Ben smiled tenderly at her. “Not at all. I think he can find everything he needs.”
Mayor Wando slammed the gavel down once on the council table to bring the meeting to order.
“I think that’s my signal to get out of here.” Ben got to his feet after planting a kiss on Stella’s cheek. “You’ll hear from my lawyer in the next few days. Don’t let that old blowhard Bob Floyd get to you. We’ll get this settled.”
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Mayor Wando started the meeting. “It is with a heavy heart that I begin this meeting and announce to you that Representative Barney Falk has passed. We dedicate this meeting to him, and remember all of his good works through the years. I’m going to call on our fire chief, Stella Griffin, to say a few words about the terrible thing that happened out at Sweet Pepper Lake. Chief Griffin? If you will come to the podium.”
S
tella glanced around the room in horror. What was she going to say? Did he want her to describe the fire or what?
She adjusted the microphone at the podium. She kept hoping someone would give her a clue as to what they wanted to hear from her. She’d been expecting to talk about the usual call and expense reports for the fire brigade. She had her speech ready about Eric for tomorrow. This was completely off the schedule.
She flashed to what Flo had said about the fire brigade needing a boat. It seemed to her that this was a perfect time to talk about it. She didn’t know what else to say. They probably wouldn’t do anything about it, but at least she’d have something intelligent to present.
“Mayor, council members, and fellow citizens of Sweet Pepper, there was a horrific fire at the Sunset Beach community that claimed the life of Mr. Barney Falk. I’d like to say that the fire brigade had a difficult time putting out that fire because of the close proximity of the house to the lake.”
Stella paused, and warmed to her subject. “I can’t promise that we could have saved Mr. Falk’s life with better equipment, but we could have saved more of his house. And the next time a fire happens out there, it might mean the difference between life and death for someone. Our pumper-tanker ran out of water before the fire was extinguished. There was only one hydrant close enough to use. That hose wouldn’t reach the back of the house.”
People in the audience were nodding and whispering. She hoped that was a good sign. “I believe what’s needed in that area is a fireboat. We had fireboats in Chicago to fight fires on the river. A boat equipped with a large stationary water cannon and a pump to draw from the lake would have been able to save property today—possibly lives tomorrow. We have to think to the future, as I’ve heard Mr. Falk always advocated. Sweet Pepper needs a fireboat. Thank you.”
Stella stepped down, not sure if that was what Mayor Wando had wanted to hear, but it was the only thing she could think to say. There was a smattering of applause from the audience—probably from residents who lived on the lake.
The rest of the meeting went as planned on the agenda. Stella gave her report on calls the fire brigade had answered during the past month, and what those calls had cost the town. Chief Rogers spoke briefly about the state investigators who were in town to help look into Barney Falk’s death.
“We’re not anticipating any unusual circumstances regarding this fire,” he said. “But you can be sure Chief Griffin and I will be on top of the situation.”
Stella was glad when the meeting was almost over. There was only a short time left for comments from the council members. Then she could approach the council individually—minus Bob Floyd—and ask for their help.
When Mayor Wando called on Bob Floyd for his remarks, Bob was quick to let his thoughts out. “I realize a fair number of you are aware that there was a small ruckus up at the old cabin where Chief Griffin resides at this time. I would like a moment to explain how the town’s interest is served by my purchase of this property.”
A moment stretched to ten as Bob went on about how the town had paid county and state taxes on the property with no return for forty years. His purchase had ended the debt the town owed and would create a new site for rafting on the Little Pigeon River. He promised new jobs and a better life for everyone.
“I would like to extend an apology to Chief Griffin. She has inadvertently been caught in the middle of this dispute.” Bob stared hard at Stella across the room. “I want to reassure you, Chief Griffin, I have a rental home that can be put at your disposal. You can move into it at any time.”
Bob thanked the community for coming out for the meeting and cautioned everyone to be careful going home. “It looks like we’re in for some rough weather. Thank you, and goodnight.”
Stella was stunned by his words, as well as his offer of a new place to live. She knew she’d have trouble winning over any council members after that. What could she possibly say that would convince them to sell her the cabin?
