Page 117 of Falling for the Playboy Pilot

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DALTON

Iwas back on the ground for the second time, watching the crew while sucking down a bottle of water. The retardant was flowing into my belly tank when Chief’s voice crackled through the radio, tense and urgent.

“All units, this is Base. The fire jumped the highway. I repeat, the fire has jumped the highway. No road access in or out of Hollow Gorge. We are officially cut off.”

My blood went cold. Hollow Gorge was one of those mountain towns that existed because of geography, not convenience. Nestled in a narrow valley between two ridges, there was only one road that snaked through the canyon to connect it to the outside world. The highway was the lifeline. It was the only way in and the only way out. Everything else was sheer rock face or wilderness so thick you’d need a machete and three days to hike through it. UTVs might be able to get out, but with a wildfire raging, that was an even riskier option.

If the fire had jumped the highway, anyone left in town would be trapped. The entire town was now an island surrounded by flames. If the fire made it into the valley, it would be like a wind tunnel. It would whip through Hollow Gorge in a matter of minutes.

“Fuck,” I muttered, setting down the water bottle.

One of the men shook his head. “My wife and kids evacuated this morning. They should be clear.”

Should be wasn’t good enough. Not today.

Chief’s voice came through again. “All aircraft, priority one is now Hollow Gorge defense.”

“Evacuation status?” I asked into the headset. I needed to hear the confirmation.

“Choppers got everyone out they could find,” Chief said. “Hospital’s clear, assisted living center’s clear. It’s just property now, boys. But it’s their whole lives. We’re going to save this town or die trying.”

It felt like we were all watching Hollow Gorge’s last stand. We were the last hope. Firefighters could do little to stop what was coming. It was too risky to have anyone on the ground. We were going to have to dump thousands of pounds of retardant on the town to save it. And even then, I knew it was going to be a major challenge.

“Gilbert, how much longer?” I called out.

“Thirty seconds!” he shouted back, sweat streaming down his face.

Chief’s voice came through again. “Herc, you’re our heavy hitter. I need you to lay down a wall of retardant on the edge of town. Create a firebreak between the residential area and that advancing front. Laser’s going to walk you through the drop zones. We’ve got two drops down but we need more.”

“Copy that, Chief.”

The fuel line disconnected with a metallic clang. Gilbert gave me a thumbs-up and slapped the side of my aircraft. “Goi save our town, Herc!”

I pushed the throttles forward and lifted off into the hellscape. The smoke was thicker now, a choking black wall that made the world dark. Below me, I could see the orange glow advancing like lava, consuming everything in its path. I flew along the edge. The heat from the flames heated the window on my right side.

“Spotter One to Herc,” Laser’s voice cut through the static. “I’ve got eyes on the north perimeter. Fire’s moving fast toward Maple Street. We’ve got maybe ten minutes before it hits the first houses.”

“Roger that. Lining up for approach.”

The yoke felt like someone was trying to jerk it out of my hands. I was fighting hard, pulling back and then forward as I rode through one round of turbulence and then another. Thank God I didn’t have time to eat breakfast. I felt like someone was trying to turn me into a milkshake. The shaking and vibrating threatened to have me regurgitating the water I just downed.

I needed my playlist, but in the hurry to get in the air, I left my phone on the ground. The wind was brutal. Thermals rising from the fire created violent updrafts that wanted to flip me upside down. I fought the controls, muscles burning with the effort.

And this was why I tried to stay in good shape. Fighting the wind wasn’t easy. And on days that I had to fight for eight to fifteen hours, all those hours in the gym paid off.

I spotted Laser’s plane up ahead. She was flying low. The woman had balls of steel.

“Herc, you’re looking good. Drop zone is coming up.”

I focused on her while doing my best to pay attention to my gauges. I barely noticed the heat. It was hot out and flying over the inferno had me legit sweating under my collar.

“Smoke dropped,” Laser said.

I squinted through the smoke, searching for Laser’s marker. I spotted the thick hot pink haze drifting through the black. I dropped in altitude. I was getting right on top of it. “Got it. Coming in for the drop.”

“Herc.” Laser’s tone was filled with warning.