Flashpoint, p.15
Flashpoint, page 15
part #8 of Commitment Series
Kelly and Karissa paced back and forth from opposite ends of Jen's kitchen while they waited for news of their friend. Steve sat at the table clenching his hands in an effort to contain his anxiety. His leg nervously bounced up and down. Fred stood against the counter with his legs crossed at the ankles. He sipped a cup of coffee. A heavy tension fell upon all occupants of the room.
Finally, someone answered her hold. "Yes. Yes, my name is Jennifer Swenson," she began. "I saw the news report on television about the wildfires in Yellowstone and I'm calling to check on whether all of the tourists in the park are accounted for. We have some friends who are visiting there this week and we haven't heard from them."
All movement stopped as soon as Jen began to speak. Every eye in the room was on her as they waited expectantly for news.
A deep frown creased Jen's forehead. "What do you mean you don't have any accountability for tourists at the park? They registered to stay in one of your cabins. Don't tell me you don't have a record of that!" she stated firmly. "W...Wait! Damn it!" Jen shouted into the phone. "They've put me on hold again!" she said incredulously.
Kelly looked at Jen. The intense fear she was feeling was evident on her face. "Tara's in trouble. I can feel it," she said softly.
Jen extended her hand to the teenager who willingly took it. "We don't know that, Kelly. Don't give up on them yet."
Jen's attention was suddenly drawn back to the phone. "Yes. Okay. Their names are Billie and Cat...I mean Caitlain Charland, and their children, Seth, Tara and Skylar. I believe they are staying in one of the cabins in the backcountry," Jen spoke into the phone. "Yes, I'll hold," she added. "Like I have any choice!" she complained to her family.
Jen looked at her watch. "It's about eight o'clock there right now," Jen observed.
"Ah, hello? Yes. Skylar? Yes, she is their youngest child. She's about ten years old," Jen said into the phone. "I see." Jen looked at her family with intense concern on her face. "No, it's not like them to be late for anything. If they haven't picked her up yet, it's probably because they can't. What's that?" Jen asked. A few moments later she added, "Jesus! I assume you have someone looking for them?" Jen asked hopefully. "Good. Look, these people are like family to us. Is there any way you can contact us when they are found?" she asked. "Thank you, and please, if there is anything we can do to help, just ask and we'll be on a plane immediately. What's that? Yes. Yes, I can do that. I will be there as soon as I can. Is there any way I can talk to her?" Jen asked.
Several moments passed before Jen's attention was drawn back to the phone.
"Aunt Jen?" a small shaky voice said.
"Sky? Skylar, honey, are you all right?" Jen asked.
"Mom forgot to come get me. I'm scared," Skylar began to cry.
"Sweetie, I'm sure Mom didn't forget you. She must have been delayed somehow. Honey, do you want me to come wait for Mom and Mama with you?" Jen asked.
"Can you?" Sky replied shakily.
"I sure can. I'll take the next plane out, sweetie. I'll get there as fast as I can, okay?" Jen replied.
"Okay. Please hurry," Skylar urged.
"I will, sweetie. I will. You need to be brave, love. Okay? Now can you put the nice ranger back on the phone, Sky?" Jen asked.
"Look, the girl is there with both her mothers, and older brother and sister. Have none of them shown up to claim her?" Jen asked when the ranger returned to the phone. "Well then something is wrong. There is no way in hell any of them would abandon this child. Please do everything you can to find them, okay? All right. I'll be there as soon as I can. I assume Skylar will be well taken care of tonight?" she asked. "Good, and thank you. I'll see you tomorrow." Jen hung up the phone.
Jen looked at four expectant pair of eyes. "Billie was supposed to pick Skylar up from the Junior Ranger program four hours ago and she hasn't shown. She's also late returning a kayak she rented."
Kelly and Karissa clung to each other while Steve just dropped his head into his hands.
"What do they think has happened, Jen?" Fred asked.
