Flashpoint Box Set, Vol. 1 | Books 1-3

by Ellis, Tara

  Chloe’s mouth started watering as she daydreamed about the food, and she sped up her motions of slamming the stakes into the ground. She was attempting to find where the marshy ground ended, and would measure from there, back to where the entrance of the spring was. That would give them an idea of how far they would need to dig the deepest part to create more of a reservoir, so there would be enough of a flow.

  “So…” Trevor drawled. “What is it that I’m supposed to measure?”

  “Here,” Chloe said, as she ran across to the far end of the field. After pushing around for a moment with her foot, she planted another stick. “Now, Crissy, let’s tie the yarn to all of the sticks, and then back to the main pole that’s already at the spring. Trevor, you then measure all the points between the sticks, and I’ll add the measurements to my drawing.”

  Trevor raised his eyebrows, whether in admiration or mockery, Chloe wasn’t sure. She didn’t care, so long as he did what she wanted. At that point, she wasn’t concerned about being too bossy. It was important, and it needed to be done.

  “Ugh!” Crissy moaned, pulling a sneaker up out of the mud with a sucking sound. “Great. My only shoes and now they’re going to smell like swamp.”

  “Here,” Trevor ran like an awkward gazelle through the tall grass and knelt down. “Jump on my back.”

  Chloe rolled her eyes at her two friends, but laughed out loud when Trevor fell flat on his face after taking only two steps. Crissy squealed and then started laughing too, when Trevor found his hands stuck in the mud.

  “Help!” Crissy called to Chloe, pulling at one of Trevor’s arms. “It’s sucking him in!” Crissy sat down hard when Trevor’s muddy arm slipped through her fingers, and she laughed even more, a large smear of muck on one of her cheeks.

  It was so rare for them to have an excuse to laugh and forget about the loved ones they missed so badly that Chloe couldn’t possibly ruin the moment by telling them to stop messing around. So what if dinner was late? She rolled her shoulders and forced herself to relax before moving up to Trevor’s other arm. “Take my hand!” she said dramatically, deciding to go all-in. “We’ll save you!”

  As she and Crissy strained to free Trevor from the marsh, an odd sound began to fill the space around them. At first, Chloe ignored it, thinking it was a gust of wind, but when it intensified, she paused and held up a hand to silence the other two teens.

  “Shush,” Chloe hissed. “Do you hear that?”

  Crissy tilted her head, and her smile faded. “What is that?”

  Trevor rolled over and sat up. His charade forgotten, he jumped to his feet and turned in a circle, seeking out the source of the increasing, odd hum. “I don’t like this,” he muttered, wiping at some mud on his chin. “This is like that scene in a horror flick where you yell at them to run, instead of standing there like idiots.”

  Chloe ignored Trevor and squinted in concentration, trying to decipher what they were hearing. She could feel it almost as much as hear a low vibration that oscillated, underscored by what could best be described as clicking and humming sounds with occasional squeaks.

  “Trevor’s right,” Crissy said, grabbing both Trevor and Chloe’s arms. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “We need to finish this,” Chloe said absently, almost hypnotized by the sound that was still increasing in volume. It seemed to come from all around them now, echoing off the cliff wall and bouncing off the ground.

  The horses, tied up on the far side of the clearing, were prancing anxiously and starting to whinny, clearly bothered by whatever it was. Trevor and Crissy began to run towards them, but Chloe hesitated, looking back at their things still spread out in in the dry part of the field. She needed to at least get her sketch-pad.

  Before Chloe had a chance to move in either direction, a burst of blurred motion exploded out of the mine entrance. Frozen in shock while her brain tried to process what she was seeing, Chloe stood open-mouthed as thousands of bats burst out into the clearing and shot up into the sky, creating a sinuous black wave.

  “Argh!” Crissy screeched while she ran away, waving her arms over her head even though the bats were nowhere near her.

  As Trevor chased after Crissy, Chloe stood transfixed by the spectacle. It was still at least five hours until sunset, so several hours before the bats should be heading out to feed. And they weren’t keeping in an organized formation, like she’d seen them do in documentaries. These bats, once clear of the treetops, flew around in dizzying patterns before spreading out in every direction.

