Ashes - Book 1 (12 page)

The man deflates and covers his eyes. “I’m a registered nurse and he’s a fireman,” she tells him. “We’ve got this, sir. If you want, wait until we know the ETA on the chopper and then head down then.”

The man says nothing. I look at Beth and jerk my head in the direction the mom and sister have gone. “Go talk to them, okay?”

She touches my arm. “Be careful.” Then she’s gone.

Double checking my harness and connections, I move to the wall and am rocked with another wind gust. Damn. I don’t have a helmet in this pack and I could have used it. I let it die down and then I lean back, and begin hopping my way down, going for speed to beat the next gust.

Luck is with me. I make it to the bottom without too much trouble and land ten feet from the boy.

“Hey Daniel, I’m Gage,” I say and squat next to him, doing a quick assessment. I sniff the air. Did the kid shit himself when he fell? Something smells horrible.

“Hi Gage, that was really cool the way you came down.”

“Yeah, you like that? You ever been rappelling?”

First Aid 101 — keep them talking.

He shakes his head, then cries out when I touch his ribs, his right wrist and both legs. I don’t have to check his left ankle. This break is bad; his left foot is at a ninety degree angle. I hope rescue comes quick. I don’t want to have to set it down here.

“You should try it sometime,” I say to him, trying to keep up the flow of conversation. “Heck of a better way to go down forty feet than falling.”

“Stupid. Sister. Tripped. Me.” The words are staccato as he fights to talk around the pain.

That surprises me. “Sisters can be a pain in the ass. Did she do it on purpose?”

He grimaces, this time more in memory than in pain. “No, I don’t think so.”

“So you tripped over her?”

“Maybe,” he grunts, still a twelve-year-old boy.

I look up and still don’t see Beth overhead. I do a more thorough check for abdominal injuries. Seems to be okay.

“You a doctor?” he asks as I cup a hand over each of his eyes and remove it, checking for dilation. A head injury is possible, although he seems okay there too.

I want to cup a hand over my nose; the smell is getting really bad. It isn’t shit. What the hell is it? A dead animal?

“Nope, firefighter and EMT,” I tell him, ignoring the smell and everything except this boy. “You chose a really lucky day to fall off a cliff. My girlfriend is a nurse.”

What the fuck? Girlfriend?

“Gage!”

I hear her before I see her, then her face is looking down at me. “Air rescue is on their way!” she yells. “ETA is twelve minutes. They are sending ground crew too, in case the wind turns them back.”

I give her a thumbs up. “Toss down the kit. No splint.”

Two heads appear next to her. “I love you, baby. You’re going to be fine. I promise.” The mom seems to have pulled herself together. I bet Beth had something to do with that.

The dad says, “We’re going to meet you at the hospital, okay? We love you, son.”

The boy grumbles, embarrassed. I look up at them and yell, “He said he loves you both too. And his sister.”

“Hey!”

I grin at him. “Come on, you know you do.”

“Do not!”

“Gage, heads up!” Beth yells from above. I stand and she drops the first aid kit at my feet.

I open it and know it is completely inadequate for what I need, but he has a few scrapes and cuts I can tend to while we wait.

I talk to him while I render first aid and, more importantly, keep him calm. I glance up and Beth’s still there. She gives me a smile.

She looks up and points. I turn and hear it. “Ride’s here, buddy.”

He looks too. “Cool.” Then he looks around. “Where are they going to land?”

I laugh and rumple his hair. “Not landing, buddy. They’re going to send down a basket and I’m going to strap you in tight and then they’ll pull you up and get you to the hospital.”

His eyes are big with excitement and fright. He gulps and I add, “It’ll be okay. Just imagine the adventure you get to tell the girls when you get all plastered up and home.”

Daniel looks up at Beth and then back up at me. “There aren’t any girls like that in my school.”

I grin at him, but am saved from additional conversation when the chopper grows closer. They call down instructions and I give them a thumbs-up in affirmation.

The red basket is dropped from the side and it sways in the wind as it descends to us. The damn wind isn’t as bad as before, but it certainly isn’t helping any. I have to dig my heels to keep the basket from dragging me when it’s down far enough.

“Okay, Daniel. Time to hop in. How much do you weigh?”

“Finally hit one hundred pounds last month.”

I grin at him. “Excellent. I’m used to hauling that much around. I want you to hold onto me the best you can and I’m going to lift you into the basket, okay.”

He grabs hold and soon, I’ve got him in and strapped and am giving the rescue team the thumbs up.

“Bye, Daniel!” I call to him and continue to pray that the wind holds and they are able to get him up safely.

“Thank you, Gage! Thank you, hot nurse!” he yells when he’s about on level with Beth.

I look up and can’t see her but hear her yell, “You did awesome!”

I realize I’ve been holding my breath only when he is safely inside the chopper. I inhale and wish I hadn’t. What the hell is that smell?

“What are you doing?” Beth yells down.

“Looking for something. Be right back.”

I pull my t-shirt up over my nose and walk around to where the ledge I’m standing on curves. Around that slight corner, the smell is even worse. I’ve walked almost as far as my safety harness will allow and hope I’m not forced to unstrap.

I notice a cave like entrance. I bet that’s the source of the smell. An animal has crawled in there and died. In the back of my mind, though, I know that isn’t possible.

I pull the flashlight that I keep fastened to my harness out and shine it into the small opening. I have to stoop down about a foot to step inside.

The smell is a living thing, slithering around me, inside me, trying to take me hostage. I lift the light and immediately gag, falling backward, trying to escape and hit my head on the entrance.

I shake away the panic and shine the light again.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Seven women.

Dead.

End of Book 1

What’s next for Beth and Gage? And what about Steph, Ken, and Hannah?

Ashes Book 2 - July 2015

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About the Author

Leslie is a California native but recently moved to Arizona after a stint in Arkansas. She enjoys travel and being with her grandchildren.

She is an avid reader of many genres, but prefers romances with travel or thriller themes. She loves writing about strong women and strong men because the world needs both!

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Other books from Atrevida Publishing

Leslie Johnson - Firefighter Romance Series

Leslie Johnson - Stoking the Embers