Blue Ridge Mountain Escape
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Loretta Eidson
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15,4K
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14
Chapter One
This had been the worst few days of Haley Gordon’s life.
Her boyfriend had been lying to her all along. How had she missed the signs with the constant gifts and undivided attention every time he returned from his so-called business trips? She fumed and blinked away tears. Should’ve known their relationship was too good to be true. Thoughts of his deceit sent heat to her cheeks.
Then, if that wasn’t bad enough, her best friend, whom she always confided in, got sick two days ago and bailed on their vacation in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, which made it too late to cancel the trip. She decided to go anyway.
Now the curvy drive up the mountain surrounded her with the colors of fall. Red, yellow, orange and green blends of the leaves shaded the two-lane road. A beautiful canvas of God’s creation and the perfect place for her to rest and find peace in her chaotic life. She was admiring how beautiful everything was until she was jolted back to reality by a call on her satellite phone.
“Hey, Mom, I just turned off the main highway. It’s beautiful out here. How’d Dad’s appointment go with the doctor this morning?”
“The cardiologist moved your dad’s surgery up to next Friday,” her mom said. “But I don’t want to mess up your vacation.”
Haley bit her lip. “You’re not messing up my vacation. You know I’ll be there.” She brushed her fingers through her hair with one hand. She desperately needed some downtime. “I love you. I’ll see you later in the week.”
She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and pushed back her disappointment. A deer pranced across the narrow pavement in front of her. Her foot slammed on the brake. She screamed at the near miss. “Whoa. That was close.”
The late afternoon sun cast shadows through the trees. Haley continued her journey, driving slower while keeping a keen eye out for more deer. A small wooden sign pointed to her assigned two-bedroom rental cabin surrounded by tall pine trees.
A nagging thought surfaced. This area was close to the prison where her cousin Blake was incarcerated. She didn’t want to think about any more negative things, or something that might help lead into it. She pushed the thought away, turned and parked close to the front door. Then stepped out of her car onto a thick layer of fallen pine needles and took in a deep breath of pine-scented mountain air. “I’m finally here.”
A log bench sat on the small covered porch with a statue of a black bear beside it and a pinecone-and-grape-vine “Welcome” wreath hung on the front door. Such an inviting sight. Inside, the decor matched her expectations. Rustic, but nice. A couch and chair made of logs with green-leaf-patterned, thick cushions that almost matched the curtains. The lamps on the end tables appeared to have been made from deer antlers. Everything looked woodsy. A pleasant change from her contemporary decor in her apartment in the city.
Haley meandered across the creaking floor into the kitchen and ran her fingers across the dark green countertop. She smiled at all the bear-shaped kitchen accessories. Salt-and-pepper shakers on the round wood dining table, canisters, and a paper towel holder next to the sink. Too cute. The resort went all out to create a forest wildlife setting.
Her bedroom matched the rest of the furniture with a thick log headboard and matching chest of drawers. Too bad her friend would miss out on the experience.
She unloaded her suitcase and a box of supplies before darkness draped over the forest. Crickets chirped and frogs croaked while she organized her snacks and refrigerator goods in the kitchen, then unpacked her suitcase in the chest and set her small travel alarm clock on the nightstand, noting the late hour, 8:43 p.m. Weary from her day, she made herself a sandwich and turned in early. So peaceful. Her body sank into the soft mattress. She closed her eyes as the sounds of crickets chirping and the hoot of an owl lulled her to sleep.
Voices. Was she dreaming?
Her eyes popped open. Loud male voices seeped into her bedroom through the log walls. What time was it? Her clock read 1:35 a.m. Why was their cabin so close to hers? The creaking of their footsteps sounded like they were in the same cabin as her, and the delicious aroma of steaks cooking on a grill made her mouth water. Frustration assaulted her desire for a good night’s rest. She tossed in bed, covered her head with a pillow.
