Page 36 of The Texas Cowboy's Rescue

The whisper ofsmoke began like an undulating snake, slowly staking claim to the air. Then orange trails began branching off like roots shooting from the earth, the wind catching at them and pushing the heat across the grasslands. The speed was shocking. The monster grew and consumed more. The whisper became a shout and smoke billowed into the sky, blocking the sun. It knew no boundaries and had no rules. Embers blew across roads and lit barns, corrals, and then houses on fire. By the time the first alarm sounded, and then a second and a third, it was already far ahead of mere mortals and out of control.

In the canyon, people were stirring, noses lifted to catch strange whiffs on the breeze. Those old-timers who had fought the monster before sounded the alarm. Park rangers were combing camping spots and tracking occupants of empty cars that had ventured up the trails for more solitude in camping. But time was not on their side. Traffic jams began to clog the only road out of the canyon.

Yells echoed off canyon walls, up and down dry beds of arroyos and streams. Wildlife ran for higher ground.

The call came as Kenzie had given in and taken a second headache pill. She had felt out of sorts since waking from a fitful sleep. What it was, she couldn’t put her finger on. But all paled when she heard Sammi Jo’s voice on the phone. There was no preamble.

“Laurel is on the way to you right now. The plane can get you all within ten miles of Decker Canyon on the back side of the fire. It’s a small landing site. The firefighters and medical staff are setting up base camp right now at that spot. Everything is going to be fine.”

“There’s a fire? I knew it... I felt it... something was wrong.”

“Keep it together. Laurel’s going with you. I’m situating things here with Jeff and Lacy, and then I’ll be on my way.”

There was a loud knocking on her front door, and Laurel didn’t wait for her to open it. She was in the hallway in a flash.

“Laurel’s here. I’m leaving.”

“Love you, and all will be okay.” The line went dead with Sammi Jo.

“What do you need to take?” Laurel asked.

“Nothing. Let’s go.” She grabbed her purse and out the door she headed. Laurel caught up at the truck. The engine gunned and a new speed limit was set... wide open.

The plane was ready and waiting, and as soon as the door shut, it was moving.

Only then did Kenzie feel like she could take in a breath. She and Laurel were seated directly across from each other, a small cocktail table between them. Laurel’s phone began pinging. She was texting quickly. Kenzie’s brain had taken leave of reality for the last half hour... since Sammi Jo’s phone call. Now, things seemed to be forming more questions than answers in her brain.

“So Sammi Jo heard about the fire being where Brooke had gone camping... by phone call or what?”

Laurel looked uncomfortable and hesitated in her texting. “Phone call.”

“I hope they let Brooke know that her mama is coming. They’re at the base camp, waiting for us to pick them up... right?”

Laurel set her phone to the side. She moved to take the chair next to Kenzie. And Kenzie felt as if someone was about to drop her out of the plane. Something wasn’t right.

“Honey, don’t panic. You need to hear me right now. But when word came through the park rangers to everyone that they needed to pack up and evac the park... well, there was a little stray dog that the kids had befriended, and in the commotion, he ran off into the brush. Jackie had put the kids into the car and went back to grab a bag. When she got back to the car, there was no Brooke. The others said she had run off to get the pup so he could be okay too. I thought you knew that already. The base camp is there so they can figure out how to best get in there when they can.”

“No, no, no!” Her screams hurt her own ears, and her throat burned. Her hands cupped her face and she felt at a total loss of sensation and thought in her brain. Laurel and the flight crew managed to calm her and then she went too quiet. Her thought process was functioning internally... she just couldn’t articulate because the pain would overwhelm. Her little girl was gone... alone... in a wildfire. She had to get there. She’d find her. That was her whole mantra during the brief flight.Mama’s coming. Mama’s coming.

When they landed and she stepped outside the plane, the air was full of wood smoke. They gave her a mask to wear. Her eyes burned... whether from the smoke or ash in the air or too many tears, she had no idea. She needed answers.

“Who is in charge? I want to talk to them.” A tall, older man came forward in firefighter clothing and a park ranger was beside him. “I need to go where my daughter disappeared. She’ll hear my voice. I have to go.”

“Ma’am, we can’t get you in there.”

“Yes, you can. I will sign whatever waiver you need me to sign. I’m a nurse... I can help. But I have to get up there!”

“As soon as we get clearance to fly, we’ll put more people up there. But the smoke and fire is too volatile right now. We could have more losses if we let anyone attempt it.”

She had never known such helplessness before. She needed to find a way out and up to the park itself. Laurel followed her from the portable building into the growing darkness... a darkness caused by the sun being blunted. She felt herself being pulled into her hug. The tears flowed. “She’s my baby... all I have. She’s crying for her mama, I can feel it. Someone has to listen to me.”

A chopper appeared at the edge of the field and touched the ground briefly. A familiar figure came off it, and then it lifted away before anyone noted its arrival. It was Sammi Jo who came running up to them.

“I thought they weren’t allowing anyone to fly yet. The crews are all still making their way on foot,” Laurel said.

Sammi Jo nodded. “The crews are moving forward, but it’s slow going. And no one is flying. They’ve warned them with hefty fines or loss of licenses if they don’t listen.”

“Then how is that one allowed and who...”

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