Eric stayed to go over his plan of attack, but one look at Robertson’s face told Eric he was still pissed.
Too bad, buddy.
Eric would never risk the success of an operation to appease anyone’s ego.
Robertson pretended Eric wasn’t there, not bothering to check in with him before he barked orders at his crew, sending them to cut line on the fire’s flanks to keep upcanyon winds from moving it along the valley. “Let’s hook this thing and go home.”
When his team of twenty had moved up the road, he walked over to Eric, jabbing a finger in his direction. “The next time you go over my head, I’m going to demand yours on a platter.”
“You’re welcome to try.” Robertson had no authority over Eric and no sway with Scarlet’s Town Council. “It’s not your community that will burn to the ground if this thing blows up. I’ll do whatever I have to do to protect the people of Scarlet Springs. If that means contradicting you in front of the sheriff, so be it.”
The roar of chainsaws told him his crew was now hard at work.
Not bothering to wait for Robertson’s response, he outlined the plan for his own crew. “With the help of the dozer, we’ll make the most of this roadway and try to get this thing contained before the wind carries it to the other side. We’ll pump-and-roll on any spot fires that show up across the road. If that helo arrives, we’ve got a good chance of actually—”
“There won’t be a helicopter.” Was that satisfaction on Robertson’s face? “Pella just called to say none are available at the present time.”
Son of a bitch!
“Did Pella try to rent one from the Colorado National Guard?”
“Who’s going to pay for that? It’s not coming out of my budget.” Robertson turned and walked away, leaving Eric angry enough to spit.
“Fuck.” With no other option, Eric shouldered his pack and hiked toward Miller’s position on the ridge. He’d taken a few steps when he got a call on his radio.
It was Ryan, his A-shift captain, who’d been called in on his day off to manage things while Hawke and B- and C-shifts went out on the fire. “We’ve searched all the usual places and called around. No one has seen Bear for a few days.”
Shit.
It wasn’t unusual for Bear to disappear for days or even weeks at a time. He had a cabin up here somewhere on a piece of county property called Haley Preserve. Homesteading wasn’t legal, but very few people knew the cabin was there, thanks to Austin Taylor, who, together with his boss, had turned a blind eye after Taylor had found the cabin a few years back.
“Get Taylor from County Parks on the phone. He knows where Bear’s cabin is.”
“Copy that.”
He finished his hike up to Miller’s lookout position.
“It’s beautiful up here, chief.”
“Yes, it is.” But Eric couldn’t see the beauty of the place.
All he could see as he looked around them was fuel ready to burn.
If the blaze broke out of this valley, if the wind caught it and turned it into an active crown fire, it would run straight for everything and everyone he loved.
Austin Taylor crawledbeneath the litter, slipped the ATV tire into its socket, and crawled out again. “We’re good to go.”
They started toward the parking lot, six Team members steadying the litter as it rolled down the trail with its injured cargo.
A park ranger with Forest County, Austin had been patrolling trails when the Team was toned out to help a woman who’d fallen while bouldering with friends near the Indian Peaks Trailhead. As rescues went, this one was straightforward and simple. Reach the victim. Offer first aid. Get her into the litter. Trail her out to the ambulance waiting in the parking lot.
Malachi O’Brien, an ER doc who volunteered with the Team on his rare days off, had given the victim an autoinjector of morphine, which had left her euphoric.
“Hey, Conrad, are you and Kenzie stopping by the—” Megs said, only to be cut off by a squeal.
“Conrad?” The victim sat up on her elbows, gaping at Conrad as if noticing him for the first time. “HarrisonConrad? Oh, my God!”
“Oh, here we go,” Megs muttered.