Wildfire Run

by Dee Garretson

  The golf cart did look like a present once it was tied up. It would be a present to them all if the plan worked. Luke didn’t think he could even crawl away from here now, much less outrun a fire. He coughed. His mouth felt like the inside of a fireplace. It was getting so hard to breathe, he felt like he wanted to take big gasps of the smoky air.

  “We need to lift it up by pulling on the other end of the rope,” Luke said. “Once it’s up in the air, we can wrap our end around the tree, and then you two are going to have to hold it while I get back up there and attach it to the zip line.”

  Getting the golf cart up, Luke started to talk to himself in his head. Just a few more minutes to get this up, a few more minutes to get it across, a few more minutes to get everyone in, a few more minutes to get away; it will all be over in a few more minutes.

  “Hurry, Luke!” Callie called. “I see the flames coming this way. They aren’t very far off.” The heat was so great now, Luke’s hands were slippery with sweat as he tied a loop around the zip line and through the rope loop on the golf cart.

  “Let go of the rope and get across the fence,” he yelled down. “If this doesn’t work, take off running. Don’t wait for me.”

  “It will work,” Callie said. Luke didn’t look down. He let go of the top rope; the golf cart slid. The rope sagged down and started to fray.

  “It’s not going to clear the fence,” he whispered, watching the cart dip lower and lower as it slid. The cart started to tip, the weight of the engine unbalancing it.

  Luke held his breath as the wheels just skimmed the top edge of the fence. The cart slid on down the rope until it came to a stop about two feet above the ground. The rope snapped and it fell with a thud.

  “Yes!” Luke yelled, punching his arm up in the air and almost losing his balance.

  “Get out of there, Luke!” Callie screamed. Theo was already lifting the batteries back into the battery compartment. Luke slid down the pulley rope. The front edge of the fire was around the bottom of the tree now, the dead grass and twigs burning like little sparklers. He stopped, feet from the ground, not wanting to go straight into the fire.

  “Jump!” Callie cried.

  32

  The Golf Cart

  Luke pulled on the rope so it started to swing, and when it came close to the trunk he bent his knees, using the tree to push himself forward. He jumped out as far as he could, just clearing the fire as it moved forward, not in a smooth line but more like water flowing in rivulets. Sparks landed on his hair and he smelled it singeing. He picked a path and ran, slapping at his clothes as sparks hit.

  When he reached the fence, he bent down to scramble up it, jerking his hand away when he felt the metal. The fence was hot now. The soles of his sneakers stuck as he made his way up the fence and he knew they were melting. At the top, he leaped down, falling to his knees.

  Everyone but Callie was in the cart. Adam, conscious again, was in the front passenger seat. He had one arm wrapped around one of the roof supports. Theo sat in the tiny back cargo area, holding both Comet and Tocho, filling up the whole space. Luke looked behind him. The fire rose over the fence like an enormous ogre rising up to get them.

  “I’m going to hang on to the side,” Callie yelled. “Let’s go!”

  Luke jumped in the driver’s seat and pushed on the pedal. They jolted down the hill, Luke trying hard to keep the cart from tipping over. They hit a rock and Callie swung out and almost lost her grip, but Luke reached his arm out and caught her, feeling a wave of fear at the thought of her falling.

  They continued on down the hill, weaving among the trees. Luke had never been in this part of the park before. It was rough and uneven, without any signs of a hiking trail. A large stand of pines came up in front of them, and Luke turned the cart to the left, trying to go around. The smoke was so thick he couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of them. He swallowed and looked ahead, trying to push the panic down. In the thick smoke, the fire was an eerie reddish glow, cackling like a witch gone crazy. The smoke swirled around, patches of darker smoke wavering like ghostly figures, or maybe real ones ready to come for him.

  Comet whimpered, and without thinking Luke reached back to pet him. Comet licked his hand.

  The fear broke then, leaving only rage behind, rage at being afraid. Luke was sick of the fear, sick of it leaching the very breath out of him and dragging him down, as if he were being sucked into a black hole. He wasn’t going to let it.