“Why me? Why does everything seem to be falling apart? I can’t get a break.” Tears spilled out and dampened the pillowcase. Her seven-day getaway was supposed to be quiet and calming. Unlike the rest of her life. In the midst of all the drama with her boyfriend, she had lost her job as a dental assistant. What decent company puts a No Longer in Business sign on the door and doesn’t inform staff first?
Too bad she no longer had a boyfriend, a trustworthy one. He could’ve rented the cabin next door and she wouldn’t have this problem with neighbors. They could’ve enjoyed cooking out and hiking trails together. But no, she’d overheard him talking on his cell. He’d expressed his love and said to give the kids a hug for him.
She’d confronted him and he finally admitted his weekend work trips were to visit his wife and kids. How infuriating. How could he do that to her? Betrayal and lies cut deep, not to mention the humiliation and embarrassment of not knowing she’d been dating a married man.
If she ever dated again, the guy would have to prove himself trustworthy before she’d consider him a friend or a boyfriend. She’d check his ring finger for a tan line or for an indention in the skin, and she certainly wouldn’t fall prey to his deception. She’d been duped once and wouldn’t put herself in that situation again.
Haley punched her pillow and flipped onto her back. Would her mind ever shut down and let her rest? Her mom’s voice reverberated in her thoughts. The cardiologist moved your dad’s surgery up to next Friday. Meaning she’d have to leave Thursday in time to drive home, unpack and be ready to sit with her mom in the hospital waiting room. Not that she minded. She didn’t, but the timing couldn’t have been worse.
What else could go wrong?
She yawned. Why did it still feel like those men were in her cabin? Sound must travel in the forest. Tomorrow she’d request a cabin far away from her noisy neighbors. She sighed and willed herself to forget all the negatives in her life and go to sleep. Tomorrow would be a new day.
Another creak too close to ignore.
Her eyes popped open and fear sent goose bumps skittering all over her body.
Someone’s in my room.
She slid her sweaty palms out from under the cover as she lay in the pitch black. Her breath stalled. She listened intently for movement. Only the sounds of crickets and the hoot of an owl filled the silence. Another creak closer. A pungent stench hit her nostrils. Body odor? Her breath released and came out in short huffs. Would she hyperventilate? She bolted upright. A large hand covered her mouth, muffling her scream. His hand smelled of nicotine.
She grabbed at the brawny arm and kicked the cover off. The ceiling light came on, illuminating three men in prison-orange jumpsuits. Adrenaline shot her pulse into overtime. One lanky man with dark, deep-set eyes leaned against the doorframe. He popped open a can of soda with a smirky grin on his face. Her focus landed on the face of the sandy-haired man covering her mouth.
She stilled and blinked to make sure she saw correctly. Her heart pounded against her chest and her breath hitched. Her cousin Blake? He was supposed to be in prison for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. What was he doing here? How had he found her, and who was the tattooed muscle man standing behind him?
“I’ll take my hand away if you promise not to scream.” The glare in Blake’s narrowed blue-green eyes and his tight lips told her he meant business. He eased his hand away, and she scrambled to a sitting position on the side of the bed.
“What have you done, Blake? How did you get out of prison?” She glanced at the convicts staring back at her. “How did you find me?” She never expected to see him again, nor this crude side of him. He’d respected her in the past, or so she thought. She couldn’t help that his dad drank too much and slapped him around. He’d confided in her throughout their childhood and most of their teen years. They’d been the best of friends until he met up with the wrong crowd and grew distant.
“Do as you’re told, and you won’t get hurt.” Blake cocked his head sideways and popped his neck, a quirk she’d seen him do many times as a teenager. “Mac, Connor and I appreciate you lettin’ us hide out here until our friend brings us some clothes.”
“How’d you get out? Did you kill somebody?” She pressed her lips together and fumed. “I don’t want any part of your prison break. Get what you want and leave.”
“Gutsy, isn’t she? Get on with it, Blake. Time’s wasting,” Mac said. Not only were his arms decorated with colorful tattoos, but he had a scar across his cheek and he chewed on a twig. His deep set, cold eyes and sneering expression were threatening enough.