She cornered Danielle Peterson anyway. Apparently the council had discussed the matter before the meeting. While Danielle was sympathetic, and wanted to keep Stella happy, she couldn’t see why Bob should be stopped from tearing down the cabin and creating another public entry point to the river since he’d purchased the property.
“If it’s a matter of a house, Chief Griffin, several of us have rental properties we’d be glad to have you use.”
Stella thanked her. She was going nowhere fast with her arguments.
It was the same thing with Mayor Wando. She caught up with him as he was leaving town hall. He’d already made up his mind too. He thanked Stella for the moving words about the fireboat and commended her idea.
“I knew from the start that you were the one for this position, Chief Griffin. Keep up the good work.” He shook her hand and smiled warmly before putting on a heavy coat that covered his barrel chest. He pulled a cap on to protect his shaved head. “Best get home now. The storm is settling in.”
Stella gave up for that night. She had to hope her grandfather’s lawyer would have better luck. She walked outside to the Cherokee to find everything covered with a thin layer of ice. It seemed Eric and the others knew better about Sweet Pepper weather than the National Weather Service.
The roads were slippery. The Cherokee’s four-wheel drive meant nothing to the ice. There were chains in the back toolbox. She thought she might have to stop to put them on in order to get up the mountain to the cabin. She stopped at the firehouse for the task. Royce was monitoring communications. He was listening to some old jazz and drinking a large cup of coffee.
“Chief!” He jumped to his feet when he saw her. His weathered black face looked half asleep. He’d pulled his suspenders down from his shoulders, letting them ride at his hips.
“Just coming back from the town council meeting.” She smiled as he quickly pulled up the suspenders and tucked in his red flannel shirt. “I thought I’d check to see how things are going.”
“Well, there’s bad weather.” He grinned. “I guess you know that. No accidents or any word from the police or the sheriff’s department that they need our help. It’s quiet. I hope it stays that way. Most people got enough sense to stay in on a night like this.”
“Some people have to be out.”
“Oh. Sure. Like you coming home. Of course. You couldn’t help it. Not saying that you don’t have any sense. I was just saying to JC the other day that you’re one of the most
sensible
people I know.”
Stella laughed. “Don’t worry about it. I get it. I’m going home. Carry on.”
He thanked her a few times and asked if he could eat a few of the oatmeal cream pies that were in the cabinet. “My wife forgot to pack me a snack for tonight. Don’t want to have her bring that over in this weather.”
“Help yourself. If it belongs to someone in particular, their name should be on it. If there’s no name, it’s fair game. Goodnight, Royce. Thanks for your hard work.”
Stella went out and opened one of the garage bay doors. She pulled the Cherokee inside and started putting the chains on the big tires.
Royce saw her and immediately insisted on doing the job. Stella didn’t argue. She was glad she hadn’t brought the Harley down from the cabin. The Cherokee was better in situations like this. At least the weather here allowed her some sunny days to ride her father’s motorcycle in the cold. In Chicago, it had to stay on blocks all winter.
Once the chains were in place, Stella thanked Royce for his help and then took the Cherokee up Firehouse Road to the cabin with no problem. The porch light was on, and the front door opened before she could put her hand on the doorknob. Hero ran into the kitchen to greet her.
“Ice,” Eric said. “I told you.”
“You were right. Can you use your ghostly powers on the stairs? They’re kind of slippery.”
“I think that’s what the salt is for. You’re starting to rely on me doing things you could do for yourself.”
Stella took off her boots and frowned at him. “I’m keeping your cabin here. The least you could do is scare away some ice. That doesn’t seem like too much to ask.”
Before Eric could answer, Stella’s radio went off. The house phone rang too.
“I was at the firehouse a few minutes ago. Royce said everything was quiet,” she complained before she answered the phone.
“We just got word, Chief. There are hikers stranded on Dead Bear Trail, out near Big Bear Springs,” Royce said. “Looks like we’re going out, bad weather or not.”
The hikers from Pigeon Forge were stranded on a trail that was high up in the mountains. A rockslide had trapped them there. The ice had started falling before they were able to free one of their fellow hikers from the debris.
