Flashpoint, page 13
part #8 of Commitment Series
Billie grinned. "Are their noses pierced with chicken bones?" she joked.
Suddenly, a rumbling was heard in the distance.
"What's that?" Tara exclaimed nervously.
"Shh. Stop paddling and listen," Billie urged.
The rumbling grew louder.
"Something is rushing toward us," Billie whispered.
***
Senior Ranger, Rick Ellis, stood bent over a wrinkled map of the park that was spread out over the hood of his Jeep. He pointed to specific locations as a group of rangers peered over his shoulder.
"Johnson, you take your crew to the Kepler Cascade region. Davis, you've got the west side of Shoshone Lake. Burton, you and your men head for the north part of Lewis Lake, and Erikson, take a crew into the Shoshone Geyser Basin. The first order of business is look for hikers, campers and anyone else you may run across. These areas must be evacuated immediately. Any questions?" He looked around at the men.
When no responses came, he dismissed the men and rolled up the map.
"Looks bad, doesn't it, Captain?" asked his assistant, Ranger Angela Bradshaw.
"I haven't seen one ignite and spread as fast as this since the fires that nearly destroyed the park in 1988," Ellis explained. "I'm hoping the hotshots and smokejumpers can contain it to a region around Old Faithful. If we can do that, we may be able to save the park."
Angela walked back to the ranger station with him. "It seems to be spreading fast," she observed.
"It's been a pretty dry summer, Angie. This year we didn't get the heavy rains we normally see in July. The underbrush is dry and the fuel load is high. The higher the fuel load, the faster it will ignite and burn. The more intensely it burns, the faster it will spread, and because it is so dry, the fuel is consumed much faster and the fire is harder to contain."
"Jason says the lightning struck in an area with a lot of small, loose underbrush," Angela commented.
"Yes. Unfortunately, smaller, flashy fuels like dry grass, pine needles, dry leaves, twigs and other dead brush, burn faster than large logs or stumps. The smaller stuff burns up quicker and allows the fire to move forward faster. What's even worse, is that the heat generated by the fire, dries out the fuel in front of it, so when the fire finally reaches it, it's easier to ignite. Fires like this take on a life of their own, and even generate their own weather system. It's a no-win situation," Ranger Ellis explained.
A news crew was waiting for them when Rick and Angela reached the ranger station.
"Captain, what is the latest status of the fire?" A reporter shoved a microphone into Rick's face while a camera man pointed his lens at Ellis.
"At last report, the fire was moving Southwest at a speed of about fourteen miles per hour," he said.
"Are there any reports of tourists trapped in the affected areas?" the reporter asked.
"We have just sent out crews to search the areas. This is a very dangerous job as they must enter areas already consumed by the wildfires. We expect to know more later this evening," Rick replied.
"Ranger Ellis, how did this fire start? Was it the carelessness of a camper, or a discarded cigarette?"
"We have every reason to believe the fire started by natural causes. There were several incidences of dry lightning earlier this afternoon. That is the most probable cause of the ignition."
"How long does the National Park Service believe it will be before this fire is brought under control?" a reported asked.
Rick ran his hand through his hair. He was a bit impatient with the persistent questioning. He knew the public would be seeing this later that evening, and since public support was important to the Park Service, he fought back his irritation and answered the question. "A fire such as this could burn for weeks, and smolder for many months afterwards. As far as when it will be brought under control…well only time and Mother Nature will tell," he explained.
"Mother Nature?" the reported prompted. "As in rain?"
"Rain, wind, evening temperatures. All of these are factors in how hot and how long a fire burns. We will do our best to extinguish it through human means, but we truly rely on Mother Nature to help us out," he finished.
"Rick, there's a call for you from base," Angela called from the doorway of the ranger station.
Rick politely excused himself as the reporter wrapped up the interview. "That was Senior Ranger Rick Ellis reporting on the Park Service's progress toward extinguishing the wildfire currently raging through the Southwest portion of Yellowstone National Park. This is Monica Crocker, signing off."
