Today’s rain on top of snowmelt overflowing the reservoir upstream had the river they were following swollen well beyond its banks. The crossing road was set lower than County Roads 3 and 5 that it connected. It provided a shortcut for those wanting to go to Breckenridge without having to drive six miles farther south to get on Highway 9. Had the mother been in a hurry or just didn’t anticipate how deep and fast the water over the roadway was? Unfortunately, the latter happened way too often.
Would the neighboring county’s crew make it in time with their boats? While Aspen Corners and their county didn’t have a designated water-rescue team, they would be able to arrive on scene twenty minutes faster than Platte County would.
Everyone in the cab of the ladder truck remained serious and quiet the rest of the way as Rafe monitored radio traffic. Each crew member prepared in his own way for what they’d find when they arrived. The pounding rain on the windshield made visibility difficult. The wipers could barely keep up, but Brad drove on relentlessly and soon delivered them safely to the scene.
First on the scene, the Aspen Corners ambulance parked closer to where the crossing road began on the western side of the river. The ladder truck maneuvered into the parking area next to the river where the ground was stable enough to set the jacks. Platte County’s crew hadn’t arrived yet but members of the rescue squads on the opposite side of the river were busy preparing rope lines to be secured between the two divisions when ready. He recognized volunteer SAR members on both banks. Tony might have volunteered with them if he hadn’t been at the station.
He caught his first glimpse of the SUV in the middle of the rising river, its hood pointed southward in the direction of the river’s flow. Tony’s division was closer to the target. After a quick visual assessment, Brad assured Rafe the aerial ladder would be able to reach the occupants of the SUV.
While Brad set the jacks to stabilize the apparatus, Tony donned his dry suit, personal flotation device, and helmet while glancing out at the terrified face of the stranded mother. Divisions on either side of the river had been established.
“Division One to BC: We are set and ready to extend the ladder,” Rafe relayed minutes later to the battalion chief. So they were the first.
Over the radio, the BC asked their counterparts, “Division Two, are you set up and ready?”
The woman’s screams for help rammed against his brain; she seemed to be staring straight at Tony. Despite being seated on the roof, giving her and the toddler a low center of gravity, with each shout, the two slipped closer to the edge of the rain-soaked roof.
The EMT yelled at her to move to the middle of the roof and remain as still as possible. Tony snapped out of it, and he and Rafe worked feverishly with Michael’s help to get their individual safety lines into place. Everything took so much damned time, but safety had to be their first priority.
Just as Tony took a look inside the vehicle to ascertain if there were any other victims, the BC reported no one else was inside. Good, because water from the rising river was now halfway up the driver’s window and inching higher with every passing minute. The mother had been right to escape the interior in order to buy herself and her child more time, but how much longer would they be able to hold on before being rescued?
Brad climbed up onto the apparatus to use the controls to extend the ladder up and out of its cradle. Adrenaline pumped through Tony’s veins as his safety line was at last secured to the command vehicle, which was parked sideways in the lot behind the ladder truck. The engineer rotated the table and extended the ladder toward the rear of the stranded vehicle.
The EMT handed Tony two PFD vests, one for the mother and one for her daughter. Tony ran his left hand through the armholes of the two and awaited orders.
With the ladder fully extended in a downgrade position six feet behind and a few feet above the target, Rafe said, “Head out, Tony.”
With a nod, Tony climbed onto the ladder, holding onto the beams as he began steadily making his way step by step toward the stranded SUV. He saw even less of the cab since they’d arrived on scene.
The lady appeared to be in her mid-twenties, light blue eyes, and wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt—no coat or jacket. She clutched her toddler in the cradle of her lap, both arms wrapped tightly around her while leaning over to keep the rain off the tiny girl. The little girl was dressed no warmer. Dark hair plastered to her face, her lips were turning blue as she shivered in the cool mountain air. The water they’d been submerged in minutes earlier was probably in the forties, if not colder. With so little body mass, it wouldn’t take much for hypothermia to set in. Hell, the mother didn’t have any extra weight on her, either.
Time was of the essence.
“Save my baby first!” The mother’s frantic plea cut him to the core. Her pale, freckled face was in stark contrast to her bright orange Broncos tee.
He didn’t intend to lose either of them.
Almost there—
In a calm, reassuring voice, Tony said, “Hang on, ma’am. We’ll have you both out of there soon.”
Rung by rung, he and Rafe drew closer. The gooseflesh on the woman’s arms spoke volumes as to how cold she must be, too, as she tried to take the brunt of the elements and protect her daughter. The toddler started to whimper when Tony was about seven feet away. He began moving a little faster.
“Take your time, Tony,” Rafe cautioned. “You’re almost there.”
The raging water ripped the words away but not before Tony took them to heart and remembered his training. Until they were closer and he could reach out to them, there wasn’t much more he could do but take it one rung at a time.
Were the safety lines in place between the two divisions on either side of the river?
Papa, help us bring them both home safely!
Once he reached the end of the ladder and stopped moving, he assumed Rafe gave Brad the signal because the engineer slowly rotated the ladder closer to the target. A quick glance to the eastern bank turned up no evidence of the water-rescue team’s arrival yet.