“In other words, those hikers have been out there for hours before they bothered calling in,” Eric said after Stella had hung up the phone and was changing clothes. “I’ll never understand why people aren’t smart in dangerous situations.”
“Me either.” Stella pulled on her heavy coat. “Keep the house warm. I’ll be back when I can.”
“I wish I were going with you. Be careful out there. It’s going to be treacherous on that trail.”
“You know me.” She opened the door, and Hero ran outside.
“Yeah.” Eric said to the closed door after she was gone. “That’s why I’m worried.”
B
ig Bear Springs got its name from accounts of the 1800s when fur trappers in the area remarked at the number of bears living there. Those accounts brought more trappers and almost wiped out the bear population.
The bear title stuck. There was Big Bear Road and Bear Den Drive as well as the convenience store, campground, and rafting business, all named after bears.
Dead Bear Trail was no doubt a spot where someone had seen a dead bear. Standing about fifty feet above the trail and looking down, Stella wasn’t surprised the hikers were in trouble.
The trail ran around the mountain, with sharp inclines and thin ledges where hikers were forced to hug the rock and shuffle across the trail, which dropped at least a hundred feet to a rocky ravine below it.
It was a difficult trail when the weather was good. With ice covering everything, it was a death trap.
“How are we gonna get down there, Chief?” JC asked.
“Two of us will rappel down. We’ll tie our ropes around the hikers and send them up two at a time.” Stella looked at him. “Sounds like a plan, doesn’t it?”
“A plan to get someone killed,” he retorted. “I think we should wait until the ice melts in the morning. You know it won’t take that long.”
“The hikers said on the radio that two of them are injured from the rockslide. Another one has his foot trapped under some rock. We can’t leave them down there all night.”
JC didn’t like heights, and everyone knew it. Normally, Stella could position him where it didn’t matter. There was no way around it this time.
“You don’t have to go down there.” She was glad that John had been able to come out with them. He was an experienced climber. “John and I will go down. I need you, and everyone else, up here to pull out the hikers.”
JC nodded. “Okay. I can do this. I’ll stand back against the rock. I don’t even need to see down there.”
Stella patted his shoulder. “That’s right. Let someone else look over the edge.”
She wasn’t sure who that was going to be. Allen was eyeing the edge with trepidation. Kimmie and David were doing the same. Kent didn’t seem that nervous. Royce and Bert were both strong and up to the task.
“Okay.” She loudly addressed her team as freezing rain fell on them, turning them all into human icicles. “John and I are going down. We’ll send up the two injured hikers first. I hope we have an ambulance and medics by then. If not, keep them warm with the blankets we brought. “
“You didn’t even say please.” John was already preparing one of the ropes for the descent when she walked to the side of the rock. “You might’ve considered my feelings on the matter. You didn’t make JC go down the the mountian.”
“Quit teasing and let’s go,” she said. “I’m worried about this rockslide shifting again.”
They both peered off the edge. From there down to the ledge where the hikers were trapped was an immense cascade of large and small rocks. They both knew it could shift again at any time. Later, the forest service would come in, clear the slide, and shore up the ledge. Until then, anything could happen.
“Are you sure you’re up to this?” John asked her. “I could go down by myself.”
Stella had practiced rappelling down the sides of the mountains almost since she’d come to Sweet Pepper. She’d realized right away that this would be a requirement of her job. She felt confident in her abilities. She wasn’t afraid of heights, and she knew the team she left behind at the top would work well together.
“I’m good.” She tightened the rope around her waist. It was already slick with ice.
“Okay. See you down there.” John saluted her.
They both went off the side. The ropes were fastened into metal spikes that had been driven into the solid rock. These would bear the brunt of their weights. It wouldn’t be the same for the injured hikers below them. It would take every inch of muscle the volunteers had to pull them back up.
The descent was smooth and fast. Stella was on the ledge before John. She was already explaining her plan to the hikers who were waiting to be rescued.
“How long have you been out here?” she asked one of the two young men. He looked like a college student—they all did.
“Since this morning. We thought we could get everyone free and get out. It took longer than we thought, and the weather turned.”
“Why didn’t you call for help right away?” John asked as he reached them.
The young man shrugged. He was ill equipped for hiking the rugged terrain in the cold weather. He was wearing sandals and shorts with a light jacket.