“Like it or not, you’re already involved.” Blake grabbed her arm and hauled her out of bed. “It’s none of your business how we escaped. But if you must know, we had help from a reliable source on the inside. And no, we haven’t killed anyone yet.”
Yet. Did that mean they planned to kill me? Apprehension of their unknown intent twisted in her gut. Lord, I don’t want to die.
Haley’s bare feet landed on the cool floor. She’d opted to sleep in warm navy lounge pants and a light blue color coordinated long-sleeved T-shirt. Standing before these three rough-looking men, at least she’d covered her body.
“But how did you find me?” She tugged her arm from Blake’s grip.
“Easy. We broke into the main office for a map of the mountain and empty cabins. The registry was laying open.” He turned her toward the bedroom door. “I spotted your name and cabin number. It showed you were the only person occupying the place. Who would have thought our escape would work out so perfect and we’d find you here? I figured you’d be happy to see me.”
“Not under these circumstances, and certainly not with your friends.” She pursed her lips. “You should have found an empty cabin.”
“That’s enough talk. Make us some coffee.” Mac’s gruff voice sent a shiver through her. He showed his pistol and followed her into the kitchen.
Was he trying to intimidate her? It worked. She straightened and held her head high in hopes of not appearing afraid.
“There weren’t any empty cabins. If I hadn’t spotted your name, someone else would be making coffee for us right now.” Blake followed her through the bedroom door. “We only want a place to hole up until our friend joins us with street clothes, then we’ll be on our way. You wouldn’t want your favorite cousin to sleep in the wild, now, would you?”
“Yes. I’m sure you’ve had it worse, and you lived through it.” She took her time walking to the kitchen so she could calculate an escape route. The probability of running looked slim. She picked up the black bear coffee canister and scooped coffee grounds into the filter of the drip coffeepot. The delight of seeing all the black bear accessories lost its appeal. Would Blake let these guys harm her or shoot her? Would they let her live, knowing she could alert the authorities?
Blake’s scowl and suspecting eyes followed her every move. He glanced out the window, then back at her. The tall guy named Connor sat in the living room chair with one leg hiked over the arm. Nonchalant and relaxed, like he had nothing to worry about. Mac leaned against the refrigerator, still chewing the end of a twig. His stare made her shudder. Who was the fourth person they mentioned? A spouse, friend—or another escapee?
The coffeepot gurgled its last drops into the pot. She poured the fresh brew into square-shaped ceramic mugs and set them on the kitchen table. Blake removed the tiebacks from the window curtains and walked toward her. Her mouth went dry. Was he going to strangle her?
I don’t want to die.
His hard-core grimace unnerved her even more. She missed his lighthearted personality. They used to climb trees together and run the open pasture on their grandparents’ farm. He’d been fun and adventurous, always filled with pranks that made her laugh. This was a side of him she’d never seen. Probably caused by his dad’s badgering and telling him he’d never amount to anything. Of course, he was an adult and had the option to make better decisions.
He turned her around and tied her hands behind her back so tight she thought he’d cut off the circulation. Mac jerked drawers open in the kitchen until he found duct tape. He tore a strip off and pressed it over her mouth. Her pulse raced.
“That will keep her quiet.” Mac’s hostile demeanor unnerved her. Not someone she wanted to anger.
There was no sense in fighting Blake with his six-two height. He’d grown taller than she remembered and was no match for Haley’s five-seven. One of his punches would knock her out. He walked her to the bedroom and checked the window locks. “Stay quiet and you just might live to enjoy the rest of your vacation.”
Some vacation.
“I’m sorry, Haley. I didn’t want to involve you. But I knew you wouldn’t want me, your favorite cousin, to live the rest of my life in prison.” He turned out the light and paused at the door. “You know I’m not a bad guy. I only need a little time to get away. You’ll help me, won’t you? After all we’ve been through together?”
She bore a hole in him with her eyes, not that he could see her glaring. He walked out and closed the door. Darkness suffocated her. Sure, they’d had fun growing up together, but he was the one who became hostile and angry, and parted ways. All she knew to do was pray for him.
