Only Her Smokejumper Firefighter - Cami Checketts Page 0,41

wrenching scream came from where he’d left Bruce. Was the man burning to death? Had he not gotten his shelter pinned down? Had he freaked out and run again?

“Stay in your shelter, Bruce,” he hollered. “We’re almost through. Hold on, man!” Ren kept yelling encouragement over the roar of the blaze, but he wasn’t close enough to do anything to help. He prayed harder.

A huge chunk of heavy, burning debris, probably part of a tree branch, fell right between his shoulder blades. He tried to buck it off, but it barely moved. He let in a heatwave of scorching air trying to shift.

He was right up against the huge boulder, which was blessedly cool. The fire was moving quick and hitting the other side of this big rock. He shimmied a little bit and used the rock to roll slightly while keeping the edges of his shelter tucked between his body and the rock or the ground. The debris rolled off. He didn’t think it’d burned a hole through his shelter, but who knew? As hot as he was, he was certain he was being baked from the outside in. He couldn’t move or he’d roll right onto the burning debris he’d just rid himself of. He was stuck, pinned against the rock and the ground.

He prayed for his crew members, for himself, for Mavyn, and even for that idiot Bruce. The man’s screams finally settled. Ren wondered if he’d passed out or burned to death. He could only hope that none of the other crew tried to chase after him to help. Ren prayed that if Bruce wasn’t already dead, he could keep his shelter in place with a broken leg. Ren had been lucky he got into his own shelter before burning.

The minutes dragged by, feeling like an hour each. His position was uncomfortable and his shoulder fell asleep on the hard ground. He was so hot every inch of his body was bathed in sweat.

He kept praying. Prayer and him and the Lord above were the only things that felt real right now. Mavyn was a sweet illusion he would never touch again. When he was certain he would snap from the pressure, freak out, and run like Bruce had, the intensity of the heat, wind, and noise finally calmed.

He forced himself to wait when he wanted to push out of the misery and run back to his crew. He’d survived. Now if he could only know his crew had survived and then get to Mavyn. He kept his eyes closed tight and said a prayer of gratitude and a plea for his crew to be okay. He prayed that Bruce had made it and Ren wouldn’t want to punch the guy before they got to the evacuation spot.

Finally, he felt it was safe to push the fire shelter off. He took in a breath of acrid, burning air and coughed. Struggling to his feet, he looked around at the blackened canyon walls, trees and bushes still burning. Some trees and greenery had been spared since the fire had moved so quickly. The ground was covered with ash and debris. He stepped carefully over scorching rocks and around burning trees. He immediately spotted Bruce. He was still under his shelter, except for the foot and calf of one charred leg. Blackened flesh dripped off the leg and Ren could see the bone. He swallowed hard against a rush of nausea. Was he dead?

He hurried to the man and tugged the scalding fire shelter off his face and head. Bruce stirred, turned his head to the side, and moaned, “Hey, Supe.”

“You made it,” was all Ren could think to say. He was alive.

Thank you, Lord.

Now to somehow get him out of here before he died. As far as Ren could tell, the leg was the only thing badly burned, but he needed a tourniquet on it and fast. It looked like he’d been able to pin the shelter down with his thigh but couldn’t keep his lower leg in it.

“Don’t move. We’ll get Tyler here, then an evac team.”

Bruce only groaned, obviously in immense pain.

He heard shouts from up the canyon.

“Supe!”

“Ren!”

“Bruce!”

He let himself breathe a little easier, despite the thick smoke in the air and the fires still crackling around him. His team had survived.

“We’re here!” he hollered back.

They were on them in seconds and he realized he must not have run as far down the canyon after Bruce as he’d assumed.

His men and some of the wildland