Free Wildfire at Dawn by M. L. Buchman

Henderson’s snapped out response. He’d never thought about the fun of harassing the ICA, but becoming the lead smokie just two months before hadn’t come with a list of all the perks. He’d just found a new one.
    Akbar checked upslope. Laura had the kids and the father all under control, keeping them well anchored. Grayson’s situation wasn’t going to get any worse.
    Barely a minute later the first ski patroller arrived. She gathered up the four adults at the top of the slope where Akbar had forbidden them to move before he’d dropped his anchor point on the line and headed downslope.
    Two more patrollers arrived right behind the first, coming down to the middle of the slope. They set up a relief on the line to get Laura off-anchor, though she stayed planted as a safety. Then they drove down a couple of snow anchors and tied the family off as well. They copied Laura and stayed carefully planted.
    By the time the patrol had rigged another line and were lowering Akbar down to Grayson’s position, he could hear the pounding of the approaching chopper. They were less than ten minutes flying time from MHA’s air field.
    Grayson was conscious now, swearing up a storm and threatening lawsuits that thankfully couldn’t be heard beyond the confines of his hole in the snow.
    “Hey!” Akbar considered cutting the line and letting him fall down wherever the stream disappeared to back under the snow.
    Grayson’s invective was heating up. Sick of it, Akbar pulled out his knife and flicked open the long folding blade.
    One good look at it mere inches from his face was enough to shut the man up.
    “First, let’s hope the man out there doesn’t sue you for endangering his children through your stupidity, because I sure as hell will stand witness for them.”
    The guy snorted again, restarting his nose bleed.
    “Second, you’re going to tip the lady big time for ruining her nice outing.”
    He went a little cross-eyed trying to focus on the moving tip of Akbar’s knife.
    “Third, if I ever, ever find out that you’ve told a single story that makes me wish I’d cut this line and let you fall, I will hunt you down. Or should I cut it now and save myself the trouble?” He shifted the blade toward the taut line keeping Grayson suspended above the rocks and mostly out of the rushing water.
    “Uh,” Grayson started nodding rapidly then moaned as that set up enough motion to bang his broken leg into the side of a boulder.
    Well, the nod was answering the wrong question, but the man had the idea loud and clear now. Akbar tucked the knife away with a quick flick and looked up to make sure no one had been watching his bluff.
    Then he got back on the radio and began guiding Jeannie on how to place the basket litter she was lowering into the hole. Once he had Grayson cocooned and strapped in, he snapped himself to Jeannie’s long line and let go of the ski patrol’s rope.
    After a slow and anxious minute jostling to one side then the other of the narrow crevice, they were clear of the hole. He shot a salute of thanks to the ski patrol and waved at Laura.
    The Lodge had an ambulance waiting in the parking lot by the time they arrived. Too many cars, so there was no open spot to land the chopper, but they set the basket down and got the jerk transferred. Akbar repacked the basket straps and detached himself.
    “You’re clear, Jeannie,” he called up on the radio. “Thanks. Have Mark send the bill to Grayson Masterson through the Lodge. There will be no problem with him paying it.”
    “Emergency Search and Rescue, we charge double.”
    “I’d go for triple, he earned it,” he let his droll tone explain how bad that had been. “You’re the best.”
    “Tell the guys that,” she was laughing. “Say hello to your girlfriend for me.” And she was gone.
    Girlfriend? The small crowd that had gathered just as quickly dispersed, leaving Akbar at something of a loss. He found a stone patio at the back of the Lodge that