  Several minutes later, as the last of the bats flittered out of sight, Trevor came to stand next to Chloe. “Think we spooked them?”

  Chloe shook her head. “No way. We weren’t even that close to the mine. We’d have had to go inside and make a bunch of noise.”

  “I hope it isn’t rabies,” Trevor said anxiously. “I read once that bats were one of the most common carriers. Oh man, what if some form of super bat rabies gets mixed in with the mutant diarrhea bacteria and creates some kind of—”

  “Trevor!” Chloe shouted, having reached her limit of patience. “Now would be a good time to shut up.”

  “I’ll finish getting the measurements,” he offered meekly before walking away.

  Already regretting her outburst, Chloe focused again on the bats. Trevor had a valid point about rabies, but she didn’t think that was it. The whole thing reminded her of the birds that flew into the ground the day after the flashpoint. She wasn’t sure exactly how bats navigated or if they migrated or anything, but it would make sense that if the magnetosphere was messed up enough, that it could be messing with their radar.

  Running her hands through her short hair, Chloe took a deep breath and prepared herself for a genuine-sounding apology to Trevor. As she walked over to her friends, she couldn’t help but think the whole bat encounter was a punishment for them daring to have a normal afternoon.

  Chapter 5

  TOM

  Near Spencer, Idaho

  “I’m going back!” Ethan attempted to pull his horse around, but the big gelding balked.

  Tom pulled up alongside Ethan and then maneuvered Lilly in front of Tango, blocking his son’s way. “We need to wait! It’s still too dangerous.”

  It had taken over two hours of hard riding to outrun the fire, as well as putting a river in between them after the wind shifted. While Tom had some limited experience with brush fires, Danny was the expert on fire behavior and was the one who determined when it was safe to stop. A half hour later, it was becoming obvious that Sam wasn’t right behind them.

  “I’ll go.” Danny was already struggling to get her mare to head back the way they’d come, the horse having none of it. All of the horses were understandably skittish, and while Tom was impressed with how well Danny had taken to riding, she was nowhere near capable of manhandling one in a dangerous situation.

  “No!” Tom shouted, his frustration at the situation coming out.

  Danny spun towards him as if he’d slapped her and he knew he’d likely just deepened the rift between them even further. “I wasn’t asking for your permission!” she spat.

  The steel in Danny’s eyes was dangerous and Tom chose his words carefully. “You aren’t experienced enough to control your horse,” he said bluntly, figuring she’d respond best to the truth. “And Tango is too edgy,” he said to Ethan. “Neither one of you are going to be of any help to Sam and Grace by getting yourselves hurt. Stay here with our gear and be ready to move if the wind shifts again. I’ll find them.”

  Tom felt a small amount of satisfaction at the look of confusion that crossed Danny’s face as he turned away from her. Approaching Ethan, he lowered his voice so only the teen could hear him. “Watch out for Danny, Ethan. I promise I’ll bring them back.” When Ethan responded with a small nod of his head, Tom turned Lilly without looking back.

  He knew Danny didn’t need any looking after, but appealing to the young boy’s sense of responsibility would help keep him sa
fe, and that was all Tom cared about. Reading people wasn’t a favorite pastime of his. He preferred to simply state things how they were, and let everyone else work through their own emotions. He was more than capable of excelling in social situations, but he chose to spend most of his time on the ranch. Far away from all the complexities of relationships. Life was much easier that way.

  Tom surveyed his surroundings. Low, rolling hills covered with both scrub and clusters of trees spread out as far as he could see. They were still in Idaho, coming up on the tiny town of Spencer, last they’d looked at a map. It was late afternoon and the sun was fierce enough to add the additional misery of heat to the cloying smoke.

  They’d gotten well beyond the fire line; however, smoke was blowing into the valley they’d finally managed to get above. As Tom descended back into it, he questioned his own judgment. He was concerned he’d made a promise to his son he might not be able to keep.

