A rumbling sound lifted her gaze toward the sky. A helicopter hovered overhead. The pilot veered, circling around the billowing smoke.
Shane covered her hand to hold the makeshift bandage in place. “Flag him down!”
Kara stood and waved her arms to mark their position.
Chatter sounded from the two-way radio and she fumbled to locate the call button. “We need help here. We’ve got two men down.”
“Ten four. No adequate landing area. Can you evacuate them on sleds?”
She considered both men’s injuries. “Maybe one, but not the other. He’s got multiple broken bones and a possible concussion.”
“Contacting the Coast Guard out of Kodiak for an air evacuation.”
As the helicopter lifted, the blades forced the smoke into a downdraft, and a black cloud enveloped her. Shane dove over the captain to protect him. Her eyes watered and she ducked her head.
When the smoke cleared, she turned to Shane. “Did you hear that? They’re sending a Coast Guard helicopter out of Kodiak. Their teams have the ability to airlift. How long does that take?”
“An hour, maybe. Longer if the medic isn’t on-site.”
She gestured toward Miller. “I don’t think he’s got any broken bones, and he isn’t showing any signs of a concussion. We need to keep him warm though. We need to get him out of the snow.”
The irony that they were standing ten feet from an engulfed house wasn’t lost on either of them.
Shane balanced unsteadily on one knee, his other leg bent. “All the snow machines have thermal blankets in the saddlebags. I’ll check for a first aid kit.”
“I’ll see if I can stabilize his injuries.”
People were a far cry from animals, but a lot of the basic first aid techniques held true for both species—assess, stabilize and evacuate. She needed to watch for signs of shock. In this cold weather, an hour might as well be a lifetime.
The captain groaned and his head lolled to the side.
She lifted her hat to see if the bleeding had slowed. “You’re going to be all right, Captain. Help is on the way. We’re going to keep talking so I can make certain you’re not going into shock.”
Some of the color had returned to his face though his breathing was shallow and labored.
His eyes came open, revealing the whites before his irises rolled into view. “You’re a veterinarian, aren’t you?”
“Yep.”
“How do I look?”
“I’ve seen worse.”
He coughed. “Good. Don’t put me to sleep. I still have some good years left.”
With his sense of humor intact, she figured he’d pull through just fine. “I normally have to worry about my patients biting me. If you can avoid that, I’ll give you a Milk-Bone.”
He chuckled, then his face contorted. “Don’t make me laugh.” He took a ragged breath. “How’s Miller?”
“Better than you. He got the wind knocked out of him, but he doesn’t appear to have any broken bones. Just some minor facial lacerations.”
“You should be looking after him, not me.”
“He’s all right for now. I triage according to injuries, and you’re first in line.”
The wind shifted and a thick plume of smoke rolled over them. Kara leaned over the captain, shielding him as best she could.
Her eyes watered and her lungs burned. They needed to get him away from the worst of the smoke.
The radio she’d taken from Miller sounded and she held it to her ear.
There was static, then a voice spoke, “Assistance en route. Estimated arrival, thirty minutes.”
“Are they bringing supplies? We need something to keep these guys warm.”
“Ten four. Supplies are en route.”
The captain’s shoulders trembled. The little color he’d regained in his face appeared to be draining once more. Unless she got him out of the snow and off the ground, she feared he’d continue to deteriorate. The thermal blankets could only do so much in this temperature. He couldn’t wait another thirty minutes or more before assistance arrived.
She searched the clearing for inspiration. They needed something to use as a stretcher.
The door they’d pulled off the captain earlier was cracked down the middle. No help there. The other pieces of debris that were large enough to hold him were being devoured by flames.
The roof of the kennels was smoldering, but Walt’s collapsible sled was in there. It would make a perfect stretcher. She glanced up and caught sight of Shane returning with his arms full of supplies. She doubted he’d approve of this plan.
“I’ll be right back,” she told the injured man. “Don’t go anywhere.”
“Don’t worry.” He offered a frail grin. “I’ll be here.”
She yanked her collar as high as it would go to partially cover her nose and mouth, then flipped up the hood of her coat. As she neared the flaming hulk of what was left of Walt’s house, the heat scorched her exposed skin.
The kennels were in better shape, though the flames on the roof were growing taller. She peered inside and discovered the smoke was hovering near the ceiling. The last time she’d seen the sled, it was stored in the far-right corner. If she stayed low enough, she should make the distance and be out before the ceiling of smoke lowered.
Ducking her head, she pressed the door fully open and sprinted inside. The rickety door slammed behind her, plunging her into darkness. Unwilling to waste any more time, she navigated by memory, counting five steps and turning left. Counting four additional steps, she turned to her right and reached out her hand.
Something caught her hair and yanked her neck back in a painful stretch. She shrieked and groped to release her hair. Her fingers closed around a man’s wrist.
Adrenaline spiked through her system and she wrenched herself free. As she whipped around, a sharp blow caught the side of her face. She stumbled backward and her foot caught on something. Unable to catch herself, she landed hard.
