Burn It Down

by Jess Anastasi

  “Okay,” Troy replied, sounding distracted. “Gotta go. Talk later. Love you.”

  Jared sucked in a breath, but before he could even think about how to reply to that, the line went dead, leaving a tone bleeping in his ear.

  He slowly lowered his phone to stare at the screen, feeling like his entire world had shifted on its axis. But he didn’t have the time, luxury, or ability to do anything about it right now. There were bigger, more important things happening—property and lives on the line—that had to take priority over Troy dropping the L word on him and then hanging up like he hadn’t even noticed what he’d said. Who knew, maybe he hadn’t.

  Whatever the case, he needed to tuck it away until this fire was out and they were all safe. Resolve in place, he started his car and brought up the first name on his contact list of the local volunteer firefighters. No doubt they’d already guessed something was up and were prepared, but he still needed to make the call to officially put them on standby and ready the EFD station for an emergency situation. He only hoped this was one of those times when they wouldn’t end up needing those preparations. He’d rather do all that work and then stand down at the end of the day. Because the alternative filled his stomach with dread.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  TROY COUGHED as he climbed in his SUV, throat raw from the thickening smoke. Over the past two hours, they’d gotten out the last of the campers from the main campground. The fire chief wanted to send someone out to the smaller, second campground farther up the trail, but hadn’t been able to spare any firefighter, so Troy had volunteered.

  He was going to take a quick drive up there and then head down to the main gates where Hallie, Buck, and the other rangers were trying to control the panicked visitors leaving the lake and attempting to get out via the main road. Apparently the resulting traffic jam was a mess, and if not for the specialized access tracks the firefighters had used, they wouldn’t have even been able to get into the park.

  He’d heard more fire trucks were coming from several other counties—the fire had quickly burned out of control and as of now, was only gaining in strength and speed. It’d turned into the wildfire they’d all been dreading. If they couldn’t contain it within the park, the entire town of Everness would have to be evacuated.

  The smoke was so thick, he could barely see a few feet in front of his SUV. He turned his headlights on and pulled onto the track, hoping he was driving out of the fire, not deeper into it. The chief had assured him the trail up to the second, smaller campground deeper in the forest should be clear of the main fire front and remain that way for the time being considering the direction the wind was blowing. The chief couldn’t guarantee it wouldn’t be dangerous, however, and had briefly explained what he should do if he found himself facing the brunt of the wildfire.

  There were a number of smaller spot fires burning as he trundled slowly down the road, probably lit by errant sparks like Jared had explained that night the rangers’ offices had gone up. Unfortunately, the smaller fires were being left to hopefully burn themselves out, as most of the firefighters were trying to contain the largest blaze, which was moving fast under a strong southerly bluster.

  Last he’d checked, there’d only been half a dozen people camped at the upper ground. The spot was more remote, and though it was situated by a short stretch of lakeshore with a boat ramp, there wasn’t a shower block and the single toilet was pretty basic, so it wasn’t as popular and only used by campers looking for a more back-to-basics kind of trip.

  He had no way of knowing whether any of the campers had left the area, and the fire chief had told him he had less than an hour to get to the campground and evacuate whoever he could find. If he was out there any longer, the safest thing to do would be find cover and shelter in place.

  He didn’t plan on taking any longer than an hour.

  Jared’s words about staying safe and leaving as soon as he could had planted themselves deeply into his mind. He had too much to lose to risk doing anything stupid. By the same token, he hoped that if Jared did come out to face the fire later, he took every precaution.

  In the kind of job Jared did, there was always an inherent risk, so he wasn’t naive enough to believe if Jared was simply careful, nothing would happen to him. Being a first responder sometimes meant lives were lost on the front line in keeping people safe. But in the back of his mind, he was praying hard to God or whatever higher power might be listening that Jared came home to him when all this was over.

  His headlights picked up two hunched figures in the smoke ahead. At first he assumed it was a couple of campers or hikers trying to leave, but then he realized they were heading toward the secondary campground, not away from it, and also the pair weren’t big enough to be adults. They had to be teenagers. He pulled to a stop right behind them and was halfway out of his SUV when the pair turned and he swore long and loud.

  “What the hell are you two doing?” he yelled as he strode over to them.

  Lewis and Aaron had their T-shirts pulled up over their faces, their eyes red and watering from the smoke, but looked unmistakably relieved to see him.

  He didn’t wait for one of them to answer—they were both coughing anyway. He grabbed their arms and hauled them toward his SUV, then shoved them into the back seat. He went to the trunk and quickly grabbed out two bottles of water, then climbed in behind the wheel.

  Coughing himself, he handed over the water and waited until they’d both taken long drinks and seemed to be breathing a little easier.

  “Are you two trying to get yourselves killed?” he demanded, passing a glare between them.

  “We were hanging at the lake with some friends when the fire started,” Lewis answered while Aaron stayed stubbornly silent. “They left, but we went to find our dads, but they weren’t at the main campground anymore.”

  “I know,” he replied, without adding he’d been the one to kick them out. Or that Aaron’s father had been responsible for lighting the fire. “But if you were trying to get out of the park, you were going clear in the wrong direction.”

