Part One
No one knew exactly what had started the fire. It could have been lightning or a careless camper or even kids playing with matches. At any rate, due to the tinder dry conditions, a simple brush fire call that came in at 14:02 Wednesday afternoon was a full blown forest fire engulfing thousands of acres by that evening. The Department had declared it an all out emergency as the fire worked its way toward residential areas. All off-duty personnel were called in and all available units were put on the fire. Winds and weather were working against them. By the next day firefighters from other counties and other states were being called in to help fight the fire and to provide some relief to the beleaguered LA County Fire Fighters.
Now, forty-eight hours later, they were only holding their own against the monster fire. Everyone was going flat out. Personnel assigned to the fire were working a 12 on 8 off schedule and they were sleeping and eating at the staging area. They all knew they had to defeat the fire before their lives would return to normal. That wasn't the driving force behind fighting the fire, however. The main goal was the protection of civilian lives and property. So far the fire had been robbed of fuel any time it came close to residential areas but their luck was not going to hold out forever if they did not defeat it.
Since dawn today they had been taking an all out aggressive stance. They had been using aerial drops of both water and flame retardant chemicals. They had burned off acres themselves hoping the backfires that they could control would rob the one they couldn't control of fuel. It almost looked like they were at least slowing the thing down and some of the perimeters were actually being contained. They were trying to make the fire fold in on itself. Their victories were very small in the grand scheme of things but it did give them some hope and hope could go a long way among firefighters.
The fire was so huge that it was creating its own weather systems. Ultra heated air was forming winds and fanning the flames in several different areas of the fire. Some of the winds were gale force creating a thermal updraft hazard for the air craft working the blaze. That did not deter any of the pilots at all. Some were working the fire directly and some were shuttling victims to hospitals or supplies and personnel to the fire scene.
So far, most of the injuries had been relatively minor but the injured had to be removed from the fire scene and the only way to get a firefighter off this fire was to put him in the hospital. The doctors at Rampart could not believe the stubborn determination of these guys.
Since injuries were a definite part of the game all the paramedics were set up in a kind of MASH unit at the staging area. Dr Mike Morton had been flown in and he was in charge of triage. He had thought, at first, it might be fun to get out of the hospital setting but after the first day the job had definitely lost its charm.
Paramedics took turns riding in with patients, grabbing quick showers at the hospital and catching the next available flight back. They also took the time for a quick call home if the opportunity arose.
It had been Johnny Gage's turn to ride in. He had been given strict instructions by his partner to give Joanne a call. He couldn't give her the answer she wanted about how long this situation would last but he could assure her that Roy was fine and give him any news that she might have. He had written it all down. Chris had lost his first baby tooth. Joy had won a spelling bee at school and would be going on to the County Competition. The guy had fixed the washing machine but it had cost $65.00. She had agreed to be the cookie mom again for the Brownies so he was going to HAVE to clean out the spare room to make room for the cookies. Johnny had agreed to buy his normal ten boxes of cookies but had drawn the line at giving Roy a big kiss for everybody. He had ten minutes before the next chopper would be here and he could go back to the fire. He walked in to the lounge. The fire was on the TV and all eyes seemed to be riveted on it. Everyone in the room appeared to be hospital personnel except one person. Cassie Kelly was sitting on the couch as far away from the TV as she could get. Like him, she'd been there. She didn't need to see the thing on TV. He realized that this was the first one of this magnitude she would have worked. Hell! He'd been with the department almost eight years and it was only his third. Still, the first one could be scary. He walked over to her. "Mind if I join you?"
"Why? Am I coming apart?"she quipped.
"Huh?"
"It's an old joke. And right now I feel like an old person." She flexed her shoulders to get the kinks out.
"Oh, I think you might have a few good years left in you. This fire is just a real bitch, is all," he grinned.
"We gonna beat this one, Johnny?"
"Sure we are! We're the fire department -- the good guys er and gals," Johnny assured her.
She looked up at him. He was wearing that crooked grin of his. Chet always said he was the world's biggest optimist. "I forgot," she told him.
"Well, glad I happened along to remind you. Did you get something to eat while you were here?"
"Yes, Mother. You're starting to sound like Pidge." Cassie rolled her eyes.
"Hey! Partners have to look out for each other. Take me -- I had to call Roy's wife for him and now I have a whole lot of news for him -- some good -- some not so good but it's all part of the deal."
"I suppose."
"Look, I know you don't like coffee but believe me the caffeine helps you stay on your toes. How about if I get you a can of coke or something?" Johnny offered.
"I've got some ice tea," she picked up the cup to show him, "If you can call it that."
"That stuff is pretty bad. Our ride will be here soon," he told her.
"You eager to get back?" she asked curiously.
"Well, I can't see sitting around here doing nothing when they could need us up there," he nodded to the TV.
"I know what you mean. I was fine till I came in here. I think I'm a victim of the electronic narcotic." This time she nodded at the TV.
"Or maybe this is the first time you've had a chance to sit down in two days and it's all catching up with you," Johnny grinned knowingly.
She shot him an icy look.
***
Out at the loading dock Dixie was supervising a load of supplies that was being loaded into an ambulance to be taken to the large chopper that sat on the helipad. She held a clipboard in her hand. "That about does it, Don. Sign here." She handed the clipboard and a pen to the pilot.
"I swear, Dixie, paperwork will be the death of us all."
"Tell me about it. Press hard -- it has to go through two carbons. You don't know the half of it. I have paperwork for the hospital and the Fire Department!"
"I don't know why you don't just let me take you away from all this. We could hop in the chopper be on Catalina in 15 minutes -- laying on the beach with a cool drink in 30."
"Don't tempt me, Don," she laughed.
"You know the trouble with you, Miss McCall, -- you're married to your job."
"And you should talk, Don Watson -- who's working this fire even though there was no co-pilot available for your craft."
"AH who needs ‘um. Without the weight of a co-pilot I can carry more supplies."
"And you call me dedicated. If I had to work this place alone I'd head for the hills."
"No. Not the hills. I see you on the beach. Yeah, definitely the beach. And I know just the guy to rub on the suntan oil. Just say the word."
"Maybe some other time," Dix smiled.
"You're weakening. That wasn't a no," Don teased.
"Get out of here, Flyboy. I've got work to do." Dix turned away before he could catch her slight blush. Actually a weekend away with Don Watson might just be good for the soul. Might put some kind of bomb under Brackett too. Maybe after this fire emergency was over. Fire! That's right. She turned back to the pilot who was checking the load. "Oh, Don, I do have a favor to ask."
"Just name it, Beautiful."
"I have a couple of paramedics that need a lift back to the fire."
"Sure. I'm going to make a pit stop and grab some coffee. Tell 'um take off time is ten minutes."
"They're in the lounge -- tell them yourself."
"You're a hard woman, Dixie McCall."
"And you're a lunatic, Don Watson," she laughed.
"I've been called worse." He winked at her then walked past her.
"I'm sure you have," Dixie said under her breath as she returned to the nurses' station to see what crisis awaited her there.
By the time Watson walked into the lounge only Cassie and Johnny were in there. He headed straight for the coffee pot without looking around.
