suddenly right next to her startled Lorelei, causing her to topple backward.
“No!” Burns bellowed, lunging forward as she grabbed for her.
Lorelei saw it happen in slow motion. Her fall through the flames lasted only a few seconds, but to her, it seemed to last for several agonizing minutes.
Lorelei’s hands instinctively reached for Burns when she lost her balance. But instead of her hand being securely clasped between Burns’, Lorelei felt their fingers tangle before Burns caught the sleeve of her turnout jacket. The world seemed to spin slowly as her backward momentum was thrown off kilter, sending her spiraling through the all-consuming, non-discriminating flames.
Glimpses of her wife flashed through her mind’s eye as Lorelei tumbled down the jagged embankment. She saw a set of brilliant green eyes; eyes that seemed to sparkle like a many-faceted jewel under a prism.
Lorelei’s hands flailed, the leather of her gloves shredding like paper as she frantically struggled to find purchase on the razor-sharp rocks and goat-head thorns protruding from the earth. Instead of feeling the pain of those rocks slicing through the layers of glove and flesh, Lorelei focused on the last time her hands had touched something with care.
Aspen, she thought, unbidden tears springing to her eyes as she remembered how soft her wife’s skin felt. A mind-numbing pain bolted through Lorelei’s body as she finally came to an abrupt stop against the still-smoldering trunk of what used to be a massive elm tree.
Lorelei groaned as she tried to catch her breath. Gotta move… gotta get off this trunk. She could feel the burn of the wood against her back and did her best to roll away from the tree. Pain lanced through her as she rolled to the side, attempting to put a few inches of space between her and the embers.
Burns is coming… she’ll bring Breezy and the others…
Lorelei’s mind repeated that thought like a chant, giving her some semblance of hope. She knew she was in trouble; she could feel it in the way her ribs shifted with each movement. Definitely going to have another scar or two, she thought idly as she noticed the blood and dirt and ash matted to her forearm.
Lorelei moved her fingers within the shredded remains of her gloves, taking stock of herself. She removed the gloves carefully, grimacing at the sight of the damage to her palms. She gingerly moved her hands to her head, feeling for any open wounds. Her helmet had come off in the tumble, along with her oxygen tank and mask.
The TPASS alarm still sounded, echoing throughout the ravine. Yes, her team would find her. She just had to stay put until they did. Lorelei dropped her head onto the ground and tried to center herself. She took measured breaths; testing the expansion limits of her aching lungs.
Several moments passed before Lorelei felt the ground begin to tremble. Oh fuck! She jerked her head to the side, looking up toward the face of the cliff. Her heart nearly stopped when she spied the giant, flaming evergreen sliding toward her at an alarming speed.
Moving faster than her body was ready for, Lorelei sat up and lunged forward. I just need to get out of its path!
The top of the tree flew past her, slamming into the other and shoving it off the ledge. Lorelei glanced over her shoulder as she scrambled to avoid fiery branches. Thank God, she thought as the rest of the tree went over, I would never have survived that fall.
Lorelei let out a sigh and rolled over onto her back. Her heart was racing and the increased blood pressure made her head throb violently. The throbbing increased a moment later as the ground once again began to shake beneath her.
Jesus Christ, now what! I didn’t think they had earthquakes like that out here!
Scalding air seemed to whip around her and Lorelei steeled herself for whatever was about to happen. There was nowhere for her to go on the outcropping; nothing that would offer her shelter or safety if another tree were to come tumbling down.
The tremors increased, causing the rocks and debris to bounce along the surface of the ground. The aches and pains in Lorelei’s body became more pronounced with the vibrations and she had to grit her teeth painfully in order to keep her wits about her.
Then, as suddenly as the tremors had started, they stopped. Lorelei held her breath for another moment and when the shaking didn’t resume, she let it out in a huff of relieved laughter. She closed her eyes as tears began to roll down her cheeks and she reached inside her shirt to rub her fingers over the still-healing tattoo over her heart.