  “Sam!” Coughing, Tom pulled his shirt up over the lower half of his face as the smoke thickened. It was terrifying how quickly the visibility dropped, the light blocked out so that it was as dark as night. It would be easy to become disoriented.

  Just when Tom thought he’d have to turn around, there was a distinct clopping sound of hooves against pavement. “Sam, can you hear me?” His voice was hoarse and raw, but he couldn’t give up. Tom and Sam had grown close over the past three days and he wasn’t about to lose another friend without fighting for him.

  Tom’s horse suddenly sidestepped the husk of a car that blended in with the smoke, barely missing it. “Woah!” Squeezing his thighs into Lilly, Tom shifted in the saddle with cat-like reflexes as she sidestepped again and tossed her head, his expert riding abilities saving him from a fall. They’d have to turn back soon or else they’d become victims, too. Grunting in frustration, Tom swung a leg over the saddle and leapt to the ground. Crouching, he ducked down low and squinted into the swirling smoke. It wasn’t much better, but he could make out slightly more detail of the terrain ahead of them. Was that movement?

  “Hello!” Tom led Lilly forward cautiously, coughing more vigorously. It was becoming harder to breathe. He just had to make sure… “Sam!” he yelled, dropping Lilly’s lead rope and rushing toward the brown mare. Sam was seated halfway in the saddle, slumped forward against her neck.

  As Tom reached the mare, he heard a weak bark and was shocked to discover Grace lying draped across the horse, in front of Sam. The older man was barely conscious himself, but managed to lift a hand and wave weakly in recognition. “Tom,” he croaked. “Care to get us out of here?”

  Tom yanked his shirt down from his face and smiled at Sam while reaching up to place a hand gently on Grace’s head. The dog was panting heavily. “I think we can manage that. Just hold on.”

  The next twenty minutes were a blur of shadowy movement and the echoing of horse’s hooves as a surreal landscape rushed by in a dreamlike sequence. Tom kept looking back to make sure both man and dog were still on their horse as he held the lead rope and gave Lilly her head to guide them out. She was a strong, intelligent horse and he’d come to trust her in a way he’d never experienced with another animal.

  She didn’t let them down, and as Tom took his first full breath of clean air, he leaned forward to give her muscular neck a thankful squeeze. “Good girl, Lilly,” he cooed to the horse before looking back behind them again. Sam was trying to sit upright on his mount, but was coughing uncontrollably.

  “Woah.” Tom stopped the horses and then ran to help Sam, who was already trying to dismount.

  There were dark smudges around Sam’s nostrils, and soot was embedded in every line of his face, making him look much older than he was. His teeth flashed white as he smiled weakly at Tom. “I’ll be okay.”

  Tom wasn’t so sure. Sam leaned heavily on him as he helped walk him to a patch of grass along the interstate. “Here,” Tom said, holding out a water bottle after Sam was seated. “Drink as much as you can. I’ll get Grace.”

  Going back to the dog, Tom could see that she was already moving more and responding well to the fresh air. He knew the horse wasn’t going to stand for having the other animal on her back for much longer. Gently, he scooped her up the best he could from the awkward angle, and lifted her off the horse. Whining, Grace set her head on his shoulder and sighed before licking his neck. “It’s going to be okay, girl,” he whispered to the retriever, and then laughed when she raised her head enough to lick his cheek.

  Tom hadn’t gotten another dog after his life-long partner in crime on the ranch passed away several years before. He’d been an extremely intelligent Australian Shepherd named Duke, and was his best friend since he was twelve. Grace had such long hair that Tom didn’t realize until then how skinny she was. Standing there holding her, he vowed to give the dog extra food until she fattened up.

  “Sam!” Danny’s voice startled them both and the two men turned to see Danny and Ethan charging down the road towards them.

  “I told you it was them!” Ethan shouted, a wide smile on his face. “Grace!” He hadn’t noticed the dog until Tom turned to face them. “You found her!” Leaping from Tango before the horse had come to a full stop, Ethan stumbled forward and nearly fell into Tom and Grace, wrapping the dog up in both of his arms.