Though every instinct in her body screamed for her to keep moving, she went deathly still. If her attacker thought she was incapacitated, there was a chance he’d leave her to the burning building.
Her pulse thudded and her lungs burned. The fire crackled around her, drowning out any other noise.
She silently began reciting Psalm 23:2. If nothing further happened by the time she reached the end, she’d open her eyes.
Dizzy with terror, the words scrolled through her head, “I shall not fear...”
Footsteps thudded near her face. She cracked one eye and discovered she was lying next to Walt’s sled. The footsteps appeared to be receding, but the smoke was choking her.
Her pulse raced. She didn’t want to die. Not like this.
* * *
Shane had gathered all the thermal blankets he could find in the snow machine saddlebags along with the first aid kits, then returned to find Miller sitting up. The man’s head was bent, and he braced one arm at his side.
“Steady,” Shane ordered gently. “You’re not out of the woods yet.”
“Where’s the captain?”
“He’s all right. You need to worry about yourself now.” Shane draped a blanket over the man’s shoulders. “Sit tight. Help is on the way.”
Miller started to rise.
Shane applied light pressure to his shoulder. “Stay down. I can’t take proper care of the captain if I’m worried about you.”
His words appeared to penetrate Miller’s efforts, and he settled back. “Take care of him.”
Shane glanced to where they’d discovered the captain, and his heart seized. Kara was nowhere in sight. With Walt’s house collapsing in on itself, there weren’t too many places she could have gone.
His gaze shot to the kennel structure. She wouldn’t.
Who was he kidding? Of course, s
he would.
Stopping only to hastily cover the captain with the remaining two blankets, he jogged the distance and ducked inside the flaming building. When the door slammed shut behind him, he spun around and kicked it open, then scuffed in the dirt until he discovered a large rock.
He propped open the door with it and returned inside.
Smoke billowed above him, and he crouched. The crackling fire echoed through the space. He staggered forward with his arms outstretched. In his haste, he nearly tripped over Kara.
She scooted away. He reached down and she swung at him. He caught her hand. “It’s me. Shane.”
She pushed onto her knees and reached for something. Through his watering eyes, he managed to see that she was wrestling a collapsible dog sled toward the door. The aluminum frame was more awkward to carry than heavy.
He circled her upper arm with his hand. “We gotta get out of here. It’s not safe.”
She shook free of his hold. “Grab the other end.”
“Fine.”
There was no point in wasting time arguing; the sooner they were out of there the better. He easily lifted the sled and backed toward the door. He could carry it by himself, but he wanted a tether to Kara. The smoke ceiling had lowered in seconds. Picking up speed, he practically dragged Kara along. He held his breath until they were outside once more.
Kara dropped her end of the sled and did a frantic jig.
When she turned, he spotted flames devouring the hem of her coat. He caught hold of her and wrapped her in a tight bear-hug, dragging them both into the snow. He anxiously patted her down, then scooped handfuls of snow and continued dousing the flames.
“It’s out. I’m all right.” She caught his hands.
Her words took a moment to register.
“It’s all right,” she said again, her voice softer.
He slouched back. “Are you sure? Are you burned?”
“No.” She sprang to her feet and brushed at her legs. “I’m fine. It just got my coat.”
His gaze narrowed. “You’re hurt. Your face?”
“There was someone in there. He knocked me down and I pretended to be dead.”
His gut twisted. “We have to—”
She shook her head. “If he wants to kill me, he has to come out of the shadows. I’m not going down cowering.”
He wanted to shout in rage. Instead, he radioed the helicopter and asked them to search for any sign of the man who’d assaulted Kara.
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Positive.”
Despite the bruising, she appeared otherwise unharmed. If he didn’t at least try to find the killer, she might suffer a worse fate.
“Take care of the captain,” he said. “I’ll be back.”
He circled around the building and discovered a set of tracks leading away. Melting snow fell from the tree limbs and he followed the tracks. His feet slipped along the trail and he skidded to a halt near a steep ridge.
The evergreens were dense, and the fire was loud enough to drown out most sounds. He scuffed along the trail and discovered a set of snow machine tracks leading away.
“No!” he shouted, knowing there was no one to hear his frustration.
He radioed the helicopter once more. “He’s on a snow machine. The tracks lead toward the road. Can you see him?”
“We can’t see anything. The smoke is too heavy. We’ve had to back away. We’ll open the circle and see what we can see.”
Shane stood a moment in indecision. There was no way he was going to catch up. There were injured officers, and if the killer was running, he wasn’t a threat.
When he arrived back at the scene of the burning house, he discovered Miller and Kara leaning over the captain. Shane breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Miller was upright and moving around, he must be doing better. He appeared to be mostly recovered, save for a buckshot pattern of abrasions on his face.
Kara knelt beside the captain, then lifted her gaze to them. “I need two lengths of wood to use as splints for his legs and two shorter sections for his arm.” She held her palms apart to show the size. “All right?”
