the thumbs up to the other fireman, he tugged on his rope and slowly, with help from above, began to make his way back up. Once he was out of the way, the second fireman moved in.
Glancing at Smiler, and noticing his grim, set face, Cox said, ‘Stop worrying, kid, the worst’s over. Ten minutes, tops.’
Smiler turned to look at him. His expression sent shivers down Cox’s spine, and what he said next did not help.
Shaking his head, Smiler said slowly, ‘No… It’s just begun.’
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
There was one nerve-wracking moment, when they all held their breath as the car got stuck in a small avalanche of soil. The firemen, jumping back down as if they were abseiling down the side of a building, managed to move it carefully away with their bare hands. Everyone was desperately praying that their actions would not start a bigger avalanche. The firemen were again hauled up to the road, then the final operation to get the car up, and Mike free, began.
At first it was inch by slow inch while everyone watched in fear, holding hands. The ten minutes that it took seemed to drag on and on. Then, amidst cheers, the car was finally pulled onto the road.
Smiler was the first one to the door. With a struggle, and a whole lot of determination, he managed to pull it open.
‘Mike.’
Kristina, standing right behind Smiler, echoed Mike’s name. Neither of them received an answer. Kristina’s hand went to her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears. Mike wasn’t moving. Please God, please, she prayed, let him be alive.
Smiler was frozen to the spot, his eyes wide in horror, convinced now that Rita had made a mistake. Stepping between them, Cox placed his fingers on Mike’s pulse. After a moment, his smile slowly spread. ‘He’s alive, thank God.’
‘What?’ Smiler gulped before echoing Cox. ‘He’s alive?’
Still smiling, Cox nodded.
Katrina wanted to jump in the air. Her heart racing, she said, ‘You’re sure?’
Smiler swung his gaze back to Cox, waiting for more confirmation.
Cox nodded. ‘Yep, he’ll be around to torment us for a long time yet.’ He lifted his hand to pat Smiler’s shoulder, thought better of it and said, ‘Looks like your friend Rita was right after all.’
Smiler gave him a slow, satisfied nod.
Cox moved over for the paramedic, a young man with a blond beard and moustache and the most startling green eyes, who placed his fingers on the same pulse as Cox. After a moment, he nodded, then started checking Mike out, while his partner - a middle aged woman with a friendly smile-and another fireman brought a stretcher over. By this time, two other firemen had taken the door off the car, making plenty of room for people to reach Mike safely.
‘We’ll have to move him to find out where the blood’s coming from,' said the young paramedic. 'I’m pretty sure he’s knocked himself out by hitting his head on the door. But it’s the blood I’m worried about. His vital signs are strong, though.’
Everyone hastily moved away to give the paramedics a chance to do their job. As they put him on the stretcher, Mike groaned. He opened his eyes, looked right at Smiler and, after a moment, winked. Smiler’s heart skipped a beat. Rita was right!
Wishing the wink had been for her, Kristina climbed in to the ambulance behind Mike, telling the paramedics that she was Mike’s partner, which was true - only, not in the way that they believed. Smiler put his foot on the first step of the ambulance, only to be held back by a restraining hand from the first paramedic, who had taken Mike’s pulse and declared him alive. Smiler refused to move.
‘Sorry, but family only,’ the paramedic said.
‘I am family,’ Smiler replied determinedly.
Seeing the stubborn look on Smiler’s face, he relented and, shaking his head, turned back to Mike. ‘OK, let’s see what we’ve got here. Can you turn over onto your right side, please, and we’ll see where the blood’s coming from.’
Smiler, who
Glancing at Smiler, and noticing his grim, set face, Cox said, ‘Stop worrying, kid, the worst’s over. Ten minutes, tops.’
Smiler turned to look at him. His expression sent shivers down Cox’s spine, and what he said next did not help.
Shaking his head, Smiler said slowly, ‘No… It’s just begun.’
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
There was one nerve-wracking moment, when they all held their breath as the car got stuck in a small avalanche of soil. The firemen, jumping back down as if they were abseiling down the side of a building, managed to move it carefully away with their bare hands. Everyone was desperately praying that their actions would not start a bigger avalanche. The firemen were again hauled up to the road, then the final operation to get the car up, and Mike free, began.
At first it was inch by slow inch while everyone watched in fear, holding hands. The ten minutes that it took seemed to drag on and on. Then, amidst cheers, the car was finally pulled onto the road.
Smiler was the first one to the door. With a struggle, and a whole lot of determination, he managed to pull it open.
‘Mike.’
Kristina, standing right behind Smiler, echoed Mike’s name. Neither of them received an answer. Kristina’s hand went to her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears. Mike wasn’t moving. Please God, please, she prayed, let him be alive.
Smiler was frozen to the spot, his eyes wide in horror, convinced now that Rita had made a mistake. Stepping between them, Cox placed his fingers on Mike’s pulse. After a moment, his smile slowly spread. ‘He’s alive, thank God.’
‘What?’ Smiler gulped before echoing Cox. ‘He’s alive?’
Still smiling, Cox nodded.
Katrina wanted to jump in the air. Her heart racing, she said, ‘You’re sure?’
Smiler swung his gaze back to Cox, waiting for more confirmation.
Cox nodded. ‘Yep, he’ll be around to torment us for a long time yet.’ He lifted his hand to pat Smiler’s shoulder, thought better of it and said, ‘Looks like your friend Rita was right after all.’
Smiler gave him a slow, satisfied nod.
Cox moved over for the paramedic, a young man with a blond beard and moustache and the most startling green eyes, who placed his fingers on the same pulse as Cox. After a moment, he nodded, then started checking Mike out, while his partner - a middle aged woman with a friendly smile-and another fireman brought a stretcher over. By this time, two other firemen had taken the door off the car, making plenty of room for people to reach Mike safely.
‘We’ll have to move him to find out where the blood’s coming from,' said the young paramedic. 'I’m pretty sure he’s knocked himself out by hitting his head on the door. But it’s the blood I’m worried about. His vital signs are strong, though.’
Everyone hastily moved away to give the paramedics a chance to do their job. As they put him on the stretcher, Mike groaned. He opened his eyes, looked right at Smiler and, after a moment, winked. Smiler’s heart skipped a beat. Rita was right!
Wishing the wink had been for her, Kristina climbed in to the ambulance behind Mike, telling the paramedics that she was Mike’s partner, which was true - only, not in the way that they believed. Smiler put his foot on the first step of the ambulance, only to be held back by a restraining hand from the first paramedic, who had taken Mike’s pulse and declared him alive. Smiler refused to move.
‘Sorry, but family only,’ the paramedic said.
‘I am family,’ Smiler replied determinedly.
Seeing the stubborn look on Smiler’s face, he relented and, shaking his head, turned back to Mike. ‘OK, let’s see what we’ve got here. Can you turn over onto your right side, please, and we’ll see where the blood’s coming from.’
Smiler, who
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