Saunders was standing in front of the entrance when we arrived. He escorted us across the room to the exterior monitors. “The fire is within ten miles of the Complex.”
“So? The irrigation systems and the Complex fire department can handle it. We can bring all personnel and equipment inside,” I said. “We should get started.”
“The winds aren’t in our favor, and…” He pointed to a section a few miles out from the outer fences. “There’s a small group of wildfire fighters who are getting closer to our outer perimeter. They’ve been instructed to save the Complex. But if the winds change…they’re fucked.”
“The Alpines are out there today. Did they happen to say it was them?” I asked.
“No, they didn’t say,” Saunders said.
“We should get out there. Keep eyes out, maybe be ready for a quick evac,” Naomi said.
“You’re not trained for that,” Saunders said.
“Get the satellite on the area,” I said, pointing at the monitor. “Now.”
“Your objective is to make sure the people in this facility and property are safe. That’s your only objective,” Saunders said.
“We’ve all been staying at the same hotel for months. They’re all friends, and they’re not only civilians, but civil servants,” I said, taking a step toward Saunders. “And they’re protecting this complex. This falls under my objective.”
“With all due respect, Trexler, I disagree.”
“I don’t give a fuck if you agree or not.” I walked past my team. “Let’s go.”
Harbinger, Kitsch, Naomi, Sloan, and Martinez followed, stopping just outside the metal door of the control room. “Naomi, go upstairs and get us clearance to help.”
“What? How?”
I frowned, unhappy about my own plan. “From Bennett.”
Her mouth opened, her cheeks flushed. “You want me to owe him a favor? Are you fucking serious? There’s gotta be another way.”
“This is the quickest way. Go upstairs and don’t take no for an answer. Kitsch, take Sloan and bring in the equipment. Martinez, make sure all personnel are inside. Get on the alarm. Harbinger, you’re with me.”
“Where are we headed?” Harbinger asked.
“To the warehouse to find a vehicle. If the winds change, we’ll need to get those men out fast.”
We had just hit the halfway point to the warehouse in Charlie corridor when the alarm sounded. Harbinger and I rushed to a Jeep and hopped in.
One guard jogged over to us. “We’ve been instructed by the general to lock down, sir. I’m sorry, but—”
“Trex,” Naomi barked over the comms. “We’ve got clearance for evac only. Best I could do.”
“Everyone have their objectives locked down?” I asked. “Sound off.”
“Personnel inside,” Martinez said.
“Last of equipment coming in now,” Sloan barked, his voice muffled by the sound of machinery.
“Meet us in the warehouse in five. We’re going to be there to evac that crew if needed.”
We passed the Complex fire crew on the way to the warehouse. They were spraying down the perimeter with retardant, checking hoses, and making sure all employees were inside. We arrived at the hangar-sized metal door just as the guard was lowering it. The Jeep just barely slid beneath, and I jumped out. “What are you doing? You’ve still got your fire crew out there.”
I pointed to the slowly closing door. “My team has been cleared by Senator Bennett for evac of the hotshots on the mountain.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t report to Senator Bennett. This is a direct order from the general,” the guard said.
Naomi, Martinez, Sloan, and Kitsch arrived, breathing hard but amped up. We’d been walking the halls too long. We were all ready for more action.
“Are they going to open it again or what?” Martinez asked. His faced darkened as the door pinched off the sunlight.
I shook my head. “The general has the Complex on lockdown.”
Naomi nodded to a smaller door. “We can fit the ATVs through there.”
I looked to the guards. “Close it behind us?”
The older one pondered, then nodded.
“Load up!” I yelled, jogging to the corner of the warehouse with rows of ATVs.
We each grabbed helmets, chose an ATV, revved the engines, and ramped out the smaller door, zooming past the Complex firefighters and the still-open gate they were working out of. We kept our radios on, and fanned out, rolling over the rocky terrain of the Cheyenne Mountain toward the area where we last saw the Alpine crew on the screens in the control room.
