CHAPTER 4
She’d slept horribly after ditching her “date” outside the bar. Not only were her dreams filled with heated and sweaty memories involving her and a certain blue-eyed devil, but in the sleepless moments between fitful tossing and turning, Erin felt guilty for deceiving the nameless guy from the bar into thinking she was interested in him.
She couldn’t even blame that on Tim, even though she wanted to, badly. It was her own fault because he hadn’t forced her to act the fool—and there was that word again.
Maybe she’d better get Alisha a pager so she could provide instant responses for help, like an AA sponsor. “Hi, my name is Erin, and I’m addicted to a guy who’s no good for me. I’ve stayed clean for nearly seven years.”
The midday call-out for a rescue was a welcome diversion in spite of the tiredness in her body.
All around Lifeline headquarters the team hurried to gather gear. Devon and Alisha worked in the storage room as Tripp shouted a list of supplies at them. Erin shrugged on a warmer jacket and gloves before dodging around their winch man, Anders.
“It’s too early in the season for an accident at the ski hill,” Anders complained. “There’s been no time for the snowpack to build for avalanche conditions.”
Marcus shook his head. “Details coming once you’re in the air—but it’s not an avalanche. The gondola lift is out, and has been for the last three hours.”
People had been stuck on the gondola for three hours? Not good.
“I’m going to warm her up,” Erin shouted over her shoulder a second before sliding through the doors into the icy-cold air.
Over the past twenty-four hours the Alberta weather had lived up to its volatile reputation, changeable to the extreme. Erin was grateful the Chinook winds that had blasted through last night were over. They’d shaken the town up, rushing past and dragging temperatures up.
But this morning a low-pressure ridge had turned everything around. It was cold, but calm enough that she could fly. The frigid temperatures meant other concerns, and she began checklist procedures for liftoff, contacting the local airfield with the word that they’d need clearance soon.
Marcus stuck his head in the door as she worked through systems. “No need to stop at the hospital to pick up a paramedic,” he announced.
She finished three more adjustments before glancing his way, horrified suspicion growing. “Why not?”
“There’s more than enough in place already. They have a full SAR contingent on the hill, only they’re having issues getting at the gondolas suspended over the extreme slopes. That’s where you come in.”
Relief that he hadn’t called Tim in was far too strong. She really needed to get over herself. “Got it. Now let me do my job.”
“Break a leg,” Marcus shouted, closing her in and letting her concentrate.
In a short time the team was in place and Erin lifted off, the low buzz of her headset speakers familiar and calming. Her physical response was always like this in the early moments of a mission. Having to start flying immediately ensured there was no time for the butterflies to get rolling before she had to be on the job and focused.
Tripp turned on the general speakers so he could talk to everyone on the chopper. He’d taken the passenger seat at her side, the rest of them belted into the back where they had jumper seats and stretcher space if needed.
“Everyone comfy?” Tripp asked. He got a chorus of affirmation from the crew before heading into the details. “Ski patrol and search-and-rescue trainees have been working since ten A.M. That storm that blew through last night did a hell of a job on the hill.”
“Did you say the gondola is stuck?” Alisha asked. “Why don’t they use the emergency generator to get it emptied?”
Erin wondered that as well. She glanced over the passing snowfields. The surface was partially covered by the recent heavy snowfall, but more spots than usual were exposed to the tree line by the strong winds they’d experienced.
“It’s too dangerous. Two of the towers supporting the aerial cables have lost structural integrity, and they’re afraid to move anything past them.”
“Damn, that kind of breakdown seems impossible,” Devon said. “I’d assume they do all sorts of testing before opening for the season.”
“It’s not a disaster they could have planned for,” Tripp explained. “They had a power outage about an hour after the gondola was already ferrying passengers up to the hill. Nothing too unusual—figured some water from last night’s storm got into one of the electrical lines and shorted the system. That they could deal with fairly simply. They switched to emergency power, like you suggested, Alisha, and had started to empty out the passengers when one of the gondola operators hit the panic button and shut the whole thing down again. He was watching a cabin rise toward him over the steepest section when the entire tower and gondola listed sharply to the right.”
“Scary.” Alisha looked out the window. “So they turned everything off and . . . what? Have been evacuating the old-fashioned way ever since?”