When Johnny saw him he looked shocked for a minute. "Oh no, not Watson," he gasped.
Watson spun around to see who had spoken. "Well if it isn't the Kryptonite Kid," he said smugly. This was an old game between him and Johnny. At least to him it was a game. He decided to have a little fun.
Cassie wasn't sure what was going on between the two men but having grown up with four older brothers she recognized alpha male posturing when she saw it.
"So, Gage, introduce me to your girlfriend." Pushing Gage's buttons was almost too easy.
"This is paramedic Cassie Kelly, if it's any of your business. Cassie this is the asshole who tried to kill me and Chet a few months back."
"If I had tried, Gage, you'd both be dead. So you're a paramedic, huh? I heard about this program. You wear the uniform but I gotta wonder if underneath you're really just a glorified nurse." He was trying to pull Gage's chain and make him do something stupid. He wasn't prepared for the girl to speak up.
"You wear the uniform of a pilot but shuttling things back and forth to the real action I gotta wonder if underneath you're really just a glorified bus driver," she said sweetly. She locked eyes with him and didn't look away. One of those four older brothers was a chopper pilot and she'd learned exactly how to get under the skin of a chopper pilot long ago.
Johnny laughed at the surprised look on Watson's face. "She's got your number, Watson. Now how about if you take the real fire fighters back to the fire."
Watson made a mental note to deck Gage at first opportunity but this girl had spunk and he liked that. She was sure as hell too smart to be Gage's girlfriend. "Kelly? As in Chet Kelly?" Watson asked.
"He's my brother." She got up off the couch and headed for the door. Even dealing with the fire was preferable to dueling testosterone. "You guys coming or do I have to fly myself up there?" With that she left.
"Brother," Watson noted with satisfaction.
"You just back off, Watson. She's just a kid!" Johnny hissed angrily.
"I don't think that kid needs a wimp like you to protect her," Watson smiled. This was going to be great fun! Now he had a whole new thing to use on Gage. He headed for the door also. Bus driver was it? If he wasn't flying one of the heavy cargo choppers he'd show that little lady a thing or two. Just like he had shown Gage and her brother.
Once they got to the chopper Watson supervised the two guys loading the supplies while Johnny and Cassie got into the two rear jumpseats.
"Strap yourself in real good. This guy's a maniac," Johnny said nervously checking her seat belt to be sure she was secure.
"Johnny, I get the feeling you don't like this guy very much," she said willing herself not to smile.
"Like him? Oh, I'm thrilled as hell with him. Chet ever tell ya how he tried to kill us that time?"
"I'm not sure. I mean, so many people want to kill Chet it's hard to keep them straight."
He looked at her. "You think this is funny, huh? Well you won't think so if that asshole crashes us into a mountain or drops us in the middle of the damn fire somewhere! He's crashed before you know."
"Johnny, all chopper pilots crash, only the good ones get to do it more than once."
Watson laughed. "You listen to the little lady, Gage. Maybe she's smart enough to keep your ass out of trouble."
"Shut up and drive the bus," Cassie told him. That ‘little lady' remark deserved a comeback. Her brother had earned the nickname Crash Kelly and had undoubtably crashed more times than he admitted to.
"Put this helmet on." Johnny handed it to her as the noisy engine started up making any further conversation impossible.
The chopper was full to the brim. Every available inch of space was occupied. Watson knew he was still within safe weight limits though, yesterday he had flown in a bulldozer to help cut a fire road. Still it was a little cramped. The paramedics were in the jumpseats so some of the supplies were now in the co-pilot's seat. What Watson did not realize was that the attendant who had loaded the co-pilot's spot, while he made sure his cargo was balanced, had shoved an O2 tank into an available space and had inadvertently shut off his radio. He couldn't receive the latest warnings about the thermals that had blown up in what had been the safest route to the fire camp. So he lifted off the helipad at Rampart and flew right into Johnny's worst nightmare.
***
Dixie picked up the phone at the nurse's station. "Rampart General, Nurse McCall speaking."
"Nurse McCall, this is LA County FD special incident dispatch."
"Yes. How can I help you?"
"Well we have lost contact with Copter 6 Heavy. The chopper has been working the fire running supplies. It was scheduled to stop at central supply for food supplies and then to go on to Rampart to pick up medical supplies. Records show that the first pick up was made and that the chopper was on the way to Rampart. The pilot reported arriving at Rampart but no take off. It's not necessary that the pilot report his location at all times on an equipment run but as we have not heard from him as arriving at the incident we have to assume he is still at your location. The pilot is a Don Watson. We show no co-pilot listed. Could you check and see if the pilot is still at your location?"
"Don Watson? He took off over an hour ago. He should have arrived back at the fire long ago. Have you checked up there? Maybe he had radio trouble?" Dixie tried to remain businesslike but she was getting a very uneasy feeling in her stomach.
"Yes, ma'am, I am acting at the request of the Incident Commander at the scene. There has been no sign of Copter 6 Heavy."
"Well, what could have happened to them?" She hadn't meant to say it. She didn't want an answer.
"Them, ma'am?"
"Excuse me?"
"We show that Watson was the only soul on board."
"Ah, two paramedics were here. I asked Watson to give them a lift back to the fire........" Dixie was having trouble talking and she didn't hear the dispatcher ask for IDs on the paramedics and he had to repeat himself.
"Oh, it was -- ah, John Gage of 51 and Cassie Kelly from Station 18," she said softly.
"Repeat ma'am did you say Station 18?"
"Yes...."
"Please stand by, Rampart," the dispatcher said. He then put his hand over the mouthpiece but Dixie could still hear him say, "Oh great! A possible Code-F from the women's station. They're gonna love that at headquarters."
Dixie wanted to slam the phone down on the insensitive dispatcher, but instead she said, "Please keep us advised. We want to know what you find out -- whatever it is."
After Dixie hung up the phone she felt odd. She couldn't bring herself to believe what she had heard. Why hadn't they arrived at the fire? She was lost in thought and she walked right into Kel and Joe who were talking in the middle of the hallway.
"Whoa, Dix," Kel laughed.
"What's wrong, Dix? You look like you just lost your best friend," Joe teased.
"A chopper left here going back to the fire over an hour ago. It never arrived."
"That's rough, Dix. Who was the pilot?" Kel asked.
"Don Watson."
"Superman?" Joe laughed. "If anyone could get himself into but then back out of trouble it would be him. Ever hear Johnny Gage go on about him? I swear, he hates the guy!"
"Well, Johnny may not be able to go on about him or anybody else any more. He was on the chopper too. So was Cassie. I asked Don to give them a lift back. If that chopper went down...I..I will have killed them!"
"Pull yourself together, Dix," Kel put his hands on her shoulders and shook her slightly. "We don't know for sure anything happened to that chopper? Just that it's missing, that's all!"
"How many possibilities could there be, Kel?"
"Quite a number. Now there's no reason to go to pieces. Is the Fire Department going to keep us abreast of the situation?"
She nodded.
"Good. Well, until we hear otherwise it's business as usual around here. Got that?"
Dixie looked at him with disbelief.
"Come on, Dix," Brackett urged. "We're counting on you."
