‘Mm,’ I muttered back, turning my head to stare out of the window at the scenery flashing past. His two-way radio crackled with the voice of one of the other men updating us with their ETA, thankfully distracting him.
The rest of the team were also volunteers who held down other day jobs like Dion and me, and would make their own way out shortly as they could get away from work. They were good people, and I’d trust any one of them with my back in an emergency, but my private life was my business and nobody else’s.
Years of training and experience from my old job kicked in and I ran all the possible scenarios we could face when we got there, mentally preparing myself for any action we’d need to take. The one thing I didn’t anticipate, could never have anticipated, was the sight of Taylor Calderwood lying stretched out on the ground at the top of the cliff, her head hanging down over the edge, her long hair cascading down. She was wearing black jeans, boots and a tight black tank top, and must have been absolutely cooking in the heat.
‘Taylor?’
Her hair was blown and pushed to one side so that she could look up at me. Her eyes moved up and down my body, taking in my high-vis vest and the gear I was carrying. ‘Jack?’
I dropped the gear gently to the ground. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Oh, you know, just hanging out.’ She smiled but it was a tight smile. She turned her face away again. ‘The cavalry’s arrived, Casey,’ she called. ‘I told you we’d have you back up here in no time.’
‘You know the patient?’
‘No. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. For her, anyway.’
‘You were visiting the cemetery?’
‘Does that have anything to do with rescuing Casey?’
‘No, of course not.’
‘Then can we maybe just concentrate on that?’ she said tersely. ‘She’s nineteen, and pretty scared right now, which is understandable.’
I recognized when someone was trying to shut a conversation down. It was the same thing I’d done to Dion in the truck ten minutes ago.
‘Got it. Sorry.’ I braced myself, leaned out over the edge and took in the sight below. ‘Hi, Casey,’ I called out. ‘I’m Jack, from the Pine Harbor search and rescue team. We’re going to get you up from there, OK? Are you hurt?’
‘Of course she’s hurt,’ Taylor muttered. ‘She fell off a forty-foot cliff.’
‘Yes, thank you, I’m aware of that.’ I suppressed a smile. ‘But if you could just let her answer for herself I’d appreciate it. It helps me to judge the severity of her injuries and her level of consciousness et cetera.’
‘Oh right,’ she said. ‘Go ahead.’
‘Thanks. Casey, can you tell me if you’re hurt?’
‘Yes,’ she called up, her voice wobbly. ‘My ankle is in a really bad way.’
‘OK. Anything else?’
‘Uh, I banged my head.’
‘Do you know if you lost consciousness at all?’
‘I don’t know. I don’t think so.’
‘OK, that’s good. Is there anything else you need to tell me before we work out a plan? And other injuries, pre-existing medical conditions or disabilities?’
‘No, I mean I have some cuts and bruises, but my ankle is the worst.’ She sobbed, and the sound was heart-wrenching, but I knew better than to react impulsively. ‘Please hurry,’ she continued. ‘It hurts and the water is getting closer.’
‘We’re going to do this as fast as we can,’ I assured her. ‘But we have to make sure your safety, and the safety of the team, is our priority, OK?’
‘I want my mom.’
‘I’ve tried calling her on the number you gave me, Casey,’ Taylor told her. ‘I’ve left a message asking her to call me back. As soon as she does, I’ll let you know.’
‘What do you reckon?’ Dion asked. ‘Do we attempt this one ourselves?’