A loud groan echoed through the ravine and Lorelei’s eyes popped open just in time to see the smoke-filled sky get further and further away.
I’m falling, she thought sadly, I’m going to die. I promised her I would come home.
An image of Aspen swam into her mind and Lorelei’s heart felt like it was being ripped from her chest. She thought about all the things they’d planned to do with their life together and about how much this was going to hurt her young bride.
Aspen, I’m so sorry. I love you.
***
Aspen made a face at the burbling infant, matching the little girl’s infectious giggle. Anystee’s toothless smile grew when the blonde crossed her eyes and puffed out her cheeks. The sound of her phone’s ringtone blared, startling the baby.
“Sorry, sweetie,” Aspen cooed when the baby’s eyes filled with tears, “I need to get that. I’m waiting for auntie Lorelei to call.”
Anystee’s tiny lip trembled wildly, but her tantrum was averted when Amy took her from Aspen and cuddled her close. Aspen smiled apologetically at her friend as she grabbed her phone and looked at the screen. She didn’t recognize the number, but the sight of the California area code made her heart pound in her chest.
Why isn’t she calling me from her cell phone?
“Hello?” she answered, hesitation clear in her voice.
“Aspen? It’s Steph Burns.”
Aspen’s heart pounded in her chest and she had to reach out to brace her hand on the wall to keep her balance. “Where’s Lorelei?” she asked.
Cordy, Jenica, Dani, Max, and Amy stopped their conversations and turned their attention to Aspen. Max noticed the way the younger woman swayed against the wall and moved to catch her in case she fell.
“Aspen, I don’t have long on this call. Lorelei… well, she fell off the ravine. We’ve got people searching everywhere for her, but…”
“But what? What are you trying to say?” Aspen’s voice grew tight and loud as her mind began to scream at her. Oh my God, this can’t be happening! Lorelei can’t be gone, she just can’t! She promised me she would come home!
On the other end of the line, Steph Burns ran a hand through her disheveled hair. She let out a hard breath and summoned every bit of courage she could muster. Technically, it wasn’t her job to make such notifications, but as a personal friend of the missing firefighter, she didn’t really give a rat’s ass about protocol. If something had happened to Wendy, Steph would have wanted Lorelei to be the one to tell her.
“So far, all we’ve been able to find are pieces of her turnout gear. We’re scouring, Aspen, we aren’t going to stop looking for her. I swear to you, we’re going to bring her home, one way or another.”
Aspen turned and pressed her back against the wall as she looked at her friends. She could see the inquiring looks on each of their faces and before she knew it, a long, anguished wail tore from her lips as she slid down the wall to the floor.
“Aspen!” Jenica said, rushing to her friend’s side and gathering her into her arms, “Aspen, what is it? What’s happened, iti?”
Cordy picked up Aspen’s phone and heard the woman on the other end attempting to reach the hysterical cheerleader.
“This is Lieutenant Weston, FCPD,” she said, her tone all cop.
Stephanie sighed. She remembered meeting the Lieutenant during h
er last visit to Lorelei’s house. Quickly and efficiently, Stephanie relayed the information she’d given Aspen.
Jenica and the others looked to Cordy for some idea of what was being said. The Lieutenant gave nothing away as she listened carefully, covering one ear so she could hear Steph over the mingled wails from Aspen and the baby.
“Thank you,” Cordy said, once Steph had finished, “Please keep us updated on the search… yes, we’ll get her down there… thank you.”
Cordy caught the eyes of Max, Dani, and Amy and nodded toward the back door. The women took the hint and Cordy touched Jenica’s shoulder as she followed them. Jenica looked up at her wife and nodded silently. She made no move to follow, simply stayed as she was while Aspen cried into her shoulder.
“Shh, iti, it’s all right,” Jenica cooed, rubbing her hand up and down Aspen’s back, “Let all those fears leave your heart through your tears. They’ll find her, taku iti, they’ll find her.”