“The extremely wet fall we had, in combination with last night’s Chinook winds, weakened the support base of a couple strategic towers. Too much water got worked into cracks in the rocks from the softened snow. Trees shifting in the wind, that kind of thing. Add in the sharp cold snap—conditions were primed to break a section of the cliff away. There were two small landslides this morning when temperatures dropped. Unfortunately, they happened after the lift was already full, so yeah. All the cabins need to be emptied.”
“Any trees on the gondola support lines?”
“Nothing, just the danger caused by the posts. Trees on lines they can deal with, but one tower has lost the base under a full foot and the top is threatening to break away. They can’t run the backup generator and do an orderly evacuation, not with that potential disaster.”
“Damn, and the temperature keeps dropping, doesn’t it?” Devon asked.
Erin shivered even as she stayed en route for the hill. Three hours was a long time to have no heat, or a way to move to stay warm.
“The ski patrol have been evacuating all the people they could on the sections that are low enough, but they don’t want to attempt the areas over the ravines.”
“Those drops are steep.” Anders cut in. “Are we winching them down?”
“If the wind stays low so Erin can put you in place, yes. We’ll go in pairs, partnering up with some of their people as well. The hill has all the backup ground support in place—we just need to get the people out of the gondolas they’ve been trapped in for the last three hours.”
Erin joined the conversation. “I can handle the flying, only let me know if we’re extracting them or dropping them to bugout positions.”
“Time to arrival?” Tripp asked.
“Fifteen minutes.”
Erin ignored the rest of the conversation that buzzed in her ears, even though she kept the speaker open, not only to stay in touch but to get into the swing of the rescue. The energy the team put out invigorated her. Calmed her, in a way. Made her attention narrow to the here and now, which was all she needed to focus on.
As they crested the hill and spotted the parking lot, it was obvious not everything was business as usual. The local SAR had set up tented areas, steam rising from them—places for rest and recovery as they checked the people rescued from their trapped positions for frostbite and reactions. Getting stuck on a lift for an extended period of time wasn’t something that happened often, but all the hills were prepared for it. Erin nodded at the obvious competence shown, everything from the heated recovery areas to the orderly evacuation of the parking area for those who had chosen to ski out.
The ski patrol had cleared the helipad, and she dropped onto the center easily, one member guiding her while keeping the crew who would be joining them behind the safety line.
Tripp gave the order. “Alisha, Devon, you guys and I will buddy up with one of their members and access one gondola each. I’ll make the call as we get there which cabin’s passengers will be flown out, and which lowered to the ground.”
“Can do,” Devon responded.
Picking up three additional members wasn’t a chore since the chopper was rated for more. Tripp watched over his shoulder as the SAR climbed on board before giving Erin the thumbs-up.
Additional voices cut in as the new riders slipped on headsets so they could hear over the loud rotor noises.
“Dan reporting in. Tell us where you want us.”
Tripp turned to the back. “Welcome aboard. You have any preferences for belaying up or down?”
“No—we’re trained in both.”
Erin breathed a sigh of relief. It was one thing to take on other rescuers—their job at the ski hill meant they should have some skills. She just hoped they had enough.
Five minutes later, icy-cold wind blasted through the chopper as she hovered over the first inaccessible gondola, the first between towers connecting an extremely steep cliff.
Erin pointed to the side. “Access road. You want to see if we can lower them to there?”
“Get Alisha and her partner in place.” Tripp held up a hand. “I’ll contact base.”
This part was when she got to play games. Very little wind, nothing but keeping level as a goal. It was all about Anders’s skill with the winch, and the ability of the team member who was being lowered to deal with any spin.
Erin eyed the horizon and kept them steady as Anders counted out distance. Alisha shouted, and there was a slight bounce as the winch adjusted to keep Alisha level with the gondola door.
“Lovely,” Alisha complained over the portable microphone she wore. “The locking gate on the door is frozen shut. Excuse me, cold and frightened people, while I bang loudly on the handle and freak you out even more.”
Tripp cut in. “Erin, the access road is a possibility. They’ve got Ski-Doos on the way. Alisha, you and Dan belt them in for a transfer. There’s SAR on the ground waiting to take off the harnesses.”
