Page 42 of The Road Ahead
Rio laughed, showing off the chipped tooth I found so adorable, and held up their hands. “Okay, okay. Give me a second.”
As soon as the engine was on display, a small crowd gathered, listening in as Rio explained what modifications the ’86 had. I stayed back, giving everyone room, since I knew I’d have more than enough opportunities in the future to learn about the car. I wandered over to look at the other cars, though my knowledgewas quite limited, so I just admired the bodywork and how pretty they were as I waited for Teresa and Brad to join us.
I was heading back towards Rio when my phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out to see Brad’s name on the screen. Frowning, as he’d never called me before, only texted, I answered. “Hey, Brad.”
“Cooper.” Brad’s voice sounded far away and was barely a whisper.
My blood turned to ice in my veins. “Brad? What’s wrong?” I demanded.
“Cooper,” Brad repeated, and then he groaned.
It was only my years as a paramedic that allowed me to remain calm and not scream at him toanswer me, damn it!“Brad, I’m here. What’s happened? Are you hurt?”Is Teresa?
There was a long beat of silence, except for Brad’s labored breathing. Finally, he said, “Help. Teresa. Need help.”
Rio appeared at my side, concern on their face as I met their worried gaze. “Brad, I need to know what happened. I can’t help you or Teresa if I don’t know where you are.”
“She’s hurt,” Brad whispered, and then groaned again. “So much blood, Cooper. Oh god, there’s so much blood.”
“Brad, listen to me. I need you to focus. Can you do that? Focus on my voice.” Another long moment passed as I listened to Brad’s pained breathing before he grunted at me. “Was there an accident? Do you know where you are?”
“Came out of nowhere,” Brad mumbled. “Tried to avoid car, but went off the road.” He gasped, then coughed wetly. “Over side.”
Worst-case scenarios flickered through my mind and I began to move. “Had you reached the lookout?” I asked, gesturing at Rio to follow me to their car.
Rio ran ahead of me, calling out to Jimmy, explaining what they knew. They quickly dropped the hood of the car and got into the driver’s seat.
“Were pulled over to watch,” Brad croaked out. “Just back on road when they came round bend. Were on wrong side. Hit me as I swerved.”
“Okay, that’s good,” I assured him. “So you’re just past the hairpin.” I covered the phone with my hand and turned to Jimmy who had run up behind me. “Call 911. Tell them we have an MVA just north of the hairpin, two vehicles possibly involved, one car almost certainly over the edge. Rio and I are on our way.”
Jimmy nodded. “On it. I’ll follow.”
I nodded and slipped into the car. The Bluetooth kicked in and transferred the call to the car’s sound system, so I had my hands free to buckle up, even as Rio sped out of the lot. “Brad, we’re on our way. Can you tell me about your injuries? About Teresa’s injuries?”
“She’s hurt bad,” Brad said. “She’s not moving.”
“Can you get to her?” I asked, my heart clenching. “Can you check and see if she’s breathing?”
At my words, Rio hit the gas even harder, speeding through the outskirts of town towards the mountain road.
There was a shuffling sound over the speaker, and then Brad cried out in pain. “I’m stuck,” he said with a gasp. “Can’t reach her.”
“Okay, stay put,” I told him gently. “Concentrate on her chest. Can you see it rise and fall?”
There was a long pause, and then Brad said, “I think so.”
I closed my eyes briefly in relief. “Okay, good. That’s good. You said there was blood. Where is she bleeding?”
“Can’t see. Hair is hanging in way,” Brad whispered, then coughed again. “Dripping in my face.”
I frowned as I tried to interpret this. It sounded like the car had flipped and Teresa was above Brad. “We’re on our way,” I assured him. “We won’t be long. Just hang in there.”
“I’m going as fast as I can,” Rio whispered to me. “But we gotta get there in one piece.”
I nodded. “I know. I know.”
Rio gave the car everything they had as we climbed back up the mountain pass we’d only just come down. This time, I felt no exhilaration from the drive, instead I was filled with dread. My baby sister was hurt, and we were still so far away. Panic was bubbling up inside me, but I forced it back down. I couldn’t lose it now. I had to remain calm. I would be no use to her if I lost my cool.