Haley inched back until her legs bumped into the mattress. She sat on the bed and hoped they’d leave or go to sleep. Even if they went to sleep, with all the creaks in the floor and her hands tied, she’d never make it past them to the front door and she couldn’t reach the bedroom window locks.
She rested her head against the bed’s log headboard. She had felt bad for Blake when he’d gone to prison. But no more. He’d destroyed any trust she’d ever had in him. Maybe if she did what he asked, he’d let her go. If she lived through this, one thing was for sure, between Blake and her ex-boyfriend, she’d never blindly give her trust to anyone again. And she’d never again travel alone.
The escapees laughed and talked for what seemed like hours. Their boisterous voices trailed through the wall and penetrated her ears. Something shattered. Her shoulders jerked at the sudden noise.
“You missed the sink, Connor.” Blake chuckled. “Thought you played basketball.”
“I’m out of practice. Want me to throw your cup?”
Mac interrupted the cup toss conversation and talked about all his plans for future extravagant vacations. Connor’s scratchy voice expressed his desire to climb Mount Everest, while Blake wanted to settle down in a cabin hidden in the Rocky Mountains. They reminisced about how they succeeded in their escape.
Haley didn’t want to hear any more. Uncertainty of her safety had her in knots, and yet weariness crept over her. She willed herself to relax and closed her eyes.
Restless sleep assaulted her while nightmares of inhaling smoke, choking and running for her life mingled with voices and distant snoring. Her eyes opened as she coughed into the duct tape and sat up, sniffing the scent of wood burning and smoke. A hazy light filtered through the window. Morning hadn’t come soon enough, but something wasn’t right.
The smell of smoke wasn’t coming from outside, but inside the cabin. And the muffled voices from her dream belonged to Blake and his friends. They were still here. Why hadn’t they made a run for it already? She scooted from the bed until her feet touched the floor, then she edged over to where she’d left her rubber-soled house shoes by the dresser.
A sudden loud banging on the front door startled her. A man yelled, “Firefighter! Everyone needs to evacuate!” Scuffling noises came from the living room. Haley backed up to the bedroom door and twisted the doorknob with her tied hands, and opened the door. A cloud of smoke hung in the stifling air.
Blake and his friends fought with a man wearing a white hard hat. Two more firefighters ran inside. A bigger fight broke out in the smoke-filled room. She let out a muffled scream. Connor backed up, slinging his arms, and bumped into her. She plummeted to the floor and hit her head on the end table. Rushing steps grew distant. The front door slammed shut; that had been her only escape route from the approaching fire. Blake had left her for dead. Had the firefighters seen her on the floor? Would anyone come back before it was too late?
Haley coughed into the duct tape and sucked in a deep, smoke-filled breath through her nostrils. It stung. Fresh air, she needed fresh air. She rolled to her side and tried to get up, but the room spun, and everything went dark.
Her ears rung. The door opened. Someone patted her cheeks and felt her pulse. Heavy footsteps clomped by her head. Who was there? Had Blake or Mac come back to kill her? A burning sensation filtered through her nose and into her lungs. She couldn’t keep her eyes open and any efforts to cough choked her. Weakness settled in. Was she suffocating?
The footsteps returned and stopped beside her. She cringed and waited for the final blow. More pats to her cheeks forced her eyes open, but only for a moment. A man wearing a white hard hat and yellow shirt eased off the tape covering her mouth and untied her hands. She gasped for breath and coughed. Was she dreaming that this handsome man had scooped her into his powerful arms as though she weighed no more than a feather? His comforting voice announced he was a Forest Service firefighter. Haley’s body bounced with his every step.
She sucked in the mountain air.
“That’s it. Take some deep breaths. You’ve inhaled a lot of smoke.” Her hand touched the cool ground when he set her down and leaned her against a tree stump. Her eyes opened as she responded to his voice and inhaled more of the fresh yet smoke-scented air.
He lifted a handheld radio to his mouth. “Simpson here. Four men fought with us and ran into the forest. I have a female, approximately twenty-six years old. She’s inhaled a lot of smoke. Found her tied up and gagged. Coming your way.”
