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Weathering the Firestorm

By Jen M. Hughes

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Chapter 1

The fire gained momentum as howling winds and sheets of swirling, red-hot embers barreled up the canyon. It was a roaring freight train off the rails. Douglas fir and pine treetops exploded, shooting fireworks into the smoky haze. As the fire leapt from tree crown to tree crown, the blaze became its own entity. A Dante’s Inferno of destruction with the sole intent to consume everything in its path.
The deafening roar reached Noah Smith before he felt the first searing lick of heat. He snatched the portable radio from his chest harness, then punched the transmit button.
“Attention! This is Chief Smith. Emergency Traffic on Division F. Deploy your shelters immediately. Repeat, deploy your shelters immediately!”
Noah peered through the thickening billows, reassured to find he was the last team member to leave the area. Straining with every muscle fiber, he dug his gloves into the rocky soil to gain enough grip to scale the last few feet of sheer cliff.
As he hoisted himself over the edge, his mind raced. He scanned the area for an open space to deploy his shelter. Perspiration poured down his face as he sought any pathway of escaping certain incineration. He spotted a slight depression on the forest floor. Desperate, he yanked his fire shelter out of his pack and wrestled inside. Once in, he laid as flat as he could... waiting.
The wall of screaming firestorm overtook him. Moisture was sucked out of his body as the desiccating wall of flame swept over him. Choking and gagging, panic seized him.