“Roger. I’m in.”
The small camera mounted on the undercarriage of the chopper allowed Erin to watch Alisha disappear into the gondola, the heavy globelike carrier swaying as the weight redistributed.
It was one moment after another of waiting during the next thirty minutes as she maintained the chopper at level and dropped off three teams. Only once was she required to take civilians from point A to point B, moving carefully as Tripp stared out the window to offer additional guidance.
Perfect visibility, easy weather conditions. It felt good to work without her heart pounding through her throat.
They’d finished transporting the last of the gondola passengers Alisha was evacuating when Erin got a message.
“Uphill. Medical emergency—someone’s having a heart attack.”
“Dammit.” And they had no paramedic onboard. Guilt struck at tossing the last candidate around. “Do we have someone to pick up?”
“Yes. Head to the village.”
Erin lifted higher with Anders and Alisha the only other Lifeline members back on board. “How are you guys doing?” she asked.
“Drop me in the hot springs when we’re done, okay?” Alisha’s teeth rattled as she spoke. “God, those poor people. That was brutally cold, and I was only out in it for a short while.”
“Only a little longer,” Erin encouraged her. “Shove your hands under Anders’s arms, he doesn’t mind.”
“Ha. Thanks.”
Moments of lightness in the middle of the serious. Erin once again was thankful that she’d picked a job so full of rewards.
* * *
Tim’s hands were numb, but he wasn’t about to stop. “Where’s the next fire to put out?” he asked.
The SAR next to him pointed. “You are a glutton for punishment. I thought you came out to ski for the day.”
“What, and miss all the excitement?” Tim grabbed a fresh first-aid kit and ran for the landing circle that had been cleared.
His interview with the head of the SAR had been cut short when the call for help came in. And whether he worked the hill or not, he was trained. As the most experienced paramedic around, he was recruited on the spot.
Mitchell glanced up as Tim approached. “Can you take this one? My team called in a possible heart attack, but it’s on the worst section of the trapped cars. We were trying to leave that gondola until the end for fear of dislodging it, but it looks as if that option is out.”
Great. “No problem. Stabilize the victim or stabilize the car first?”
“You focus on the victim. The team coming in will deal with the rest of the civilians and the carriage.”
Tim nodded. Then smiled wryly as the bright red body of a familiar chopper came over the ridge. So, he was getting to work with Lifeline today after all.
He waited until the chopper was nearly down, then crouched low and ran toward the open side door. Erin glanced out the window but probably failed to recognize him, as he was covered head to toe in borrowed rescue gear. Strong hands pulled him onboard, and he settled into a seat, the chopper lifting off before he’d strapped in.
He ignored the belts and snatched up a headset instead. “Critical-care paramedic reporting. You can toss me anyway you want—I’m experienced.”
Not even a flicker on the chopper as Erin maintained perfect control. “Tim?”
“Right in one, love. Give me a yo-yo ride like a good girl, and we’ll get this rescue finished so we can all go have a hot shower.”
A masculine laugh carried over the line as the solidly built man across from him passed over a small ear set and microphone. “Anders here. I’ll be the one dropping the string for you, and I promise no yo-yos. Only don’t distract me with talk about hot showers right now. I think my ass is frozen to the chair.”
Conversation paused as Tim switched to the battery-operated headset that would make it much easier to stay in contact during the rescue.
“I’ll go first to open the door,” Alisha offered.
“Let’s drop together,” Tim suggested. “Saves the time, and I’m sure Erin is more than capable of keeping us level. If you’re up for it, Anders?”
“Erin, what do you think?”
“In these conditions—no problem.”
They were tied together, harnesses checked even as they’d discussed it. Anders lowered them smoothly, and they were outside the gondola, worried faces staring at them through the fogged-up glass.
Alisha cranked open the door and Tim grabbed the sturdy metal frame, using one arm around her to help as they carefully pulled themselves aboard.
“Stay very still,” Alisha cautioned the eight people clustered in the tight carriage quarters. “I’m going to get you down, and while we do that Tim will take care of your friend there.”
Concerned faces shone back from all the occupants. A couple of teens and a group of older skiers—looked like a family out for the day.