"They don't know, Fred. It's not like Billie to be late picking up her kids. There is absolutely no way she or Cat would forget Skylar. And there's the missing kayak. Fred, I am really scared," Jen admitted. "I can't help but think the wildfires have something to do with their disappearance."
"You need to get on a plane as soon as possible to be with Skylar until they find the others," Fred insisted. "I will stay here with the kids."
Jen flew into her husband's arms and began to cry. "I'm so scared," Jen cried.
Fred held her close and rubbed her back. "I know, sweetheart. I'm scared too. But like you said to Kelly, don't give up on them. They've been through worse."
***
By eight o'clock that evening, Senior Ranger Rick Ellis and his assistant, Ranger Angela Bradshaw stood around a large conference table along with several members of the Emergency Wildfire Rescue team.
Rick Ellis looked around the table at the stoic faces of the rescue workers. "We have reason to believe there are people still missing in the wildfire area. Specifically, three groups. They include the four-member Robertson family who registered a hike at Douglas Knob, two members of the Charland family who reportedly rented a kayak at the lower Firehole River depot this morning and have yet to return the kayak...or to collect the horses they left there, and two more members of the Charland family who registered a day hike on the Shoshone Lake Trail. We also found their horses in the corral by the trailhead. The Charland family disappearance is further supported by the fact that the youngest daughter was dropped off at the Junior Ranger program this morning and was due to be collected at four p.m. That never happened. She is currently staying with Angela here, until a family friend arrives to claim her tomorrow," Rick explained.
"So far the fire has consumed the greatest part of the Southwestern corner of the park. Luckily, it is heading away from the Old Faithful area, but it has already destroyed thousands of acres between the Shoshone Geyser Basin and the Continental Divide, including the southern part of Firehole River area and Grant's Pass that runs through it," Rick Ellis pointed to the map spread out before them. "This is where we believe several members of the Charland family were headed earlier today. Douglas Knob is just slightly to the southwest of Shoshone Lake, but it's also currently consumed by fire. This is where the Robertson family was headed."
Rick Ellis began to walk around the room as he spoke.
"Relative to the wildfire's progress, as you know, this has been an especially dry year, with little to no rain during a normally rainy June and July. Rain so far this August has also been scarce. Drought conditions have lead to extremely favorable conditions for this fire to spread quickly. Add to that the fact that wind is assisting the fire by adding oxygen to it, and I guess I don't have to explain to you how difficult it will be to fight, and how difficult these rescues might be. We need to be especially wary of the wind causing vortex tilts that might cause forward bursts. As you know, forward bursts can cause fire to shoot out a hundred meters or more at a speed of up to one hundred miles per hour. This particular fire is generating winds that are ten times stronger than ambient wind, so be on the lookout for random areas of spotting caused by the wind, and changes in wind direction. During a rescue effort, strong and variable winds can quickly turn a relatively safe situation into a deadly one.
"Now, as you know, warmer temperatures allow for fuels to ignite and burn faster, adding to the rate at which wildfires spread. Because of this, most of the search and rescue work will be done later in the day and through the night and early morning before the temperatures become uncomfortably hot. If the people who are missing are still alive—and let's pray to God they are—they will tend to stay put at night since they don't know the trails and terrain as well as we do. This should make finding them less difficult as they will not be moving targets. Any questions so far?" Rick stopped pacing and looked at each rescue worker.
"Okay. One more thing…as you know, the terrain in the wildfire area is a mixture of hills and valleys. I don't need to remind you that the steeper the slope, the faster the fire will spread uphill, partially because ambient wind usually blows uphill, and partially because heat and smoke rise, drying out the fuel in front of it further up the hill. For this reason, be especially careful when ascending the slopes. Our goal is to find these people and get them out of there as soon as possible, all without endangering ourselves in the process. You will not be out there to fight the fire. This is a rescue mission, and let's hope to God it doesn't turn from rescue to recovery. Leave the firefighting to the hotshots and smoke-jumpers."
Rick Ellis stopped at the head of the table and placed his hands on it. "One more chance for questions before we get started," he said.
"Do we have a description of the missing people?" one of the rescue workers asked.