Chapter 20
Sounds slowly filtered through Lorelei’s brain. Birds tittering, water rushing, unintelligible voices off in the distance, and the distinct sound of a helicopter coaxed the woman back to consciousness.
What happened? Lorelei groaned as she forced her eyes open. Her vision was blurry, but she could see that it was daylight out and she could see the far edges of the shore on the other side of the lake. She was lying on her stomach and could feel the coolness of the stone beneath her, but when she tried to move, blinding pain scorched through her.
I can’t move! How am I going to get help if I can’t move? I can’t even assess myself.
Panic started to rise in the redhead’s chest and her mind instantly locked on her wife. Aspen. I have to get home to Aspen. I promised I wouldn’t make her widow.
Bolstered by the fear that settled over her at the thought of breaking that promise, Lorelei forced herself to take her time and stay calm. She started small; wiggling each of her fingers one at a time. Pain lanced through her left hand, but she was grateful that she could still move it, even if she couldn’t see it.
Next, she flexed her wrists and elbows, letting out a cry each time she moved her left arm. She wanted to test her shoulders, but doing so would require that she move into a different position. Trying to avoid another shot of agony, Lorelei switched tactics and assessed her lower extremities.
She wiggled her toes, flexed and rotated each ankle, and was able to flex and bend her right knee. When she tried to bend the left, however, pain once again shot through her.
It feels so heavy. Why does it feel so heavy?
Lorelei frowned and tried again, hissing air through her teeth when the result was the same. Knowing she couldn’t continue her assessment in her current position, Lorelei gritted her teeth and ever so slowly turned her head to face her left side.
The movement of her head and neck wasn’t painful, but as soon as her eyes landed on her left shoulder, Lorelei’s body exploded with pain and she screamed. Bones protruded from the top of Lorelei’s shoulder, sticking out of her body at odd angles.
I don’t remember there being that many bones in the shoulder, she thought as she squeezed her eyes shut. Lorelei took several deep breaths, ignoring the pain the action caused in her chest, before she was able to will herself to look at the injury again.
That can be fixed. I gotta get out of here and then it can be fixed.
Steeling herself, Lorelei did her best to shift her body so she could try to look at her knee. She found it easier to do than expected, and with a little bit of maneuvering, she was able to see why her knee didn’t feel right; it was pinned beneath a large rock.
Again, panic began to besiege her and this time, she wasn’t sure she could keep it at bay. I’m stuck… I’m really stuck! What am I going to do? How am I going to get out of this?
***
“…the search continues for missing Oregon wildland firefighter, Captain Lorelei Blaise. Early this afternoon, Captain Blaise was separated from the rest of her crew while working to battle the Axiom Ridge fire outside of Oroville…”
“Tirzah, turn that up, will you?” Sherryl Hancock leaned forward on the sofa in her Sacramento home, her eyes riveted on the television screen. She’d glanced up while waiting for her laptop to start up and was stunned to see her friend’s face on the California evening news.
“… searchers located Captain Blaise’s shredded and bloodied turnout jacket near the edge of an outcropping, approximately one-hundred-yards from where the twenty-eight-year-old fell off the mouth of the ravine…”
“Oh, God,” Sherryl gasped as an image of Lorelei’s jacket flashed on screen.
“… Captain Blaise’s helmet, radio, and gloves were recovered closer to where she fell…”
“Oh, God,” Tirzah echoed, her attention now riveted to the broadcast.
The reporter went on to detail the search efforts and list the agencies involved, before moving on to give a few personal details about Lorelei. She told the viewers about Lorelei’s career, her involvement with the Northwest Hotshots, as well as the numerous times she’d aided California’s wildfire crews.
“… Captain Blaise celebrated her first wedding anniversary just a week before the Axiom Ridge fire jumped the original containment.” A photo of Aspen and Lorelei flashed on the screen as the story began to wind down. In it, the couple sat on the tailgate of a firetruck in their turnouts during the local Firefighter Games competition the previous summer. Both women were soaking wet and the camera had captured the quick kiss they’d exchanged during their break.