“Bark if you see anything,” I called across the radio.
We drove for ten minutes, then fifteen, our ATVs kicking up enough dust to rival the smoke. The dark cloud settling in the Rocky Mountain National Forest grew thicker the more distance we created between us and the Complex.
“Flames, one o’clock!” Kitsch said.
We drove past aspens and blue spruces that stood helpless in the crosshairs of the fire. We stopped at a shallow cliff, looking across. The fire was less than two hundred yards away and barreling toward us.
“What the hell?” Sloan said. The smoke was clearing before our eyes. The winds had changed.
“Zeke!” Naomi yelled, scrambling from her ATV. She pulled off her helmet, and fell to her knees, looking below.
I followed her, standing at the edge of the cliff and looking down. The small group of Alpines that had broken off from the others were standing at the bottom, working against the clock to fashion a hoist for Fish, whose leg was injured. He was propped against the twisted trunk of a large aspen.
“Everyone all right?” I asked, looking down. They were trapped, and one of them was hurt.
Taylor Maddox stood next to his twin brother Tyler and Zeke, looking up at us in confusion.
“What are you doing here?” Zeke asked, his eyes bouncing from Naomi to me, then the rest of our team.
“Does it matter?” she asked, smiling. Dirt lined her face.
Zeke and Taylor glanced back at the approaching flames. “You got a rope?” Taylor asked. “Fish rolled his ankle. We’re not going to beat the fire outta here.”
“Lucky for you,” I said as Harbinger let down a rope. “We’ve got wheels, too. Is this everyone?”
Tyler nodded. “If you don’t have room, just take out who you can. We’ll try to bypass.”
“Not leaving anyone behind,” I said. “Let’s get Fish up first. Let’s go!” I yelled.
The hotshots sprang into action, tying the rope around Fish’s chest. We pulled him up first, and then the rest of the Alpines climbed up one at a time. They were all spent, but used the last of their energy to pull themselves up to where we were. We yelled encouragement to each one as the fire burned closer. The smoke began to surround us just as the last hotshot, Taylor, had nearly reached the halfway point. The fire crawled across the ground and soon the end of the rope was flickering.
“Let’s go!” Tyler barked. “Double time!”
Taylor put one hand over the other, but the flame was climbing faster than he was.
“He’s not going to make it,” Zeke said.
“Move your ass, Maddox!” Tyler yelled.
As the fire climbed the rope and reached Taylor’s feet, his brother smacked Zeke and lurched forward, his top half falling over the edge, his legs following. Zeke dove for Tyler’s ankles, grabbing them just in time.
“Got him!” Tyler yelled.
The other Alpines joined Zeke and heaved both Maddoxes to the top.
I kicked off the rope, letting it fall to the bottom, watching the fire engulf what was left.
The Alpines were covered in soot, their shoulders sagging from exhaustion.
Taylor looked at me from beneath his dirty brow. “Don’t tell Falyn.”
I pointed to the patch on my arm that read CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN COMPLEX. “Don’t tell Darby.”
Taylor climbed on the back of my ATV, Zeke
on the back of Naomi’s, Fish was with Martinez, Runt and Smitty crawled on with Kitsch, Tyler with Sloan, and Watts and Cat with Harbinger. The smoke was already choking us by the time we pulled away, the heat at my back reminding me to keep my thumb pressed all the way down. Even with Fish’s injury, Martinez didn’t slow down, swerving around trees and ramping over bumps like the rest of us, hoping to keep ahead of the flames.
Taylor patted the back of my helmet. “Faster!”
I didn’t bother explaining that the ATVs were built for checking the perimeter, not outrunning fires. My thumb was pressing on the throttle as far as it would go. The only thing I could do was not slow down.
The Complex fire crew was gone when we arrived at the fence line, and even through the smoke, I could see that the warehouse doors were closed. The ATVs kicked up dirt when we paused, ash falling around us.
“Keep going?” Naomi asked, yelling over the roar of the fire.
I nodded. “Southwest side.”