Appearing grateful to have a purpose, Miller pivoted on his heel.
“Check the first aid kit for bandages.” She addressed Shane. “I need something to tie the splints.”
Since he’d already started to assemble the items she needed, he went to the pile of supplies he’d dropped and made quick work of the job. When he returned, Kara was kneeling over the captain’s injured leg.
She stuck out her hand. “I need scissors and bandages.”
Rummaging through the first aid kit, he quickly discovered what she needed. She began unfurling a roll of bandages and cutting them into strips. By the time she’d finished, Miller had returned with the splints.
She placed one on either side of the captain’s leg, being careful not to jostle him.
Shane kept one hand on his weapon in case his hunch was wrong and the killer returned. Until they caught this guy, he wasn’t letting down his guard.
The helicopter was keeping an eye out for them, as well.
Kara rested a hand on the captain’s shoulder. “All right. You think we’re on a first name basis now? I’m Kara.”
“Gabe.”
“All right, Gabe. Here’s what’s going to happen. We’re going to splint your leg. I’ll stabilize the injury while we secure the splints with the bandages. That way, we move you as little as possible. We’ll do the same with your arm. When that’s all done, the three of us are going to carefully transfer you to this sled to keep you out of the snow. Sound good?”
Shane admired her focus.
“You’re the boss,” the captain said.
She grinned. “That’s right. We’re keeping tabs on the Coast Guard helicopter. You get to be the first one they rescue.”
Straining his neck, Gabe searched out his sergeant. “What about him?”
“He’s going to help splint your leg, then he’ll ride back to the resort the way he came. He’s tough. He’ll be fine.”
The captain didn’t appear happy about these instructions, but his strength was giving out and he collapsed back once more.
True to her word, Kara was efficient and scrupulously careful as they braced the man’s leg between the two splints. Under the guise of explaining to the captain what was happening, she meticulously talked them through each step.
She spoke gently and confidently as they worked. Even as the fire raged behind them, the three men hung on her every word. Before any of them were fully aware, Kara’s quiet assurance had placed her firmly in charge of the scene.
The captain grimaced as she worked, his lips pulled back as the breath hissed through his teeth. His complexion was ashen, and a fine sheen of perspiration spread across his forehead.
When the splints were in place, she scooted back. “You’re doing great, Gabe. When you tell this story at your retirement party, be sure and mention my heroic efforts.”
The quip earned her another weak smile. “Will do.”
“All right. I’m going to be completely honest with you. This is a collapsible sled, which means it flattens and it’s closer to the ground. That’ll make it easier when we slide you onto it. No matter how careful we are, you’re going to get jostled a bit. Once you’re secure, we’ll cover you and get you as snug as a bug in a rug. How does that sound?”
“I like the last part.”
Once again, she talked them through what they needed to do as they lifted the injured man. With Kara supporting one leg and Miller the other, Shane lifted his shoulders, and they worked as quickly and smoothly as they could. The movement caused a shout of pain.
In order to stay out of the smoke of the fire, they carefully shifted the captain beyond the circle of radiant heat. Miller handed over his thermal bla
nket and Kara tucked the extra covering over the captain.
The high-pitched whine of snow machines caught Shane’s attention. He shaded his eyes with his hand and watched as five snow machines topped the hill. They maneuvered around the burning building and came to a stop.
Shane waded through the snow to meet them. The first rider swung his leg over the side and stood, then dragged off his helmet.
“Jeff!” Shane exclaimed. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”
The remaining troopers dismounted and formed a half circle.
Jeff motioned toward the house. “What happened here? You been cooking again?”
“Someone did this on purpose. He got there first and set the trap. If the captain hadn’t smelled the propane before he got to the house, we’d have two more dead bodies on our hands.”
Jeff muttered. “I’m getting real sick of this guy always having the jump on us.” He motioned two of the troopers forward. “These guys both have EMT training.”
“Over there.” Shane pointed. “That’s Captain Banks and he’s the worst off. Broken leg. Broken arm. Possible concussion.”
One of the men retrieved a box from his snow machine while the other one left to speak with Kara.
“You’ll be happy to know I’ve got some good news,” Jeff said with a clap. “The road is cleared for one-way traffic which means we can evacuate the resort, the Coast Guard helicopter is twenty minutes out and I brought you this.” He produced a thermos from the satchel at his feet. “It’s coffee and it’s still warm.”
“Put yourself down for a raise on your next review.”
“I already did.”
“What about the fire?” Jeff asked.
“It’ll burn itself out. Not much else around here that’s going to burn in these conditions.”
“All right. I’ll coordinate with Alaska Fire Services. See if they can help us keep an eye on it. Just in case.”
“Sounds good.”
“You think he’s still out there?” Jeff asked.
“Yes.” Shane allowed the satisfaction to roll over him. “And he’s leaving a trail that’s going to lead us right to him.”
THIRTEEN
Arctic Christmas Ambush Page 15