Kay David - Silent Witness

She had to have help.

Twisting awkwardly, she slipped her hand down to her waist. Her fingers found only her belt and she moaned in disbelief. Her cell phone wasn’t there. Had she left the damn thing at home? Today of all days?

Then she remembered. When she’d edged in beside the armoire, she’d felt something give. It had to have been the phone’s holster, not her belt, as she’d thought. Patting the floor to her right, she found only bits of wood. Repeating the action on her other side, her hand grazed the holder. She quickly wrapped her fingers around it, scared it might somehow move.

The operator answered before the first ring finished.

“Courage Bay Fire Department. Please state the nature of your emergency.”

“Dispatch, this is Andrea Hunt, PRS, Squad One. I’m 10-7 but I need a unit for a 902 at 1425 Ocean View Drive, Code 3. I have a six-year-old juvenile down, possible broken ankle, possible internal injuries and one…adult…uh…926.”

She stuttered over the radio jargon she’d rattled off countless times, the numbers stalling in her head, cold and harsh. Her big sister and 926, the code for a fatality. They shouldn’t go together.

“Ten-twelve, Officer, while I call for unit.”

Andrea stood by as the dispatcher instructed. She didn’t want to look at Vicki again, but she couldn’t help herself. The light had shifted and she could see more of her sister’s face. It was untouched and exquisitely made up. Andrea guessed the accident had happened earlier that morning, but with Vicki, she couldn’t be sure. All her life, her sister had kept her makeup fresh and perfect, looking as good at midnight as she did first thing in the day.

The operator’s voice pulled Andrea back. “Units en route, Code 3 per your request.”

“Ten-four.” Andrea acknowledged the information then she closed the phone. Before she could decide what to do next, it rang. She answered instantly, an illogical fear swamping her that the noise might somehow cause the armoire to shift.

She answered, her voice shaky. “Hunt speaking.”

“Andie, it’s Alex! We caught the call and we’re on the way. What the hell’s going on? Isn’t 1425 your parents’ old place?”

Alex Shields was the captain of the other rescue squad and a close friend as well. Hearing his voice fueled a rush of relief—unfortunately it also made everything more real.

“It is their house,” she said thickly. “I came over to help my sister unpack. She moved in yesterday, but when I got here, she didn’t come to the door. I went inside and found…found my grandmother’s armoire had fallen over. They’re…they’re trapped beneath it, Alex. Vicki and her son, Kevin.”

“Oh, shit…” Over his curse, she could hear the sirens. “Andie…sweetheart…which one’s the 926?”

“She is.” Andrea swallowed hard then went on. “Kevin is right beside her with both his legs stuck. I hope you’ve got a full crew. We’re going to need it to lift this thing, then we have to get him to the hospital, full code.”

“I’m bringing everyone, don’t worry. Our ETA is five minutes, maybe less. Hang on, we’ll be right there.”

She hit the end key and looked over at her nephew. He had grown even paler. Holding her breath, Andrea scooted as close as she could. Her fingertips brushed his sleeve but he didn’t respond when she called his name. She continued to try and rouse him even though she had the feeling it was pointless.

After a few minutes, he blinked and stared right at her. There were questions in his gaze…but they stayed where they were and remained unspoken.

WHEN SHE HEARD the sirens drawing near, a mix of relief and anxiety washed over Andrea. Courage Bay was not a large town. By this time, everyone at the Bar and Grill probably knew what had happened and it would be only a matter of time until her parents heard, too. She didn’t want them learning the news of their daughter’s death from a stranger but she couldn’t call them now. Her phone had died a second after she had talked to Alex, the tumble from her waist apparently taking its toll.

She considered what their grief would be like, then she pushed the thought away. Getting Kevin out took precedence over everything else, including anyone’s sorrow.

Outside the siren grew louder and louder then ended abruptly, leaving only the rumble of the ladder truck’s engine. When it shut down, a swell of men’s voices replaced the momentary silence, Alex’s deep baritone ringing out above the others. He was in charge of an engine crew of four, a ladder truck crew of five, and the other paramedic rescue squad, which had two members. He was also responsible for all their air rescues. It sounded as if he’d brought every person under his command. The only thing she didn’t hear was the chopper.

Within minutes, they were on the front porch, Alex calling out for her.

“Break down the door,” she cried. “I’m in the living room.”

She gave the motionless Kevin another look, then eased up to stand against the wall. When the team entered and took in the situation, Andrea watched their expressions go from surprise to horror to determination. The Courage Bay Fire Department was comprised of professionals—they could handle anything and everything—but this was clearly something they hadn’t seen before.

With a stunned expression, Rhonda Sutton, Andrea’s partner in the ambulance they operated, lifted her eyes to Andrea’s and slowly shook her head, her dark gaze filling with tears. A tall brunette with six men always at her feet, Rhonda had a reputation for being tough, but Andrea had seen underneath the facade. Rhonda cared deeply about their patients…and even more so for her friends.

Alex put the team into action, Andrea alerting them to Kevin’s location as they planned how best to lift the broken cabinet. It seemed to take forever but in reality, only a few moments passed before they uncovered the little boy. He stared at the faces peering over him, his frightened eyes darting from the men to Andrea, then back again.

Finally able to get close, Andrea took Kevin’s fingers in hers and started to reassure him, but then she found herself distracted. One of the men had brought in a blanket to cover Vicki. When he placed it gently over the still form of her sister, Andrea had to force her gaze back to Kevin’s.

“It’s okay, baby. These…these are the firemen who work in Courage Bay,” she said. “They’re here to help us.”

Tightly gripping her hand, Kevin maintained his silence while they collared his neck and slipped the plastic backboard underneath him.

“You’re very brave.” Andrea walked beside the boy as they carried him out the front door. “I’m proud of you, Kevin. You’re doing a great job!”

With smooth movements they’d made a thousand times, the men loaded the six-year-old into the ambulance and secured the stretcher. Andrea climbed inside and kneeled down. “I’ll be right behind you in my truck, okay? When you get to the hospital, I’ll help them take you out. You aren’t scared, are you?”

He blinked then slowly shook his head. Brushing back a lock of his hair, she kissed his forehead, her throat stinging with tears she quickly swallowed. “That’s great because you have nothing to be afraid of, nothing at all. Five minutes and we’ll be there, all right?” She jumped out and started to close the double doors. A heartbeat before they slammed shut, she thought she heard him say a single word, but she hoped she was mistaken.

She had no idea how to answer when a child cried out for his mother.

GRANT PEELED HIMSELF off the leather seat of his white Impala and kicked the door shut behind him. Crossing the steaming street toward Hollenbeck Park, he lifted his sunglasses and blew his hair off his forehead. The heat was suffocating and had been for days. Demanding his attention like a dog that wouldn’t stop barking, the sun beat insistently down against his neck, making it impossible to ignore. The jacket he’d had on was long gone, shed in the car somewhere between Highway 101 and South Soto.