  “We’ll be okay,” Luke said. “We’ll be okay.” He headed straight downhill.

  “Luke, I’m scared,” Callie whispered.

  “Just a few more minutes,” he said. “We’ll be okay.”

  They reached a road, but it was running parallel to the fire. The way to the south looked clear for a short distance, but he didn’t know if the road curved back toward Camp David. The flames were visible above the trees, leaping high into the sky. He was ready to drive across the road and plunge the cart into the forest on the other side when Callie yelled, “I see a helicopter.” Luke stopped the cart and leaned out. Callie was pointing to the south. Luke saw the outline but couldn’t hear the engine over the roaring fire. Taking a chance, Luke turned the cart in the direction of the helicopter. “We’ll follow the road to the south and see if it buys us some time. Hold on.” He floored the pedal and took off down the road, driving until the helicopter was almost on top of them.

  “Everybody out,” he said, stopping the cart and leaping out. “Callie, help Theo. I’ll help Adam.”

  “Luke, something’s wrong with Theo,” Callie shouted, Comet in her arms and Tocho clinging to her shoulder. “I think he fainted or something.”

  Luke ran around to the other side. Theo was slumped over, almost falling out of the cart.

  “Not now, not now!” Luke yelled, trying to pull Theo upright.

  The helicopter hovered, the rotors stirring up the hot air. Luke looked up to see a soldier in a harness coming down a cable. The man dropped to the ground in front of them.

  “Let’s get moving, people,” the soldier said, so calmly it seemed he didn’t notice the fire behind them. “I’m going to have to take you all up by harness. We can’t chance landing, because we don’t know how fast the fire will move.” He held out the harness to Luke.

  “Mr. Brockett, you first.”

  “No, I’m going last. Take Theo and Adam. They’re hurt.”

  “We don’t have much time to argue,” the soldier said.

  “Luke, you’ve gotten us all this far. Just go,” Callie said.

  Luke took the harness and held it out to her.

  “Adam and Theo go first. I go last.” Luke moved back and crossed his arms.

  The soldier looked at Luke and then said, “Okay, son, I’m not going to argue with you, because I want out of here. If you’re going to be stubborn, at least help me get the harness on these people.”

  Once Theo was buckled in, Callie said, “Can you take the kitten too?” She set Comet down and unpeeled Tocho’s claws from her hair. Luke could see scratch marks against her face.

  The soldier just made an exasperated noise and took the kitten, signaling to someone above, and he, Theo, and Tocho rose in the air. Theo slumped in the harness, not moving. Through the smoke, Luke could see hands reaching from inside the helicopter. The soldier disappeared inside for a moment, then came back down.

  “Mr. Brockett, my commander is up there yelling at me to grab hold of you and get you in this harness,” the soldier said. “Now, do I have to do that?”

  Luke moved back again. “We both know you can’t get me in the harness unless I cooperate, and I’m not going to. I go last.”

  “It’s no use arguing with him,” Callie said. “Since he’s the President’s son, he thinks he should get his way all the time. He’s spoiled, you know.” She smiled at Luke.

  “Okay, okay.” The soldier sounded really angry. “I’m not going to chase you. When it’s your turn, Mr. Brockett, I expect you to move fast.
You are putting everybody in danger right now with your attitude.”

  The soldier moved to get Adam in the harness. Adam was conscious enough to stand leaning on the side of the golf cart until the harness was on.

  When the two were in the air, Callie said, “You are being really stubborn, Luke.”

  “I know,” Luke said. He didn’t know why it was so important he go last; he just knew it was right. “I’m spoiled, just like you said.”

  The soldier was down again. “Hurry, young lady. We’re almost out of time.”

  He’d snapped the last buckle of the harness on Callie when Luke felt the ground shift. Callie lost her balance and fell against the soldier.

  “It’s another earthquake!” the soldier yelled as Luke fought to stay standing. There was a sound like a train and the fire roared up through the forest, the flames billowing toward them, a blazing tidal wave of red. Sparks showered them, and Luke smelled more singed hair. Comet barked.

