“That’s why I can’t move it. I was afraid I was paralyzed.”
“That’s right,” she said, although she had no idea if it was the truth. She didn’t know if he was talking about his arm or leg, and she didn’t ask. The fact was, he could be paralyzed, but she certainly wasn’t going to tell him that.
He tipped his chin up, eyes focused on the ceiling. “I hear them. Do you hear that?”
Oh no, she thought, was she losing him? “What do you hear, Captain?”
“It’s all good.” His lips curved up into a smile as his head lolled to one side. “We’ll be fine now. We’ll all be fine...” His lashes drooped to cover his eyes, but the remnants of his smile lingered.
Mia went still, holding her breath and concentrating on the sounds around her. She couldn’t hear anything but the incessant pounding of the ocean’s waves against the plane, the groaning and grinding sound of twisted metal. Terror made her heart race. Maybe he’d hit his head harder than she knew... She reached out to check his pulse again.
His eyelids popped open. “I’m not losing my marbles, Dr. Frasier.” He added a chuckle. “Coast Guard helicopter. Go check on your mom. We’ll be out of here before you know it.”
* * *
PETTY OFFICER JAY JOHNSTON of Coast Guard Air Station Astoria was elbow-deep in a pile of chopped onions when the emergency call came in. Making chili wasn’t part of a flight mechanic’s normal duties, but it had sort of become one of his. His upbringing had ensured that he knew how to cook for a crowd and on a budget, which is how he often ended up here in the kitchen. An earlier transmission from an airplane en route to Pacific Cove had reported engine trouble. The second and last communication had just confirmed that the plane was going down.
Abandoning the chili pot, he hurried into his flight suit, grabbed his gear and ran to the Jayhawk helicopter. He was the first one there, but his teammate and friend Aubrey Wynn, the rescue swimmer on duty, was close behind him. Seconds later they were joined by Lieutenant Commander Holmes, the pilot, and Lieutenant Reeves, the copilot.
Within minutes the team was taking off, heading toward the last known coordinates for the plane. They discussed the possible locations of the fuselage.
“I know Captain Shear,” Jay said when he learned who was piloting the small fixed-wing aircraft. “Great guy. He was in the Air Force. Flew small planes and floatplanes for years in the Alaskan bush. He has skills. There’s a very strong chance he managed to land it in one piece. I think the plane could be floating down there.”
Lieutenant Commander Holmes was unsure. “There was so little time from the Mayday to the loss of communication. The chances of him managing a water landing are slim...”
On it went.
Jay glanced over at Aubrey, who was staring straight ahead. Her lips were moving, but no sound emerged, and he knew she was silently singing the words to Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” over and over again. It was part of her ritual and hey, who was he to question the methods of the best rescue swimmer he’d ever had the pleasure of working beside? Jay felt confident that if there were survivors in the ocean, this crew would bring them safely on board.
As the flight mechanic, operating the hoist to lower the rescue swimmer into the water was part of his job. After locating the accident site, the RS would be attached to a cable whereupon he, along with the precision flying skills of the pilot, would lower the RS into the water or onto a ship as quickly and efficiently as possible. Sometimes the target could be as small as a few square feet. Barely enough room for a person meant there was no room for error. Jay knew he was good at his job, but that didn’t stop the rush of adrenaline before every rescue. Lives were on the line—literally.
The voice of the copilot, Reeves, broke into his thoughts. “There it is!”
His gaze locked onto the location. The plane was floating on the surface like he’d hoped. Jay smiled. If anyone was alive inside, and he felt the possibility was strong, this could make the rescue go much more smoothly.
“Jay, what do you think?” Aubrey asked. “As close as you can on the starboard side?”
“Yes.” They went over the maneuver while he prepared the cable. Aubrey removed her ICS, or onboard communications, while he slid open the door of the helo. At this point, they would rely on hand signals until she’d boarded the aircraft below. She positioned herself on the edge and within seconds he signaled to her with a tap on the chest.
Indicating she was good to go, he released the cable, hoisting her down into the ocean. He never took his eyes off her as she unhooked the cable from her harness and flashed the “swimmer away” signal. He retrieved the cable as she swam the short distance to the plane. She climbed inside while he and the rest of the crew waited for her assessment.
A short time later the communication line crackled and her voice came through: “Three survivors. One is in good shape, the other two are injured and incapacitated. I’m sending up the survivor without injury first.”
A voice sounded in the background, loud and agitated. Jay was always amazed at both the bravery and cowardice that emerged from people in the midst of life-and-death situations. He’d seen the burliest, toughest-looking men cry like babies and demand to go first, while the most fragile of women refused to be taken until everyone else was gone. He’d seen men insist that their dogs be rescued before them, while he’d witnessed others charge forward ahead of their own children.
He wondered which case they were dealing with now.
* * *
MIA APPRECIATED THE rescue swimmer’s confidence and take-charge demeanor. After climbing into the plane, she introduced herself, assessed the condition of each of them, talking to both her and Captain Shear the entire time. “Once the water reaches a certain level, the plane is going to start sinking faster. I’m calling my crew now to let them know how we’re going to proceed.” She clicked on the radio and outlined her plan, which Mia was fine with until she heard her say she was sending Mia up first.
“No!” Mia shouted. “I can’t go first. Take my mom and Captain Shear. They need medical attention. My mom is unconscious and—”
“Mia!” Aubrey interrupted firmly. “I understand your opinion. I am aware of her condition. However, if the plane starts to sink then I’ll essentially have to do three difficult rescues. Right now I have one simple rescue and two that are more challenging. We will save you all, but please don’t make my job any more difficult.”
“Oh... Right. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. I know you’re worried,” Aubrey assured her as she checked and tightened the straps on Mia’s life jacket. “Your mom will go up right after you.” She made her way to the door as Mia followed.
“The water is going to be really cold. Don’t worry about swimming. Relax and float. I’ll get us into position and then I’ll signal to the helicopter. They will lower a basket, I’ll help you get in and you’ll be up in the helo in a couple minutes.”
“Okay,” she said. She wasn’t worried about the water. Her dad had been an officer in the Navy and made sure she and her brother were strong swimmers. Aubrey jumped into the water and motioned for her to do the same. Mia followed, but despite her confidence and Aubrey’s warning, the cold hit her like an electric shock. Because of the life jacket, she surfaced quickly but found that she was unable to inhale a breath. She felt as if she’d been flash-frozen and her lungs shrink-wrapped in the process.
She could hear Aubrey but all she could think about was air. Gasping and croaking, it seemed an eternity before the tension in her chest finally loosened enough to inhale. Unfortunately, the feeling didn’t last; she sucked in a deep breath at the exact moment a wave rolled over her. Water invaded her lungs. Panic took hold as she thrashed around trying to figure out which way was up until finally, she realized