Fire From the Sky: Trial by Fire

by N. C. Reed

  “Me too,” Greg nodded. “Works for me, then,” he nodded. “Let’s get to it.”

  -

  “You fellas are a sight for sore eyes,” Franklin George said as Jose and the others arrived. “Some of us are dragging at this point.”

  “Who has been here longest?” Jose asked. “We 'll relieve them.”

  “I guess the Webb boys,” he pointed to where several young men were pulling brush and chopping or sawing trees. “They've been here since just after sun up. The rest have floated in as they were able to get other things taken care of. Right now, we're concentrating only in the center part of the line. The part that's opposite the houses and structures. The dozers and tractors are clearing from both ends and we're cutting down only the trees that they can't topple easily. When we get-” he paused as a crashing noise drew their attention. Everyone turned to see Jake Sidell pulling a monster oak tree out of the bushes with Ronny Tillman's backhoe. He saw the new arrivals and motioned for Gordy to come to him as he slowed to a stop.

  “You drive that thing?” Jose asked Gordy, who nodded.

  “Then go take his place,” Jose ordered. “He can go work on the truck while you take over that job. Rest of us will move up behind you and relieve the Webb boys and start felling trees.”

  “You got it,” Gordy nodded and ran off toward the backhoe.

  “Man,” Kade shook his head. “Wish I could drive a backhoe,” he sighed.

  “You 'll be wishing it more after a few hours with an ax,” Heath assured him. “C'mon. Longer we wait, longer it 'll take.”

  The men headed for the line even as Gordy climbed aboard the backhoe. Jose waved to Jake and the two met halfway.

  “You guys just get back?” Jake asked. “How did it go?” he wanted to know.

  “Got the truck but it's set up all winter,” Jose replied. “Maybe you can make it run. No idea if it will run, and there's no key.”

  “No key ain't no problem,” Jake promised. “I 'll head over there right now. Wasn't trying to steal Gordy, but truth is he's a lot better at that,” he pointed to where the backhoe was already back to work, “than I am.”

  “Wherever we can help,” Jose nodded. “We need to be cutting trees.”

  “I'm gone.”

  -

  “What's going on out there?” Leon asked as Brick entered the house. “I'm tired o' not knowing what's happening.”

  “They're fighting the fire,” Brick told him, taking his rifle case and placing in his room. His equipment was stored inside and he no longer appeared armed. “We found the fire truck and three young girls who were living in the station. Most of the convoy have gone to help fight the fire. If you don't need me here I should go and help. Things are dicey it seems.”

  “Who were the girls?” Marla asked.

  “I don't know them,” Brick shook his head. “One is named Olivia. She is apparently a contemporary of Gordy and Kade. From high school I assume.”

  “Olivia,” Marla mused. “Leon, do you-”

  “Haleys,” Leon said at once. “Ben and Janet Haley. Good folks. Ben is a long-haul trucker. Bet he wasn't home when all this happened. And Janet,” he sighed shaking his head. “Janet had to have a pacemaker when she was about. . .ten, I guess.”

  “I remember that!” Marla exclaimed. “We had fundraisers all arou-, oh, no,” she cut off as she realized what it meant.

  “And that left them all alone,” Leon sounded dejected. “Ya know, for all that I thought we had a handle on things, I seem to have over looked a good deal.”

  “It was a large task and all of you did all you could,” Brick shrugged. “I need to go if you don't need me, Leon.”

  “Go ahead,” Leon nodded. “They could probably use the help. Don't get killed.”

  “Your concern it touching,” Brick snorted, but winked at Marla as he turned. “I 'll be fine.”

  “He always is,” Leon assured Marla after Brick had gone.

  “One day you're going to have to tell me how it is you know each other,” Marla declared.

  “One day,” Leon nodded as he lay back in his chair and closed his eyes. “One day.

  -

  “Well now,” Patricia put on her best 'doctor' smile as the two filthy girls were brought in to the clinic. “Who are these two urchins,” she bopped Lindsey on the nose. “I don't think I-Why I declare!” she said with over-exaggerated surprise. “If it ain't Lindsey and Caroline Haley! Where did you two come from?” Both girls giggled at that. Tandi handed each a piece of candy and both took it with a relish.