“We didn’t want to bother anyone.”
John eyed him suspiciously. “Tell me this isn’t one of those stupid drug drops.”
“Out
here
?” Stella asked.
“A plane or helicopter drops the drugs and then emails the coordinates. That leaves big, dumb lawbreakers to go down and pick them up.”
John used his flashlight to pick out a plastic-wrapped bundle with sturdy twine around it. “I guess this must be cheese, right?”
The young man in shorts started crying. “We didn’t know this was going to happen. It wasn’t supposed to be such a long way down.”
“Never mind,” John grunted. “Let’s get out of here and then we’ll have a nice talk.”
Stella and John got their ropes around the two injured students, both young women. They had injuries to their legs and arms where the rocks had hit them. Stella felt sure one of them had a broken arm.
“She won’t be able to hold the rope for them to pull her up,” she told John.
“I think we have the same problem with the other one. Her leg is broken.”
Stella radioed her team. “Send the basket down. We’ll have to pull these two up one at a time. Are the medics here yet?”
Kent answered, “Yeah, Chief. They’re here now. Are we going to need another ambulance?”
“I think so. Call Tagger and let him know.”
Once the person-sized basket was lowered down to them, John and Stella put the woman with the broken leg into it. They secured her and let Kent know that she was ready to be pulled up.
John went to check on the young man still trapped under the rockslide. He was unconscious. One of his legs was dangling off the side of the ledge while the other was caught under a large rock.
Stella watched the basket go slowly up the side of the mountain.
“I think this other one might be more complicated,” John told her. “I don’t know if we can get him out by ourselves.” He explained the situation.
“What do you have in mind?”
“I was thinking we might need to borrow a helicopter.”
Stella wasn’t sure about that. “Will they come out with this heavy ice falling?”
“I don’t know. It’s either that, or this kid is gonna have to spend the night up here. I don’t know if he’ll make it. His pulse is already thready and weak.”
Stella trusted his judgment. “I’ll have Tagger make the call.”
The second woman was at the top. As soon as the ropes were returned and the team was ready, the other young man not trapped under the rocks would be on his way off the ledge.
“What’s the plan?” Stella asked.
“We have to be careful or the slide is going to move again,” John cautioned. “Too much effort, and all three of us will be in the ravine.”
Stella thought about the problem. “I think we have enough room to use a jack to lift the rock and pull him out.”
John nodded. “Sounds doable.”
Tagger radioed back that the forest service was sending a helicopter. That part of the plan seemed to be working. The team above was already hauling out the uninjured hiker. Just one more hiker, and the ledge would be clear.
“Heads-up, Chief,” Kent warned. “We’re sending down the jack.”
Stella waited in the freezing rain, her bunker coat protecting her from most of the chill. Her boots were solid and dry. She was still cold, ready to go home and sit by the fire. Once they got the last young man off the ledge, all she had to do was climb out.
“Ready?” John asked as the spotlight they’d set up on the ledge showed the jack coming toward them with another basket.
She pushed her helmet down on her head and ignored the narrow ledge they stood on. “Oh yeah.”
The helicopter came before they could free the young man’s leg from the rock. It hovered far enough away that the strong wind from the rapidly moving blades didn’t affect them.
The pilot added an extra spotlight on the situation. The rockslide was even more devastating than they’d been able to tell earlier, reaching down hundreds of feet below where they were working.
Stella was using the jack to lift the rock. John had his arms around the young man to pull him onto the ledge when he was free. They had the basket waiting to attach to the helicopter, which would transport him to the hospital.
The problem was the edge and the loose rocks. As Stella jacked up the rock, smaller rocks rolled out from under it. One of the rocks, where John was crouching holding the victim, slid down about six inches and stopped.
“Faster,” he yelled at Stella. “I don’t know how much more this slide will take.”
“Believe me, I don’t want to be here any more than you do.” She kept pumping the jack as she spoke. She could almost see the injured man’s entire mangled leg and foot.
“Chief?” Kent called down from above them. “The victims have been transported. Mackie Fossett came by with his truck in case we need to take anyone else out.”