"Yeah, I know. Just give me a minute, huh?"
If they hadn't been in the middle of a crowded hallway, he might have given her a hug but as it was they both had to settle for a smile of encouragement. They were professionals. They had been through this kind of thing before. They would go through it again. That was life. They were on the front lines on many a battle for survival and they did not always win.
***
There was a council of war going on at the fire. The Deputy Chief, several battalion chiefs and captains, along with Dr Morton, were in attendance. They were going over their plan of attack. Changing wind conditions had necessitated some changes. There was a large map spread out on the table, A stack of computer print outs was on the chair behind the Deputy Chief. They contained all the latest data from the National Weather Service, from smoke jumpers who were on their way from various western states, even supply lists and requisitions, personnel and deployment reports. It was a two foot tall stack of paper and it had all been gone over before this meeting. Deputy Chief Wilson was conveying all the information he had. As he did, two assistants ran back and forth between this tent and the communications area bringing him even more data and updating what he had. A fire like this was a living thing. It was ever changing and ever dangerous. They had lost four homes to the monster but so far, no lives. An earlier report he'd had might change that fact but until he had confirmation he wasn't giving this bitch any credit she didn't deserve. He breathed a sigh of relief every time the new report was of wind conditions or company deployment. Maybe their luck would hold out.
He looked up as a new update came in. The look on the assistant's face told him their luck had not held out. The slip of paper he was handed confirmed that Copter 6 Heavy was officially missing, presumed down. No one had had time to search for wreckage but all other possibilities had been eliminated. They knew it had crashed. What came as even more of a shock was that in addition to the flight crew, which he noticed was one man short, two other Fire Department personnel were on board. Two paramedics returning to the fire after delivering patients to Rampart.
He looked at the men who stood hunched over the table. Some studied the map, some drank coffee, some looked at him to continue. He knew these men. He didn't know them all personally but he understood what they were about. They were experienced veterans. They'd been through fires like this before. They were determined to beat it but they were tired. It showed more in these men than the younger men who were actually doing the backbreaking work of creating the firebreaks with pick, shovels and bare hands sometimes. The worry was clear in their eyes more than it was in the eyes of the guys manning hoses at the front line. It was much harder on a person to send someone to do battle with the demon than it was to do the battle yourself. If they didn't come back you had to live with that. It was not an easy job and what he was about to announce would make it that much harder.
"I've just been informed that we have now sustained fatalities in this fire."
No one interrupted him. The just held their collective breath as he continued. "Copter 6 Heavy is missing and it is being assumed that it crashed. All other plausible explanations have been exhausted. No trace of the aircraft has been found. We have a report of three of our people on board. Pilot Donald Watson and two paramedics returning to this incident from Rampart General."
Captain Hank Stanley felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. One of his paramedics was at Rampart.
"Do we have any ID on the paramedics?" Dr Morton asked. He had been on the outer edges of the meeting since he was only their to advise them on what medical needs he foresaw for the next few hours. He stood very stiff and forced his eyes to stare straight ahead. He knew who had accompanied patients to Rampart this morning. He'd sent them himself.
"Yes, Doctor, we do. Firefighter/paramedic John Gage and Firefighter/paramedic Cathleen Kelly."
"Oh my God!" It escaped before Stanley could stop it.
"Gage is your man?" Wilson asked.
"Y-yes sir and another of my men is the brother of the...other paramedic. There's no mistake about this? You're sure?"
"I'm sorry, Hank. We got a preliminary report on this earlier. This is the confirmation. Tell you what, have your station stand down for the next hour and I'll try and arrange to get the brother transported back ASAP."
"Ah, yes sir -- I --ah-- I should go tell them, him -- where is Station 18?"
The assistant checked the records "Due to come back for meal rotation anytime now."
"I'll tell them, Hank. You go see to your own crew."
"Thank you, sir."
Stanley left the tent and went in search of his crew. He found them sitting together under some trees. It looked as though the had already eaten and were filling Roy in on all the gory details of their harrowing experiences on the fire line.
"I tell you, you paramedics have it so easy. You never have to do any real work. Face any real dangers--" Chet was teasing Roy.
God, Chet, shut up! Don't make this any harder," thought the cap.
"Oh oh, looks like lunchbreak is over," Chet interrupted himself when Stanley joined them.
They were all sitting on the ground and he sat down with them. There was no easy way to do this.
"Why the long face, Cap?" Marco asked nervously, thinking they may have drawn some lousy duty.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news, fellas."
"Oh no, we're not working fire break again," Chet complained loudly. "My blisters have blisters."
"No," Stanley said trying to avoid eye contact. He felt his own eyes tearing up and there was no handy smoke in the area to blame.
"I'm afraid it's much worse news. One of the choppers went down."
"Oh gee, Cap. That's too bad. Any hope that....."
"I'm afraid there were no survivors, Roy, and -- and uh, it was a pilot and two paramedics on their way back -----"
"Johnny!!" Roy gasped. All of the color drained out of his face.
"I'm afraid so, Pal. And -- uh -- Chet, I'm really sorry to tell you-----"
"No! Goddamn it NO!" Chet yelled. "There's some kind of a mistake!!"
He let Chet yell. He needed to yell. Roy and the others sat quietly but he was really worried about Chet. "I'm sorry, Chet. They are arranging to have you shuttled back. You're relived for the rest of the fire."
"In a pig's ass I am. This fuckin' bitch has me mad now. I'm gonna fight her till there's not a damn spark left anywhere in the damn state of California!!! And you aren't gonna stop me. Not you or any one else!!"
"Easy, Chet," Stanley warned. Chet was on his feet and so was Stanley. If Chet did try to do anything stupid he had to stop him.
Suddenly Dr Morton was behind them. "I can sedate him if you think he needs it."
"You and what damn army!!!"
They didn't need an army. The rest of the guys from 51s subdued him while Morton administered the shot. All of them ignored Chet's threats and insults. They knew he didn't mean any of it. He offered one to Roy but Roy refused. Roy wouldn't go to pieces but he'd grieve in his own way.
Chet continued to thrash and swear until the strong drug overcame him. It was a lousy thing to have to do to anyone but this was too dangerous a situation in which to let him go off half-cocked. None of them could ever remember Chet and his sister exchanging civil words to one another but that a firm bond existed between the two was unquestionable.
Chet was stuporous when they walked him over to the medical triage area. Roy had told Morton that he really wanted -- really needed to get back to work. The others had decided to ask to go back on duty also. They now had a personal vendetta against this fire. It had taken two members of their family and they would not rest until it was out. Then they would grieve. Right now they had to fight.
"Come on, Baby," Pidge said to Chet as if he was a child. "Just lay down here." Her eyes were red but she obviously needed to work too.
Chet was out of it as they lowered him to the field cot. There were no other patients there at the moment so Pidge busied herself with Chet. The other firefighters left.
Roy said to Morton, "Is she handling this alright?"
"As well as can be expected, I guess. She's the one that sent me to sedate the brother."
