BooksBarbecue
Back Present Danger Save as PDF
Chapters (77)
  1. Cover
  2. Endorsements
  3. Books by Elizabeth Goddard
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright Page
  6. Dedication
  7. ONE
  8. TWO
  9. THREE
  10. FOUR
  11. FIVE
  12. SIX
  13. SEVEN
  14. EIGHT
  15. NINE
  16. TEN
  17. ELEVEN
  18. TWELVE
  19. THIRTEEN
  20. FOURTEEN
  21. FIFTEEN
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. TWENTY
  27. TWENTY-ONE
  28. TWENTY-TWO
  29. TWENTY-THREE
  30. TWENTY-FOUR
  31. TWENTY-FIVE
  32. TWENTY-SIX
  33. TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. TWENTY-NINE
  36. THIRTY
  37. THIRTY-ONE
  38. THIRTY-TWO
  39. THIRTY-THREE
  40. THIRTY-FOUR
  41. THIRTY-FIVE
  42. THIRTY-SIX
  43. THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. THIRTY-EIGHT
  45. THIRTY-NINE
  46. FORTY
  47. FORTY-ONE
  48. FORTY-TWO
  49. FORTY-THREE
  50. FORTY-FOUR
  51. FORTY-FIVE
  52. FORTY-SIX
  53. FORTY-SEVEN
  54. FORTY-EIGHT
  55. FORTY-NINE
  56. FIFTY
  57. FIFTY-ONE
  58. FIFTY-TWO
  59. FIFTY-THREE
  60. FIFTY-FOUR
  61. FIFTY-FIVE
  62. FIFTY-SIX
  63. FIFTY-SEVEN
  64. FIFTY-EIGHT
  65. FIFTY-NINE
  66. SIXTY
  67. SIXTY-ONE
  68. SIXTY-TWO
  69. SIXTY-THREE
  70. SIXTY-FOUR
  71. SIXTY-FIVE
  72. A Preview of Book 2 in the ROCKY MOUNTAIN COURAGE Series
  73. Author’s Note
  74. Acknowledgments
  75. About the Author
  76. Back Ads
  77. Back Cover

Terra clambered over the boulders, making her way toward the river, which she hoped would stop the blaze. But fires could jump water when trees exploded and sparks drifted.

God, please . . .

The air was hazy with smoke, and she struggled to breathe. If the flames didn’t get to her, the smoke would take her out. She continued making her way toward the rocky bank of the Grayback River. Where the boulders extended across the river, they caused whitewater rapids. She would have to make her way farther down if she was going to cross.

Terra breathed in too much smoke and a fit of hacking spasms hit her.

Don’t panic. Don’t panic.

Panic could get her killed.

Calm down.

You’re the daughter of a forest ranger. You’re a forest service special agent.

Across the river in the shadows between the trees, a man in a gray hoodie stood watching. Terra almost shouted for help. He turned his back to her and disappeared.

THIRTY-FOUR

There!” Jack shouted. “I see her.”

His heart might have exploded with overwhelming relief, except Terra was by no means out of danger. Firefighters still fought to gain control of the flames.

Jack had “hijacked” one of the state’s Huey helicopters to search for Terra. Other Hueys were carting three hundred-gallon buckets of water to dump on the fire.

The chopper swooped closer to the Grayback River and hovered over the whitewater rapids, the din joining the rotors in intensity.

Hands on hips, Terra stood on a boulder near the rapids. Dirt and ash smudged her face and body, and despite the dry heat, her hair fell limp with sweat. His heart jumped to his throat at the sight of her. Alive. She was still alive. Jack had to keep her that way.

“Obviously, it’s not going to be a ground landing.” The pilot’s voice resounded through Jack’s helmet. “We’ll use the hoist. I’ll keep a good distance to avoid the rotors hitting the trees.”

“Good to know. I’ll go down and get her.” Jack secured himself on the cable and motioned for a state guy who went by the name Elk who had joined him on this search operation. Elk worked the winch that lowered Jack’s cable.

The smoke grew thick. A gust of wind caught the chopper, and Jack swung wildly over the rapids. His pulse spiked even though he was secured to the cable. Squeezing his eyes shut, he focused on calm, controlled breaths.

Please, don’t let me spin.

The cable began to lower him again, and he opened his eyes. Once again, the helicopter hovered above Terra, the pilot attempting a dynamic hoist—maneuvering the bird so the cable wouldn’t spin—which Jack appreciated.