Page 39 of Bronx

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Ipulled over. Helix's headlights were blinding as he yanked up behind me. He threw the truck in reverse and turned the nose toward the embankment. Now those obnoxious high beams came in handy, lighting up the entire wilderness. We both jumped out of our vehicles and raced toward the crash site. We were no longer two men at odds about something personal, we were two members of the same crew.

The small sedan was upside down. Its motor was still running and headlights shot two strong beams of light ahead of it. Helix's headlights illuminated the dark cab of the car. It was smashed in, but the steel frame of the car had kept it from collapsing completely. There was little movement inside.

It was terrain that any untrained passerby could not have traversed easily, no clear footpath, steep and plenty of loose debris between chunks of granite. But Helix and I had trekked down paths like it dozens of times. We both trotted down it like mountain goats, me just ahead of Helix.

"I see smoke," Helix said.

I looked in the direction his hand was pointing, smoke and the last thing anyone wanted to see beneath an overturned car, glowing embers.

"The car must have struck some of this granite on the way down causing sparks. We need to get them free and far from the vehicle," I said.

Helix broke off from the same path I was on. "I see some cleared dirt behind the car. I'm going to see if I can douse those embers before they take off."

"Right. I'm going to get the passenger out first. Looked like a kid from the silhouette. I'd say ETA on emergency crews is still a good ten minutes out." I reached the passenger side while Helix used a rock to dig up loose soil. He tossed it onto the embers that were now starting to grow into actual flames. There was enough dry fuel on the hillside to start a wildfire and, more importantly, engulf the car.

I got down on my knees and peered into the cab. I could see the passenger, a boy maybe nine or ten, hanging upside down still strapped to his seat. His terrified face turned toward the window.

"It's all right. We're gonna get you out of there." The top of the door was jammed a few inches into the ground. I started digging to free it. "Helix, how's that going? We need to get them out of here. Think I'm going to need your help."

Helix's heavy, urgent footsteps plodded the ground behind me. "It's no use without a shovel. Let's get them out of here before this car goes up in flames." Up above on the road, voices and more headlights indicated a few more drivers had stopped to see what was happening.

"Need help?" a man called down.

"We've got it. Terrain is too steep. Just watch for the ambulances," I called back. I kept digging furiously, trying to get the door clear and free. Helix pulled on the handle as hard as he could and we managed to open it wide enough for me to squeeze inside. "Work on the driver," I said. "I've got the boy."

"Hey," I said quietly. "I'm Jack, what's your name?"

He sniffled, then weakly said Evan.

"Nice to meet you, Evan. I see your arms are moving. How about your legs?"

He shuffled his feet around and nodded.

"Anything hurt real bad right now?"

"Is my mom all right?" he cried. "Mom?"

I looked through the upside down cab and past the deployed air bags. Helix was knelt down next to the door. He was frantically digging it out.

I didn't need to look over my shoulder to know that the bright flash of light, reflecting off the broken front windshield was a flare up. The flames and embers were moving to the heavier brush. Up above people were yelling, 'watch out, fire!' It was time to get the kid free. He seemed to be moving all right, and I couldn't see any major wound.

"All right, Evan, I'm just going to squeeze past you and unlatch the seat belt. I'll catch ya, so don't worry."

"Get my mom," he sobbed.

"We're getting her too." It wasn't easy but I managed to reach around in the dark and find the seatbelt. I wrapped one arm around Evan. "Here we go, buddy." I clicked the belt and he slipped down into my grasp. Evan was sobbing by the time I shimmied out of the car with him in my arms.

Helix was still frantically trying to open the driver's door. "It's jammed tight from the crash,” he said through gritted teeth as he pulled at the handle.

Fortunately, Evan was light. I pushed to standing with him in my arms. Flames had halfway surrounded the car, lapping at the twisted metal while at the same time dancing back into the dry brush. In the distance, sirens wailed, but they were still too far off.

"I'm going to get the boy clear of any flames and dash right back," I told Helix. He was still trying to dig the door free.

I climbed the steep terrain and got within ten feet of the people standing on the roadside, watching and hoping they could help. Two men made the climb down to meet me.

"We're still trying to free the driver," I said as I handed the boy off to one of the men. "This is Evan."

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