“Requests have been sent to other departments and agencies for search and rescue assistance, including one sent to the California Attorney General’s office. The cause of the fire is still unknown, but sources close to the investigation have confirmed that arson is suspected.”
As the story ended and the broadcast went to a commercial break, Sherryl grabbed her phone.
“Who are you calling, honey?” Tirzah asked curiously.
Sherryl tapped her fingertips against the back of her phone as she waited for the other person to answer. “Midnight,” she replied, meeting her wife’s eyes with determination, “Lorelei is family and we look out for our own. She deserves to have family helping to find her.”
***
Lorelei gritted her teeth and screamed against them as she tried, once again, to roll onto her right side. She knew she wouldn’t be able to get all the way over, but if she could get over just enough to bring her right leg into position, she might be able to use her foot to push the boulder off her knee. The maneuver might not have been so difficult, but the pain from her shoulder was zapping her strength each time she shifted.
It had taken some time, but she had finally managed to move herself so she was resting on her right shoulder, her lower body stretched taught by the angle as she used her right hand to cradle her shattered shoulder.
Just a little more, she thought, just a few more inches and I’ll have it. Then I can figure out how to get out of here.
The past several hours had seen Lorelei’s hopes rollercoaster. Each time she heard the helicopter approach, her hopes would soar that someone would see her. But those hopes would quickly fall when the sound of the engines would begin to fade, without the helicopter ever becoming visible to her.
The unintelligible voices she’d been hearing all day would occasionally get closer, as would the sound of outboard motors, but those too would fade. Lorelei made it a point to scream for help whenever she heard the voices, but she wasn’t sure if anyone could hear her.
From her new awkward position, Lorelei was able to see the top of the cliff she’d fallen from. As near as she could guess, the outcropping had given way and somehow become wedged between the walls of the cliff. With the pounding in her head, she couldn’t seem to gauge the distance between her and the top off the cliff face, but she knew she’d fallen a long way.
Lorelei took several deep, steadying breaths and screamed as she leaned her upper body bac
k and yanked her right leg under her left. She knew she’d done more damage when she felt her hip pop and even more pain shot through her. Even so, she breathed an excruciating sigh of relief when her right leg was finally through.
Okay, okay… I can do this. It’s going to hurt, fuck is it going to hurt, but I’m almost out. Injuries can be fixed, but I’m not going home to Aspen if I stay stuck. Come on Lorelei, you can do this.
Bolstered by her little pep talk, Lorelei pushed her right foot against the boulder that pinned her down. The rock was heavy, but Lorelei could feel it try to give when she pushed.
Okay, that’s progress. I just gotta push until I can get my knee out… and hope it doesn’t decide to roll back onto me once I’m out.
“Okay,” she said aloud, “on three. One… two… three!”
Lorelei pushed with every bit of strength she could muster, her right foot planted firmly just above where her knee rested. Slowly, the heavy rock tipped away from her, causing even more pain than Lorelei would have believed she could withstand.
“Come on, come on, come on,” she ground through clenched teeth, even as she forced herself to keep pushing. Tears streamed from her eyes and she had to focus hard on her breathing, but all of a sudden, the weight holding her down vanished.
“Fuck yes!” Lorelei cried triumphantly as the boulder disappeared over the edge of her perch. She hadn’t realized that there was a gap back there, but in that moment, she was grateful. Pain throbbed through her body, stealing her breath with its intensity as she forced herself onto her back and looked up at the hazy but darkening sky.
She could feel her adrenaline waning quickly and Lorelei’s eyes began to feel heavy. She tried to fight the fatigue, but with everything she’d endured that day, sleep overtook her. She didn’t even hear the sounds of the helicopter hovering above her, or notice the blinding spotlight as it washed over her perch.
***