The radio squawked. “Make it quick. Not looking stable over here. Looks like a blowup forming.”
He turned his head toward the forest, and she looked beyond him. Another firefighter assisted a man who limped by his side. From the neighboring cabin, maybe?
“I’m Kendall Simpson, by the way.” He’d turned his focus back to her.
“Haley Gordon.” She rubbed the back of her head and blinked her burning, watering eyes. “What’s a blowup?” Her throat hurt and her voice came out a little raspy.
The firefighter dug into his oversize backpack and pulled out a large plastic bottle. He unscrewed the top and handed her the container.
“Here, get a few swallows of water.” A strand of his blond hair fell out from under his helmet. Clean shaven, with high cheekbones. His blue-green eyes reminded her of a glassy sea, kind and understanding. “We’ve rescued your friend, too. He’s already with my team. A blowup is a term we use when there’s a sudden increase in fire intensity.”
“What friend? And what about the people in the other cabin?” Her stare went beyond his broad shoulders to the burning forest fire in the distance. Had the men in the cabin gotten out before the fire reached them? Would Blake and his friends make it out of the forest with this blaze behind them?
“The man we found on the ground outside your door. Someone did a number on him. Do you know what happened?” His eyebrows narrowed.
“I don’t know who you’re talking about.” She rubbed her throat and coughed. “There were some men in the cabin close by. Could be one of them. I was vacationing alone until three escapees broke in and tied me up.” Her fuzzy thoughts struggled to figure out what had happened. “One of them was my cousin,” she mumbled.
“Escapees?” He stood and frowned. Then he offered his hand. “How did they know where to find you? Do you know where they went?” His eyes searched her. “Think you can walk? We need to get beyond that fire line before the blaze spreads. My handcrew team is over there waiting to get you out of here.”
“I think so.” She squeezed his hand, and he helped her up. Her nose met with his chin in height. The forest swayed. “I’m a little dizzy, but I can walk.”
“You can lean on me.” He looped his arm around her waist and carried a strange tool in his other hand.
“What’s that?” She let him help her walk.
“It’s one of my firefighting tools. It’s called a Pulaski.” He moved it out in front of her. “Has an ax on one end and an adze on the other, like a cutting tool or a hoe.”
She hadn’t needed a lesson in tools, but she had asked. After the events of the last few days, she was badly in need of a rescue. Her thoughts were scrambled, her head hurt and the frown on his face told her he suspected she’d helped the prisoners escape. How far could she trust Kendall Simpson? Would he believe her if she tried to explain?
What is she not telling me?
Kendall held this light-brown-haired, brown-eyed lady around the waist and rushed toward his teammates as fast as he could. Her story didn’t quite add up.
He looked around for suspicious movements. The escapees were out there somewhere. He’d heard a special bulletin on his truck radio this morning on the way to work about three convicts who escaped from Stantonville Prison with the aid of a guard during the night. Authorities alleged they’d head to the mountains and were armed and dangerous. Their assessment was correct. He’d seen them firsthand.
Kendall’s thoughts mused. What if he had single-handedly captured the criminals? How amazing would that have been? His superiors would probably recognize him, and he might get that promotion he wanted. His dad might even come around and finally be proud of him after their dispute over him not going into the family welding business.
Didn’t matter what his ex-girlfriend thought. She’d left him after he’d been involved in an extremely risky situation doing his job. She’d known he was a firefighter but claimed she didn’t want to live in fear of him dying in a fire. He refused to give up the job he loved to appease her. Guess that relationship wasn’t meant to be. He had prayed the right girl would come along, only to feel those prayers had landed on deaf ears.
“Is that your white SUV back there?” Kendall prodded with curiosity. He’d spotted something orange in the passenger seat of the vehicle in front of her cabin and had inspected it briefly prior to entering. Three orange prison jumpsuits. He had shoved them in his already full backpack to give to the authorities.
