ReverseTex
Old Timer
- One on One
- Group
- Off-site
The McBride Ranch
-Marathon, Texas-
Misty Gray Pagemaster fawnsite Sistros neverbackdown BeyondDandy RXN3-
Parker McBride & Sheriff Tyler Williams
Parker bit his lip, holding back any major rush of emotion, while his eyes were glued to the scene. Vicky was a good girl and an invaluable resource to the ranch. Seeing her amount to this... It made his stomach toss, sickening to see and think about breaking the news to her family. Now that he was stationary again, he could feel his back tightening up. He needed to keep moving to avoid it completely seizing on him.-Marathon, Texas-
Misty Gray Pagemaster fawnsite Sistros neverbackdown BeyondDandy RXN3-
Parker McBride & Sheriff Tyler Williams
When Jack finally managed to speak, he stepped forward to offer a lifting hand to his brother. With thrust and his brother’s help, he helped him up just fine. “Yeah, yeah, of course.” He sighed, processing the request. “Those boulders are to heavy for a truck. Best if we rig some chains to it to move the boulders and then let the authorities handle the rest.” The idea of a coroner sent a shiver down his spine. When Jack posed the question about the phone, he took the liberty to answer for his uncle. “We called them up at the house once we got the spot. Y’all are shit out of luck with service here, so it’s probably best I go back anyways to call off the rescue party. Reckon y’all need to stay here though, for questions and help tying off the boulders.” He glanced at either man, regret and dread in his eyes. “I’ll make sure Mom or Dad get a hold of Vicky’s parents before the authorities.” He sighed, his eyes going back to the truck, before his legs followed.
Tyler rested his hands on his utility belt, a second-nature response at this point when casually standing. The brim of his Stenson shielded his eyes from the morning sun, along with his sunglasses. As Magdalene McBride began to explain her story, his eyes naturally scanned the scene. From what he gathered, everything indicated the scene at the house was safe. The light whoop of the idling ambulance at this point was typical background noise, his ears entirely focused on the young woman. Once she finished, her eyes turned down.
Before much else was said, the sound of running bootsteps caught his ear. Insticvetly, he preened his neck to see an older man. Dean Fenton, residential head of operations. All that he knew about the man was purely from Amber and brief interactions between his time with Jack. He was a loyal man, clearly, and knew the ranch better than anyone else. When Dean removed the map, his attention fully snapped to that. Following the man’s dusty finger, his eyes hiked the trail. Elevation would certainly be an issue, as would the other geographical challenges both he and Magdalene pointed out. “Dispatch, can you provide me the coordinates received from the device?” Tyler pressed down the radio next to his collarbone, eyes locked on the map. A few moments later, the woman answered the request, and his eyes landed at the ridge once she finished.
Tyler’s mustache furrowed, processing all of the information accordingly. Where the spot indicated was next to the ridgeline trail, a series of back and forth mountain switchbacks according to Dean’s map. The elevation recorded by the device helped at least, signaling they weren’t at the top of the ridge. If anything, they were at the bottom. His eyes darted to the ambulance, considering it’s viability. Sure as shit wasn’t going to fit down the trail, and a medical evacuation helicopter couldn’t reach the trailhead in enough time from Fort Stockton. That had to be Parker’s thought process for bringing a work truck, if he had any logic at all. This had to be done the old-fashioned way.
“Right, I'll have my boys drive down and back towards the trailhead.” Tyler started processing aloud, referring to the EMS drivers. “They can take the Tahoe down the trailhead as far as it allows, which, if all is well, is enough to get us to the group. With the seats folded back, we can fit enough emergency gear.” He nodded. “You two, lead me on horseback in front of the cruiser in case we’re needing to go higher up on the ridgeline than what GPS services indicated. We’ll go from there.” He pointed to the cop car, indicating both Dean and Magdelene to get in and wait for him.
Without another word, Tyler turned away from the group and headed to the ambulance. The driver, a bearded man in his late twenties, rolled the window down to hear what he had to say. “You’re going to follow me to the trailhead! The spot has the accident at the bottom of the ridge, but y’all are too wide and heavy to fit down the trail!” He shouted over the sirens. “I just saw the map; it’s gnarly! Y’all will take my cruiser, alright? Should get you down the trail good enough!” The driver nodded, flicking off the noise of the siren for the time being, but the iridescent lights continued to strobe. “Do we know what type of injuries we’re dealing with?” The driver asked, his co-pilot peeking his head to hear as well. Tyler shook his head. “Not a clue. Two adult men and one adult woman are all we’ve got at the moment. One other male has attempted to aid in rescue efforts on the trail. Just get a backboard ready for any head injuries and your standard bag.” The copilot nodded, crawling back behind the door to the medical cabin, readying the aforesaid items.
Satisfied, the sheriff headed back to his car. Without another word to the two in his car, Dean in the passenger seat and Magdelene in the back, he headed down the dusty road. He’d been to the stables before with Jack, thankfully, so he had a sense of where he was going for now. The question was still hanging in the air, heavy like the summer’s heat. What were they about to walk into?
The dust thrown about the air from the dirt road glittered the morning rays. Had it been pleasant circumstances, perhaps Parker could appreciate the beauty more. Through the rusty haze, though invisible to the eye, he could hear the whooping police siren draw closer. To alert them of his own prescene, he honked his horn, hopeful that it would prevent them from barrelling down the road. Sure enough, he heard a man shout; the siren's coming to a stop nearly after. They were close. Parker flipped the gear into park, allowing the truck to idle as he awaited their approach.
Sure enough, the rescue party came into view. It took him a moment to register the three on horseback: Maggie, Dean, and the Sheriff, before noticing the police SUV behind him. His stomach dropped, relieved that they didn't attempt to drive an ambulance down the trail. He stuck his hand out the window, indicating for them to stop, before getting out of the truck to meet them.
"There was a landslide on the trail near the switchbacks," Parker began, now triangled between the three on horseback. "Jack and Uncle Ed are alright; no injuries. But Victoria..." He trailed, running the back of his hand over his damp forehead. "She got caught in the slide." He managed, the image of blood and boulder fresh on his mind. "She was dead before I got there... I came back to hopefully catch y'all and get the chopper set up to move the rocks. They're way to big to move with a truck, and frankly, it'll be dangerous."
Sheriff Tyler looked down onto Parker, his expression grim, as he listened to the information. This wasn't his first death to deal with and process on the job. Far from it. But it didn't make the situation easier, especially the fact that Amber was present at the scene. For a moment, he glanced beyond Parker and his truck, estimating how far they had to go. "Right." He huffed, taking a deep breath to focus himself. "Parker, get that helicopter up as fast as you can. Maggie, go back with your brother to alert the house to the news so he can focus on the situation at hand. Dean, with me."
Thankful for the direction, like a solider following orders, Parker sprung back into action to head back to his truck. Maggie reered her horse off down the trail again, slipping past the SUV to make a dash home. He allowed the Sheriff and Dean to pass him first, rolling off the trail slightly to make a clear path for the crusier as well. The next few days were going to be Hell, having to work the tragedy out and help the Hildago's with the funeral. All of it was bad news. Just another forboding omen for how bad things were under the surface.
End of Chapter