The older man sitting on the floor was pale and breathing uneasily, and Tim went straight to work. He talked soothingly as he took heart rate and pulled out supplies. Glimpses of Alisha behind him were impressive. She had the rest of the family slowly putting on shoulder harnesses while she worked to buckle the hip and waist sections securely.
A sudden jolt went through the carriage, and one of the women shrieked.
“Ah, love. It’s only the cables giving a bit of a stretch.” Tim moved faster, stabilizing his patient and easing a harness around his shoulders before slowly rising to meet Alisha’s eyes. “I can help you double up your lifts, if you’d like.”
“Belaying them down would be faster,” she suggested.
Around them worried faces grew even tighter. “What are you doing about my father?” one of them asked.
“We’re going to get you all down,” Tim promised. “Alisha, rig a harness for three. You can belay from the ground. I’ll harness them from here.”
Talking in code around the people they had to rescue, moving as quickly as possible without moving much at all. It was enough to get his blood pumping for the first time that day.
“Tim, channel three,” Alisha ordered.
He flipped channels for his earphone even as he did up the last of the buckles on the heart attack patient. “Yes?”
“Erin says she can stay in place, and Anders will help with the belays. If you can rig your patient for winching up, she’ll take you and him straight to the hospital once we’re all down.
An ominous creak sounded from above as the cables ground through the metal clasp supporting the cabin. “If we can do it fast, yes. Tell her to drop you far to the side. If the gondola falls, you don’t want to be under the path—you or the civilians.”
Alisha reached out the door and pulled the cable in, hooking it rapidly to the other two people. She stepped back to back with them. “Ready in three, two, one.”
Tim nudged them off the platform, and everyone still around him stiffened with worry as the cabin swung hard. “Next set, get ready. Alisha will be helping you down like riding an elevator. All you have to do is hold on to the rope by your chest.”
Anders already had a new line outside the open doors, and Tim grabbed it, slipping the hooks into place, double-checking buckles. He placed the woman’s hands on the cable and covered them briefly with his own. “Like that. Perfect. You’re ready to go.”
Her eyes were wide with fear.
“Not a worry, love,” he insisted. “That’s my lady on the other end of the rope. She’s the best there is. Just give me your hand and I’ll help you step out.”
“You can do it,” the gentleman on the floor whispered, barely audible over the noise of the props.
“Take care of my dad,” the woman said, staring at Tim.
“As soon as you’re gone, he’s the next one I’m taking flying.”
He eased her out the door, the cable from above stretching taut as she swung away from them, and once again the gondola rocked.
In his ear Anders spoke rapidly. “Tim, how many more?”
“Two and my case. I’m getting them in position right now.”
“Roger. Work fast, man, you’re running of time.”
The world fell three feet, and the man across from him shouted in surprise. His arms stayed steady around his father, though, and Tim nodded encouragingly.
“We’ll be out of here in less than two minutes.”
Another horrid noise, and another jerk.
“Tim, rush it. I can see the tower up the hill and it’s swaying.”
Dammit. “Toss me all the lines you can,” he ordered. “Now.”
He’d put a harness on his patient, and the other two had slipped on the ones they’d been handed. Tim gestured them forward, hands flying over the buckles to lock them in place.
“Keep sitting on the floor. Your ride is here. One second and I’ll get you out the door. You’ll be bunched together, but hold on tight and let the team get you to safety. There’s no time to hesitate, understand?”
They nodded, and Tim hooked a carabiner to the harness on the older man then pushed the others into the clear.
Ignoring the shuddering metal around them, he twirled, grabbed the line, and yanked the man out the door with him, trusting that Anders had control of the other end.
They’d barely hit free air when a screech of metal fatiguing screamed out. Up the hillside above them, the tower that had been leaning ominously folded with a sudden jerk. The bottom leaned toward them while the top third bent, and the cabin fell away, dropping toward the snow-covered rocks too many feet below them.
Tim breathed a sigh of relief to be out of what would have been a death trap. Or at least he was relieved until he glanced over his shoulder to check Alisha and the other passengers. A thick strand of the support cable had snapped apart, the loose end writhing upward like a cobra about to strike.
The deadly projectile was being pulled down the hill by the runaway cabin, and the loose end reared again, now headed straight in his direction.