  “We weren’t trying to leave,” Aaron said. “Our dads told us if they ever got moved on, they were planning to set up in the smaller campground farther along the trail.”

  Damn it to hell. The Sadler brothers didn’t deserve the sons they had in Lewis and Aaron.

  “Going after them wasn’t the smartest thing you’ve ever done in your life. I’m assuming Jared doesn’t know you’re here.”

  When the pair shook their heads, looking suitably guilty, he pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Jared, who was probably going out of his mind with worry. A reply came straightaway from Jared, thanking him and saying Tate had been about to head out to the lake to find them. The end of the message said Jared had been called out to the fire front and was on his way to the park now.

  Troy locked his phone without replying, ignoring the trepidation building inside him at knowing Jared was heading into the thick of things.

  “I know you think they’re deadbeat assholes, but they’re still our dads,” Aaron said, hurt and anger in his tone. “They’re family. We couldn’t just leave them—”

  “Except you’re fourteen, and the smart idea would have been to let the authorities take care of it instead of getting yourselves lost in the middle of a wildfire,” he shot back heatedly, not going to soften or dumb this down for them. They needed to understand they really could have been killed. “I was on my way up to the second campground to help evacuate people, and if I’d found your dads, I would have made sure they got out. Now thanks to you two, I’ve been delayed and those people’s lives are in danger.”

  Neither of them said anything, but Lewis blinked rapidly, eyes watering again. Except he doubted it was from the smoke this time.

  Troy carefully turned his SUV around and made his way back down the trail. Luckily the smoke had cleared somewhat and he hadn’t driven too far before he’d come across the teens. When he arrived back at the main campgroun
d, however, he found it completely empty. The EFD engines had obviously moved on to somewhere else they were needed more desperately.

  Dammit, he’d been hoping he could hand the boys off to one of the firefighters or even the fire chief to escort them down to the main gate so he could get back up to the second campground. He pulled the SUV to a stop, letting the engine idle while he quickly sorted through his options. The fire chief had been counting on him to evacuate the secondary campground. If he didn’t get up there, those people wouldn’t know they were in danger and running out of time. But he couldn’t take Lewis and Aaron into that kind of situation.

  Troy turned to look at them where they were sitting hunched together in the back seat.

  “Can either of you drive?”

  They shared one of those looks where they seemed to be able to communicate without actually saying anything.

  “This is no time to be coy. If you can, just say so.”

  “I know how to drive,” Aaron said, even as Lewis tried to shush him.

  “I don’t care how or why. I just need to know you really can and you’re not going to wreck a hundred yards down the road.”

  “I can do it,” Aaron said with an assured nod, though honestly he did look a little nervous for the first time since Troy had met him. Seemed the bravado was finally gone.

  “Okay, I want you to drive my SUV—carefully—down to the main gates. There’s another park ranger there named Buck. You can’t miss him; he’ll be wearing the park uniform and he’s the size of a mountain.”

  Aaron nodded determinedly, while Lewis still seemed on the verge of tears.

  “What about you?” Lewis asked in a hoarse voice.

  “I need to get up to the second campground to help people. If your dads are up there, I’ll make sure they get out. There’s an ATV parked in a small storage shed here at the campground I can use. Don’t worry about me. Just concentrate on getting yourselves to safety, okay?”

  “You can trust us,” Aaron said, putting an arm around Lewis and holding him close for a moment. Despite the attitude Aaron had given him previously and his penchant for sneaking off to do his own thing, Troy could see he understood the gravity of the situation and clearly wanted to get himself and Lewis out of here. There wouldn’t be any detours or defiance this time.

  “Okay, climb over.” Troy opened the door and got out of the SUV while Aaron clambered over to slide behind the wheel. Lewis came after him to sit in the passenger seat. “There’s no need to hurry, okay? There’s a pretty big traffic jam at the main gates, so once you get there, you won’t get much farther anyway. Just take your time driving and be careful. Tell Buck to message me once you find him so I know you made it safe.”

  Aaron nodded, then shifted the seat forward, checked the mirrors, and buckled his seat belt. Troy pulled him in for a quick hug and reached across to ruffle Lewis’s hair at the same time.

  “We’ll all be fine. Tomorrow morning I’m going to make you guys my famous waffles for breakfast, all right?”

  Lewis and Aaron both agreed, staring at him with wide eyes as he stepped back and swung the door shut. He sent them a smile and a wave, trying to look calm and confident. Aaron put the car into gear and slowly rolled forward. Sure enough, he seemed to be a proficient driver. Troy didn’t want to imagine how many times Aaron had already driven his father places when he’d been too drunk to drive himself.

  When the SUV had disappeared through the tree line, Troy turned and ran over to the small storage shed of equipment, quickly unlocked it and then moved a few things aside. He checked the ATV had fuel and then wheeled it out before starting it up. It took a few tries to turn over. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had used it—possibly a few months ago. But once it was going, it seemed to run fine, so he hoped it didn’t decide to give out on him halfway up the trail.