  “Thank you,” they echoed each other as they tore the wrappers from the sweets and popped them into their mouths.

  “So, what brings you two here?” Patricia turned to business.

  “We found them and their older sister in the fire station,” Tandi informed her. “They've been living on boiled creek water and junk food for some time. Their facilities weren't up to date, either,” he added. “I'm going to notify Beverly,” he gave Patricia a meaningful look, “and then Martina. They should be able to find all of them clothing from the stores we brought. We need to let them get cleaned up and then make sure they're okay.”

  “I 'll turn the hot water heater on,” Kaitlin said. “We have a tub with a shower here for patient care. We can use that instead of sending them upstairs.”

  “Good idea,” Patricia nodded. “In other circumstances I'd burn those clothes, but with the things the way they are, if they can be cleaned, we should do it.”

  “They brought all they had with them, it looked like,” Tandi said before he left. “Should clean up okay.”

  “Come on girls” Kaitlin said when she got back. “Let’s get you cleaned up and into something clean. After that we can make sure-” she broke off as an equally bedraggled teenage girl entered.

  “Olive, we got candy!” Lindsey bubbled, running to her sister. Patricia noted that Olivia struggled to lift her youngest sister off the ground. She was obviously malnourished.

  “Good for you!” Olivia smiled. “Have you been good for Miss Patricia?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Caroline replied as Lindsey, her mouth full of candy, nodded vigorously.

  “Kaitlin was about to give them a good tub bath,” Patricia smiled. “Tandi, the medic, has gone to get you all three some clean clothing. May not be an exact fit but it will be close I imagine. Tell me your sizes, as close as you can, while I'm thinking about it.” Olivia rattled off some numbers and Patricia recorded them to give to Martina Sanchez when she arrived.

  “Why don't you help them?” Patricia smiled. “It's hot water, and the tub is pretty large since it's one we use for patient care. All three of you can relax on warm water, get cleaned up while I round you up something to eat besides candy,” she stuck her tongue out at Lindsey, who giggled and hid her face against Olivia.

  “After that and once we've examined you, we 'll get you a room upstairs and you can sleep. I imagine it's been a while since you've had a good night's rest, hasn't it?” she asked Olivia.

  “Yes ma'am,” Olivia admitted softly. “But that's okay,” she added.

  “No, it isn't,” Patricia said firmly. “Doctor's orders,” she grinned. “Now come on,” she held out her hand. “Let’s get you all out of those filthy clothes and into some clean, hot water. That alone will make you feel better. I promise.”

  -

  “Olivia looked awful skinny,” Kade mentioned as he rode on the fender of the backhoe with Gordy. “You know, more than usual I meant,” he amended when Gordy glanced at him. Olivia Haley had always been a pretty girl, but had also been almost painfully skinny her whole life.

  “Probably ain't been eatin' good, man,” Gordy pointed out as he steered the tractor through the trees. “Imagine she gave most of the food to her sisters.”

  “Yeah, she'd do that,” Kade nodded.

  “In church one or the other of her sisters were always sitting in her lap or playing with her hair,” Gordy recalled. “She never got mad or impa
tient with 'em, neither. Abby used to get mad at me all the time for bothering her anywhere, let alone church.”

  “Dude, no offense, but your sister pretty much stays mad it seems like,” Kade pointed out. “I mean, I'm sure she's got her reasons, but still. It wouldn't kill her to just smile. Would it?”

  “No idea,” Gordy shrugged. “But at least she's coming through for this.”

  “Yeah, that is true,” Kade nodded. “Not sure we could have managed if she hadn't been here.”

  The two fell silent as Gordy had to increase the power to drag yet another log from the tree line. He had started lining the near creek bank with them, thinking that if they survived then they could be sawed into boards at some point. Most of what they had cut so far had been hard woods.

  “Who owns this, anyway?” Kade asked later on.