"What we know is that the Robertson family is a mother, father, son and daughter. No other information is available about their race or ages. One of the two Charland groups is a mother and daughter, with the daughter being around fifteen years old, and the other group is a mother and a seventeen year old son. Both mothers are in their late 30's. We believe they are Caucasians. Any more questions?" He waited a few moments before continuing. "Okay then, see Angela about your assignments. If you find any of the missing persons, immediately report back to the base. Good luck and Godspeed to all of you."
Several minutes later, with assignments given, the rescue workers headed out on their missions. Rick turned to Angela and saw the concern on her face.
"Keep your fingers crossed that something good comes out of this search," he said.
"I'm really concerned about the girl, Skylar," Angela replied. "I would hate to be the one to tell her that her family has been lost to the fire."
"Well, with any luck, we won't have to do that," Ranger Ellis replied. "Where is she now?" he asked.
"She's in my cabin watching a movie. I told her I'd be back soon, so I guess I'd better get over there," Angela replied.
"Someone is coming for her tomorrow, right?" he asked.
"Yes. A family friend is flying in tomorrow morning. She called just a few minutes before this meeting to say her plane lands in Cody around six a.m.," Angela explained.
"Well, if we do have to give the child bad news, then at least she'll have someone to help her through it," he commented.
***
Jen put a small carry-on suitcase on the bed and began randomly throwing clothes into it. Fred sat on the bed and watched her make several trips between the clothes dresser and the suitcase. Her movements were frantic and jerky.
"Jen, sweetie. They're going to be all right," Fred said.
Jen sent an angry look his way. "You don't know that, Fred. None of us knows that. They are stuck in a wildfire for Christ's sake! If it's even half as bad as it looked on the news, I can't imagine how they'd survive it."
Fred rose from the bed and approached Jen. He reached out to rub her back.
"No! Don't touch me," she snapped.
"Jen…"
Jen turned sharply toward him. "Why, Fred? Why does shit happen to them? Is it some type of punishment for being who and what they are? What kind of benevolent God would do this to such good people?"
"I wish I had an answer for you, but I don't," Fred admitted.
Jen ran a hand through her hair and then sat on the bed. She lowered her face into her hands and began to cry.
Fred sat beside her and wrapped his arms around her. "They are strong, Jen. If anyone can survive something like this, it's Billie and Cat. Please don't give up hope."
"I'm sorry I snapped at you, Fred. You didn't deserve that."
"No, I didn't, but I understand and feel your frustration. Don't give it another thought, love."
"I have to call Cat's parents," Jen said.
"Do you have their number?"
"Yes. Cat gave it to me as an emergency contact if I needed it. How I wish I didn't need it now."
Fred nodded. "Let me help you pack first, then you can call."
Jen dialed the elder O'Grady's home number and waited for someone to answer. "Come on, Doc. Answer the phone," she muttered.
After several rings, the phone mail picked up. Ida O'Grady's voice cheerfully greeted her. "Hi! This is Doc and Ida O'Grady. We're out of the country for the next several weeks. If you need to reach us, call our daughter, Cat at…"
"Oh, great!" Jen exclaimed. "They're not home. In fact, they aren't even in the country. Now what do I do?"
"Do you have phone numbers for any of Cat's sisters?" Fred asked.
"Unfortunately, no."
"Then I guess there's nothing you can do, Jen. Cat will just have to call them herself when she can get to a phone."
Jen looked into her husband's eyes. "Always the optimist, Fred. That is one of the reasons I love you so."
***
Cat and Seth pushed onward through the burned-out forest in an attempt to cover as much ground as possible, and to look for a place to set up camp for the night before it became too dark and too dangerous to continue. Progress was slow and the prospect of finding shelter was slim, as nearly every inch of forest had been burned out and was still smoldering. The density of smoke in the air was so high, it was nearly impossible to take a deep breath without coughing. With her mind in doctor-mode, Cat was concerned that continued exposure to the poor air quality would cause respiratory problems.