  He grabbed a towel from a shelf in the shed and went around the side, then used a nearby tap to wet the material. When it was dripping, he wound it around his head and neck. Not ideal, but better than breathing the smoke where it was thicker up the trail.

  Not bothering to lock up the small garage—the ATV had been the only real thing of value stored in there anyway—he quickly climbed on and took off, cutting across the dust and grass instead of taking the designated track around. It might have only saved him a few seconds, but with smoke darkening the sky and a muted roar in the distance as the fire got bigger and faster, every moment counted if he was going to save the last few campers.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  JARED TOOK a moment to let out a long, relieved breath before he climbed onto the rig. When Del had called him an hour ago to say Lewis and Aaron had gone out to the lake with the Morrison brothers, he’d been torn in a way he’d never felt before, emotions and obligations tugging him in half a dozen different directions until he felt like he was going to pieces.

  He hadn’t been able to leave the station to go get the boys, nor wanted Tate or Del going into the park when the authorities were trying to evacuate it. He’d nearly called Troy a dozen times over, but knowing he was helping coordinate the search of the park, Jared couldn’t put Lewis and Aaron being missing on his shoulders as well. Lives were on the line, and for the time being, it was more important Troy help where he already was, not go running to the lakeshore to look for the errant pair. And in his gut he knew that was exactly what Troy would have done.

  He wasn’t surprised Lewis and Aaron had gone to the campground looking for their dads instead of leaving when James and Eric Morrison had. He didn’t know why it hadn’t occurred to him sooner—probably because he was juggling about a million different worries.

  He had to put them all aside for now, however, as the fire engine raced out of town toward the Sam Houston National Forest. Reports had the number of trucks attending the fire somewhere around thirty, and aerial water bombers had been called in. In the next few hours, a decision would need to be made on whether to put Everness on evacuation alert. He was glad he wasn’t the one making that call. It was enough to be on the ground and trying to bring the fire under control before any more property was destroyed or lives were lost.

  As they neared the park, the roads became clogged with people trying to leave. Most people were good about getting out of the way of the fire engine, but it still slowed them considerably until they reached the access track that took them off the main road and quickly into the park.

  They drove parallel to the road feeding through the gates, traffic crawling as a few park rangers tried to direct the chaos. He looked for Troy but didn’t spot him. He did see Lewis and Aaron standing next to the senior park ranger and what looked to be Troy’s SUV.

  Before he knew what he was doing, he banged on the door and called out for Brody—who was driving the rig—to let him out and he’d catch up with them.

  The big wheels on the truck barely stopped rolling as he shoved the door open and jumped out before they were off again, a second rig trundling along behind them. When the way was clear, he jogged over to the boys where they were standing with Buck.

  Jared didn’t know whether he wanted to yell at them or hug them. Their eyes were red-rimmed and clothes soot-streaked. The pair of them looked suitably freaked out, and even though he hated the idea they’d been scared, he hoped this meant their days of defiance were at an end.

  When he stopped in front of them, still undecided on what he was going to do or say, the choice was taken away from him when Lewis stepped forward and threw himself into a hug. Jared automatically closed his arms around the trembling boy, murmuring comforting words that everything would be okay. Buck was on his cell phone and sent him a nod, before pacing away as he spoke to whoever was on the other end of the call.

  Aaron hovered, staring at him and Lewis with a range of emotion flashing across his features until Jared held out an arm and tugged him into the hug as well.

  “We’re sorry,” Lewis stuttered when he pulled back. “We’re so sorry, Jared. We were dumb to stay ou
t here. We should have left with Eric and his brother. If it hadn’t been for Troy finding us—”

  Lewis broke off with a gulped breath as tears slipped down his face.

  “You’re safe now. That’s the most important thing.” He gently rubbed a hand over Lewis’s back, feeling the way he took short, quick breaths, trying to contain his emotions. “Where is Troy?”

  He glanced around, looking for his familiar figure in the chaos. He had to be here somewhere since his SUV was parked nearby.

  Lewis made a distressed noise as Aaron put an arm around his shoulders.

  “He was on his way up to evacuate the smaller campground when he found us. We were looking for our dads. Their tents were gone, and we knew they’d been planning to move on to the second campground when they had to,” Aaron answered. “Troy asked if either of us could drive and then got me to come down here in the SUV. He said he was taking an ATV out to help the last few campers and find our dads.”

  Jared very carefully kept his expression neutral, while on the inside he was having a complete meltdown. Back at the station, he’d been monitoring the maps, which were constantly updating as the fire moved. The last one he’d seen before he’d been called out had put the smaller camping ground almost directly in the path of the fire.

  “I’m sure he’ll be fine,” he answered automatically when he realized a few silent seconds had gone by and both boys were looking at him expectantly.

  Buck finished his phone call and came back over.

  “You heard?” he asked without any preamble.

  He nodded, clenching his jaw over a swell of panic, building a wall and blocking it off so he couldn’t feel it, forcing an unnatural calm over himself.

  “I’m going up there.”

  Buck started to shake his head, but Jared turned to Lewis and Aaron. “Del is on his way here. He should arrive any minute. I want you to wait next to the main gates. There’s a ranger there—”