Chasing Fire

by Pamela Clare

  Then it hit Eric.

  They’d only had seven morphine syringes, and he’d gotten four of them.

  “You haven’t given yourself a shot, have you?”

  “The pilot got one, but Ramirez and I are okay. We’re doing alright.”

  “Yeah, man, we’re good.” The lines of pain on Ramirez’s face told a different story.

  “Liars. Second-degree burns hurt more than third-degree burns. You should give yourselves a shot—now.”

  “No, chief. You’ve got deep second- and third-degree burns. You’re in a lot worse shape than we are. There are two left. We’re saving them for you.”

  Stubborn son of a bitch.

  “You’re fired.”

  Silver grinned with blistered lips. “Okay.”

  Eric drifted again.

  When he next woke, his face was turned toward the east where there was nothing but charred forest heading toward town. The sharp edge of regret cut at him. “Scarlet … It was my job to protect the town. I was supposed to—”

  “Hey, you did your best. If that bastard Robertson had listened to you and handled initial attack the way you wanted, I doubt we’d be here right now.”

  “I should have evacuated Mato Sapa myself.”

  “Not even you can be everywhere at once, chief.”

  But Eric barely heard Silver’s words, the pain trapped inside his chest beyond the reach of morphine. “I sent Taylor to Haley Preserve, and now … God.”

  And then he was drifting again.

  Vicki.

  She held out a glass of water, smiled at him, touched a hand to her belly.

  A baby.

  “Chief! A chopper. Look.”

  Eric jerked open his eyes, saw a helicopter circling high in the sky above them. “It’s about damned time.”

  Thank God.

  Silver got to his feet and reached toward the sky, holding up four fingers.

  Four survivors.

  The pilot gave them a thumbs up.

  Eric must have drifted off again because the next thing he knew, Silver was pouring water over his lips.

  “Drink. Just a little.”

  It felt so good, like life itself. “More.”

  “Sorry. No more than a sip. We’ll get you hydrated.” A paramedic Eric didn’t know, a woman with auburn hair, finished putting an IV in his arm. “I’m opening your fluids wide. It should help with the thirst.”

  Eric had said that very thing to people before, people with burns and blood loss. “What took you … so long?”

  “They had to call us out of Denver. We had to assemble the crew, run a safety check, get airborne, and then fly here.”

  A stab to the thigh.

  More morphine.

  Even with a full load of narcotics, getting him onto the litter was no picnic.

  He gritted his teeth. “The others. They’re hurt, too.”

  “We’re on top of it.”

  “My wife. Call her. Tell her … I’m not dead.”

  The paramedic put an oxygen canula beneath his nose. “We’ve radioed in already. She’ll get the word.”

  Eric floated as they carried him to the helicopter and slid him into the bird, its rotors still running. The paramedic climbed in behind him, Silver, Ramirez, and Wright buckling into seats beside him, each carrying their own IV bag.

  “I hope we don’t run into any drones this time,” Ramirez said.

  The doors closed, and the bird lifted off, swinging in a wide arc around the forest and heading eastward.

  Eric tilted his head back, caught sight of a wall of flame surging toward the new backburn, and beyond that, Scarlet Springs.

  His home. The town he loved.

  “It was my job to keep everyone safe. It was my job.”

  Then his eyes drifted shut, and he was aware of nothing.

  Heart thudding, Vicki looked to Megs to make sure she’d heard right. “Four survivors?”

  Libby repeated her words. “Did they say four?”

  “They surely did.”

  “Oh, thank God!” Vicki turned to Libby, hugged her. “They’re alive.”

  As far as Vicki was concerned, it was a miracle.

  “Hawke knows what he’s doing, man,” Creed said. “He’s not going to take risks.”

  Megs held up a hand for silence.

  A voice came over the radio once more.

  Vicki couldn’t understand everything they were saying, their words garbled by static and made up of slang she didn’t know.

  Megs translated for her. “All four are responsive. Silver, the pilot, and the photojournalist have second-degree burns, while Hawke has second-degree with third-degree burns on his right leg. He suffered partial shelter failure. All need medical treatment. They’re being flown to the burn center in Denver.”

  Vicki’s stomach sank. Third-degree burns. Shelter failure. “Oh, God.”

  Megs took her hand, gave it a squeeze. “He’s alive and responsive, so that’s a good sign.”

  Vicki shot to her feet. “I’ve got to get to the burn center.”