  “Some guy from up toward Nashville, if I recall,” Gordy frowned in thought. “I never met him but Dad and Granddad have.”

  “Well, maybe he won't be mad at us cutting his timber,” Kade mused.

  “I don't really care since we're trying to save our farm,” Gordy shrugged. “And if the world hadn't died on us then Forestry would be in here doing the same thing, whether he liked it or not.”

  “True,” Kade nodded. As the backhoe stopped Kade leaped off to remove the chain from the log and then pull it back onto the backhoe. As they started back for more they encountered Abigail, waiting for fuel.

  “Start pulling everyone out,” she told Gordy. “It's going to be dark soon and we need everyone out of the woods before then. Whatever you're doing, wrap it up. Make sure that everyone is accounted for,” she warned.

  “What are you going to do?” Gordy asked.

  “Keep moving,” she replied. “I'm safe on this thing and you can see me even in full dark since it's lit up. But on foot it's too easy to get turned around, or get run over by a dozer. So everyone out of the woods.”

  “All right,” Gordy nodded. “We 'll get on it.”

  “And that includes you guys,” Abigail added. “Nothing you can do with the hoe other than what you've been doing so once everyone is out, head on back. Clean it up and be ready to go again at first light. We 'll have time to get some work done tomorrow if we still need it.”

  “Will do,” Gordy promised. He increased the throttle and aimed the backhoe for the area where Pancho and the others were still working.

  “We 'll drag that last big log out as we come,” he told Kade. “No sense in wasting the trip.”

  -

  “You're pulling the crews out?” Ronny asked.

  “Too risky to try and work on foot during the night with machinery running. Good way to get someone run over. So, we pull everyone out until light, tomorrow. Then we 'll start again.”

  “What about you?” Clay asked. “And us?” he motioned to himself and Ronny.

  “I have to keep going,” she told him. “It took too long to get this baby up here. I have to get as much done as I can. You guys will have to decide for yourselves what you can do. But I don't want anyone on this side of the creek on foot after dark. It's just too dangerous.”

  “You think the fire can reach us by morning?” Ronny asked.

  “I doubt it,” she shook her head. “I can't swear to it mind you, but I doubt it. It would help if I knew how far it had moved today, but I don't have time to go and check. But I don't see any way we'll be seeing actual flames before late tomorrow afternoon or even into the evening. More likely to be the day after, or early that morning anyway. Again though, I can't promise that,” she cautioned.

  “We get it,” Clay assured her. “Anything the others can do tonight?”

  “We've already had people clearing debris around the buildings and moving cattle and horses. About all we can do, Uncle Clay. We either stop the fire, or we don't. We've made a good start, or rather you guys have. I'd say we've got a good forty to fifty feet cleared down the entire stretch. That may not sound like much, but it's a good day's work, I promise.”

  “Feels like it, too,” Clay grinned ruefully. “All right. We 'll get fuel and keep going as long as we can. And when we go, so do you,” he added.

  “I'm fine,” Abigail insisted.

  “It's not about how fine you are, it's about you being over here alone,” Clay countered. “You want everyone out that's not on a machine, that means no one is over here with you if something happens. That doesn't work for me. When we go, you go.”

  “I've got to-”

  “Make sure we don't let this farm burn to the ground,” Ronny let his voice be heard. “Clay is right, Abs. Enough. We 'll stay until we can't drive, but when we leave, so do you. It's either that,” he added when she started to object, “or we just let everyone stay and keep working.”

  “Fine,” Abigail knew she wasn't going to win and didn't have the time to spare. “When you go, call me. I 'll go too.”

  “I knew that,” Ronny grinned. “Okay, we're headed back.”

  “Take care.”

  “You too.”

  -

  “We can't get the others to help so we 'll have do it this way,” Deuce said as he and Leanne took his drone to one of the pre-positioned GPS locators they had made before the GPS grid had gone down for good. Simple stones with engraving on them, the twins had meticulously marked dozens of places on and around the farm and then transferred those marks to a map they had made on a computer program.

