Read Online Flame (Firefighters of Montana Book 5) by Victoria Purman - Free Book Online
Authors: Victoria Purman
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question was serious.
“I’m good, captain. I saw some serious action when I was on exchange in Missoula. I’m ready.”
“That’s what I want to hear.” Sam turned, waved the crew forward to the plane.
Dex could see the familiar face of pilot Miranda Ferguson, who was Hugh’s daughter. They were in safe hands. Miranda was a commercial pilot, who flew search and rescue missions and ferried the smokejumpers on rotation with a couple of other pilots from the area. He saluted her with a smile and she did the same back.
It was only ten minutes flying time to the edge of the fire. On the way there, the crew were silent; the only sound the throb of the plane’s engines. The jumpers spent that time checking their gear. Three or four times. This was the time to contemplate what might be waiting for them below because, even though they had access to satellites and the latest tech, they would never really know for sure until they jumped and landed. What was the terrain like? How steep were the mountain slopes they’d have to navigate? Which direction was the wind blowing and how fiercely?
Sam crept over to the door of the plane and opened it. “Get to the door and get ready,” he shouted above the noise. They lined up. Vin went first, crouched in front of Dex in the plane’s doorway, in front of Vin, the sky and the mountains and a rushing wind. When he got the tap on his shoulder, Vin jumped. Dex moved forward. Saw Vin’s parachute pop open and spread out in the sky like a floating red jellyfish.
Ten seconds later, Dex got the tap. He jumped, tucked his legs up like he was dive bombing into a pool instead of the huge Montana sky, pulled his chute when it was time, and he jerked up, floated. And for a couple of minutes, the world was still and silent and beautiful. He had the best office in the world, he knew that. And fifteen hundred feet down below was the place he loved more than almost anything on earth. Flathead Lake. If he looked east, he might see North Fork and the house and its outbuildings. He looked for Glacier Creek, the vein of Main Street splitting the town in two.
He turned his concentration below to the clearing, where Vin had already landed in the jump spot and Dex maneuvered himself to the right, landing fifty feet away from Vin on the soft grass. It was a textbook landing. He detached his chute, cleared it away, making room for the next jumpers, and he and Vin waited while the rest of the crew landed, loud thuds in the clearing. One by one. Dex knew the stats, knew how important this job was—there were fifty-thousand wildfires like this one every year across the country, over one hundred and ninety three million acres of forest. Every acre, every building—every person—was worth protecting.
When everyone was safe and landed, Sam gathered them around for a briefing. “Hotshots. Our job right now, and maybe for the next two days, is to keep this little patch of Montana safe. This fire’s only small at this stage, but it’s getting to close to a couple of cabins up there on the ridge, so we’re gonna hike up there, check it out, report in. Our cargo should be here shortly on the next plane, so in the meantime, here’s what we know about the weather.”
The crew listened intently, as Sam outlined that high winds were expected in the evening, which could potentially fuel the fire and allow it to take hold. When the cargo arrived—fire boxes with their equipment, tools, water, sleeping bags and food—they set off.
As they hiked to the ridge, Dex felt the adrenalin pumping through him. This job was like nothing on earth. He was at the end of his first season, and he knew now that he would be doing it as long as his body held out. He was young and fit, and without planning it, he found himself hiking next to his Captain.
“Rookie,” Sam said with a nod.
“Captain.”
Sam looked around, sniffed the air. “I wish I could smell rain but look at that sky. Not a cloud in it.”
“Clear
“I’m good, captain. I saw some serious action when I was on exchange in Missoula. I’m ready.”
“That’s what I want to hear.” Sam turned, waved the crew forward to the plane.
Dex could see the familiar face of pilot Miranda Ferguson, who was Hugh’s daughter. They were in safe hands. Miranda was a commercial pilot, who flew search and rescue missions and ferried the smokejumpers on rotation with a couple of other pilots from the area. He saluted her with a smile and she did the same back.
It was only ten minutes flying time to the edge of the fire. On the way there, the crew were silent; the only sound the throb of the plane’s engines. The jumpers spent that time checking their gear. Three or four times. This was the time to contemplate what might be waiting for them below because, even though they had access to satellites and the latest tech, they would never really know for sure until they jumped and landed. What was the terrain like? How steep were the mountain slopes they’d have to navigate? Which direction was the wind blowing and how fiercely?
Sam crept over to the door of the plane and opened it. “Get to the door and get ready,” he shouted above the noise. They lined up. Vin went first, crouched in front of Dex in the plane’s doorway, in front of Vin, the sky and the mountains and a rushing wind. When he got the tap on his shoulder, Vin jumped. Dex moved forward. Saw Vin’s parachute pop open and spread out in the sky like a floating red jellyfish.
Ten seconds later, Dex got the tap. He jumped, tucked his legs up like he was dive bombing into a pool instead of the huge Montana sky, pulled his chute when it was time, and he jerked up, floated. And for a couple of minutes, the world was still and silent and beautiful. He had the best office in the world, he knew that. And fifteen hundred feet down below was the place he loved more than almost anything on earth. Flathead Lake. If he looked east, he might see North Fork and the house and its outbuildings. He looked for Glacier Creek, the vein of Main Street splitting the town in two.
He turned his concentration below to the clearing, where Vin had already landed in the jump spot and Dex maneuvered himself to the right, landing fifty feet away from Vin on the soft grass. It was a textbook landing. He detached his chute, cleared it away, making room for the next jumpers, and he and Vin waited while the rest of the crew landed, loud thuds in the clearing. One by one. Dex knew the stats, knew how important this job was—there were fifty-thousand wildfires like this one every year across the country, over one hundred and ninety three million acres of forest. Every acre, every building—every person—was worth protecting.
When everyone was safe and landed, Sam gathered them around for a briefing. “Hotshots. Our job right now, and maybe for the next two days, is to keep this little patch of Montana safe. This fire’s only small at this stage, but it’s getting to close to a couple of cabins up there on the ridge, so we’re gonna hike up there, check it out, report in. Our cargo should be here shortly on the next plane, so in the meantime, here’s what we know about the weather.”
The crew listened intently, as Sam outlined that high winds were expected in the evening, which could potentially fuel the fire and allow it to take hold. When the cargo arrived—fire boxes with their equipment, tools, water, sleeping bags and food—they set off.
As they hiked to the ridge, Dex felt the adrenalin pumping through him. This job was like nothing on earth. He was at the end of his first season, and he knew now that he would be doing it as long as his body held out. He was young and fit, and without planning it, he found himself hiking next to his Captain.
“Rookie,” Sam said with a nod.
“Captain.”
Sam looked around, sniffed the air. “I wish I could smell rain but look at that sky. Not a cloud in it.”
“Clear
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