Chapter 13

Quinn

As Frank called on the radio, my heart sank. Why didn’t I listen to Elijah? Here I am in a smoked-filled forest with damn trees falling all around and little to no chance of getting the hell out of here without becoming barbecue.

Frank called up on the short hand radio.

“Mayday, mayday. This is Black Hills Ranger Station. We have a situation here. Towers are down and fire is encroaching. Repeat, we need assistance at the Black Hills Ranger Station. Trees are falling and the fire is within a mile away. Over.”

Frank finished up the transmission and came over to take me by the arm.

“Doc, there are a couple of things we need to do. First, we need to set the calf free.”

I shake my head in denial and he stops me with a look.

“That little girl has a better chance on her own than it will have with us trying to haul it around with us.”

I knew that. This would be the best shot for the calf. There’s no way I could carry a sixty pound anything down the mountain. I’d be lucky to carry myself down, let alone an injured animal.

I walk out the ranger station and to the paddock where the elk was being kept. I opened the door and the elk walked back into the shadows.

“I feel you. I really do,” I said to the calf. “It’s a lot easier to just stay put, but you’re the one who has to make up her mind.

“I’m preaching to the choir,” I mumbled.

I turned back toward the station, leaving the gate open. As I neared the door, I saw Frank put on a yellow helmet and he shoved one in my hand.

“We have to decide on our next move. Can’t stay here too much longer.” The whipping of the wind and the ash covered his face, punctuating what he was saying.

He pulled out a map and showed me an old logging road.

“It’s about ¼ mile away. We can take the ATVs. The other way is draw and we won’t survive that.”

I looked over the map with him. I really couldn’t see any other option myself.

Frank explained. “Load up the ATVs with water and first aid supplies. I'm going to get what I need and we’ll get on the road.”

We walked over to the garage located to the left of the Ranger station. He pulled the door up, exposing a small fleet of about five or six all terrain vehicles.

“You know how to ride these?”

“No, but I’m about to get a crash course,” I said.

“Won’t take too long, just don’t gun the engine.”

Frank showed me the basics in a quick student ATV tutorial. I took off around the smoking tree in the parking lot of the Ranger station and my obliterated truck. After a few moments, I felt I had a handle on it.

Frank walked over to the Ranger station. “We need to make one last call so whoever’s listening knows we’re heading out.”

Going to the current communication center of the ranger station, Frank grabbed a couple of walkies, turning them both to channel 7 and gives me one. I hooked it on my jeans. He walked over to the shorthand radio.

“Mayday, this is Black Hills Ranger Station. We are going to find an alternate way off the mountain. Fire surrounding the station. Will keep anyone listening away as long as communication holds. Going to channel 7.”

Frank and I got back out to the ATVs and head out. We found the logging trail in a couple of minutes, heading to the left in the opposite direction of the fire, but with all the smoke, it wouldn’t be too long before it was here.

We meandered our way down the mountain as quickly as we could go, which means to say, not very quickly at all. Sticks and branches scraped my legs, leaving welts and bruises.

Travelling down the road was a lot harder than I imagined. Logging trails are not known for their upkeep. Behind me, I heard the falling trees, the wind whipping up, and felt the heat from the fire not that far away. I began sweating with worry and wipe the ash out of my eyes.

Is this it? Trapped in the smoke and flames with no way to leave. Is how my life is going end? Then the thoughts of Elijah. Just thinking of him sent my heart flaming and pounding in my chest. What is he going to do?

Probably say I told you so, I thought to myself. And grinned. That’s exactly what he would do, stubborn man.

I coughed as the smoke got heavier. We have the hardhats, which made me feel a little bit better with everything flying through the air and the ash, but we don't have any respirators to help us get through the smoke. I worry that our ATVs won’t be able to handle it either.

The smoke was so thick I couldn’t see in front of me, but I heard Frank in front of me. As I round the corner, I heard a tremendous crash from the lead ATV .

“Frank!” I yelled. A moment later, I saw him on the ground. Not from the fire but from the crap in the road. Looked like he went over sideways. Frank rocked back and forth on the ground next to his ATV. I stopped mine, turned it off and ran to his side.

“Frank, Frank, where are you hurt?”

He looked at me.

“From what I can tell, everywhere.”

I checked Frank over for damage. A definite broken leg. Internal damage I’d never be able to see without an xray and there was no need to worry him about that right now. Just like you would with any creature I worked to save, I grabbed the supplies I needed off of my ATV.

I wished I had my truck, which was still sitting in the parking lot full of first aid supplies, and squished like a pancake. I went back to Frank’s side and splinted his leg. When I was done, I went back over to my ATV and got a couple of bottled waters

“Hey, Doc, you need to get going. You get down this hill and send help.”

I sipped on my water, which dribbled down my chin mixing with the ash covering us both.

“I'm not going leave you, Frank, so just save your breath and hope that one of the transmissions went through.”

I coughed as breathing got more difficult. I listened to the wind blowing through the trees as Frank patted my leg.

With the nature serenade of a roaring fire and dropping trees came sounds in the distance. Sounds that scared me and gave me hope.