Page 40 of Bronx

"Those flames are going to reach that gas tank soon," someone said unhelpfully from above.

"Mommy!" he cried as I spun around and raced back toward the car. Fire had overtaken fifty feet of the landscape and it was circled around three fourths of the car. It flicked and shot toward Helix as he worked to get the woman free.

I kicked dirt toward the flames, just as I would do on a fire mission. It did little to slow the spread, but it helped me navigate my way safely back to the car. Helix had a death grip on the handle. "It's stuck. I think it's just jammed from the impact."

I got behind him and circled my arms around his waist. I found solid ground to brace my feet against. "I'm ready."

Helix grabbed the handle. "On three. One, two, three." Our grunts shot into the night air as we both pulled with all our strength. The door opened, sending us both backward. Helix landing on top of me. Flames lapped at our arms, singeing us both good before we righted ourselves. Helix pushed into the cab of the car. "She's conscious. Limbs moving. I'm bringing her out," he called. Inside the cab I could hear the woman moaning in pain and asking about her son.

"Evan is fine," I said. "He's already free of the car and getting help."

Sobs of relief followed. "Thank God for you angels," she muttered.

Helix got the woman free. I helped him get to his feet with the woman, then I stomped a path through the flames and embers, kicking burning debris with my feet and kicking dirt onto flames wherever possible. I led him halfway up the hill and turned to take over. It was nearly straight up, like climbing stairs without the convenience of actual steps. The sirens drew near and red flashing lights lit up the night sky. Highway patrol was the first to arrive. A fire truck rolled up right after.

Helix led the way and looked back. "Doin' all right, Bronx, or do you need to hand her back? Just thirty more feet or so."

"I've got it," I said between breaths. With my next step on the steep terrain, an explosion and blinding light ripped through the air. The waves of energy pushed me to my knees. The woman groaned in pain and grabbed tightly to my neck. "Where's Evan? Where's my little boy?"

Evan had heard. "I'm here, Mom. Up here." She lifted her head weakly as Evan waved from the roadside. Someone had draped his shoulders in a blanket and handed him a water bottle. The mother was in worse shape than the boy, but it seemed they were both going to make it.

Helix had trekked back down to where the explosion had dropped me to my knees. I lost a few feet of ground in a short slide. Helix leaned down. "I'll take her from here." I could see his gaze in the light of the fire. It was genuine concern. "You all right, Bronx?"

"I'm good. How about you?" The red spots on his arm were starting to blister. I could feel my own burns heading that way too. Minor injuries considering the car had obliterated the area we just came from.

"Right as fucking rain." He lifted the woman. I pushed to my feet. I glanced back down to the car. It was engulfed in flames. The fire crew that had pulled up was just starting to work on dousing the fire before it took hold of the whole slope. A round of applause echoed off the hillside as Helix and I reached the road. He patted me on the back. "Good work, partner."

"Same to you, partner." It seemed that right then, we remembered what we were a part of, something much bigger than ourselves. Teamwork got the woman free. We'd needed each other tonight. Just like every time we faced down a wildfire.

Medics had the mom on a gurney as they took her vitals and pushed her to the ambulance to get out of the cold night air. Evan was already sitting inside the ambulance looking as shaken and scared as a kid could look. This was a night he would never forget. I walked closer to the back of the ambulance and leaned inside.

Evan smiled when he saw me. "It's you. Thanks for getting my mom out."

"I'm glad we got both of you out. You take care of your mom now. She's really going to need you."

His face was streaked with tears and dirt. "Will she be all right?" he asked.

"She'll be fine. This will be quite a story to tell your friends, eh?"

He nodded and a glimmer of a smile appeared. "They're never going to believe it."

"Hey, they're bringing your mom now. They'll be taking both of you to the hospital just so you can be checked out."

"Looks like we need to check you out too," a familiar voice said from behind. I swung around.

"Hey, Pete, working the late shift, eh?" I'd trained with Pete as a paramedic, and I was usually paired with him when I worked in the off season.

"Yeah, trying to make a few extra bucks. Saw your name back on the roster for next week." He motioned at my arm. "Although, looks like you might have to hold off. That is at the very least a second degree burn."

I looked at my arm. "Yeah but you should see the other guy," I joked.

"Actually, I did. He's worse. Both of you need to head into the ER to get those burns treated. You want a lift, or are you all right to drive on your own?"

Helix joined us. "Is this guy ordering you about too?"

I looked at his arm. "Yeah but I'm thinking he's probably right. You all right to drive that big beast of a truck, that unwieldy slow as molasses monster, or do you want to ride with me?" I asked.

"Shit, you think I want to be seen in a jeep?" Helix chided. He lightly slapped the back of my head. "See you there. And good work."

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