Drake Sisters 04 - Dangerous Tides

The Huey slowed significantly. Ty's gut knotted.

    "Speed is back, you're cleared to the skid."

    Sean unhooked his secondary securing strap as he replied, "Crew chief moving to skid." He stepped out onto the tank and then onto the skid, securing himself with careful precision. "O.K. crew chief is all secured and on the skid."

    The traffic pattern was downwind, leg, base leg and final leg. Brannigan turned into base leg and cleared first rescuer to the skid.

    Ty's heart leapt in his chest. He was hooked up to the rescue rope and the crew chief, with hand signals, told Ty to disconnect the seat belt.

    "Rescuer one is moving to the skid." There would be a significant weight shift as Ty moved to the right side and the pilot had to compensate. Sam, as rescue supervisor, took a position where he could observe and double-check everything. Ty waited as the two men inspected everything a third time, from the ropes to his safety harness.

    "Crew chief is performing a final rigging and safety inspection. Does the rescue supervisor concur?"

    Sam's voice was hoarse. "Rescue supervisor concurs."

    "Does the pilot concur with the mission?"

    "Pilot concurs. Pilot has lost contact."

    "Crew chief has the target, continue to move forward fifty, forty, thirty, twenty. Tail and main rotor are clear, you can come down ten." Move was horizontal and come was vertical. Sean directed the pilot as close to the target as possible while keeping them all safe.

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    Ty waited, his heart pounding in his ears nearly as loud as the helicopter. It was moments now. The helicopter went stationary, hovering above the target.

    "Rescuer will now be lowered out the door."

    Sam began to feed the rope through to the breaker bar to lower Ty. Ty swung beneath the skid in a smooth, practiced move, the bottom of his boots snug against it to prevent oscillation.

    "Rescuer one is going inverted," Sean reported to the pilot as Ty went upside down.

    From that point the ball was in Ty's court. He signaled with exaggerated arm movements to the crew chief who relayed instructions to the pilot. Everything would depend on what he found when he reached the victim. Blood rushed through his body and his heart pounded almost as loudly as the violent waves below. Time seemed to slow, to tunnel, as he narrowed his focus to the waiting victim.

    As he descended, he could see the waves breaking over the more jagged rocks farther below where the victim—a teenage boy—appeared to be conscious, but was writhing in pain. As Ty drew near, he could hear the boy screaming.

    "Rescuer is four feet, three, two, one. Rescuer is on the ground. Come down five for slack."

    Ty disconnected the moment he was stable on the huge rock formation.

    "Rescuer is D.C.ing. Rescuer is moving left-front."

    The rope began to retract as Ty made his way to the victim. The rocks were slippery and he had to use extreme caution.

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    "Rope is coming back into cabin. Rescue supervisor is into cabin. Crew chief coming into cabin. Crew chief in cabin. You are cleared for forward flight."

    Ty took a deep breath as Brannigan took the helicopter back to the clearing and shut down to give him time to assess the patient without distraction. The boy's face was twisted with pain, but he tracked his rescuer with his gaze as Ty eased his way over the outcropping and around loose rock. To his astonishment, he recognized the kid.

    Drew Madison was a leukemia patient. What in the world would he be doing climbing the cliffs of Sea Lion Cove?

    "Drew. You've got yourself in a bit of a mess, but I'm here now. We'll get you out of this." He kept his voice soothing and calm. "Work with me. I know it hurts, but we're giving you a ride in the helicopter.
    How many people can say that?" As he talked, he quickly checked vitals and looked for places the blood was coming from. "Do you know where you are?"

    Drew nodded, his eyes a little wild. "On the rocks."

    "Good, good. And your name?"

    "Drew Madison."

    Ty grinned at him. "You appear to have fallen off the cliff, Drew, and you have a couple of broken bones. I want you to lie quietly and be very still for me. It's slippery up here."

    Drew had a bump on his forehead. His legs had taken the brunt of the fall. He'd landed on his feet, gone to his knees and had fallen forward, facedown, which wasn't consistent with