Winter Comes Early
Chapter Two
When the movie ended it was nearly a quarter past eleven. Matt was reading a book and Jess went to make coffee for Cutler.
"Don't even try Jess. You know you can't make a pot of coffee to save your soul. I'll do it in a little bit." Jess held up her hands and filled the pot with water, leaving the rest up to Matt. The radio cracked to life.
"High Mountain Ranger Base, come in. This is Delta Edward three nineteen. I'm five miles out and coming in hot." Jess picked up the microphone off the table.
"What's your status DE319?"
"Low on fuel and the wind sheers are getting nasty."
"Ten Four. Lights on HMR pads going on in five, four, three, two, and one." Jess flipped the landing pad lights on and grabbed two radios. Matt was at her sided with her jacket and gloves. They headed out the door grabbing gear as they left. Ricky Bryant was one of the best EMT pilots in three states. If he was coming down he was coming down hard. Jess kicked the door closed and hit her radio. "Tahoe Rescue dispatch fire and EMT's to HMR helo landing pad. We have a medivac chopper coming in hot. I repeat fire and rescue need at HMR landing pad."
"Ten four HMR base. Dispatching units now." Jess heard the helicopter before she saw it. Something was wrong. The engine was sputtering and coughing.
"This isn't looking good Matt." The bright red helicopter came into view. Flames were coming out of the under carriage. The wind shifted and the chopper twisted with it. It was headed straight for them. Jess pivoted pushing Matt as hard as she could and followed him down to the ground. The blade of the back propeller sliced into the snow a mere foot from where they landed. The helicopter tipped end over end landing in a snow bank fifty yards from the landing pad.
"Jess?" Matt's arms were underneath him and his sister's athletic body sprawled across his. "Jess!" He panicked and rolled over taking her down to the ground.
"Just another day at the office boss man?" She whispered. Matt got up and Jess sat up looking at the helicopter in the side of the fifty foot snow bank. "Let's get Ricky and his patient out of there before that thing goes up." Jumping to her feet she brushed herself off and headed toward the wreck. Jim Cutler's jeep pulled in just as Matt and Jess pulled the helicopter door open.
"Nothing like coming to work when the work is just starting." Grabbing his jacket he headed to help with the extraction.
"Ricky can you hear me?" Jess checked his pulse. "Thready but there." Matt checked on the woman strapped to the gurney wedged against the snow bank.
"I got nothing. We don't know how bad of shape she was in to begin with but being that there's no medivac nurse she must have been stable." Cutler came with the metal extractors. "Get a board and we can get Ricky out of here and work on her." The sounds of sirens pierced the cold winter's night.
"I got him." Jess put the back board behind Ricky and strapped him in. Cutler grabbed the handles and pulled him out as Jess strapped his legs to the board. They set him down a few yards away from the crash and went back to help the woman. "Jim go get the divibulator out of our chopper..." He got up and ran to the barn where the chopper was stored. "Anything Matt?"
"Faint pulse. We need to get her out of here." Jess crawled into the space that was once the cockpit and kicked out the windshield. Crawling though it she grabbed the steel gurney and pulled it out. Matt coming around took the other end. "Remind me to pack you on my next trip anywhere. You could get a nut out of a squirrel hole." She smiled at the EMT's scattered to help the two injured occupants. Taking a deep breath she bent forward.
"I'm getting way to old for this crap." Jess turned and headed back to the peace and warmth of the Ranger Station.
"You go ahead. I'll clean this up." Matt yelled.
"Give me a minute. I'll be back." She went inside leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. Taking her phone out of her inside pocket she dialed the number that would save her from the edge.
"You're late."
"Helicopters crashing into my yard will sometimes make that happen."
"Are you okay?" He sounded upset and worried.
"Still in one piece I assure you." She closed her eyes. "Tell me it's all worth it."
"It's the ride you signed up for. I can't tell you if it was worth it or not." Jess knew Derek was right.
"I just needed to here your voice."
"Anytime you need me just call." Taking a deep breath Jess calmed herself enough to go back outside.
"See you Friday then?"
"You bet. I'll call you with my flight information when I get it." Derek didn't want to hang up but he knew he better. "Take it easy honey. Call me later."
"Yeah. You too." Jess hung up took another deep breath and stood up heading back to the mess outside.
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Emily Prentiss sat next to Derek at the conference table.
"I don't care if Hotch threatens to fire you, you will not stand that girl up this weekend."
"I don't plan to. Something isn't right."
"You really do care for her, don't you Morgan?"
"More then I ever thought I would." Emily smiled. Morgan was one tough cookie and she believed Jess Hawkes had cracked him, big time.
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It was four in the morning before Matt and Jess haled themselves up the stairs of the station. They smelled for smoke and sweat and they both needed sleep. Jess threw her jacket on the chair by her bed and Matt headed to the shower.
"I'll make it quick." He sighed. "You call Morgan?"
"Yeah. He'll call me with the flight number." Jess's phone range. She dug in her pocket. It was Derek. She smiled.
"Are you stalking me Agent Morgan?" Jess sat on the big comfy chair.
"More like keeping an eye on you Ranger Hawkes. My plane lands in Carson City at one pm. You want to meet me or do you want me to rent a car?"