Under other circumstances the idea of a paramedic ordering a doctor -- especially Dr Morton -- around might have been funny. Nothing struck Roy as funny right now. If anything he just felt numb. He knew it hadn't sunk in yet. In his mind Johnny was at Rampart with a patient like he had been many times before. He couldn't deal with anything else right now. He was sure Johnny would have understood. No, damnit! Don't talk about Johnny in the past tense. Not yet anyway.
He went over to where KJ was running a supply inventory. He was sure it didn't really need to be done but he was sure that she really needed to do it. When they had asked for volunteers to be assigned this fire KJ had been among the many that had stepped forward.
"Hi," he said simply.
She looked at him. Her look told him that there were many things she wanted to say but she couldn't voice any of them. She was being stoic. She had not cried and let it out as Pidge had. Roy suddenly felt close to this friend of Johnny's. He had even teased Johnny about their friendship. Johnny had told him that if he didn't understand that men and women could be friends then he was just plain immature. It had been funny at the time, especially coming from Johnny. Roy had always secretly suspected that Johnny was much wiser than he had ever let on. It was almost a role he played in front of white men. All white men, even him. He and Johnny were close but there was always that wall that no one got through. No one until KJ that is, in the whole time that Roy had known him. They had a common heritage. What he kept as a closely guarded secret from everyone else, he shared with her. Johnny had told him he just wouldn't understand. Roy realized that was probably true and the friendship that Johnny had found in her, she had also found in him and that was gone now. She would miss Johnny in the same way that he would. He wished he knew how to show her he understood what she was feeling.
"Johnny told me it's not true?" he found himself saying.
"What's not true?" her voice was shaky.
"That Indians don't cry. He says they do. They feel things even more deeply than us palefaces they just won't show it in front of their enemies. Don't treat us like enemies, KJ. We all lost a dear friend today," now his voice cracked and he felt tears run down his face. He had vowed this wouldn't happen till he was with Joanne. She would understand.
"Two," KJ said softly. Her eyes teared up too but she wouldn't lose it. She was too well trained for that. She did appreciate that he was sharing Johnny with her. She knew what a close friendship the two had.
"I -uh- I'm familiar with that type of chopper from Nam," Pidge said softly, joining the other two paramedics.
"Any chance---" Roy wanted to latch on to something.
Pidge shook her head. "If they have a problem they go down like a ton of bricks. But -uh it's quick. You know what I mean?"
They knew what she was trying to say. She was trying to make things easier but there no way to ease anything about this situation Not for any of them. Being together helped, though.
To Roy's surprise, Dr Morton brought them all some coffee. He certainly had mellowed over the years Roy had known him. He wondered why he hadn't noticed that change until now. Maybe the small changes just got by you until a big change came along.
"We've got some guys on their way in. Sounds like mostly smoke and fairly minor burns but Brice says they appear to be suffering from some heat exhaustion too so he's bringing them in."
"I'm really not sure I can deal with Brice right now," Roy was surprised to hear himself admit.
"We can," KJ said firmly.
"Go take a walk, Roy. There's only three of them and two are very minor. We can handle it."
"Thanks, Doc."
"Well, Brice can be rather abrasive. Glad I don't know anyone like that," Morton shot him a quick grin.
To his surprise, he returned it. Ten minutes ago he'd have sworn he'd never smile again. He got up and left the triage area. He wandered aimlessly around the fire camp trying not to think about anything. Word had gone through the camp. Most guys just left him alone. A few said something but he felt very removed from the whole situation. As if he were in a dream. Or a nightmare.
***
Something hard hit Cassie in the back and seemed to knock the wind out of her. What was happening? She couldn't remember. She opened her eyes for just a minute but she was hit with such a wave of vertigo that she shut them again. She thought about what that glimpse had revealed to her. Hazy sky and red trees. Red trees? That can't be right. She was sure she was laying on the ground but how had she gotten there? Think. Think.
They were in the chopper. It was loud. So loud, that you couldn't even have normal conversation. She had been looking out the window at the fire. It was huge. The TV picture had not done it justice. She'd flown over it on her way to Rampart but she had been too busy with her patient to do any sightseeing.
For miles and miles the flames stretched out below them in every direction. She was almost mesmerized by the view. It looked like everybody's preconception of Hell. There was a standing joke in her family that no Kelly would ever go to Hell because the devil was afraid they'd put the fires out.
She could smell woodsmoke on the wind but didn't hear anything that sounded like a fire. She didn't feel the smothering heat of a fire either. So they were over the fire, then what? Something went wrong. They had suddenly dropped. The engine didn't sound right and they were wobbling around in the air. She wasn't sure what was happening. Suddenly Johnny unstraped himself and reached out to the closest stack of supplies and grabbed two thick blankets. He flung one onto her lap and shoved her face into it. She wanted to object. She turned her face toward him and saw that he was doing the same thing. Assume the crash position. Oh shit! There's nothing but fire below us!
That was the last thing she remembered. She was on the ground now, seemingly in one piece, so if they crashed she had survived. But where the hell was the fire? Where was Johnny?
She got the answer to that question when she heard a noise just to her left and an arm flopped down across her stomach. She groaned and forced herself to open her eyes.
She saw that Watson had just dropped Johnny on the ground next to her. He appeared to be unconscious. She realized that the first jolt she had felt must have been him dropping her onto the ground.
"Hello there, Little Lady."
"Is he alright?" She forced herself to sit up but felt really woozy all of a sudden.
"Easy there, Little Lady. Don't you worry about Gage. He's tough."
She ignored her vertigo and got to her knees and began to check Johnny over.
"Now look, I said---"
"I don't give rat's ass what you said. First of all, he could be hurt. Secondly, I'm the paramedic here. I'll decide that. And thirdly, you put the words "little" and "lady" together around me and I'll knock your teeth down your throat and then shake them out your ear. You got it?"
Watson choked back a laugh. This one sure wasn't hurt. "Okay, what should I call you?"
"Try my name. My friends call me Cassie. You can call me Kelly. Now get back out of the way." She could find no obvious signs of injury. She had already ditched her own helmet now she eased Johnny's off as well.
He groaned and began to come around.
"Johnny?"
At the sound of her voice he sat up with a start.
"Careful," Watson was ready to catch him if he was hit by the same dizziness that the girl had been hit with.
"What the hell happened?" He looked passed them to the helicopter. It was covered with the branches it took off the trees on the way to the ground. One of the skids had been broken off and the whole vehicle listed to one side as it rested on the ground on that side. Several large pieces of blade were scattered around. The windshield was shattered and the door had been torn off in the back. All that said crash to Johnny even before he remember what had happened. "Watson, you asshole!! You crashed the damn helicopter!"
"Look, Gage, any landing you walk away from ---"
"Don't give me that shit," Johnny snarled. "Where the hell are we?"
"Yeah," Cassie agreed. "There was fire as far as the eye could see." She now realized that the trees in this area were red because flame retardant had been dropped here. There was heavy black smoke in more than one direction on the horizon but there was no flame in this area.
"I remembered that the fixed wings had made drops in this area. I spotted one of the drop zones I headed for it. It was just over the ridge from our flight path. They should be able to find us with no trouble."
"Who should be able to find us?! Everybody is just a tad bit busy with an 8,000 acre fire at the moment, in case you've forgotten!!!" Johnny yelled.
