All Consuming (Brotherhood by Fire #3) -Jaci Burton Page 0,23
it was just as bad at Station 6. They’d no more get back from one call before they had to go out on another.
It wasn’t like rain was unheard of in Ft. Lauderdale, but since it was hurricane season, the rain could really perform, and roads became dangerous.
He went to the open doors of the bay and hung out there with a few of the other members of the team, watching how hard the rain was sheeting.
“Forecast calls for this nasty weather all night,” Andy said.
“I’m glad I’m here today,” Wes Macintosh said, his dog, Winnie, sitting by his side.
“We are, too,” Lieutenant Anderson said.
They were lucky to have search and rescue firefighter Wes Macintosh with them today, along with his specially trained dog, Winnie. Wes wasn’t assigned to a specific fire station but tended to float wherever he was needed.
Kal hoped they didn’t need Wes or Winnie today. But the way it was looking outside, and with the sun going down, they just might.
They all went inside and worked on rope drills. True to form, Starling and Beckwith were hypercritical of his every move, even though he knew he was doing everything right. Kal wasn’t in the mood for it today, so he did his best and chose to ignore them.
They had just put the last of the ropes away when the alarm sounded for the TRT. The team ran for the bay to climb into gear and get into the truck.
“Station 6 is on location at the scene of a two-car accident,” Lieutenant Anderson informed them as they made their way to the scene. “Car one rear-ended the second, causing the second to slide down an embankment. Because of all the rain and subsequent mud, Station 6 hasn’t been able to get down and rescue the occupants of car two. That’s our job.”
Kal got his mind into work mode. They talked out the potential scenario, who would do what and the type of equipment they’d need at the scene, including ropes and pulleys, rappelling equipment as well as rescue buckets. Fortunately, Station 6 was on the scene, so they’d have extra rescue gear available as well.
They arrived on scene, and as Kal and the team got out of the truck, they were pelted by the rain. Visualization was gonna be hard if not damn near impossible.
Lieutenant Anderson got the sitrep from Jackson, since he was lieutenant for Station 6, while the TRT gathered their gear from the truck.
“Okay, everyone,” Anderson said. “Station 6 tried to get to the vehicle that slid down the embankment, but it’s too slick with mud, and the last thing we need is to lose a firefighter team along with whoever is down there. So we’re going to rappel down with a team at the top to provide balance and safety.”
The lieutenant started barking out assignments. Kal, Phil Beckwith and Micah Brown would be rappelling down, and Meg, Dean and Andy would provide support.
Kal felt good about being called on for this job. Despite what Phil and Dean thought about him, obviously his lieutenant was fine with his skill set, because this wasn’t going to be easy.
“Wes, I want you and Winnie to stand in wait to see if we need any search and rescue assistance,” the lieutenant said. “I’m hoping everyone is still buckled tight in the vehicle.”
“You got it,” Wes said.
Kal hoped everyone was still inside the vehicle as well. The last thing they wanted was someone ejected. At high speeds and in a rolling vehicle, that could be trouble—and potential for serious injury.
Everyone harnessed up, and the ropes were dropped.
Micah looked over at Kal. “You ready for this?”
He nodded. “I’ve got it.”
Micah gave a quick nod, and they started rappelling down.
Kal focused on his own rope, his feet sinking into the thick mud. His only objective was to make his way down to that vehicle without slipping and becoming another casualty. The last thing the team needed was for one of their own to fall. He looked down to see Micah below him, and Phil was above him, the three of them taking the same route through this blistering rain and in this sucking mud.
“I’ve got lights,” Micah said into his com, letting them know that he’d spotted the vehicle.
That was good. It wasn’t as far down as Kal thought it might have been. About fifty feet. Which meant they’d be able to get survivors up with buckets.
First they’d have to assess the victims, determine what they were dealing with.