The massive sprinkler system was triggered, steam rising just outside the fence line.
“Go, go, go!” I yelled.
At full speed, driving through the gallons of water flooding the Complex exterior felt like riding a rocket through a storm, and the hotshots all ducked their heads from being pelted with stinging rain.
Soaked, bleeding from sharp branches, saturated with mud, soot, ash, grass, gravel, and leaves, we slowed to a stop near the entrance of the Complex. The parking lot was just a few hundred yards away. A flicker caught my eye, and I turned back, watching the fire twist and devour everything in its path, but heading away from the Complex.
We sat for a moment, in disbelief that we were no longer being chased.
Sloan removed his helmet. “Holy shit. It’s like that damn thing has a mind of its own.”
“I have to remind myself that it doesn’t,” Zeke said.
Fish groaned, looking down at his swollen ankle. He was missing a boot, and Smitty’s arm was burned.
“Trex to Saunders. Come in, over,” I called over the radio, leaning my head toward the mic.
“Saunders,” he repeated, his radio clicking off.
“These men need medical attention. Call for a couple of ambulances to meet us at the first security check, and make a call to their HQ to report their guys are safe, over.”
“Copy that, over,” Saunders said, his side going silent again.
I nodded to my men, and we continued on the ATVs, transporting the dirty, sweaty, exhausted hotshots to the first booth.
Taylor hopped off, checking on Fish before coming back to me and holding out his hand.
I took it, shaking it a few times.
“You saved our asses back there, Trex,” Taylor said.
Naomi hugged Zeke, grabbing his cheeks and evaluating the cuts on his face.
Zeke winced. “Did you have to drive through every tree branch between the cliff and the Complex?”
“Yes,” she said. “Did you notice we were the first ones back?”
One side of his mouth turned up. “You’re so damn competitive.”
She winked at him. “You have no idea.”
The ambulance took the hotshots away, and we stood at the checkpoint and waited until they were out of sight.
“What the hell was that, Nomes?” Sloan asked.
“None of your damn business,” she said, walking to her ATV.
Harbinger slapped my back. “Good call, boss. Felt good to save lives again.”
“Oorah,” I said, putting on my helmet.
Chapter Eighteen
Darby
You look nice,” I said to Tyler. “But you also look nervous.”
“What do you think?” he asked, holding up a small, dark red box.
“May I?” I asked. He nodded. I tipped back the lid, revealing a small white gold band with a single, round solitaire diamond.
He shrugged one shoulder, wrinkling his nose. “Her dad’s a billionaire, you know. But she likes simple things, so I thought…”
“She’ll love it,” I said with a smile.
“Yeah?” he asked, still unsure.
“Absolutely.”
He closed the box and looked away, pain in his eyes. “Ellie’s been through a lot. She’s been gone awhile and we didn’t part on good terms, so I’m not sure.”
“Do what feels right,” I said.
Tyler smiled. “Thanks, Darby.”
I nodded, then pushed his shoulder. “Now, go. Go before you’re late. You wanna make sure you’re standing there when she gets off the plane.”
He jogged off, waving once before leaving through the entry doors.
I made my way back to the check-in desk, situating papers and entering the wake-up calls in the system. Trex would be home in four hours. This was the longest part of the day, and I’d be glad when I could wake up, run errands, and see Trex for a few hours before my shift. He was pretty much my life outside of work, even though Maya had asked me to go out with her a few times, but our schedules never seemed to work out.
The phone rang, and I answered. “Colorado Springs Hotel, how can I help you?”
The other side of the line was quiet, but not dead, as if the other person was waiting. “Hello? This is the Colorado Springs Hotel. Can I help you?”
Still nothing, but I could hear movement. A chill went down my back, and the dread I felt in Texas, hearing Shawn’s truck pull into the driveway, came over me. I hung up, staring at the receiver. It felt like a lifetime had passed since I’d felt that fear, but it didn’t take me long to remember and appreciate that it was gone.