***
The rumbling grew louder as it approached the kayak that slowly drifted down a narrow stretch of river. The canopy of trees overhead created a darkness that seemed to grow darker as the moments passed.
"Mom, maybe we should turn around and go back," Tara suggested.
"I think we're closer to the end of this route than the beginning of it, Tare. Maybe we just need to start paddling our way through this. Something serious is happening here and I for one would like to get far away from it."
"I'm with you, Mom. Let's go."
Billie and Tara dipped their paddles into the water and began to stroke, all the while, scanning the shoreline on both sides and the slopes beyond for the source of the eerie atmosphere that surrounded them.
The air became unbearably dry and warm and the rumbling sound increased significantly in volume and intensity. Billie stared off beyond the shoreline into the dense forest behind it. Suddenly the source of the sound, smell and warmth became very clear. What was also clear, was the fact that they were in immediate danger.
"Oh, my God! Wildfire!" Billie shouted. Flames suddenly became apparent on the ridge above the shoreline.
"Mom!" Tara shouted. "Mom! What should we do?"
Billie looked around frantically. She knew they had just moments to react. "Tara! Roll the boat! Roll the boat!" She shouted as loud as she could in order to be heard above the ever-increasing rumble. Billie grabbed the edges of the cockpit and shifted her weight sharply to the left. "Tara! Work with me on this!" she shouted.
Tara followed her mother's cue and shifted her weight in the same direction as Billie. Soon the kayak tilted sharply to its side and capsized, sending both of them into the water. The paddles, which were connected to the kayak by long bungee cords whipped dangerously around and nearly struck Tara in the head before they settled on the surface of the water.
Billie and Tara both surfaced behind the kayak. Billie looked over the boat to the shoreline and realized the fire was not going to stop at the water's edge. Instead, it used the canopy of trees that were bent gracefully low over the river to reach the other side.
The fire was within feet of reaching them when Billie grabbed Tara and pulled her under the water, only to resurface again under the capsized kayak, inside the cockpit where they had a pocket of air to sustain them for a while.
"Tara? Sweetie, are you okay?"
"I'm scared, Mom."
"I am too, love. I am too. Just promise me you'll hang on."
"I will."
Mother and daughter clung to the inverted seats in total darkness inside the cockpit and relied on their lifejackets to keep their heads above water as their bodies remained protected by the river. Both were terrified into silence as they listened to roaring flames pass overhead. The air inside their shelter became warm as the fire licked at the bottom of the capsized boat. All they could do was cling to the inside of the cockpit and pray that the danger would pass quickly.
Winds caused by the fierce fire, along with moderately strong water currents, continued to move their capsized boat downstream as the fire raged above them. Wind patterns and heat caused by the fire generated fire whirls, similar in shape and behavior to tornados. One such whirl hurled a flaming log into the air. It landed on the bottom of the overturned kayak with a loud thud and then bounced off and landed in the water nearby.
Startled by the loud banging on top of their shelter, Tara screamed as the weight of the log pushed the kayak deeper into the water, totally submerging the underwater occupants.
"Tara, honey. Are you all right?!" Billie asked when they both re-emerged inside the inverted cockpit.
Tara struggled to regain her breath after the unexpected dunking. "What was that?"
"I don't know, but thank God we were under the boat instead of inside it. Whatever that was might have killed us!" Billie observed.
"Mom?" Tara whispered tearfully.
Billie reached around until she found her daughter. "What is it, Tara?" she asked softly.
"I'm scared," she replied.
"Me too, honey. Me too. Shh. Don't speak. Conserve our air. It will pass soon." Billie fell silent once more and prayed to any God who would listen to spare their lives and the lives of her loved ones. God only knows if Cat and Seth are safe. Skylar is with experienced rangers, so surely she would have been evacuated by now.
Billie could only hope and pray her family would come out of this intact.