  With the GPS system gone they would no longer have accuracy down to the meter with a simple cell phone program. Anticipating that, the twins had created their own network of sorts to help them orient the farm when necessary. Now they would use that program map to examine the fire and then locate it on the map as precisely as possible.

  Deuce set the drone on the ground and spun up the rotors. In seconds the camera equipped drone was climbing, Leon doing his best to keep it near the marker as it rose.

  “Wind is giving me a hard time,” he told Leanne. “I don't know how high we can get it without losing it. And I really don't want to lose it if I can help it.”

  “If it's a choice between the drone or the farm-” Leanne began.

  “Then I 'll burn the drone,” he nodded. “I'm just saying if possible I'd like to preserve it. We only have three of them, and two are in use already. They have a limited life as it is.”

  Three slowly passing minutes later the twins were looking at the fire. They didn't take the time to gawk at the now much larger blaze, but instead started to immediately mark the near center and both edges of the fire.

  “Got it,” Leanne said finally.

  “And none too soon,” Leon nodded. “Drone's on auto hover. Coming down.” He moved with the drone as the wind pushed it, trying to catch the bird before it could hit the ground. A good wind at the right moment would smash it.

  “Leon, you're about to-” Leanne tried to warn but it was too late as Leon stepped into a rut and fell flat on his face, losing his remote as he did so.

  “No, no, no!” Leon shouted, trying to locate the drone again in the fading light.

  “Gotcha!” they heard Jonathon Jackson call and realized he had joined them at some point, catching the drone before it could hit the ground.

  “Thanks, man!” Leon told him, climbing back to his feet. “Man, that hurt,” he complained as he dusted off his clothes.

  “Don't be a wimp now,” Jonathon laughed. “Seriously though, are you okay?”

  “Just dinged my pride a little,” Leon shrugged. “Thanks for saving the bird.”

  “We live to serve,” Jonathon did his best Vulcan imitation. “What did you get?”

  “See for yourself,” Leanne thrust her clipboard at him. “It's not good.”

  -

  “You've all got some skin problems but that's not unexpected considering how you've had to live,” Patricia told Olivia. “It's nothing serious at this point but I'm glad you got here when you did or else it might have become serious.”

  “You're all underweig
ht but I'm sure you knew that,” Patricia continued. “I can count your ribs Olivia. I assume you've been skimping on yourself to. . .well,” she nodded to the two smaller Haleys who were destroying a pair of ham and cheese sandwiches.

  “Yeah,” she nodded. “Wasn't always enough to eat,” she shrugged. “I did what I could.”

  “Honey, I'd say you did great,” Patricia told her. “You kept all three of you alive and while you are malnourished you aren't going to suffer any permanent damage from it I think it's safe to say. A few weeks of good food and a few supplements and you should be fine. We-” she was cut off as the door to the clinic flew open and Angela Sanders burst in like a force of nature.

  “I heard- Olivia,” Angela went straight to the teen and hugged her tight. “I'm so sorry about your. . .circumstance, child,” Angela altered what she'd been about to say with a brief glance at the younger Haleys.

  “Thank you, Misses Sanders,” Olivia smiled slightly.

  “Are they alright?” Angela asked her daughter-in-law.

  “Yes, they are,” Patricia nodded. “Under weight and under fed, with a few sores and what not, but overall they are in far better shape than they really had a right to expect thanks to Olivia's work.”

  “You've done well, child,” Angela smiled. “Are you about done here?” she asked Patricia next.

  “Just about ready take them upstairs and get them a room-”

  “That won't do,” Angela declared at once. “I assume you all want to sleep together?” she asked Olivia.

  “We have since all this started,” Olivia admitted. “I didn't want them wandering away while I slept.”

  “I have a queen-sized bed in an empty bedroom the three of you will use,” Angela declared. “They're coming with me,” she told Patricia. “Do they need anything tonight other than food and TLC?”

  “These,” Patricia handed over a small bottle of vitamins. “One each tonight and then two a day until they're gone,” she ordered. “They've eaten a ham and cheese already, but if you have any-”