Rescued Hearts (Hero Series) by Gina Austin Page A

Miller replied.
     
    A crowd of spectators had already formed in the area. The trucks stopped and we all got out. Susan asked James to start filming as they followed the Captain. “Alex, check the folks in car # 1; see if they need any medical attention. Troy, do the same for car #2. Mike get the cutter; Nick your with me,” the captain said as they walked to the 3 rd vehicle sitting on the train tracks.
     
    “Please step away from the vehicle and off the tracks.” Nick told the onlookers as they approached the car. It was an older couple, probably in their early sixties who were driving a small economy car. The captain asked Nick to check the passenger while he spoke to the driver. The driver didn’t wait for the captain to ask anything. “I can’t move at all. My legs are pinned” The driver said.
     
    “Captain Miller, Chicago fire department. We’ll get you and you wife out of there in a moment sir.”
     
    Nick looked at the captain and said, “She’s got a pulse but not responding.”
     
    “Check for gas leakage.” The captain said.
     
    Troy reported, “Folks in car #1 checked out fine, just shaken up.”
     
    “Good. Grab the 2 nd cutter and bring it here.” The captain said.
     
    “No gas leakage. We’re good for the cutters.” Nick said.
     
    “Sir, You’re going to hear some loud sounds in a moment. That’s just us cutting the doors to get you both out. OK?” The captain asked the driver.
     
    “Alright.” The driver said.
     
    Captain motioned for Mike to start cutting the door frame on the passenger side when a bad situation had suddenly become much more complicated.
     
    HORN, HORN
     
    A freight train was heading there way but because the tracks were at an angle, there was no way the train conductor would be able to see them until it was too late. Captain Miller immediately grabbed his radio, “Dispatch, this is engine company 43. Inform the train dispatcher to stop all trains on this track. We have a car on the tracks.”
     
    “Company 43. Unable to reach train dispatcher at this time.” The emergency dispatcher said.
     
    Fire truck #1 was the closest and so was Troy. The captain yelled, “Troy, forget the 2 nd cutter and grab the winch. Hook it up to the rear frame of the car. Fast! While Troy did what the captain ordered he told Mike to clear all the onlookers from behind Truck #1. He then ordered Nick to get into Truck #1 and rewind the winch on his signal.
     
    Throughout the rescue attempt, James had been filming. When Susan overheard that the train dispatcher couldn’t be reached she grabbed James’s arm to get his attention and she pointed to where she wanted him to stand and film. Getting a wide angle view of truck #1 on the left side, the car that needed rescuing on the right and the view of the freight train that would be appearing shortly. Her heart beating rapidly, Susan feared tremendously for the couple in the car.
     
    HORN, HORN
     
    That train was sounding closer thought Nick. “All done captain!” Troy yelled.
     
    HORN, HORN
     
    Standing next to Truck # 1, the captain gave Nick the signal to reverse the winch. It was working but not fast enough. The winch was straining. The front portion of the car still remained on the tracks.
     
    “Nick, lock the winch.” The captain yelled.
     
    HORN, HORN, HORN, HORN
     
    Turning the bend of the tracks, the train conductor saw the catastrophe that lay ahead and immediately pulled the brake lever to stop. Hearing the sound of screeching steel as the train attempted to stop, all the train conductor could do was close his eyes and wait for impact. There wasn’t enough length on the tracks to stop in time.
     
    “Reverse now.” The captain yelled.
     
    Flooring the gas on Truck # 1, Nick pulled the car off the track immediately with the freight train narrowly missing the car’s front bumper.
     
    “Tell me you got all that?” Susan asked.
     
    “I got it! I can’t believe how close that was. The news stations