"Is there some kind of beacon distress beacon in the chopper?" Cassie asked. She thought it odd that Johnny was so furious. She had found no sigh of any serious head injury that would account for his behavior. She knew these guys rubbed each other the wrong way. She'd never heard Johnny use this kind of language. He was acting like he thought this guy crashed on purpose. Despite what Watson said, she knew chopper pilots considered every crash a failure and this guy didn't seem like the type to be too big on failure. She guessed that it was some type of updraft or something from the fire that had caused an engine problem. She remembered the noise of the engine changed right before they started wobbling in the air. Watson had managed to guide the crippled bird to an area that had been doused by flame retardant instead of putting them down in the middle of the inferno.
"‘Fraid not but all we have to do is sit tight and Search and Rescue will find us. The bird is full of supplies. We got nothing to worry about," Watson told her with confidence.
"Oh no? I can think of a few things. The fire cutting us off for starters. And I wouldn't count on S&R. I bet this whole area is a no fly zone and you went this way anyway," Johnny challenged.
"It wasn't this morning."
"Things change fast in a fire, Watson. This morning might as well be a million years ago. I didn't hear you make radio contact with anyone when we took off from Rampart."
"Cargo choppers don't radio in their every move especially in a situation like this. They need to keep the airways clear for the med*evac boys or somebody on the ground that runs into trouble."
"You mean like us? We're on the ground and we seem to be in a little trouble."
"We aren't in any trouble, Gage. I been in lots tighter places. Least there's no Cong shooting at us."
"There's a fire blazing out there that's worse than anything you saw in Viet Nam, Watson. If it gets between us and the fire camp we're done for! We gotta get out of here."
"We stay put, Gage. You always stay with the aircraft!"
"I've found a lot of dead guys near planes that thought that same thing. You're out of your element here, Watson!" Johnny flared.
"I'm out of my element -----"
"Look, both of you, knock it off!! God this is worse than a Kelly family get-together. Watson, why don't you get on the horn and call base and see what they advise. They have a better idea of the entire situation than we do at the moment." Cassie got between them.
The two men continued to stare at each other angrily.
"You know, with all this freewheeling testosterone in the air I'm amazed the fire hasn't been snuffed out, but as you can see over the horizon , it hasn't -- so knock off all the male posturing and grow up!!!!!"
They both looked at her with surprise. Watson turned away and went back to the chopper. She walked away from them in disgust. Johnny was unsure what to do but decided to follow her.
"Are you alright?" he asked with concern.
"Don't worry, I'm not pulling some hysterical female routine -- just trying to rein in the alpha male dance you two were doing." She was still angry and his feelings were not at the top of her list of concerns. She glanced at him. He looked like he'd been slapped.
He was quiet for a few minutes. Finally he said, "You don't believe in pulling any punches, do you?"
"Not when we are sitting here looking down the throat of the dragon." She looked around. Their backs were to the peak of the ridge. The fire was so large on the other side that the sky glowed orange in broad daylight and the smoke wall reached into the air like a black curtain. There were obvious fires to their left and their right. The two arms of fire were reaching toward each other with almost visible speed. This fire was a monster.
"We gotta get out of here," Johnny told her. He wasn't pulling any punches either. "If these fires meet up with the one behind us......."
***
Captain Margaret Tacy closed her eyes and sighed. She was tired but that was not the real problem. She always known that this was a possibility. She even suspected it would be her hot dog paramedic that would be the first woman to die in line of duty. That was the reason she rode her so hard. She was very talented but like all young people she seemed to consider herself indestructible. To Tacy's eyes she could be careless with her personal safety in the name of expedience. But this -- this was not the result of anything that the paramedic had done wrong. A helicopter crash into the fire. She hadn't been able to protect her from that. Damn it! She wanted to slug something.
She could hear the rest of her crew in the distance. They were in the medical area. They had a few minor burns and blisters and things that left untreated in these conditions could turn into serious infections. Mac McConikee had just told her when they checked back into camp for a scheduled relief. She'd sent them onto the med tent when he had asked to speak to her.
She was sure that they had been told. She would have liked to have done that herself. She squared her shoulders and walked into the large tent. There was a military feel to the way the place was set up. She was sure Pidge had been involved in the arrangement. Pidge and KJ were keeping themselves busy. Pidge was assisting Dr Morton treat a firefighter who had suffered a broken arm in a fall. KJ was busy with the minor wounds of her crew. Crenshaw sat in stony silence as KJ worked on her burns. Tears flowed really down the faces of BarbYates and Tinker. This was the first fatality they had suffered.
"Is it really true, Cap?" Tinker asked her.
"That was the report that I got. Three fatalities in a helicopter crash. I'm afraid Kelly was confirmed to be on board."
"Shit," Barb said. She was a person who prided herself on never stooping to "that kind of talk" as she called much of Kelly's vocabulary. She almost said it as a tribute to her friend. She knew she'd get a kick out of it where ever she was. She was so glad that Bill's station had not been assigned to work the fire.
"We gonna beat this one, Cap?" Crenshaw asked. Her voice sounded odd.
"You bet your ass we will!" the cap said enthusiastically. It was part of the pep talk she'd given them a hundred times. She gave it to them again. They needed to hear it. She needed to say it.
***
Station 51 was working a firebreak with several other companies. Stoker and the cap were pacing themselves as they dug trenches and hacked down the undergrowth to be used as fuel for a controlled burn. Marco, however, was taking out his anger and frustrations with his machete. He hacked faster and found himself getting out in front of the rest of the long line of men doing the back breaking job of robbing the fire of fuel.
"Lopez," the cap called him, not for the first time.
Marco continued to hack at the underbrush. He had not heard the cap. He was aware of nothing but himself and the fire until someone grabbed his shoulder. He spun around, machete raised as a weapon.
"Marco," the cap yelled forcefully. "If you don't cut it out I'm sending you back to camp!"
"C-Cap, I just want to -- I need to......"
"I know, Pal. I know." The cap understood "But it won't help anything by getting yourself into trouble. You can't take this thing on single-handedly. None of us can. Together, that's how we'll beat the fire. Together is how we'll deal with everything. Just stick with us, Pal." The Cap's voice cracked.
Marco nodded and turned away. The standing smoke in the air was making his eyes water.
***
Dr Joe Early hung up the phone that served as the landline between Rampart and the Fire Department. He'd just gotten the call he didn't want. He felt stiff and detached as he walked down the hall. He vaguely knew he was heading for the lounge. Nothing seemed real. He tried to tell himself to snap out of it. Death was part of life. He should certainly know that by this time. He'd certainly had the misfortune of telling families that their loved ones had not made it. That despite all their efforts the patient had not pulled through. It was always the hardest part of this job. But this was different. For one thing they had not been able to make any efforts -- to do anything for these victims. And these were not just nameless victims. These people were family. They had helped snatch people back from the jaws of death themselves but now when they had needed help, there was none. They had died alone on some nameless hillside in the middle of a raging fire.
