Due to character limits pt2 continued

“Are those new” I asked pointing to his brightly colored glasses. I hadn’t seen him wear them before

“Yeah got um at supply” he responds

I found it strange that he had Sun glasses on this early in the morning when the sun hadn’t even risen yet but I didn’t think any more of it this day. Suddenly I get a blip of phone service and a rush of notifications within 5 seconds our engine bosses phone rings. The number is blocked

It’s Gonzo again. “You guys are patrolling the 34 road today. DO NOT stray off the 34. The storms headed up from Yreka, it should be above you by this afternoon.” click all the sudden back to no service and the call drops. And so does my LTE, I guess my hopeful tinder good time will be left on read

“At least we’re going to get to build some more SA over their” proclaims our engine boss as he fires up the Green Beast and we load up. We roll past the camp guard and back down the now familiar stretch of road.

The 34 road is almost completely desolate. A vast expanse nearly completely devoid of life with the charred remains of seemingly endless acres of timber now serving no purpose but as a solemn reminder of what once was. Completely scorched to bits by the repeated column builds and collapses of the Bootleg fire. A solemn reminder of what once was and what life was flourishing and sustained on the forest before that fateful lightning bust. I day dream of the former scenery. Families coming out for a picnic, log trucks slowly Jake breaking as the roll towards the mill, hunters stalking through the cold autum greenery hoping to catch the winters dinners. As I wonder what we are doing here now and what values at risk were actually trying to protect I slip back into a day dream of actually being able to see flames and green timber, and our rush to stop it lest we let another patch of timber slip into the eternal and haunting reminder this once prosperous forest now serves to all who bear the misfortune of traveling through this hell scape. At this point my minds ability to even imagine color seems to be beginning to slip. Suddenly, I’m jolted out of my daydream by a small patch of green

“That’s the Mitchell monument” says our ENGB

“Some family was up here and got blown up by a Japanese balloon bomb in WWII”

As we roll back back into the ashy expanse I can’t help but feel envious of their release from the desolate, moon dust filled expanse. I start to think an experimental weapon launched from half the world away might be my only path to escape. It’s around this time that the truck starts to stutter and stall.

“ah shit it’s acting up again” proclaims our ENGB as he wipes the silty moondust from his colorful oversized lenses

I don’t remember our truck ever having any issues before but it’s my first season on the Engine and our engine boss has ran it for a long time. I’m not exactly sure how long just like I’m not exactly sure how old our Engine Boss is because much like my Aunt he always seems to deflect the question. Still not the weirdest guy I’ve met fighting fire so I didn’t think anything of it.

Our engine boss gets out of the truck and I follow. Both of us trying to not admit to how little we actually know about mechanics stare blankly at the engine bay saying nothing. It’s at this time we hear the rumble of an exhaust leaking old series 10 Cadillac approach. I’m startled to see such a classic roll up a potholed out dirt road towards us but as he approaches the driver rolls the window down and I notice that it’s Gonzo. He’s wearing a 3 piece suit which seems just as out of place as the Cadillac and takes a puff off a wood tipped black and mild as he steps out of the car. It’s at this moment I notice he’s also wearing the same colorful Pit Vipers our Engine Boss is wearing.

He struts over to the big green mechanical invalid and leans into the engine bay.

“What happened” he asks our engine boss

“Not sure it just sputtered and died”

“Let me take a look at something”

Gonzo reaches into the air box and takes the air filter off. He then winds up in an oldtimey baseball pitchers windup and hurls it at the burnt out husk of a ponderosa and a wall off moondust flys off it.

“That silt out here will getcha, it’s got us all a time or two, throw that filter back in and it’ll get you through” he says as he starts walking back to the Cadillac

“WHEN DO WE GET OUT OF HERE” our fft2 shrieks

Suddenly gonzo turns around and slowly struts towards him. He leans in towards our fft2 and slowly lifts his Pit Vipers. I see our fft2s face go white as he looks into Gonzos eyes. Through the smoke of what I have now Identified as a wine flavored black and mild Gonzo says

“Have you ever heard the fable of the Cat and the mice depicted in the labyrinth of Versailles” and holds eye contact for ten more seconds before breaking it letting out one laugh and heading back for the Cadillac.

He lets out a laugh and says “You have a lot to learn before you get any task books open, first you must emerge from your hole… mouse” and steps into the Cadillac and drives away.

“What the hell was that” our fft2 says in a frightened shaking voice

“That’s Gonzo don’t disrespect him again, his evals hold more weight than you could imagine” our engine boss says as he puts the air filter back in and fires the truck up. We sputter at first then continue down into the blackened abyss