  Tom carefully handed the dog over to Ethan, who nearly dropped her when Grace began to wiggle in excitement. “Here.” Tom helped Ethan sit down and then got another water bottle from the pack horse. “Get her to drink some water. She breathed in a lot of smoke, but I think she’s going to be okay.”

  Tom turned back to Sam to find that Danny was already giving him a cursory exam. Satisfied he wasn’t in any immediate danger, she stood and stared intently at Tom. She had the same expression as before, like she wasn’t quite sure what to make of him. “Thank you,” she finally offered.

  Tom shrugged and gave a crooked smile. “Lilly did most of the work.” A sharp pain in his temple caused his smile to fade and he pressed the palm of his hand against it.

  “Still getting the headaches?” Danny asked, taking a step closer.

  “Hmm,” Tom muttered noncommittally. The stabbing sensation was already fading to an aching throb and he began to breathe normally again and opened his eyes. Danny’s face was closer than he expected and he didn’t look away like he usually did. Her dark, exotic features were odd and enticing at the same time. It was easy for a man to get lost in those dark eyes.

  “Are you okay?” She leaned back and tilted her head at him.

  Tom realized he’d been staring. He blinked rapidly a few times. “Uh, yeah. Sorry, I think I’m still a little off. I find myself…drifting.”

  Danny nodded as if it wasn’t unusual. “It’s the concussion. It’s different for everyone, but I think yours was serious enough that you’ll probably have some lingering symptoms for several weeks.”

  “Weeks?” Tom balked.

  “You’re lucky it wasn’t worse,” Danny countered. “And you already seem a little clearer now than when we met you a few days ago.”

  “He’s getting better,” Ethan offered from his spot in the grass next to Sam. “I can tell.”

  Sam tried to add to the conversation and it brought on another coughing fit. Danny knelt down next to him, her face a mask of concern. “You’ve inhaled too much smoke, Sam.”

  Sam waved her off and then took a shuddering breath. “I’m already feeling ten times better,” he managed to croak. Danny didn’t look convinced. “Honest,” he added.

  “Thank you, Sam.” Danny looked over at Grace, who was busy covering Ethan’s face in doggy kisses.

  Sam answered by reaching out and squeezing her hand. He then looked up at Tom. “We should keep moving.”

  “Not yet!” Danny stood and squinted at Tom, inviting him to challenge her. “He needs to rest more.”

  “I agree,” Tom said quickly. There! That look again. He was going to have fun finding ways to elicit that response in Danny.

  “I think
I have a say in it,” Sam said as he slowly got to his feet. Danny put an arm out to help him and Tom quickly moved to his other side. “Does it really matter if I’m sitting on the ground or on the back of a horse?” When Danny didn’t have a valid argument against it, Sam nodded and then started walking. “Good. Let’s keep moving. I’d like to get some more distance between us and the fire.”

  Once Sam was settled, Danny went to where Ethan and Grace were still sitting in the grass. Plopping down next to them, she coaxed Grace into accepting a belly rub and then placed her head against the dog’s chest. Danny stayed that way for a full thirty seconds, then finally sat back up, smiling. “I don’t hear any wheezing, but she still needs to rest. I can take her on the horse with me.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think Tango would go for it,” Ethan said as he stood and helped Danny take the large, sixty-pound retriever into her arms.

  Grace whined and began to writhe in Danny’s arms as they approached her horse. “I know, sweetie. You think you can walk, but you need to let us help you.”

  Tom watched silently, his arms folded across his chest. Placing a semi-conscious dog on a horse that was already distracted by a fire was one thing. But a dog that didn’t want to go, on a fully aware horse with an inexperienced rider? He bit his tongue and waited.

  Danny grunted with the effort of hefting Grace and didn’t even get her level with the horse's back before the mare sidestepped and looked wildly at them, snorting loudly. Danny juggled Grace and nearly dropped her before Tom moved in and easily scooped the dog up. In the brief moment that they both had hold of her, Tom looked evenly at Danny over the retriever’s head. “We need to learn to trust each other,” he said softly. Danny squinted slightly, but then stepped back, allowing Tom to take the dog.