He knew little of the pilot. He'd met him twice and liked him a lot. He had reminded him of a modern day John Wayne. But Johnny, he knew Johnny very well. Eager, curious, caring. Always with a ready smile even when he was the brunt of the joke. How often had Johnny and Roy's shenanigans brightened a bad day? How many people were alive today because Johnny Gage always went that little bit farther for a victim or for a friend? And that screwball Cassie. She had told him once that life wasn't fair and that was why bras came in different sizes. Life sure as hell wasn't fair!
He stopped outside the door and wiped the tears out of his eyes. Dix was going to need him to be strong. He took a deep breath and walked into the room. The tv was on and all eyes were glued to the coverage of the fire. Then the scene switched to a reporter at the fire camp. The anchor in the studio asked him for an update.
"Well, Tina, I'm afraid we have some sad news to report. I'm afraid this fire has now claimed the lives of three firemen -- er firefighters. It has now been confirmed that a fire department chopper has crashed over the fire area and there were no survivors. Under any other conditions, it is unlikely that victims of the crash would have been declared dead until the recovery of the bodies confirmed it but due to the location of the crash the hope for survival is nil."
The reporter put his hand to his ear to better hear the studio director who was speaking in his ear piece. "Yes we do have id's on the victims. They are Pilot Donald Watson. Firefighter/ Paramedic John Gage and Firefighter/Paramedic Cathleen Kelly. As you know, Tina, having women firefighters at all in LA County has been a subject under debate for some time. The existence of the female station is an experiment and now with the death of one of the women, I'm sure that debate will be re-opened. It has long been felt by many that this job was too dangerous for women and this incident certainly shows the validity of that view."
"Johnny Gage!" one of the nurses gasped. "I can't believe he's dead! I can't believe it!" The three stunned nurses left the lounge.
Joe approached the table where Kel sat with his hand over both of Dixie's. She stared at the TV and didn't move a muscle. Kel looked up at Joe.
"I was coming to tell you. The Fire Department just called. They said that neither Johnny nor Watson had any next of kin listed with them to be notified and - ah Cassie's brother had been told so they were releasing the identities so that all of the families of the other guys still on the fire line could relax."
"There isn't any hope?" Kel asked with disbelief.
"Apparently not. They went down in that." He pointed with his head to the picture on the screen of the fire that was still raging out of control.
Joe pulled a chair close to Dixie and sat down. "Dix?" he asked kindly. She still hadn't moved. "How about if I take you home, Dix?"
"That's not a bad idea, Dix. Joe can take you home and give you a sedative----"
"Not on your life!!Didn't you hear what that jackass said? They are going to try and use this as an excuse to try and somehow oust the women from the Department! Sure a woman died in that crash but two men also died and there's no talk of banning them from the Department!! We can't let that happen. We have to go to bat for this, guys. We have to! We owe it to Cassie. If you'll excuse me, I have some phone calls to make." She got up an left. She had to do something. Maybe she couldn't change the tragedy that had happened but she could sure as hell prevent it from getting any worse. The same forces she had helped mobilize to help get the paramedic program off the ground were about to be put into motion again.
***
"Well?" Johnny asked expectantly.
"Well," Watson admitted, "There's a problem with the radio. Looks like this tank here hit it on impact." Watson pushed the O2 tank out of the way.
"Oh that's just great!" Johnny snarled.
Cassie put her hand on his arm and shot him an icy look. "Can you fix it?" she asked Watson.
"Well, sure Li --- er Kelly. Sure I can."
"Don't patronize me. None of us has time for that bullshit. Can you fix the damn radio or not?"
"I said I could," Watson was losing his patience with these two hose jockeys. "We're carrying food. Why don't you see if you can fix us a meal of some sort. Maybe Gage here can help you."
"What makes you think ----" This time Johnny restrained her.
"Come on, maybe you can help me fix a meal," he grinned. He really couldn't believe she couldn't cook but it was one of the few things that Chet and Cassie seemed to be in agreement on.
They walked around to the back of the copter. Johnny climbed in and started moving the medical supplies around till he had clear access to the food that had been loading on first. He began rummaging through the supplies. It didn't look like there would be much need to cook. They seemed to be stocked with sandwich supplies. Sandwiches were easy for men to eat on the go and there wasn't much time to rest during a fire.
"I found some cans of coffee but no pots of any kind. Other than that we've got bread, mayo, mustard, ketchup and canned meat -- Spam and corned beef -- hey isn't corned beef Irish? You want that?"
"Yes and no."
"Huh?"
"Yes it's Irish but I don't want it. I don't eat meat."
"Well I'm afraid you can't be picky, Li---Kelly," Watson joined them. "This is an emergency and you'll just have to make do with what we have on hand."
"No I won't," she said evenly.
"Look. I, for one, am hungry. So how about you make up the sandwiches like a good girl. I'm in command of this mission and I'm ordering you to eat."
"What?" she laughed.
"Better watch out for him, Cassie," Johnny said sarcastically. "He has several black belts that say he can make you eat."
"And I have several that say he can't."
Johnny had been joking but he didn't like the look that came over Cassie all of a sudden. He was certain that Watson would not try to physically force her to eat. Still it was hardly fear he read in Cassie as she and Watson eyed each other.
"I am the ranking officer," Watson said simply. "I'm in charge."
"Maybe when we were in the air," Cassie said. "But your expertise ends with that chopper. On the ground the guy with the most experience is in charge. Since my guess is you've never gone one on one with a fire at its own lever, that puts Johnny in charge."
"Gage," Watson laughed.
"He's the one whose orders I'm following," she told him.
"I'd order her to eat if I was you, Gage." Watson made himself a sandwich from the supplies that Johnny had cracked open and went back to work on his radio.
"You really should eat something," Johnny said as he rummaged through the supplies some more. "Hey -- how about peanut butter? Do you eat that?"
"Depends."
"On what?" Johnny was starting to lose his patience with her now also.
"Is it girl peanut butter or boy peanut butter?"
"What? What the hell's the difference?"
"Why, Johnny I'm surprised at you. Boy peanut butter is the kind that has the nuts," she said innocently.
Without thinking Johnny lobbed the tin of peanut butter at her. "You know, you Kellys are the most annoying damn people in the world!" He shot a glance at Watson. "Well, the second most," he muttered.
"I have to warn you that we Kellys don't like to take second place. I'm just going to have to try harder."
"That's all I need," Johnny griped. "As if Superman, a helicopter crash and a fire weren't enough."
"You ain't seen nothin' yet," she grinned.
"That's what I'm afraid of," he agreed in a joking manner, but he couldn't help glancing back at the fire that was rapidly working at closing off their one chance of escape.
"You know," she changed the subject. "Pidge is going to somehow blame me for this. She thinks I get into messes like this just to give her grey hair."
"Well, partners worry about each other. I told you it goes with the territory. I may have given Roy a moment or two in my day too, come to think of it. But partners look out for each other. Like when I was back at Rampart I called Roy's wife for him. You know, to let her know he was okay. I got a whole list of things I have to tell him for her." He pulled the list out of his breast pocket. "Let's see his daughter won the spelling bee. His son's first baby tooth came out. It cost $65.00 to fix the washing machine."
"Owch," Cassie said sympathetically.