We need that damned boat crew!
Realistically, they’d only been here ten minutes, even though it seemed longer. The water-rescue crew was still six or seven minutes out according to Rafe.
A large branch hit the SUV. The toddler’s eyes grew as round as saucers and the woman screamed, her eyes pleading for help. The SUV held its position, thank God.
Suddenly, a wall of water and thick debris engulfed the cab of the vehicle, all but submerging its roof. The thunderous roar of the raging river drowned out everything else, including any instructions Rafe might have given him. There was no time to wait.
No time to get PFD vests on the victims, either, but if he could wrap them both in his arms, the crew could pull all three to safety.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw a large tree trunk headed straight for them.
No! They’re still too far away. I need more time! Do something!
Trusting his safety line, Tony jumped off the end of the ladder onto the roof seconds before the tree hit the SUV.
Chapter Four
Tony landed safely on the roof and immediately grabbed the woman’s outstretched hand. “I’ve got you!” he shouted as he pulled her toward him.
Her hand was ice-cold. She had a death grip on the toddler, so Tony remained focused on getting the mother close enough to wrap his arms around them both.
Almost there.
But the massive tree trunk rammed the SUV, knocking all three of them into the frigid water. The mother’s hand slipped from his grip.
Shit!
“Tony!” Rafe must have grabbed for him but the force of the jolt was too violent.
“Mommy!” The water muffled the toddler’s cry, and the mother screamed just before both went under.
Tony became submerged momentarily too, surrounded by the loudest silence he’d ever heard. When his head broke the surface, he oriented himself and zeroed in on the two. The mother still held on
to her daughter and tried to latch on to the SUV but missed. The lethargic way she moved her arm told him hypothermia had begun from their prolonged exposure to the rain and cold air. They wouldn’t last long in this water.
I won’t let them drown.
Still tethered by his safety rope, Tony swam as hard as he could, hoping to reach them before they went underwater again.
You’ve got this!
When his line went taut a few feet short of them, Tony didn’t give it a second thought and pulled the quick release on his safety rope.
“Mayday-mayday-mayday!” Rafe’s firm but calm distress call made Tony wonder if his brother had jumped in after him, but he couldn’t worry about Rafe right now.
Despite his best efforts, the mother and toddler were being swept away from him faster than he could swim. His boots became increasingly heavy, slowing him and threatening to drag him down. Debris slammed against Tony’s arms, torso, and legs, making matters even worse.
He spotted the woman’s orange T-shirt several yards from him now but drifting farther away. The roar of the water was the only sound he heard. No more screams. Were they still conscious? Debris continued to pummel them.
A large tree branch drifted by Tony, and he momentarily lost sight of the woman’s shirt.
Time was running out for him to find them before he’d be forced to grab on to the safety ropes that rescue personnel downstream had stretched across the river at regular intervals. How many ropes could he count on being there? Hurtling haphazardly through debris-strewn flood waters was not an acceptable risk according to his training. In fact, he’d broken protocol already when he pulled the quick release on his safety line. Both Rafe and his own shift lieutenant were going to ream his ass out good. Maybe the battalion chief would, too.
But he couldn’t let them die.
Unwilling to give up, Tony continued to scan the turbulent waters for a glimpse of the woman’s brightly colored tee. Nothing. Time slowed to a crawl as his last hope faded.
It’s over.
Tony steeled himself to make the toughest decision he’d ever had to make in his career as a firefighter—abandon someone depending on him to save them. He’d have to turn the mission over to rescue personnel farther downstream. His part in this rescue had come to an end. He’d catch hell if he put himself in any more danger.
Defeated, Tony rolled onto his back the way he’d been taught to approach a safety rope. If not for the roar of the water, he’d probably hear rescue personnel yelling at him that he was fast approaching one. The mother wouldn’t have been able to hear them either, but she wouldn’t have known to look for the ropes, either. He hoped she did, though, and that she was out of the water already.
Floating with the help of his PFD vest, he lifted his head out of the water and zeroed in on the white rope as it came into view between his upturned feet.
Ten feet.
Five feet.
Two!
With tremendous reluctance, Tony reached out of the water and grabbed for what might be his last safety line.
Holding on tight to the rope stretched diagonally across the river, Tony sucked much-needed air into his lungs. Had he been holding his breath? His gaze remained laser-focused on the raging river in the direction the victims had been swept away. If he spotted either of them again, would he let go of this rope for one final attempt to save them? While Rafe would chew Tony’s ass out if he did, it would have been worth it if he’d been able to save the two.
Disheartened, Tony averted his gaze from downriver. He’d failed. Would the rescue boats arrive in time to get to them? Would someone downstream be able to snag them in their safety rope as they floated by and finish what Tony hadn’t been able to accomplish?
Please God, let somebody save them.
Branches banged against his dry suit making him wonder how badly the mother and toddler were being bombarded by this debris. They didn’t have the protective gear he had. Even with his gear, he’d lost feeling in the cold water, which probably had more to do with his frustration at not being able to complete his mission than the coldness of the water.
