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“Scott Aldridge, I assume. Welcome to SAR. I’m Sebastian Danby, lead commander. Great to have you.”
“Thank you,” I reply, shutting my car door and shaking the man’s hand.
Sebastian gives me a nod before extending his arm toward the hangar. “I can see the gleam in your eye already. How long has it been since you flew?”
“Four months. And you’re right. I do miss it something fierce.”
“Then let’s get to it. I’ll show you around the facility, where you’ll be teaching, and the command center.” There’s a light laugh in his voice. “I imagine you’ll want to get up in the air too, so I’ve made time for that. I’ll show you some of the trails that are our most problematic in the fall and winter and the main areas.”
“Wait,” I say, confused over his wording. “Are you saying I already have the job?”
“You do. You came highly recommended and your time in the air force speaks for itself. It would be an honor to have you as part of my team.”
“Jesus,” I hiss to myself. “This is incredible. Yeah, let’s get started.” I clap my hands then rub them together. I feel like a kid in a candy store.
In minutes I know that Sebastian and I are going to get along great. The man has a keen eye for details and a way with giving succinct information. It takes us only an hour to tour the main building and the surrounding area. When we head to the hangar, I’m awed by the helicopters that are grounded here. My gaze shoots instantly to the S-92, a common sight for me, but then my attention holds on the heli at the far end. A Sea King.
With quick steps I head in that direction and pat the underbelly of the metal beast.
“I didn’t expect to see one of these.”
“Kept around for sentimental reasons.” Sebastian smiles, giving the heli a look I know all too well. One of awe and respect. Clearing his throat, he points to a small glassed-in office. “Flight school and heli hire is over there. And rescue services operate here.”
We continue walking and end up at another glassed-in office. Heading straight for the coffeepot, Sebastian silently gestures at a mug. I nod, desperately needing some caffeine. When we both have a steaming mug, we sit at the conference table. Around me, maps line the walls. Incident boards sit on large stands and binders of paperwork are stacked on top of each other.
Through the glass I can see a lineup of high-visibility red jumpsuits tucked close to the lockers. All tools of the trade I love. One of those lockers will be mine now and I can’t wait to get started.
Raising his mug in the direction of one of the boards, Sebastian begins telling me about their most recent call out, which happened two nights ago.
“As much as I don’t wish being lost and stuck in dangerous elements to anyone, I am itching to get out there.”
“You won’t have to wait long, I’d imagine. Calls happen at all hours, and soon enough you’ll be involved. We’re heading into the quieter months now that the worst of winter is over, but you’ll still be busy. I know you have two young kids. Did you arrange childcare yet?”
“Yes, they’re both enrolled in day care and my parents live very close by. They can take the kids whenever I need.” A picture of Elyssa also pops into my head. The soft hazel of her eyes and how they shined at me as she held Logan in her arms yesterday, giving him comfort.
“They’re also welcome here if anything urgent comes up,” Sebastian continues, breaking me out of my thoughts. “We don’t have a day care, but a lot of people here have kids. We’re a family and look after our own.”
I have to swallow down a lump of emotion at his words. I have truly missed this. Being part of a greater team. A community.
For the better part of the morning we go over maps and past rescues, getting me updated on all the procedures and challenges of the upcoming season. I was going to be responsible for forty people, mostly volunteers, in various locations, and a wide range of connections to other emergency services in the surrounding areas.
We are right in the middle of a maintenance report when an alarm blares through the hangar. Sebastian jumps up, almost upending his chair, and runs to the phone. His face takes on a serious glare as he listens, then barks out a series of questions.
I am up and by his side in seconds, desperate to know the responses he is getting. What location are we needed at? Who needs our help and what is their status? Hurt or lost? By ground or air?
Anticipating his next move, I pass the radio to Sebastian just as he is ending his call. He initiates the on-call beeper list and then we head to the lockers with fast feet.
“Give me the details,” I request as I spot my name above one of the lockers and begin to strip and get into gear.
My heart hammers in my chest. Not with fear, but with purpose.
This was my calling. What I was trained to do. Getting back in the air and helping others unlocked something in me that made me a better man. As we buckle ourselves into the heli and begin our assent, a thought occurs to me.
I’d never pictured myself as a husband and father because I could never imagine a life not in the service. Not flying. But this job was showing me how wrong I was. I could have everything I’d once hoped to have. And I could have it here, back home near the Rocky Mountains, if I was brave enough to go after it.
And after her.
Chapter Five