Mackie was a pepper farmer who lived nearby. Stella had visited his farm for a day to learn about peppers for the Sweet Pepper Festival.
“Thanks,” she answered back.
“Do you and John need some help down there?” Kent asked. “One of us can come down too.”
“I think we’ve almost got it,” she said.
The injured man regained consciousness at that moment. “What’s going on? I can’t
feel
my leg. Who are you people?”
“We’re the local fire department,” John answered. “You’re gonna be all right. We’re gonna put you into a safety basket for transport. Just hang on.”
John called the helicopter and told the pilot to come in closer. He and Stella lifted the injured man and secured him in the basket.
As the helicopter came close enough to attach the safety harness, the wind from the blades made John and Stella’s footing on the ice-covered ledge harder to maintain. Stella lost her balance and dropped to her knees as she was helping John attach the harness to the basket.
“Are you okay?” he shouted above the noise of the whirling blades.
“I’m okay. We’re ready.”
John radioed again to let the pilot know the basket was secure. The helicopter began pulling away, and the injured man started screaming.
It could have been the shift in moving the injured man’s weight from the ledge. Or it could have been the wind generated by the helicopter. They would never know for sure, but at that moment, the rock slide began moving downward again.
John was on the edge at that point as the basket was moving up past him. The rocks dropped away from under his feet leaving him with nothing but open space to cling to.
Stella thought fast and clipped the end of her rope to John’s harness. “Grab on tight,” she said to her team. “Double weight on this end.”
“Don’t worry, Chief,” Kent yelled back on the radio. “We’re ready.”
It was like a scene from a movie or a nightmare. The helicopter rose quickly into the dark sky with its burden beneath it. John was left in midair, his arms straight up, as his hands and feet tried to grab on to something that would save him.
As he fell off the ledge, Stella felt the abrupt pull at her rope and prayed that it would hold. It did, possibly too well, as it dragged her off of the side of the mountain with him.
They dangled in the darkness, swinging against the side of the dark mountain. A few tons of rock slid past them, but they were alive and uninjured, held from above by her team.
“It’s okay, Chief!” Kent yelled into the radio. “We got you.”
“I hope they have me too,” John shouted to Stella once the noise from the helicopter was gone.
“You’re here,” she said breathlessly. “I think they do.”
The progress going back up was slow and painful. Once they were on the bottom ledge again, another rope was sent down.
John ignored it. He grabbed Stella and hugged her, kissing her long and hard, even though the spotlight was illuminating them. The team above cheered.
“Thanks,” he said. “You saved my life.”
Stella tried not to take his actions to heart. He was just glad to be alive and she was the closest one to him. “It’s what I do.”
It was easier going from ledge to ledge. Stella and John were with the rest of the volunteers in ten minutes. They put their arms around each other as they began hiking off of the trail.
The Smittys, Chief Rogers, and Ben Carson were all waiting in their cars by the fire engine when the fire brigade reached the main road again.
As usual, the Smittys were full of questions and took dozens of pictures. Chief Rogers slapped John on the back when he saw him. He was equally enthusiastic when John told him about the drugs they had confiscated.
Bernard, Ben’s longtime driver, held a large black umbrella above his employer’s head. Ben hugged his granddaughter. “I heard the news and came right out. Are you trying to give an old man a heart attack?”
“Just doing my job.” Stella shrugged, still surprised by the fanfare that frequently accompanied the work done by the fire brigade.
“Could you be a little less heroic?” he requested. “Just kidding. I love you, Stella. I’m proud of you. I’m so glad you’re safe.”
The Smittys took several pictures of Ben hugging Stella. The volunteers were exhausted and cold. They climbed into the Cherokee and the fire engine and went back to the firehouse.
There was always the afterglow of what they’d done that carried them through changing clothes, cleaning the engine, and getting home again. By the time Stella had reached the cabin, that glow was gone, leaving her exhausted and ready for bed.
Eric and Hero wanted to hear everything. Eric had the TV on with the big headline
Local Fire Department Saves Hikers, Discovers Drugs.
“That was a close call,” Eric said when he heard the story from her. “Shouldn’t you be the one on the top ledge giving orders? You’re the chief.”