Was she involved with their escape, and they didn’t need her anymore? Why not shoot her rather than leave her to die of smoke inhalation? Too many questions swirled around in his head. Saving people was his calling. But something told him Haley wasn’t like any of the other people he’d rescued. Her reaction to his question appeared to be an insult.
She stiffened and pushed away. “Oh no. My car. Yes, I need to move it.”
His radio squawked again. “Simpson, look out. Tree falling.”
A loud, familiar cracking caught his attention. He grabbed her arm. “Look out! Run now!”
He barely heard the words of his teammates coming from his radio. The roar of the fire drowned them out. Their arms waved through the air, warning him to get out of the way of the falling pine tree. He had to get Haley to safety. A surge of energy kicked in and he tugged her, almost lifting her from the tree’s landing path and away from flying debris.
The tree swooshed down and landed with a loud boom, blocking him from his team. Fire embers flew into the air and the wind tossed them in different directions, igniting the pine-needle-covered ground. Flames jumped around her vehicle and raced toward them. Intense heat hit his face. He’d lost sight of his friends.
His heart thumped wildly. Survival mode kicked in. So much for single-handedly capturing the escaped convicts. He must focus on keeping Haley and himself alive.
She screamed. “What do we do now? I don’t want to die.” Her voice cracked.
“Stay with me. I’ll get you out of here.” He scanned the area in search of a way around the danger zone.
“Simpson, can you hear me?” His teammate’s voice scratched through his radio.
“Can’t make it around the fire. Searching for another escape route.” His rapid pulse went with fighting wildfires. But this time weighed heavier than normal. One wrong decision, and things wouldn’t end well for either of them.
Haley halted and rubbed her thighs. “Hold on. My legs are killing me.”
Smoke boiled into the sky. He studied the angry red, yellow and blue blaze moving toward them faster than he liked. It had cut them off from his crew and engulfed everything in its path. He gripped her arm and pointed to a boulder where she could have a brief reprieve. With the fire less than a third of a football field away and closing in, they didn’t have much time. She slid to the ground and covered her face with her hands.
The whoosh of fire engulfing more trees and undergrowth grew closer and closer. His nerves were on edge. They had to put distance between them and the blaze. Smoke continued to thicken. He tugged her to her feet.
“Can’t wait any longer. We’ve got to go.” He put the Pulaski in the loop on his fire pack, wrapped his arm around her waist and helped her run.
“Thank you for helping me. I’m totally out of my element.” Her voice staggered as they ran.
“It’s what I do. By the way, I pulled three orange prison jumpsuits from your car. Care to share how they got there?” He glanced in her direction while he evaluated their next move and realized his question had a more accusing tone than he’d intended.
Her expression shifted from fearful to what he interpreted as defensive. Her lips tightened and her eyes narrowed. “I had nothing to do with those jumpsuits. Three escapees broke into my cabin. They tied me up and gagged me, but you should know that. You found me. They left me there to die.”
“Didn’t know if you knew where they were headed.” Although he hadn’t prayed in a while, he wondered if God intervened and sent them in the opposite direction.
“All I know is someone was bringing them a change of clothes. I wasn’t privy to any more information.” She wiped her forehead. “They had handguns, too.”
Even more reason he didn’t want to run into them again. The boulder hadn’t shielded them for long. The wind had changed direction. Their only escape was uphill, which was not recommended. Fire climbs about as fast as a white-tailed deer could run. He bit his lip. This was not how he expected his day would go.
He helped her over an old log and noted for the first time she wore house shoes. No wonder she wasn’t getting much traction through the forest. Didn’t matter now. They’d have to make the best of it.
“I heard a special bulletin on my radio this morning describing them as armed and dangerous.” Kendall wanted to believe her, but it didn’t make sense the escapees would take a chance of letting her live if she could identify them, especially her cousin. He reached for her hand. “We’ve got to keep moving.”
“I’d say their report is accurate.” She took her hand away and followed close behind him. “I get the impression you think I had something to do with their escape.”
“I can’t be the judge. My responsibility is to get you out of here unscathed, and I intend to do just that.” He took long strides, climbing the upgrade. How long would she last? Her huffing proved her lack of mountain climbing experience.