Hand over hand, Tony pulled himself across the taut rope to the western bank of the river where two volunteers from the Fairchance SAR team assisted him out of the water. Someone radioed the EMS crew to come downstream, but they wouldn’t be able to do anything about what needed fixing in him.
The flashing lights of the ambulance bounced off the wet trees, but Tony noticed the rain had stopped. Minutes later, Rafe practically charged down the hill carrying a long spine board followed by the paramedic and EMT loaded down with their gear. Rafe must have caught a ride down in the back of their vehicle. Tony stood up to show his big brother he was fine, but swayed a little before being able to stabilize his feet.
“Damned mud,” he growled, hoping Rafe would accept that as his excuse for being unsteady. No way would he allow himself the humiliation of being transported from the scene—especially not in front of Rafe—nor would he tie up the ambulance that would be needed to take the victims to the hospital once they were rescued.
“You okay, Tony?” His brother asked without preamble, setting down the board and squeezing his shoulder as he searched Tony’s eyes. Rafe looked as if he’d seen a ghost. Clearly, he hadn’t jumped in when Tony released his safety line.
Shit. Tony hadn’t given Rafe’s or anyone else’s safety a second thought when he’d jumped in. Because you were focused solely on the helpless victims. He and Rafe could take care of themselves. Hell, hadn’t Rafe proven he was invincible when he’d fallen through a floor in a burning building?
Still, he should have wondered about Rafe as Tony was being pulled out of the river. He added relief and guilt to the emotions warring within him.
“I’m fine. Did somebody get them out yet?” His primary concern remained the same.
“I haven’t heard any radio chatter to that effect,” Rafe said, “but there are others stationed along the banks all the way to town.”
Knowing the victims hadn’t been abandoned by everyone else gave him a small ray of hope. Tony wouldn’t be able to look himself in the mirror unless the two were pulled out of this river alive.
“Tony, have a seat so we can get you out of your gear,” said Fiona Collins, the paramedic who worked Rafe’s shift. She led Tony to a log, and her EMT partner helped Tony unzip the full length of his dry suit, because he’d grown weak after his exertions in the water and hauling himself out of the river. The EMT loosened the tight seals at Tony’s neck and wrists. Once the dry suit was removed from the waist up, Fiona began assessing his vitals and checking his neck and back for injuries.
After a thorough examination, Fiona said, “You’ll be bruised and stiff tomorrow, but I don’t see any serious injuries.”
“You’re damned lucky,” Rafe said. Tony looked up to find his brother glaring at him, but also noticed the lines in his forehead had smoothed out some. “Now, I need to get back to work.” One of the volunteers offered to give Rafe a ride back to the command vehicle, and he took it.
A reprieve of sorts, but Tony would catch hell from Rafe later for using the quick release on his safety rope. He’d do it again if faced with the same situation, though. Hell, Rafe or any of his brothers would probably have done the same thing if they were honest about it.
Waiting to hear what had happened to the mother and daughter, he watched the muddy waters churn in front of him for a few minutes. The water-rescue team’s boat hummed past him, its motor at full tilt with two on board.
About damned time.
Fiona packed up her equipment then she and the EMT helped Tony the rest of the way out of the dry suit before wrapping him in thermal blankets. Tony wobbled on his feet again, glad his brother wasn’t here to witness it this time.
“Let’s get you to the ambulance,” Fiona said.
She insisted he hold on to her and the EMT as they made their way up the slope toward CR 5.
“Hop inside,” she said, open
ing the back door. “I need to warm you up and check you for any hidden injuries.”
Tony waved her away. “I’m not getting in your box, Fiona.” The paramedic had a rule never to date anyone from her station, but Tony hoped his banter would show her he was his old self and that Fiona would stop fussing over him.
Fiona rolled her eyes. “That’s not what you said last week, big boy.” True to form, she always gave as good as she got. Working with a bunch of guys couldn’t be easy. But she quickly became serious again. “Get inside! Rafe told me not to let you refuse treatment. He has to fill out an incident report.”
He’d already pissed Rafe off enough for a lifetime even before adding the need to fill out that damned report. With a sigh, Tony conceded. All three climbed into the back, and Tony stripped down to his boxer briefs. Fiona examined him and declared him relatively unscathed. While his clothes were completely dry, he began to shiver due to a combination of adrenaline dump and a hollowness in his soul knowing he hadn’t succeeded in doing his job.
“If you want to sit up front now, be my guest. We need to get your temperature up, or you’ll be going to the ER.” Exiting the back, he sat shotgun with the EMT in the seat behind Fiona, who drove. She spent most of the ride asking questions about Angelina and Marc’s ceremony and reception, whether to pass the time or test his mental faculties, Tony wasn’t sure. She’d gotten to know Marc pretty well since he became an EMT at the station in January, but hadn’t been able to take off for the wedding.
The minutes seemed to pass like hours, and he stopped talking whenever he heard chatter on the radio, but so far no word had come in that the mother and toddler were out of the river. Finally, they reached the Division One area.
“I’m not shivering anymore. I need to get back to the ladder truck.”
TONY: Slow Burn (Raging Fire Book 1) Page 4