“Hi,” a high-pitched voice said from the other side of the desk.
I jumped. “Oh, God!” I touched my chest. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you come in. How can I help you?”
The woman in front of me was four shades darker than her natural shade should have been, her hair bleach blond, and her lips an almost glowing bright pink. “My name is Jojo. I’m the new girl for MountainEar Magazine. I’ll be replacing Ellie.”
“Replacing?” I said, surprised. “Are they letting you go up?”
“Oh no.” She looked around the lobby, pleased. “I’ll be hanging out here, interviewing the hotshots, getting a few photos of them between shifts. There’s a story there, too.”
“I see,” I said, clicking on the mouse. She had a reservation. She must have made it in the few hours a day I wasn’t at the front desk. Part of me felt defensive of Ellie’s place here, and it was hard not to hold that against Jojo. “I’ll need an ID and a credit card, please.”
Jojo was on her way upstairs, as far away from any hotshots as I could place her, when Stavros made a quick dash to my desk from the bar. “I just wanted to tell you while you’ve got a spare minute. I’ve got great news. I have an interview with a girl this afternoon, and I’m pretty sure she’ll be the new hire.”
“Yeah?”
“So, prepare to train her for a week, and then you’ll be back to your regular shift.”
“Thank you,” I said, relieved.
“And…this…” He handed me an envelope.
“What’s this?”
“A bonus in addition to the overtime, for working your ass off without complaint.”
I opened it, seeing a stack of bills. “What?”
Stavros walked off without another word, and I thumbed through the twenties. Five hundred dollars!
“Thank you!” I called after him, attempting and failing to will back the tears in my eyes. I folded the envelope and shoved it as deep into my pocket as it would go, already making a mental list of things to use the money on. Prenatal appointment, groceries, diapers, savings. There were so many things I could spend it on, it was hard to choose. Life was looking up.
I touched my stomach. “We’re doing good, Bean.”
After tending the bar and checking out two dozen hotshots headed home for two days of R&R, Stavros came back with a tall brunette. “Darby, this is Lane. She’ll be working the three to eleve
n.”
“Congratulations,” I said with a smile. In that moment, Lane, with her long, shiny chestnut hair, her tiny waist, her round backside, full lips, and perfectly proportioned double D’s, was my best friend. She would give me more time with Trex, more time to rest and take care of Bean. Even though my best friend was beautiful and one big nervous ball of energy, I couldn’t ignore the strange expression on Stavros’s face. “What is it?”
“Just…don’t look at the television,” he said.
I glanced to my right through the fake bamboo plant to see a group of hotshots and Forestry and Agriculture officials gathered in front of the flat-screen. Most were frowning or holding their chins in their hands.
“Is it our guys?” I asked.
Stavros nodded twice. “They’re trying to reroute the fire from the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.”
“The what?”
“It’s a government facility. They’re saying it’s a risk. The wind isn’t in their favor.”
I used the desk to steady myself. Zeke, Sugar, Maddox, Dalton…too many to name.
“Can I get you a water?” Lane asked.
“That’s a good idea, Lane, thank you,” Stavros said.
She jogged across the lobby to the bar, and Stavros came around the desk to grab my arm. “You’re not going to go all Southern on me and get the vapors, are you?”
“I’m fine,” I said.
“You’re white as a sheet, kiddo.”
“Do you…do you know if Trex is out there with them?”
“I’m not sure. Does he work with them? He’s never said.”
I shrugged one shoulder, not sure what else to say.
“He’s never told you?” he asked. When I shook my head, he frowned. “That’s weird, Darby.”
“It’s policy.”
“Oh,” he said, recognition lighting his eyes. “I knew it. He totally fooled me. I bet he really does work for the mountain.”
“Which one?”
“The Cheyenne Mountain Complex. It’s a top-secret government facility. You can’t even drive down that road without getting arrested at gunpoint. It explains why he can’t tell you what he does. Maybe he is out there.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Trex? No. He’s private security.”
From Here to You Page 21