Page 24 of Rescued Duty

Thankfully, a service road had been put in a few years back, a valuable resource for emergency vehicles to get to the summit, where all the trails at Pine Crest met.

Zack scooted forward in his seat, his grip on the door handle. Ridge gunned it on the incline, and the bumps along the way jostled Zack in his seat.

This terrain wasn’t new to Zack anymore. Not when calls came in often for those dehydrated, trapped, or injured one way or another.

“Where’s the fuel at?” Eddie groaned, sweat glistening on his forehead.

“In the tank, goofball.” Zack nudged his shoulder.

“Hey, watch it. I meant the food.” Eddie rolled his eyes, then chugged some water.

Bryce tossed a protein bar to the back seat. “You’ve got forty seconds to chow down. We need all hands on deck.”

“I’m surprised they haven’t built a guard rail for the overlook.” Zack shook his head. “That would be something for the environmental group to advocate for.”

“I second that. It would save us a few preventable calls every year.” Ridge turned the wheel to the right into the lot.

The second the truck parked, Zack hopped out of the back and opened the rear compartment that held the gear.

“Grab those rescue ropes and webbing, Stephens.” Bryce swiveled on his heel. “Ridge, assess the area. Make sure we don’t have any other points of danger.”

Zack hefted the rope over his shoulder and handed another to Eddie before heading in the direction of the woman waving her hands. Bryce had let him take the lead. Time to get to work.

Bushes lined the walkway, and Zack’s boots crunched over the gravel.

The weight of his gear grew heavier when Zack realized who stood a few feet away. “Ingram!”

She gasped. “Zack! Over here!” Her brows were pinched together, and her messy bun bobbed with her frantic motions. “I can’t reach her. I’ve tried. It’s too far down.”

He rushed over, followed by Eddie.

Zack tried to speak, but no words came out.

Eddie clapped a hand down on Zack’s shoulder and asked, “What happened?”

“She’s down there. I didn’t see what happened.” Ingram covered her face with her hands. “I went to take a call and, and someone screamed and Naya was nowhere in sight.”

The words spilled from Ingram’s lips so fast it took Zack a few seconds to process what she said.

No. Not Naya. Zack steeled his feet against the ground to keep from swaying. He’d never known her to be clumsy. What had happened?

“Where is she?” Zack set the rope down and followed Ingram to the edge of the cliff.

Ingram sucked in a breath. “Down there.” She peered over the edge, and tears streamed down her face. “Naya! Help’s here.”

“I’m here,” Naya cried. She stared up at them, standing on a landing of rock no more than five feet wide. “Get me out of here. I can’t…” She lifted her arm halfway before she dropped it back to her side and cupped her elbow with her other hand. “Don’t leave,” Naya hiccupped, “me here.”

Zack surveyed the terrain while his heart pounded in his chest.

At least fifteen feet from the top of the mountainside.

A straight drop down, which meant this rescue fell under high angle. But the right ropes could handle the situation. A few pointy rocks would provide a decent foothold to grab onto if necessary. His stomach flipped and a lump rose in his throat, but he ignored them and turned to Bryce. “Let me go down, Lieutenant.”

Bryce nodded. “Grab the line rope and hook up. You and Ridge are going down.”

Zack attached the gear and rope to his equipment. Then he tugged on the knots.Don’t let me mess this up, God.

Bryce inspected Zack’s work and did a quick test to make sure the clips were secure. “All good.” The lieutenant slapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s get to it!”

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