:"I'll come get you. Matt gave me a week off but I said four days would do."
"You should have taken the week and come back here with me for a few days."
"We're racking up the frequent flyer miles."
"That we are." She sounded down and lonely. He wished he could pick up and go to her now.
"I'm just waiting for the shower. We had quite the mess to clean up."
:"Anyone hurt?"
"Banged up mostly. I'm going to call the hospital when I wake up. You just wake up?"
"No pulled and all nighter with Prentiss. She wants to get this case cleaned up by Thursday so I won't miss my plane on Friday."
"Tell her I said hi. I better hit the shower and get some sleep. Three o'clock will be her faster then I want it to be. Night Derek."
"Good morning Jess. Sweet dreams." Jess hung up the phone and hoped she dreamed only of a tall handsome FBI agent with eyes that made you melt.
"JESS!" Matt threw a towel at her.
"What?"
"Shower's free." He walked into the Ranger locker room and got dressed. Jess was still sitting in her room when he came out. "Did you hear me?"
"Yeah. Sorry. I'm beat. Are you setting your alarm?"
"I should go down and start the paper work on this mess. Why don't you take a few hours and get some rest."
"Matt you need to sleep too."
"I will. I promise. Go take your shower and I'll be up before you fall asleep." She yawned.
"Good luck with that." She grabbed a towel and her toiletries and headed down the hall. "You have fifteen minutes or I'm telling Cutler to start filling you in on our time together."
"That's not fair Jess."
"We'll then get some sleep." By the time she was out of the shower Matt was in his bunk with a stack of papers. "Close enough."
"Thought you understand." Matt looked at his sister. "Do you find it strange dad didn't show up?"
"I didn't even think about it till now. It was strange he didn't come and offer to help." She looked at the clock. "It's five. He should of called by now." Matt was up and Jess slid on her boots and grabbed her smoke drenched jacket and headed down the stairs. They were out the door before Cutler could ask them where they were going. The run down the hill between their parent's cabin and the station never felt so long. Matt's longer legs got him to the porch and through the back door seconds before Jess.
"I know I raised you two to have more manners then to barge in on people at five in the morning without calling first." Their father was at the kitchen table drinking his coffee.
"Hey dad, how's it going?"
"Fine. And you? You know how your mother feels about going out with wet hair. Both you are lucky she's still in bed."
"Sorry." They both mumbled like they were twelve instead of thirty two and forty two.
"Did you need something?"
"We were…" Matt looked at Jess for help.
"Looking to see if mom had some leftovers. We hadn't eaten breakfast and we were too lazy to drive to the diner. We knew she had the day off so we were hoping to find something good in the fridge." Jess headed to the big silver appliance that always held an abundance of leftovers.
"You could never lie worth a damn Jesse Lynn." Her mother came out in her robe. "You know why they're here Jesse. You failed to make an appearance last night." Their mother smiled. Jess looked at Matt. Matt looked at their dad.
"I was busy." He smiled the smile that reminded them so much of Cody when he was up to something... Jess's hand froze on the handle of the refrigerator... "I figured you two could handle just about anything. I don't have to come check up on you after all these years do I?" Matt shook his head. Jess shrugged.
"There's a pan of lasagna in the freezer. Take it down and feed the crew." Jackie patted her daughter on the back and whispered. "Breath sweetheart." And laughed as she walked to the coffee pot. Jess grabbed the pan.
"We better go get some sleep. We'll see you guys later." Matt yanked his sister's jacket and they both nearly ran back out the door. "I guess we should have just called." They started walking up the hill.
"We wouldn't have gotten this." She shoved the pan of food at her brother's chest. "I will never in a million years get that smug look they both had out of my head." They both were freezing by the time they got to the station. Cutler was at the front desk.
"Where in the hell did you two run off to so fast?" Matt handed him the pan of lasagna. "Food. Well who am I to question why." Jess and Matt headed upstairs and both fell into their beds.
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Cody Hawkes looked out his window. Snow was coming. A big snow. I wouldn't be here till the week end. Saturday night into Sunday. Derek Morgan would be here with his sister and Matt…well mat most likely would be alone. He hated being alone when it snowed. Sarah had a doctor's appointment in an hour. He hoped they would decide it was time to induce. She was miserable. So was he. He hated seeing her like that. He also wanted his son safe in this world before the snow hit. Because he knew in his gut that with this snow would come a great deal of drama, If his son was here safe and his wife home that would be two less things that could go wrong. He felt a tug at his pants leg. He looked down to see the black head of his five year old step daughter.
"Daddy!"
"Yeah baby, what is it?"
"Mama wants you." He lifted the little girl up with little effort. She had saved him four years ago. Her angelic face had pulled him back from the edge when his sister couldn't.
"Okay. Go get your coat. We have to head out. You want to come with me and mama or stay with Grandpa Jesse." The little girl vibrated with happiness.
"Grandpa Jesse. He gives me ice cream and lets me watch the Wiggles." Cody smiled. He couldn't see his dad even knowing who the Wiggles were let alone sitting and watching with a five year old.
"Okay then get ready." Cody put his daughter down and headed to find his wife, wondering if he should tell his father about the impending storm.