I can’t breathe!
He pressed into the ground and tugged his bandanna higher, the heat intense, was almost intolerable. Frantic, he clung to the edges of the thin shell separating him from death.
As the fire incinerated everything around him, the wind created its own alarming accomplice. Crackling whips and shrieking howls threatened to rip off the shelter. His muscles tensed with the desire to run and flee.
God... please help me... I’m going to burn... I have to run!
No... Stay put...
I’m going to die!
No... It will pass...
Drawing on his years of firefighting training, Noah shut his eyes against the agonizing heat, taking shallow, deliberate breaths. He forced himself through sheer determination to wait it out and gritted his teeth as the penetrating heat of the flames became unbearable. Then, as sudden as the firestorm came, it went. Ravenously seeking more fuel to gorge its insatiable hunger.
While he waited for the winds and blazing embers to calm, Noah thought of his crew sheltering in place. So many young firefighters, a handful newly married. Many families with young children or expecting. Engineer Dan and his wife were due any day. His yearling firefighter, Greg, showed lots of potential. Lately, Greg had been coming to work with stars in his eyes from a budding romance with Jess, a new firefighter. He recalled those feelings when he and Ashley first met. They had been able to keep the spark lit for most of their marriage, but lately things had changed.
Thoughts of his wife Ashley and their two daughters, Emma and Katie, momentarily distracted him. Katie’s birthday was tomorrow. His jaw tensed. I’m going to miss another birthday. He let out a ragged breath, realizing it was out of his control. Noah shifted his focus to the immediate task to get his crew down the mountain alive.
*****
Ashley slapped at the blaring 6:00 AM alarm. Another restless night of tossing and turning. One more day of her first conscious thought being, how soon can I go back to bed? She sank into the pillow and reviewed the busy day ahead. Today was Saturday and Katie’s tenth birthday. Over a month ago, she had a moment of sheer insanity, and had agreed to a pizza party followed by a sleepover for ten of Katie’s girlfriends. She’d been powerless against Katie’s big brown puppy dog eyes when she’d pleaded to have one friend for each year. After all, she would only turn a full decade once.
“One friend for each year Mom Please. Pretty please?”
Emma had seized on her moment of weakness and somehow convinced her to let two of her friends spend the night as well.
“Mom, can Zoe and Carissa spend the night too? What will I do with all of Katie’s friends here? Please?”
“The more the merrier,” she’d told them. Ashley just couldn’t resist the hope and sincerity in their eyes. The girls both knew they were her kryptonite. She was hopelessly wrapped around their fingers.
She grimaced, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. What in the world was I thinking? Twelve twittering tweens plus Emma and Katie?
She flung her left arm out toward Noah and found the other side of the bed unslept in. Arching her brows, she scooped up her cell phone from the bedside table and swiped for messages. None. Her feet hit the floor.
Noah said he would be home around midnight. He promised he would be released from the fire by 8:00 PM, report off, and drive straight home. Her heart sank. Katie would be so disappointed. This was the third birthday in a row he’d missed. Lately, she had been making comments how her dad was never around anymore.
Ashley thought, we all miss him. But he has an important job to do. It can’t be helped.
Regardless of her affirmations, a flash of concern swept through her. Where was he? More importantly, why hadn’t he called or texted? She chewed her lip and swiped her phone again to double-check. No calls or texts.
Beside her, Trina, their tabby, arched into an exaggerated stretch and delicately yawned before she sprung from the bed. She meowed at Ashley, and swished her tail against her legs.
With a heavy sigh, Ashley trundled into the bathroom. Persistent dark circles reflected back in the mirror. Turning her body sideways for a profile view, she focused on her thickened middle and love handles. Well... You are one hot mama! Her lips curved down into a frown. I can’t imagine why he didn’t just run on home like he used to. She plucked her fluffy bathrobe from the back of the door and shoved her arms into the sleeves.
As she cinched the belt snugly around her waist, she resolved, starting Monday, to skip the workday frappuccino with extra whip and go for a brisk walk instead on her break. Ashley sucked in her tummy, splashed cold water on her face and brushed her teeth. With a yawn, she snapped off the bathroom night and headed into the hallway. Next item on the agenda: coffee. Hot, black, and lots of it. Ashley shuffled into the kitchen and flipped on the coffee machine. She was immediately greeted with joyous barking. As soon as she opened the latch of their two-year-old golden retrievers’ crate, brother and sister, Nikki and Callie, bounded out.
“Good morning to you too!” She patted their heads while making her way to the back door.
The dogs fell over each other, leaping out to the backyard and barking wildly at some invisible predator. She shook her head and grinned. Trina called her attention back to the kitchen, meowing mournfully while she pawed at her empty food dish.
Ashley smiled as she refilled her water and spooned out wet food. “So sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Trina.”
Trina’s tail brushed her ankles as she stepped over her on her way to grab a mug out of the cabinet and filled her mug to the brim. With a grateful sigh, she wrapped her hands around the fragrant steaming brew and sat down at the counter barstool. She savored the first sip as she reached for her phone and glanced at the news feed on her phone. On the First Official Day of Fire Season, Will Global Warming Make It a Year-long Event?
Sputtering, she set down her mug and scrubbed her face with open palms. Wonderful. Bring it on!
Anger shot through her body as she flung her phone across the room. She heard the sound of breaking glass and clasped a hand over her mouth. Ashley hopped off the bar stool and strode across the room. She picked up their wedding picture with youthful happy faces, looking up at her through the cracked glass. A lump rose in her throat. Her eyes prickled with unshed tears.
She had been so lonely before meeting Noah. There had been other relationships, a few serious but never long lasting. For years Ashley had prayed to meet her future husband, the man of her dreams. The man God had destined for her from the beginning of time. She prayed to become the woman God intended her to be. She prayed for the family they would have one day and for all the wonderful memories they would create together. Sometimes, it seemed hopeless that the right person would come along, but God’s promises in Jeremiah 29:11 often came to her mind and provided her with strength and trust in God’s timing.
“For I know of the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
Little did she know then, but Noah had been praying this same verse as well. God had a plan for them to be man and wife. A perfect plan.
A decade and a half later, fire season had no beginning or end. It was becoming more difficult to arrange special occasions. Even scheduled days off were often cancelled, with no exceptions except serious hardships. The family understood his career was Noah’s duty and service. But, it was harder and harder as the days became weeks and he missed more and more important events. Ashley tried very hard to keep her and the girl’s spirits up however it was a challenge. She missed him. Noah was her rock. He grounded her and calmed her anxious mind. She felt the safest in his arms when she could let go of all of life’s responsibilities and feel loved and protected.
Despite how much Noah loved his job, it wasn’t like him not to call if he was able. She tried to reassure herself by thinking about the many justifiable reasons for his delay, which he would explain in his thoughtful and patient way.
He would wrap his arms around her, drawing her in tightly against his muscular chest. His dark brown eyes would gaze hungrily into hers, strong lean biceps locking her body into an ardent embrace. She could almost feel his soft yet firm lips brushing hers, making her feel like she was the only woman on earth.
“Mom! Mom!” Katie screamed.
Jolted, she raced up the stairs. “What? Unless there’s blood, this better be important.”
“Mom.” her youngest daughter implored, “Chester’s stuck behind the dryer, and he’s getting squished!”
“That darned hamster.” Ashley wrestled the dryer from the wall. “Did you leave his cage open again?”
She freed the trapped hamster from certain death by dryer and turned to Katie. “Put him in his cage, and make sure you latch the door.”
Ignoring her, Katie fussed with Chester and stroked his fur.
Ashley moved the dryer back into position with a stern glance at Katie. “Honey, we have a lot to do before your party, and we’re burning daylight. Please go wake your sister and come downstairs for breakfast. Don’t forget, it’s your turn to feed the fish. And after breakfast, the dogs need to be walked and Trina brushed.”
Katie smiled. “Got it, Mom. Thanks for saving Chester’s life!” she added dramatically.
As she headed down the stairs, Ashley called out to her daughter. “You’re welcome, and Chester is welcome. But remember to shut his cage from now on.”
Back in her bedroom, she glanced at the bedside clock. Another hour had passed with no word from Noah. Chewing her bottom lip, she paced the room. Something is wrong. I just know it... I feel it.

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