  “Roll, roll,” the soldier yelled, pushing Luke to the ground. “Your shirt is on fire!” Callie, still in the harness, fell toward him as the soldier hit at his shirt and then grabbed his side, rolling him back and forth. It all happened so fast, Luke couldn’t make himself do anything; he just let the soldier move him around.

  “It’s out! Take hold of me.” The soldier reached down and pulled Luke up. “We’re all going up together.”

  Luke got one hand around the soldier’s neck. Callie almost made them fall again as she reached down and picked up Comet. The dog yelped as she put him against her chest. They started to rise in the air, more sparks flying around them. The helicopter rose higher and the motion sent them swinging, first away from the fire and then closer to it. The flames were so hot, Luke thought they were all on fire. His eyes burned, but when he closed them he felt like his eyelids were melting.

  Just when he thought he couldn’t stand the heat anymore, he felt cool air on his face. They were up above green trees now, though he could see the fire to the east.

  “Hold on just a few more seconds,” the soldier said. The crank above them pulled them up right below the door to the helicopter, but then Luke felt a jerk.

  “The harness!” the soldier yelled. Luke looked up. The harness strap hooked to the cable wire was singed black from the fire, and fraying. Sparks must have landed on it. “We’re not going to make it. Drop the dog!” The soldier tried to use the hand not holding on to Luke to get Comet away from Callie, but the motion made Luke shift down, his grip loosening on the man’s neck.

  “No!” Callie said.

  The soldier hoisted Luke up higher, wrapping both his arms around him. “Drop the dog or we’re all going to fall!” Someone in the helicopter was making the crank move them up inch by inch. Luke could see another soldier above them leaning out the door.

  “Move Comet toward me, Callie,” Luke said. “I’ll take him.” Callie shifted Comet out to her side.

  “You’re not going to drop him, are you, Luke?”

  Luke looked up to see the fraying mesh above them.

  “No, let go of him.” In one motion Luke took his hands away from the soldier’s neck, hoping the soldier wouldn’t lose his hold on him, and grabbed Comet, heaving him up in the air, pushing with all his strength as he launched his dog toward the man in the helicopter. The man reached out and grabbed Comet under one leg, pulling him in.

  Then Luke felt hands taking hold of him and he was inside the helicopter.

  “He’s burned,” Luke heard the soldier say. Luke’s eyes were watering so much he couldn’t see very well.

  “Don’t touch the burn until we get him to a hospital,” another man said. “Luke, are you hurt anywhere else? Just nod or shake your head.” Luke shook his head. “Can you sit up? You’ll breathe better upright.” Someone put his arm around Luke, supporting him while Luke pushed himself up. “That’s a good sign. I’m going to put an oxygen mask over your face,” he heard the man say. “It will just make you more comfortable, nothing to worry about. Breathe normally.”

  The effort of sitting up exhausted Luke so much, he just held still while someone put a mask over his face. When he took a breath, the air inside the mask felt cool against his mouth and he relaxed, wanting to lie down.

  “Let’s get him in a seat.”

  Another voice said, “Let me help you, Mr. Brockett.” Luke opened his eyes just as a soldier practically lifted him into the seat right behind the pilot. Luke turned and could make out people in the back bent over Adam and Theo. The same soldier put Callie in the seat next to him. Luke blinked his eyes until he could see better. Callie already had Tocho in her arms.

  “Can you ask someone back there if Theo, my friend, will be okay?” Luke said to the soldier.

  The soldier gave him a thumbs-up and went to the rear of the helicopter. Luke looked out the window at the mass of smoke to the east. He couldn’t see Camp David at all.

  When the soldier came back he said, “The doc says it looks like a concussion, but his vital signs are good. He should be okay.”

  “Mr. Brockett, I have the President, uh, your father on the radio.” The copilot handed Luke a headset.

  “Dad! Dad!” Luke said.

  “I’m here.” The connection was full of static, but Luke could hear well enough. “Luke, are you all right?”

