She loved Ryan more than anything. You don’t know what you’ve got…
Till it’s gone.
“Tell Ryan I love him,” she choked out into Angela’s ear. “If you live and I don’t…promise me you’ll tell him.”
“Don’t. God, don’t say that!” Angela’s voice muffled with heaving sobs.
“Promise me. Do it or he’ll never know!” wheezed Tara. Her face contorted, muscles trembling from the effort of her arms and legs pressing incessantly to the ground. Toxic gases had seeped in. What little moisture remained inside her, rolled out as tears.
“No, no, please don’t,” sobbed Angela, her words barely audible as the fire storm intensified.
“Promise, dammit!” Tara felt herself cough but couldn’t hear it against the inferno’s jet engine roar.
She felt, rather than heard Angela’s whimper. “I promise…”
Every word hurt Tara’s ravaged lungs. “Don’t open…till the fire’s gone. Stay here—promise me,” she gasped as heavy debris hurtled onto the foil, threatening to collapse it.
So, so hot. Moisture oozed from every pore. Tara’s back baked. Her breath came short and fast, pounding her temples.
“I promise,” coughed out Angela between sobs.
Tara’s one supreme wish was to take another breath. Without much oxygen, she could only suck in tiny hiccups. If God was merciful, they would die quick from toxic gases before burning to death. Her poor, shredded lungs were failing her.
“Love you, Angie…love you,” she rasped. Weak and lightheaded, she tried to resist passing out. Her breaths grew short and less frequent. A weird euphoria waved through her and a peaceful detachment took hold as she waited for the wildfire to rob her of life.
She stopped fighting and resigned to the force hellbent on destroying her.
The mighty leviathan had won.
As Tara’s universe faded, a thunderous roar vibrated through her and a heavy weight pressed down. The crashing, snapping, the heat, Angela’s sobbing—all ebbed from consciousness as she spiraled down…down…down…
Into the black.
Chapter 37
“We’re so glad to see you,” Liz cried out as Ryan and Gunnar approached the crew.
“We didn’t know it was Aurora Crew in trouble.” Ryan peered around Liz, scanning for red hair under a yellow hardhat.
“O’Connor.” Rego strode to greet them. “Hey man, glad you’re here. We have minor injuries, nothing major. Smoke inhalation, mostly. Scrapes and cuts.” He gestured to the group, sitting on the ground. “And Silva’s asthma.”
Ryan did a double take. “Is Silva okay? What’s wrong with your radios?”
“Liz calmed Silva down and he’s breathing easier. Somewhere he lost his battery bag.” Rego shrugged. “This whole thing is a clusterfuck of magnanimous proportion.”
“We’ll deal with that later. For now, let’s get everyone out of here.”
Gunnar lugged a cubie to Rego. “Get these people some water, then grab some guys and clear a spot for Juliet to land.”
“I’m on it.” Rego took the container and set to work pouring water into cups and canteens for the crew.
Ryan made a superhuman scan of every crew member. Where was Tara?
“Tara and Angela—” Liz’s voice caught. “—they didn’t make it, Ryan. I’m so sorry,” she sobbed.
“What do you mean, they didn’t make it?” The unease in his stomach shot through his chest up to his throat. Not Tara.
“Where…how?” He’d hit the ground without a chute.
“Jon had a bad asthma attack and needed help to get up the freaking mountain. Tara was behind me and said she was going back down for Angela. Everyone made it to the top, but them—” Liz choked up again.
Silva came over and put an arm around Liz. Holding an inhaler, he stared at Ryan. “Find Tara. We’d all be dead if it weren’t for her. It’s my fault. I screwed up the coordinates,” he said with a hoarse voice.
Ryan only stared. Words weren’t coming at all right now.
“Jon, it’s not your fault,” Liz chided him. “Everyone got confused in this terrain.”
Ryan braced himself. “Talk to me, Liz.”
She turned to him. “Angela must have fallen. No one could see in the smoke. I couldn’t help Tara look for her. I had to help Jon. The fire chased us uphill.” She put a hand to her mouth.
Silva squeezed her shoulder and she composed herself. “Jon has asthma. Tupa and the rest inhaled smoke and have minor cuts, but they seem okay.”
Ryan and Gunnar exchanged uneasy glances, then Ryan took charge. “We’ll take it from here. Gunnar, triage. Figure out who’s injured, then organize groups for transport. Coordinate with Mel. Hopefully, it’ll clear enough to set Juliet down on this ridge. Keep your radio handy. I have to get down the mountain.” Every second counted. I should already be down there.
He backed up to talk to the crew. Many coughed as they sat on the ground. “Aurora, listen up. We’ll get everyone out. Mel is standing by with Juliet. I’m heading down to search for Tara and Angela.” Ryan keyed his radio. “Seven four Juliet, do you copy?”
“Copy. Seven four Juliet,” Mel responded.
Ryan rapid-fired into his radio. “Status update. Minor injuries. Three trips, six per load. Two firefighters—” He hesitated, words catching his throat. “—two firefighters unaccounted for. I’m on a search and rescue. Gunnar and Nick Rego will coordinate with you.”
“Copy. Want me to fly a grid, see if I can spot them?”
“Affirmative. Do it and keep me posted. Heading downslope now. O’Connor clear.” He holstered his radio and stared at Liz.
“Tell me where you last saw Tara and Angela. Show me your escape route.” He studied the blackened slope, hoping the women would appear. His gut roiled.
Liz pointed along the ridgetop. “Go two hundred feet along the ridge, then head down from that crooked snag.”
Silva spoke up. “I’ll help.”
“No Jon, stay here. Your asthma will worsen,” cautioned Liz.
“I need to help search. I love her too, you know.” Silva’s coughing sounded painful.
Silva’s words jarred Ryan, but he maintained a neutral expression. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her. We’ll find them both.”
Ryan pulled Rego aside. “Help Liz keep Jon still. The more he moves around, the worse his cough will