CHAPTER 13
"That was Senior Ranger Rick Ellis reporting on the Park Service's progress toward extinguishing the wildfire currently raging through the Southwest portion of Yellowstone National Park. This is Monica Crocker, signing off."
"Oh, my God!" Kelly caught the tail end of the newscast and jumped to her feet when she heard where the wildfires were. She grabbed the remote control and furiously clicked through the channels until she found a similar report.
"It is unknown at this time if there are any tourists trapped in the midst of the blaze," the reporter said. "The blaze seems to be centered just southwest of Old Faithful in the Shoshone Lake area. Stay tuned for more news at six."
Kelly sat stunned. Where did Tara say they were going? she asked herself. She mentioned 'Old Faithful', didn't she? Oh, my God! Tara. Please be safe... please. After a few more moments of stunned immobility, Kelly grabbed the phone and called Karissa's number.
"Hello," an adult female voice answered.
"Mrs. Swenson? This is Kelly," the teenager said.
"Oh, hi Kelly! Hold on and I'll get Karissa for you," Jen said.
"No! No, it's you I want to talk to," Kelly explained.
"Me? What can I do for you, Kelly?" Jen asked.
"Mrs. Swenson, did the Charlands say they were staying inside Yellowstone?"
Jen immediately became suspicious. "Kelly, is everything all right? Have you heard from Tara?"
"No, I haven't. I was actually hoping you've heard from them."
"No. I haven't spoken with them since they left three days ago," Jen replied. "Kelly, you're scaring me. Are you trying to tell me something?"
"Mrs. Swenson, I just saw a news report on TV about a wildfire in Yellowstone. I think it's right near where they're staying," Kelly said quickly.
"Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" Jen cursed. "What more will those women have to endure? Kelly, what channel was it on?"
"It's actually on several channels, but I first saw it on channel three."
"Okay. I've got it. Thanks for calling, sweetie. Oh, and if you need someone to lean on until we know more, feel free to come over and spend some time with Karissa and me, okay?"
"I appreciate that, Mrs. Swenson. Tell Karissa I'll be over in a few minutes."
"All right then. Goodbye."
Jen hung up the phone with more force than she intended. "God damned, mother raping bastard, son of a bitch!" she screamed at no one in particular. She shook her fist to the ceiling. "Why must you always do shit like this to them?"
Jen's tirade caused Fred to rush into the kitchen from the living room. "Is everything all right?" he asked.
"The Charlands are in trouble again. It appears they're in the middle of a goddamned wildfire!" she shrieked.
***
Movement through the forest was slow and difficult. Cat's entire body ached as a result of her fall down the slope and it was only made worse with every step. She tried hard to hide her discomfort from Seth, but failed miserably. She thanked the Gods above that he forced her to take breaks every half hour.
"Seth, we'll never make it back to the cabin before dark at this rate," Cat complained. "Hell, we won't even make it out of the forest before dark."
"Mom, I'd rather spend the night in the forest than not make it back at all...and that's exactly what will happen if you fall and injure yourself again," Seth reasoned.
Cat limped beside her son. "If we don't show up before dark, your mother will call out the National Guard."
"That's exactly what she'll do, but I'll risk her wrath before I risk your safety again. Here, give me your hand." Seth helped Cat over a large log.
Cat stopped and looked up at her tall son. She touched the side of his face with her open palm. "When did you turn into a man?" she asked. "It seems like yesterday that you were just our little boy."
Seth grinned and took Cat's hand to lead her safely through the forest. A few hundred yards further and he stopped dead in his tracks.
"What is it, Seth?" Cat asked.
Seth looked into the tree tops and sniffed the air. "I smell smoke," he said.
Cat looked around and also tested the air. "You're right. It's probably a camp fire. That means straight ahead there might be someone who'd be able to give us directions out of this place," Cat said hopefully.
"Maybe. Come on." Seth took Cat's hand once more and led her in the direction of the campfire odor.
After another one hundred feet, they still had not encountered the help they were looking for.
"This is not good," Seth said.
