So I went searching for him, heading deeper into the trees and away from the others. Yeah, I’d likely get into trouble, but if we had a man down, I refused to leave him behind.
No matter his affinity for cruel tactics.
Bam!
More trees fell like candlesticks, weakened by the heavy storms from earlier in the year. Smoke lingered in the air, making it impossible to see more than a few feet in front of me, yet I kept going. Something finally caught my eye and I trudged through muck and debris to get to the spot.
“Fuck.” The officer was down, a tree landing on his leg. I dropped beside him, assessing his condition. With the training I’d had in the Army, I could instantly tell his leg was broken in two places. As soon as I touched his arm, he tried to jerk up. The asshole had removed his mask, tossing it somewhere. Damn it. He knew better. Masks saved lives.
Terror flooded his face and he immediately reached for his weapon.
“Whoa. It’s me, Viper,” I told him.
Coughing, he blinked furiously, his eyes dilated from the pain.
Instantly I yanked off my mask, pressing it against his face. “Breathe. Just breathe. I’ll get you out of here.” Given he was the only one with a radio, I made the call first. “Mayday. Mayday. Officer down, crew possibly trapped on Garnet Ridge.”
“Who is this?”
“Inmate five-six-two-nine-four, Rory Locke.”
The fucker hesitated, likely thinking I was playing some game. Damn it.
“This is serious. Officer under duress.”
“What’s the condition, Inmate Locke?”
“Officer Dunham’s tibia has suffered a comminuted fracture resulting in an open, displaced break. The distal fragment is protruding through a three-centimeter laceration, creating a compound fraction with significant contamination. In addition, we have a crown fire that while we’ve managed to contain, could reignite at any time. I’m going to carry the officer to the second tier of Garnet Ridge if someone could meet us.” That would be fucking great.
“Hold on a minute.”
“We don’t have a minute. We don’t have ten seconds. I need to get him the hell out of here and guide the men to safety!” Now I was pissed. Yeah, I understood a chain of command. Fuck. I’d lived it for over four years. But Jesus Christ, the system was fucked.
Out of breath from the lack of oxygen, I was forced to grab the mask, inhaling deeply. The last thing the officer needed was for me to pass out.
“You have your okay, Inmate Locke. But do not leave the area.”
Where the fuck did they think we were going to go? Disneyland? I secured the mask onto Dunham’s face before dragging the heavy log further away. He screamed in pain.
Crouching near him, I scanned the area. “Listen to me. I’m going to get you out of here, but you can’t fight me. Moving will hurt like hell, but I have no choice. Got it?”
Even in the smoke I could see his wide eyes as if he expected me to toss him off the mountain. Yeah, that’s what every convict was, a dangerous predator and not redeemable. Fuck that. I couldn’t allow my anger to get in the way. As soon as he nodded, I had him on his one good leg, swinging him over my shoulder.
There was no time to waste, another section of the forest on fire. Thankfully, it was away from where I was headed.
When the others noticed who I had in my arms, one of them dared laugh. Then Rufus, perhaps the biggest, baddest motherfucking inmate the system had ever seen got in his face. A single glare from him and the others followed along like lapdogs.
An hour and ten minutes later and we were almost to the ridge, the sound of the approaching helicopter giving me some sense of relief.
While I was no hero, at least I’d done my good deed for the day.
Not that it would win me any brownie points.
* * *
Boots on the ground, only those attached to the men coming down the concrete walkway passing one locked cell after another weren’t about a military operation. The officers were gunning for one of the inmates. I could tell by the purposeful walk.
Inmates jeered as usual, tossing insults as if to prove their manhood.