  “I’m fine, Dad. What happened to Colonel Donlin and the agents at the gatehouse? Where’s Sal? What happened to him?”

  “Slow down. One thing at a time. Now that you managed to get the fence turned off, the emergency crews are on their way into the gatehouse.”

  “What about Sal? Is he okay?”

  “He was…He had a run-in with a bear, of all things. One of his arms is slashed up pretty badly, but he’ll be okay.”

  Luke didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Can I see him?”

  “As soon as the doctors give the okay. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  “Bye, Dad.” He pulled off the headset, and someone took it from him.

  Luke closed his eyes and then he felt something being pressed into his hand.

  “I forgot to give you this,” Callie said. “I brought it from the ranch.”

  He opened his eyes to see a silvery bright gleam against the grime of his hand.

  “Wow, that’s a great galena,” Luke said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen one with such a nice color.”

  “It’s yours,” Callie said. “Next time you come back to the ranch, I’ll show you where I found it. Maybe we’ll find some more.”

  “That would be great,” Luke said, closing his hand on the stone.

  33

  The White House

  AUGUST 29

  Luke watched the incoming helicopters from an upstairs window of the White House. “It’s incredible that they never goof up,” he said to Comet as he scratched behind the dog’s ear. The Marine One helicopter always landed in exactly the right spot on the South Lawn, the pilot bringing the tires down precisely in the middle on the red metal disks laid out on the grass.

  “The trainees practice over and over without any passengers on board,” his dad said as he came into the room. “And if they can’t do it right, they don’t get promoted to pilot.” He put a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “I’ll be home tonight, but I probably won’t see you. I hear you haven’t been eating much. Anything wrong?”

  “I’m not very hungry.” Luke wasn’t very much of anything, and he hadn’t been since the fire. The doctor who treated his burns told him it would be a while until he felt himself again, and to tell someone if he had nightmares or trouble sleeping. He hadn’t had any problems, but he couldn’t get away from the numb feeling that enveloped him like a cocoon.

  It had been a week since the fire, and four days since the funeral for Isabelle. Before they left for the service, Luke’s mom had told him what to say to Isabelle’s parents, things like what a good person she was and how she had done her job so well. He was glad his mom had given him lines to speak, because he
couldn’t have found the words on his own, and he knew his dad was expecting him to play his part well. He pretended he was just saying something he memorized, like an assignment, so he wouldn’t break down and cry. The crying was left until he was alone.

  Colonel Donlin and Grant were both still hospitalized, but the doctors were optimistic. It was strange: They had survived because their injuries kept them down on the floor, where there was enough oxygen to keep them alive, and enough of the stone building left standing to shield them. They were also fortunate the area around the gatehouse was mostly grass, thin from the drought, and cut short to meet Camp David’s standards. It would take time to rebuild the damaged parts of Camp David. Luckily the fire had followed an erratic path, splitting apart and going completely around some sections, while burning up others.

  Comet growled. He always did the instant the helicopter touched down, because he hated all helicopters. Luke guessed the dog thought they were some sort of giant bird invading his space. A Marine sergeant opened the helicopter door, lowered the steps, and marched off, pivoting at the bottom, and then marching around to face the White House. He halted and stood at attention. Luke knew the sergeant would stay there, motionless, no matter how long it took, until his dad walked out to board.

  “How are you doing with your temporary agents?” his dad asked.

  “Okay, I guess,” Luke said. He hadn’t been paying much attention to them. Adam’s concussion had been more serious than Theo’s and was going to keep him off work for another two weeks. After that, it would be at least another month before he would be able to come back to Luke’s detail. In the meantime, he would have another job. “Paperwork and a desk” was the way he had described it to Luke. Sal still had his arm in a sling, and was on medical leave.

  “Sir, it’s time to go,” Christine said from the hall.

  “Just a minute,” Luke’s dad said. “Luke, I know we haven’t had much of a chance to talk, but I just wanted to let you know I’m very proud of you. You kept your head and thought through what needed to be done in the middle of a crisis. That’s not something everybody can do.”