"Oh and he has to clean out the spare room to make room for the girl scout cookies which I will undoubtably get invited to help him do and I was supposed to give him a kiss from them but I respectfully declined."
"Chicken," she laughed.
"Even partnerships have their limits. Did you call anyone for anyone?"
"I called Chet's neighbor and asked her to keep on feeding Ember."
"Who?"
"Chet's cat."
"I thought he was allergic to cats."
"He used to be when he was a kid but I guess it went away. This was some cat that had kittens at the station. He called me and had me come and get it."
"An orange cat?!"
"Yeah."
"That was my cat -- well I mean she had those kittens on my bed!!!"
"Well, he called me and asked me to come get the mama cat and the kittens and bring them to the apartment."
"So that's where that cat went. I was worried about her. That creep! What the hell did he do that for?"
"He told me it was a stray that had wandered in and so he kept them till the kittens were weaned. He got quite a few dates out of the deal finding homes for the kittens, as I recall. Then he kept the mother."
"Those were MY kittens. They should have been MY dates!!"
"It wasn't a stray cat?"
"Well, yeah, it was but she had the kittens on my bed. I worried about her. I ---"
"She found a good home. Chet treats animals much better than he does people."
"I guess that's the important thing, but why didn't he tell me?"
"He probably wanted the kittens as "babe bait". What were you going to do with them?"
"Give them away. I offered them to the other guys but none of them could have one. In fact, I have a no pet clause in my lease also......"
"That explains it then. If Chet was going to you a favor he'd have to do it on the sly to keep his reputation intact."
"Does insanity run in your family?" Johnny hadn't really meant to say it but there was just no other explanation for the weird way in which the Kellys behaved. Luckily she just laughed.
***
Roy sat at the outer edge of the fire camp. Activity went on around him but he didn't really feel like a part of it. If the truth be told he didn't feel anything at all. He knew he was tired. He tried to use that as an excuse. Nothing seemed real to him. Johnny would have told him to snap out of it. Johnny. How could it be true? They had had breakfast together. Complained about the powdered eggs together. Worked together on the guy from San Diego Fire Department who had broken his leg working the fire. Johnny just happened to be the one that flew in with the patient. It might just as easily have been him that was in that copter. He thought of Joanne and the kids. He'd give his right arm to be able to talk to her right now.
Someone touched his shoulder and he jumped.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
He turned around and saw KJ standing there.
"Oh, you didn't scare me," he forced himself to smile. "Startled me maybe. It's just that......."
"Yeah. I know. I can't really believe it either." She wasn't sure what she really wanted to say but she thought Roy really needed a friend right now. The rest of Station 51 was back out on the fire line. So was 18's. There weren't any medical emergencies at the moment and that made the time sit heavy on the hands of the paramedics. Everyone else was busy but they had nothing to do but think. Sometimes being busy was far better at a time like this.
"How -- ah, how's Pidge and Chet?"
"Pidge is toughing it out. Chet's still under. This is going to be really hard on him. He never wanted her to do this."
"You suppose that's why she did it?" Roy wondered.
"You can't really think that. She was good at what she did. She did it for the same reasons that we do," KJ really wanted to express the anger that she felt. She really wanted to yell at someone. But not Roy. Not now. She forced herself to calm down. "I suppose pissing Chet off did sweeten the deal for her a little," she had to admit.
"Whenever my kids fight I tell Joanne not to worry -- that all kids fight --that they will outgrow it. After being around Chet and Cassie I really began to wonder if I hadn't been wrong about it being something that they would ever outgrow," Roy mused.
"Maybe they are just more honest than the rest of us."
"What?"
"Chet and Cassie. They say the things that the rest of us don't dare say to our grown siblings. We keep it all inside, let situations fester and basically just end up trying to avoid each other. They blow up at each other and then it's over. It's still plain to see that they are close despite all the smart remarks and digs they throw at each other."
"You know, the first day that Johnny and Cassie met, Johnny hit on her and Chet decked him even though he was on duty, in front of the Cap and everything," Roy smiled, remembering the shocked expression on Johnny's face.
KJ had a military background. Fighting on duty was a very serious offence. "What did the Captain do?"
"I think he was ready to deck Johnny too," Roy laughed.
"He didn't write Chet up?! What did Captain Tacy do?"
"I don't think she knew. I get the impression there would not have been enough left of Johnny for Chet to deck if she had gotten wind of it."
"That's probably true," KJ laughed too. On the one hand it seemed out of place to laugh at a time like this but on the other it seemed a better way to remember their friends. They both loved to laugh. Johnny had once told her that he allowed himself to be the laughing stock of the station on occasion because people in this line of work went nuts if they didn't laugh. Cassie always swore laughter was the best medicine and she kept many of her patients laughing all the way to the hospital. Pidge complained that Cassie was good for everyone's blood pressure except her partner's.
***
Dr Mike Morton looked up from the cup of coffee he was nursing. He knew he'd have never made it as a fireman. Even if he could have gotten past the inherit dangers of running into fires, even if he could have adjusted to the heat and the smoke and the grime, he could have never adjusted to what passed for coffee in a fire camp. He wasn't absolutely sure his cup wasn't filled with used transmission fluid. The only reason he was even drinking it was because, at the moment, there was nothing else to do. He wondered what was happening at nice, clean Rampart. At least if there were no patients there he could be drinking some of Dixie's coffee. Dixie's coffee, what he wouldn't give for a cup of that right now. When he got back maybe he'd give Dixie a big kiss. He chuckled at the startled look he could imagine on her face. She'd probably knock him into next week but it would be worth it. Especially if she apologized with a cup of coffee. He knew he'd never do it. Even as exhausted as he was he knew there were lines which residents did not cross.
He yawned and forced himself to swallow another gulp of transmission fluid. His eyes traveled to the other side of the large tent. Liz Pigeon was fussing with something. He really thought she should sit down and take this opportunity to rest. They never knew when another emergency would arrive on their doorstep. But he also knew that she had to keep busy right now. He wondered if this would have a long term effect on her. He wondered if she'd leave the paramedic program and return to being a nurse. She was a damn good nurse and they could use all the good nurses they could get at Rampart. If she was there all the time he stood a better change of running into her more. God knows residents didn't have time for a social life but he really wouldn't mind getting to know her better. Not at all.
He really wished there was something he could say to her that would make this easier. It was hard on everyone. He was very fond of both Johnny and Cassie and he would miss them but not like Roy and Liz would. It would be much harder for them.
A noise outside the tent got his attention and he looked toward the open end of the tent. Two firefighters and a paramedic came into the tent carrying another man on a backboard. He was restrained with his head and neck completely immobilized.
"It's Brice, Doc. He can't see!" puffed Paramedic Bob Bellingham as he ran along side the two men who carried the backboard over to what was being used for an exam table.
"What happened?" Morton demanded. He was once more all business.
"We had a report of a fireman down. It was pretty hard so see because of the smoke but finally made out what looked like a guy laying on the ground down this little gully. We - er Brice went charging down after him and he tripped over something and fell on his face. His glasses busted. He's a real mess." Bellingham was winded.
"Why didn't you call this in?" Morton was carefully removing the sooty bandages from Brice's eyes.
