“Hey, Parker.” Roman pushed past her and walked over to the window. “Hey, little man. My name’s Roman. I bet you’re pretty scared, aren’t you?”
“Yes. My grandpa almost hit a deer. He didn’t hit it, did he? I begged him not to.”
Frankie took a deep breath. Maybe the situation wasn’t as tragic as she thought. Maybe Hideman hadn’t been drinking after all.
“I don’t see a deer, so I bet it got away just fine,” Roman said as he leaned over to examine the area, bending down to check under the car. “That was so nice of you, Parker. To be worried about it.”
“Mama says all creatures are precious. Even the creepy-crawly ones.”
“Your mama sounds like a smart woman. Parker, can you do me a favor?” Roman called. “Without moving too much, can you tell me if you’re hurt? Your arms? Legs? Do you think you can move them okay?”
After a moment, came a tremulous “Yes. But my head hurts. And I’m dizzy.”
“Probably has a concussion,” Frankie whispered and glanced back as Kendall, one of the department volunteers, brought the engine to a stop behind the SUV. “I think I can wiggle myself underneath to get a tow chain hooked onto the front axle for stability. Long enough for you to pull him out.”
Roman didn’t look convinced. “Maybe I should—”
“I’ll be in and out, real quick.”
Roman nodded. “Right now I’m not seeing another option, since with every move Parker makes that car tips. Okay. Do it. Just be careful. Most of this ground doesn’t feel stable.”
Frankie had already felt the dirt and mud shifting under her. “I know. You keep him talking, okay? And be ready to yank him out. Kendall, hey.”
“What do we have?” Kendall, who was former Army, fell instantly into emergency mode by examining the scene.
“We need to hook the car to the engine for stability. Can’t use Dwayne. The Impala will just drag both of them over.”
“Right.”
After a quick discussion with her friend, Frankie climbed back into the SUV, radioed in and, after some frustrating maneuvering in the narrow road, moved Dwayne completely out of the way of the engine. Frankie hurried around the back and pulled the large metal case out of its custom housing beside the spare tire.
“What’s that?” Roman called.
“My dad had this made years ago. Makeshift towing cable. Like the ones tow trucks use?” She opened the lid and dragged out the auto hook, attaching it to one of her belt loops before dragging the rest of the chain free and handing off the other end. Kendall ducked under the engine and locked it securely to the undercarriage.
Frankie turned to the Impala. “Okay. You need to be ready,” she told Roman. “I’m not sure it’s up high enough for me to get in clear. I might need to push it up a bit.”
“We’re ready. Right, Parker?” Roman called.
“I’m scared.”
Frankie tried to block out the little boy’s fear as she dropped to the ground, putting her back to the slimy, leaf-strewn mud. She pushed slowly, carefully, until she was under the car.
“I know you’re scared, little man,” Roman’s voice echoed in her ears. “But we’re going to get you out and back to your mom real soon, okay? You know Frankie out here is kind of a superhero?”
“She is?”
Frankie almost smiled at the disbelief in the kid’s voice.
“She is,” Roman insisted. “She even has a not-so-secret lair. Have you been to the town firehouse, Parker?”
“Nuh-uh.”
“Well, we’ll have to fix that. I was thinking about having some of you kids come by to see how we do things there. Do you think you’d like that?”
Frankie only half heard him. Mud and grime sank into her clothes, coated her hair, slicked her arms as the vehicle loomed over her. The car vibrated, moving up and down as the pressure from the sagging back increased. She didn’t see a sturdy place to hook in. She’d need to go farther. She braced her feet and pushed the top of her body deeper into the mud, trying not to jostle the car as she reached down and removed the hook from her belt loop. Frankie stretched her arms over her head, the chain dropping heavily onto her chest and legs. Her knee hit the car, and it creaked and tipped another few inches. Frankie’s breath froze at the sound of Parker’s cry.
“Hey, there. It’s okay,” Roman said. “Can you reach out and take my hand?”
Frankie couldn’t see, but she did hear Parker’s slight sigh of relief.
“Frankie? You doing okay?” Roman called.
“Yeah! Just a little bit...more.” She tugged on the chain and gained some slack as she stared at the undercarriage for the strongest place to hook into. Another few inches back, right...there! She pushed the hook open, but it wouldn’t hold. She took a deep breath, gave it a quick tug. The hook slipped against her palm. The car creaked again. She tried again but had to hold it in place.