“Think what you want. I can’t keep up with your fast pace.” She stopped, leaned over with her hands on her knees and blew out deep breaths. “My head is pounding.”
Kendall returned to her side. “Breathe in and out slowly and try to relax. We have no choice but to keep going.” Perspiration rolled down the sides of his face. He wiped it away with the sleeve of his shirt. He couldn’t help but admire her tenacity to keep moving, even though she was out of breath and didn’t have proper mountain climbing gear. Her cheeks showed signs of the heat and the intensity of the climb.
“We can try walking slower, but time is not on our side.” He started uphill and noted out of his peripheral vision she trudged forward at a slower pace.
“I’m trying to remember exactly what happened back at the cabin.” She let out a moan when she stepped over a protruding tree root. “I fell and hit my head so it’s a little sketchy.”
He paused and checked the fire. “Show me where it hurts.” Her dark brown, sad eyes caught him off guard. His heart went out to her being in this situation.
“Ouch. That’s it.” She ducked her head away from his touch.
“Paramedics will check you out once we’re rescued.” He stepped back and walked away. “I need you to stay strong. Gotta step it up or we will literally be toast.” He tensed over the urgency to find a safe zone. Her constant need to stop slowed them down and put them in more danger.
He hadn’t intended on coming across as insensitive. And it wasn’t like him to get antsy. But between the adrenaline rushing through his bones and too many things on his mind, he was getting impatient. He must stay focused on the direction of the wind and the attitude of the fire. He blamed the increased stress partly on his lack of sleep from studying the last few nights and the impending final grade that would make him eligible for the GS-5 ground-level forestry position. Not to mention the adrenaline crash after rescuing a busload of kids from a burning vehicle after it ran off the road late yesterday and caught the forest on fire. His fire team put out the blaze and was relieved the children escaped harm. His ex-fiancée wouldn’t have liked that situation, either. None of that mattered in the heat of the moment, and he had to focus on their safety.
The terrain grew rocky and harder to climb, but that didn’t slow the chasing fire. He considered digging a fire line, but there was no time. A firefighter digging alone to fight off the roaring blaze was pretty much useless. He needed his handcrew. Instructions from his training came to mind.
Stay alert, remain calm, think clearly and act decisively.
Kendall reached for her hand, and she willingly slid her slender hand into his. He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.
Give her a break. Like she said, she’s out of her element.
Hot smoke and ash tossed in the wind and swirled in their faces. Haley coughed until her face turned red. She’d breathed too much smoke already, but there was nothing he could do about it. He pulled out a face mask and handed it to her. “Should have given this to you earlier. Might help block some of the smoke and keep you from inhaling too much.”
The mask obscured all but her big brown eyes, staring up at him with concern. Her fear punched him in the gut. He turned away. He had a job to do.
“That’s better.” The brief twinkle in her eye showed she’d smiled, but quickly faded. “Thanks.”
A suspicious roar like a speeding train alerted Kendall to the approaching danger. Every muscle in his body tensed. The wind grew stronger, confirming his assessment. He spun and glanced back. A fire tornado. Haley squeezed his hand, and he tightened his grip on hers. His pulse shot more adrenaline through his body.
“What’s that?” She pointed behind them.
“Trouble. Big trouble.” He tugged her behind him and started running, almost dragging her. “A fire whirl. It’s like a small tornado filled with fire. Come on. We’re on its direct path.”
The whites of her eyes grew larger. They bolted for cover and hunkered down behind another large boulder with tall grass and scattered pine needles around its base. Not a good choice, but it would have to do for now.
God, if You’re there, protect us.
He pulled her close and wrapped his arms tight around her. Could he protect her from the flying, burning debris? She scrunched down and covered her face with her hands. He buried his face in her hair as it tossed with the wind and slapped against his cheeks. They’d die if they didn’t get to the lowest place possible. He searched the area. The heat’s intensity was too much, and he had no intention of dying today. Where could they go? The fire was about to consume them.