The forest creaked and groaned around them as they struggled through the debris. Tall trees that were once so regal and strong swayed perilously to and fro as the winds stressed their weakened trunks.
Seth looked upward at an especially loud creak. "Mom, this is really creepy. It looks like a haunted forest," he said.
"You're right. I can almost imagine the trees coming to life like those in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy picked their apples. Remember that?" she asked.
Seth chuckled. "Let's just hope the flying monkeys don't come after us!"
"I always hated those monkeys," Cat said.
Seth looked at her with surprise on his face. "That show was around when you were little?" he asked incredulously.
Cat laughed. "Oh, yeah. Black and white TV. Outhouses, no running water, and 'The Wizard of Oz'. Them were the good ole days," Cat said in her imitation grandma voice. "Geesh, Seth! The Wizard of Oz was filmed in 1939! How old do you think I am anyway?" she asked.
"Oops!" Seth said. "You sure look good for your age," he added. Seth scooted several feet away to avoid the swat on the arm Cat sent his way.
Just then, a strong gust of wind shook the weakened trees. Cat and Seth froze where they stood. A very loud cracking sound filled the air and caused them both to look into the treetops above them. On the verge of dusk, it was nearly impossible for them to see what caused such a loud noise until it was too late.
"Ma! Watch out!" Seth lunged toward his mother, but not in time to pull her from the path of a large branch that had broken and fallen from the treetops.
With a sickening thud, the branch grazed Cat's shoulder. It knocked her over and trapped her right foot beneath it. Momentarily stunned, Cat laid there in shock, but not really in any pain. She was totally confused about what had just happened.
Seth circled the fallen branch to find her trapped beneath it. "Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" he exclaimed. He brushed the hair from her face. "Ma! Mama, talk to me," he demanded.
"W...what happened?" Cat was still dazed from the blow.
"You're trapped under a tree. Lie still. I'll try to push it off you," he said.
Seth surveyed the situation. He estimated the branch to be at least two feet in diameter and at least twenty feet long and he knew he had his work cut out for him. Seth placed his back against the limb, braced his feet in the dirt and pushed with all his might. "Ahh!" he screamed as the limb remained where it was. He rested for a moment and then tried a second time. "Ahh!" Again, the limb refused to move.
By this time, the shock had worn off and awareness filled Cat's senses, along with intense pain that invaded her trapped appendage. Cat did her best to hide her discomfort from Seth as he pushed futilely against the log.
Seth finally realized it was not within his power to move the log on his own. He sank to the ground with his back against it and held his head in his hands. "What am I going to do?" he whispered to himself. "It's getting too dark to see. What am I going to do?"
"So much for finding shelter, huh?" Cat joked to cover the pain.
Seth looked at his mother and then at the sky. Cat was right. Darkness was descending quickly. He had to somehow free her from this trap and then find something to protect them from the elements while they waited for daylight.
"Seth, give me the knife. There's a small branch digging into my leg. Maybe I can cut it back enough to break it off."
Seth handed the knife to Cat and then climbed to his feet. While Cat notched the branch, he looked around for something he could use for a lever. He found a fairly large stick which he dragged over to where Cat was trapped.
"Let me see how you're doing," Seth said. He inspected her progress. "If I bend the branch back where you've notched it, I might be able to break it off." Seth grabbed the branch and pushed back until an audible snap was heard. "There. It worked. Nice job, Mom. Now if I can wedge this stick under the log, I might be able to roll it off your foot."
Seth wedged the stick as far under the log as possible. He then rolled another medium sized log up to it to use as a fulcrum. He pushed down on the stick as hard as he could and successfully moved the log a fraction of an inch before the stick he was using snapped in half. The log rolled back into place and Seth fell onto his face on the forest floor.
Unknown to Seth, the rocking motion of the log as it fell back into position had caused excruciating pain as she felt the bones in the foot snap. Waves of pain spread up Cat's leg from her injured foot. She closed her eyes tightly to trap the tears from escaping. "Seth. That's enough. It won't move. You'll just end up hurting yourself," she choked out.
