Merry Christmas, Alaska by Jennifer Snow

Author:Jennifer Snow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HQN Books
Published: 2022-07-28T19:29:16+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

THE CALL COMING in to the station as Aaron arrived for his shift the next day was an unusual one. A private plane flying over Denali had gotten into trouble when its navigation system failed and was requesting assistance. The pilot had circled the area too long before running out of fuel and had had to crash-land in the backwoods, five miles from Port Serenity. Local search and rescue were asking them to air respond.

“Single passenger onboard, the pilot. He’s reporting moderate injuries and requesting immediate extraction. He’s stuck in the plane and there’s leaking fuel.”

The briefing was quick, and the crew launched into action within minutes.

Dwayne, Aaron and Miller were suited up and the helicopter was headed toward the crash site in record time. It was the first rescue responded to since Aaron and Dwayne’s bickering session in the training room the week before. They hadn’t spoken outside of work either. Aaron just hoped they could at least put aside their issues at work.

Of course, he wouldn’t be mentioning the time he’d been spending with Isla, and he struggled with his lingering feelings of guilt.

From his position in the helicopter doorway, Aaron spotted the wreckage in a clearing west of the Denali Glacier. The small, private plane was in pieces, metal and fiberglass littering the forest and black smoke spiraling up from the wreckage. It was a miracle the pilot was still alive.

“Crash site spotted,” he said over his headset to Dwayne.

“I’ve got eyes.”

Dwayne’s response irritated him. At the station, at the gym, at the pub, his buddy could keep the attitude, but on a rescue, he’d expect his crewmate to act professionally and keep the personal shit out of the chopper.

Miller shot Aaron a questioning look that said What’s his problem?, but Aaron shook his head. The drama bullshit could wait.

“Ready and in position,” he said as Dwayne hovered the helicopter over the crash site. High above the site. “Can you get any lower?”

“Not without risking hitting the tree. Afraid of the drop?”

Damn, they needed to hash this Isla thing out and fast. These rescues were dangerous enough without him having to put his life in the hands of someone who might be hesitant to save his ass if needed. He knew if it came down to it, he could trust Dwayne, but he’d like to feel a little sounder in that belief.

“Lowering now,” he said through gritted teeth, determined not to let Dwayne’s unprofessionalism distract him from the task.

As he lowered from the chopper, he scanned the area. The windshield of the tiny private plane was shattered, and the wings had broken off. The tail end was smashed, and the door was hanging off its hinges.

The pilot was trapped under metal from the front of the plane and waved both arms as Aaron lowered. He took in the wreckage and spotted the fuel leak, gas and other fluids seeping over the snow.

One wrong move and the plane could go up in flames.

Aaron reached the ground and approached the pilot.

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