Page 59 of Colton’s Inferno

Lucy walked to the edge of the woods and peered into the trees. Staring back at her, like the eyes of an angry beast, were the taillights of Grandpa Rusty’s truck.

Aiden didn’t stay at his mother’s long. It was Sunday morning, and Emily had things to do. He, however, had an endless day filled with nothing. As he drove home, he tried to think of something to fill his time. He could always call Kelly and see if his sister wanted to get together for lunch or dinner. Maybe he could text his brother Wyatt for a game of one-on-one basketball. Or maybe, with the concussion, that wasn’t the best idea.

Then again, there was only one person he wanted to see.

Lucy Harris.

His phone blared with an emergency alert from the Red Grove Fire Department. It didn’t matter that he was on medical leave. The warning came automatically to every member of the fire department. He winced as the noise bore a hole into his skull. He pulled the phone from the cup holder, ready to silence the alarm.

He caught a glimpse of the screen.

Vehicular accident at Five Steers Ranch.

Elderly male is unresponsive.

There were directions to where the car was located, along with a request for an ambulance.

Aiden tossed the phone back into the cup holder. He was less than a mile from the Five Steers Ranch and could be on-site within minutes. Dropping his foot onto the accelerator, he propelled the car down the road.

The entrance to the ranch loomed above the dirt track. He pulled onto the road without slowing. His car bumped and jostled up the hill. He passed the house. The mint green car that Lucy had driven last night was parked next to the front door, but the truck was gone.

He turned onto another dirt road that ran alongside a pasture before heading into the tree line. The forest passed in a blur. The engine growled as Aiden pushed the car to go faster up a steep hill. He started to come down the opposite side and dropped his foot on the brake. The car skidded to a stop.

Lucy stood in the middle of the road. Her face was pale, and her lips were pressed into a colorless line. After shoving the gearshift into Park, he turned off the engine and opened the door.

“I got the alert.” He wanted to hug her and tell her that it would be okay. But now was not the time. “Where’s Rusty?”

She pointed toward the woods. “He’s over there.”

The ground, softened by the previous night’s rain, was chewed up by tire treads. There was a groove consistent with a skid mark that led toward the woods. As he got closer, he could see a gap in the trees. He looked down a hill and saw it.

The truck had smashed into a boulder.

Lucy stood at his side. “The engine was still on,” she said. “So, I turned it off. I didn’t smell any fuel, but I didn’t want to risk anything if there was a leak.”

“That’s smart,” said Aiden. “And your grandfather?”

Her eyes shone with unshed tears. “He’s unconscious. I slapped his cheeks, but he didn’t respond. I thought it was best to leave him in the seat. I figured the EMTs wouldn’t want him to be moved.”

A pit formed in his gut. The outcome for an elderly person in an accident could be complicated at best. “I’m going to check on Rusty. I need you to wait for the ambulance.”

“I can do that.”

He reached for her arm. “It’ll be okay.”

“Don’t make a promise that you can’t keep, Aiden.”

Had there been a hint of anger in her voice? Then again, he didn’t blame her for being scared and on edge. Shaking off any worries about Lucy, he sidestepped down the hill. The door to the truck was open. Rusty was belted into the seat and his head rested on the steering wheel. A thin line of blood ran from his hairline and down the side of his face.

“Rusty,” he said, raising his voice. “It’s Aiden Colton. Can you hear me?”

There was no response.

Rusty’s arm dangled at his side. He placed his fingers on his wrist, feeling for a pulse. It was there, as thin as a thread. His chest rose and fell slowly.

“Looks like you’ve been in an accident. The ambulance is on the way. They’ll get you stable and to the hospital.” Aiden had been the first on the scene more than once. It didn’t matter if someone was unresponsive, he believed that they were aware of everything going on around them. That’s why he always spoke to people like they were fully cognizant. “I’m going to check you over while we wait.”

He pressed his ear to Rusty’s back, listening for a wheezing or gurgling that would mean a punctured lung. There was nothing. He patted the man down, searching for blood or broken bones. His quick scan revealed nothing alarming.