"Couldn't, Doc? He fell onto the biophone and it's as smashed up as he is."
Roy and KJ had seen the truck rush into camp and stop at the medtent so they ran over to see if they could help.
"What about the other man?" Pidge asked.
"What?"
"The man who had fallen down the gully," Pidge did not even pretend to be patient with Bellingham.
"Oh, that was the funny part. Turns out it wasn't a man down at all. Some guy had just ditched his turnout suit so he could go take a du--- go answer nature's call in the bushes," Bellingham laughed.
Pidge was about to explode. Roy took her arm and walked her away. "Let's let KJ help the Doc. She doesn't know and love Brice as much as we do."
"Brice and Bellingham," Pidge muttered. "Cassie always said they were a partnership made in cartoon heaven."
Pidge gasped. It was the first time she had spoken of Cassie in the past tense. Roy just hugged her. He understood, as no one else could, exactly what she was feeling.
"Doctor Morton," Brice said, wincing with pain.
"Hang on a minute, Brice. As soon as I finish examining you I'll give you something to ease the pain."
"I'm afraid the only thing that will ease my pain is your promise to perform a lobotomy on my partner."
Morton looked at the others to be sure he'd heard correctly. Craig Brice had cracked a joke. They all immediately suspected he had a concussion.
***
"Look," Johnny said with mounting frustration, "We can't stay here. Just give up on that radio. I'm somewhat familiar with this area. I've camped here quite a bit. I'm sure I can get us back to a safe zone."
"You're nuts, Gage. We are miles from civilization. The best thing to do is to stay put. They will come after us as soon as they can. I've worked air drops on fires like this. Even if it takes them a few days to get to us, we'll be fine. We have plenty of food, and we are in a safe area."
"Safe?! How the hell do you figure that?!"
"Look around you. This area is protected by flame retardant."
"You may have worked a few fires like this but, as Cassie said, not on the ground. That stuff retards fire -- slows it but that doesn't make this area some kind of umbrella. Those trees will not burn readily but if this area becomes completely surrounded by a fire this big and this hot we won't have to worry about actual flames in these trees. The heat and smoke from the fire will be enough to kill us. If we don't get out and soon we are going to be cooked."
"Gage, I'm the commanding officer. I say we stay with the Huey and that's the end of it!"
"The hell it is," Johnny muttered. He turned away from the fool. He'd wasted all the time he was going to arguing with Watson. If the pilot wanted to die let him, he was getting himself and Chet's kid sister out of there. He started rummaging through the supplies. They had to move fast and couldn't carry much but even without a fire it was a long hike out of here and they would need food, water, blankets ----
He was interrupted by Cassie shaking his shoulder. She looked concerned. He hadn't really meant to scare her. This was her first fire like this.
"Johnny," she began.
"Don't worry. I'll get us out of here," he smiled. "You think Chet would ever let me hear the end of it if --"
"Johnny!" she was insistent. "This isn't a Huey."
"What?" His mind was racing. What the hell was she talking about now -- some cartoon duck?
"This chopper. It's not a Huey. Watson would never make a mistake like that."
A chopper was a chopper. People were always calling his Land Rover a Jeep. He could not see what in the world she was getting so upset over. "What diff ---"
"Huey's are probably what he flew in Nam. That's what my brother flew."
Johnny's head was spinning. Chet was in the service but he never served in Viet Nam and he sure as hell didn't fly helicopters. Then he remembered the time he and Chet had flown with Watson before. Chet mentioned having a brother who was a chopper pilot. He decided to stop trying to figure out what the hell she was talking about. She was probably just babbling because she was scared. She had every right to be. He had been known to run off at the mouth under times of stress himself. He had a feeling she would be a little less nervous if he let her in on his plan. "Look, Cassie," he said quietly. "We really do have to get out of here and we have to do it now if we are to get this fire behind us by night fall. I'm guessing Watson will renege and come with us but whether he does or not. You and I are getting out of here and back to the fire camp where we are needed."
"If he stays here will he make it?"
"Probably not, although being Superman and all, he might. We would not, however, so I'm getting us out of here." Johnny spoke in a quiet voice. It went against every fiber of his being to leave him behind, but he couldn't force him to go and he was not risking Cassie's life or his own on Watson's stubbornness.
"Superman?"
"Little nickname me and Chet gave him. Get your stuff together but we have to travel as light as possible. We'll give him one more chance to join us but we are leaving," Johnny said firmly.
Cassie reached in and picked up her trusty back pack. Cassie was also a great believer in traveling light but there were certain things she did like to keep with her. She saw that he seemed to be concentrating on taking food and filling canteens with water from one of the five gallon jugs on board. He was rolling blankets and tying them to the outside of the field pack he was using. It was bigger than her back pack but she picked up a few things she thought they might need also like flashlights and extra batteries from the chopper's own equipment. She had picked up a few oranges at the cafeteria at Rampart and there was some among the supplies here so she took a few more along with packages of peanuts and sunflower seeds. She also tied rolled blankets to her backpack. They had food and medical supplies but no firefighting gear and from the looks of what they might have to hike through she would have gladly carried the added weight of an SCBA. She really had no idea where they were in relation to the fire camp but Johnny had said he could get them there and she had faith in him.
"You ready?" Johnny asked.
"Yeah," she said glancing at Watson who was busy laboring over the radio.
Johnny figured it was futile but he walked up to the front of the copter to try one last time to convince Watson to come with them. Cassie followed him. He told himself that this was exactly the same situation as any conscious adult refusing medical treatment. It was their right. It was their life to risk. It was out of his hands.
"Look, Watson. We are leaving. I suggest ---"
"No you're not," Watson said simply. "I'm in command here. I say we stay with the aircraft. That's all there is to it."
"In a pig's ass!" Johnny's neck veins were distended in his fury. "Listen to me, Watson ----"
"No, you listen to me," Watson said forcefully standing up. He was a good four inches taller and fifty pounds heavier than Johnny. "I've had all I'm going take out of you. I've been through this before. You're just some snot nosed kid. You don't have any idea in hell what you're doing. Now you go sit your hind-end down over there and shut up. I got us in. I'll get us out. HQ will send help until then we sit tight. You got that?"
Johnny just glared at him. He wanted to do more but he knew he had more important things to put his energies into. He turned around and stalked off in the one direction that was not ablaze. "Come on. We tried," he snarled as he walked past Cassie.
Cassie turned to follow him. She didn't like it either, but it appeared Watson's stubborn pride was going to get him killed.
They had only gone about twenty feet when suddenly the distinctive sound of a shot rang out. They both hit the deck.
"If you are so determined to get shot let's just make things easy and let me do it. That jungle is full of Cong, you damn fool, and they won't shoot over your head!"
Where the hell did he get a gun? Fire Department personnel can't carry guns! Johnny's mind was racing trying to make some sense of this.
Oh shit! He's flashing back to Nam. I knew something was wrong with the things he was saying. Cassie was kicking herself. She had checked Johnny for injury but never thought to check Watson. She had thought nothing could be worse than crashing a helicopter into a fire but crashing a helicopter into a fire with an armed psychotic was definitely worse. Much worse.
To be continued...........
