Page 3 of Rescue

My breath is shallow, my heart pounding in sync with the storm. The narrow road hugs the edge of a ridge, the drop below obscured by the blur of rain and darkness. Every jolt of the truck slams my medical bag into my thigh, a reminder of the fragile life we’re racing to save.

A sharp bend in the road looms ahead, and my stomach tightens. The track is barely more than a slurry of mud and rock now, the rain reducing it to something more river than road.

And then I hear it—a deep, guttural roar, low and ominous, rising above the noise of the storm.

“Landslide!” Will’s voice cuts through the chaos.

Everything happens at once.

The side of the mountain collapses in a torrent of mud and rock, slamming into the Hilux with the force of an avalanche. The truck spins, the world tilts, and I’m thrown against the door as the vehicle skids off the road.

Noise engulfs me—metal crunching, glass shattering, the relentless roar of the landslide. The Hilux jolts to a halt, wedged against something solid.

For a moment, there’s nothing but the ringing in my ears and the pounding of rain.

“Mel?” I croak, my voice weak.

“I’m okay,” she replies, her voice shaking but strong.

I twist in my seat, wincing as pain shoots through my shoulder. Mel has already freed herself and has scrambled from the car.

“Jon, help me,” she shouts as she tries to free Will.

He groans, his eyes fluttering open briefly before closing again.

Together, we wrestle with the seatbelt until we can free him, the slick mud making every movement harder.

“Careful,” I mutter as we pull him free, my training reminding me to stabilise his spine as best we can. We lower him onto the muddy ground, his body limp and heavy.

“Stay with me, Will,” I murmur, pressing my fingers to his neck. His pulse is faint but there, and relief floods through me.

But the moment is fleeting.

“Arif,” Mel shouts in a panic.

My head snaps toward the driver’s seat. Arif is slumped over the wheel, his body motionless.

“I’ll check him,” I say, my voice steadier than I feel.

The rain hammers down as I scramble to the driver’s side, slipping on the mud-slick ground. Arif’s face is pale, his chest still. I press my fingers to his carotid artery, holding my breath as I search for a pulse.

It’s there. Weak, irregular, but there.

I focus on Arif, my training taking over. I tilt his head back to open his airway, but there’s no change in his condition.

“Arif, can you hear me?” I say, my voice firm.

No response.

“He is not responding,” I call over my shoulder.

The mud shifts beneath my feet as Mel moves to help me. Together, we drag Arif from the truck, lowering him to the ground beside Will. I check both their pulses again and they are there. Faint but still providing a life sign. The rain pours over us, soaking through my clothes and chilling me to the bone.

And then Arif’s chest jerks.

“Jon!” Mel shouts, panic lacing her voice.

I freeze, my fingers hovering over his neck. His pulse is gone.

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