"Is it my imagination, or is the smell of smoke getting stronger?" Cat asked.
"I wish it was your imagination. Do your eyes burn like mine do?" Seth asked.
Cat stopped and yanked Seth's arm. "Tell me you're not implying what I think you're implying."
"I wish I could tell you everything is fine, Ma, but I have a sneaking suspicion that things are about to get a lot worse. Come sit on this log over here and let's look at the map."
Seth led Cat to a fallen log to sit and he spread the map out on the ground between them. He studied the map for several moments and then folded it up and stuffed it unceremoniously into their back pack. "I give up," he said. "We are hopelessly lost."
"I kind of suspected that before I fell off the trail a while back," Cat admitted. "So, what do we do now?"
"I have to admit that the smell of smoke has me worried, Ma. That flash of lightning we saw at the top of the cliff could have hit nearby, and it could have started a fire."
"I don't see any fire," Cat said.
Seth looked into the canopy of trees above their heads and saw the branches at the very top sway. "There is a breeze. It's possible the fire is still a distance away and we're smelling smoke that has travelled on the wind."
Cat stood and grabbed her walking stick. "I don't think it's smart to just sit here and let the fire move toward us," she said.
"I agree. I guess we should keep walking until we find signs of life." Seth climbed to his feet. He looked around once more for a suitable exit from their clearing. As he turned around, the smell of campfire hit him full in the face with such force, he took two steps backward. "What the hell..."
Cat grabbed his arm. "What's that sound?" Cat began to cough. "Damn! The smell of smoke is making it difficult to breathe."
"I hear it too. It sounds like a roar." Seth tore off a piece of his shirt and poured some water on it from his water bottle. He gave it to Cat. "Here, hold this over your mouth and nose. It will help to filter out the smoke."
The roar increased in volume and it was suddenly accompanied by loud crackling and popping noises.
Just then, the sound of a low flying helicopter began in the distance. Cat and Seth looked up as the sound grew louder. Suddenly, the helicopter became visible.
"What is that larger container hanging below the helicopter?" Cat asked.
Seth's eye grew large as all of his suspicions were confirmed. "Oh, shit! Oh, shit!" he exclaimed.
"Seth! What is it?" Cat asked.
Seth threw his backpack to the ground and immediately dropped to his knees to rummage through it. He quickly found the collapsible shovel they had packed and he began to furiously dig at the earth. "Ma! Quick! Dig a hole. Quick!" He shouted.
Without hesitation, Cat threw herself down next to her son and began digging as quickly as her injured arm would allow. Luckily, the turf was relatively soft and free of tree roots as a shallow indentation quickly cleared beneath their efforts.
"Seth, tell me we're digging this hole for a good reason," Cat rasped as she struggled with only one hand to clear as much soil from the hole as possible.
"Wildfire!" Seth shouted as he continued to work.
Cat suddenly climbed to her feet. "Wildfire?" She frantically scanned the trees once more.
"Ma! We don't have a lot of time. It's moving toward us pretty quickly!" Seth continued to dig. "Listen to the roar. It's getting louder! Dig!"
Cat grabbed at her son's arm. "Seth! We need to run. Come on. We need to get out of here!" she screamed.
Seth jumped to his feet and grabbed Cat by both arms. "There is no way we are going to outrun a wildfire—especially with you injured. Do you understand?" he shouted into her face.
"So what do you propose we do?" Cat asked hysterically.
Seth pointed to the hole behind them. "We need to get into that hole and cover ourselves with dirt," he said firmly.
Cat's eyes flew open. "Are you telling me that I just helped dig our grave?" she screamed.
"We don't have any other choice! Don't you see? We can't outrun it. There is nowhere to hide. Nowhere! Look around!"
Cat looked around frantically as the roar of the fire increased exponentially. "Seth, what makes you think hiding in a hole will save us from the fire?"
"Ma, please just get in the hole."
Suddenly a strong gust of wind bombarded them with a wave of heat so intense, it took their breaths away.