  Libby stood, too. “I’m coming with you.”

  “My car is at the Forest Creek Inn.” Vicki started toward the door.

  Megs stood, blocking her. “You’re not driving.”

  “I’ll take you.” The tall man who’d called the lieutenant governor stepped forward, Gabe’s friend. “I met your husband today. He’s a good man.”

  “Thank you.”

  “He helped me evacuate,” Libby said as if to vouch for the man.

  Vicki headed toward the door, then turned back. “Text me when you get news about Chaska, Gabe, and the others, okay? And, Megs, thank you.”

  Megs acknowledged this with a nod. “You go be with your man.”

  Vicki followed the man outside to his vehicle, Libby beside her, both of them holding a hand over their mouths to shield themselves from the smoke. It was so thick she could barely see twenty feet ahead.

  The man opened the two passenger-side doors for them, then hurried to the driver’s side and climbed in.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t remember your name.” Vicki was ashamed to admit this. She was usually good with names.

  “Chief Deputy US Marshal Zach McBride.” He backed out of his parking space. “How would the two of you feel about me switching on my overheads and running hot?”

  “Oh, hell, yes!” Libby blurted.

  They drove through empty, smoke-filled streets, passing a single sheriff’s vehicle but seeing no one else as they made their way to the canyon.

  Vicki called her mother-in-law to share the news, knowing that Robin was suffering every bit as much as she. “Yes, he’s alive, but he’s got third-degree burns on his right leg. I’m on the way to the burn center now. I’ll call as soon as I have more news.”

  Vicki ended the call, lapsing into silence. She didn’t have the heart for conversation, her thoughts wrapped around Eric and what he must have endured, questions chasing through her mind. Why had his shelter failed? Were they taking care of his pain? Was his life in danger? Was he at risk of losing his leg? Would he be able to walk again?

  The canyon passed by outside her windows unseen. When they reached Boulder, Zach flipped on his sirens. Traffic pulled over, enabling them to move quickly through the city and onto Highway 36 toward Denver.

  It was only when they passed the hospital that Vicki remembered her promise to text Lexi when she got word. She typed out a quick message and sent it.

  “Do you think they’ll let me see Brandon?” Libby asked out of the blue. “I’m not his wife. I’m not sure he’ll even want to see me.”

  Vicki turned to look back at Libby. “Are you kidding? He’s going to be so happy that you’re there. Just tell them you’re his significant other.”

  But Libby looked unconvinced.

  Forty minutes later—it felt like much longer than that—they pulled up in front of the Denver Burn Center, stopping just outside the emergency entrance. “You two head in
. I’ll park and then come in to check on my buddy Ramirez.”

  “Thanks so much.”

  “I’m happy to help.”

  Vicki climbed out and followed Libby through the sliding glass doors.

  Chapter 18

  Lexi followed the RN in blue scrubs back to the emergency department.

  “He was seriously hypothermic when they brought him in, but he’s doing much better now,” the nurse said. “We’re going to keep him under heated blankets and continue giving him warmed IV fluids and oxygen until his core temperature has normalized completely. He should be ready to go home this evening.”

  “Thanks so much.”

  The nurse motioned to one of the bays, a blue-and-gray striped curtain drawn across it for privacy. “He’s in there.”

  “Thanks.” Lexi nudged the curtain aside. “Austin?”

  The head of the bed was raised so that he was sitting up, but he was sound asleep, blankets covering him up to his chin, an oxygen mask on his face, an IV tube disappearing beneath the blankets.

  She pressed a kiss to his cheek, tears filling her eyes.

  She’d come so close to losing him, so close to never seeing him again.

  Needing to feel his touch, she took his right hand from beneath the blankets, held it against her cheek, her gaze moving over his face, studying every dear and precious feature. Those long, dark lashes. His high cheekbones. The line of his nose. The stubble on his jaw. The lips that drove her crazy.

  He was safe and alive.

  Thank you, God.

  His eyes fluttered open, and he smiled, squeezed her hand. “Lexi.”

  “Hey, sleepyhead.” She smiled through a new rush of tears. “How do you feel?”

  “Like I’ve been hit by a bus.” He took his hand from hers, wiped a tear from her cheek. “Hey, it’s okay.”

  She’d told herself that she would keep it together, but she was failing. “I was so afraid, Austin. When they said the fire had burned through your last known location and that no one could reach you, a million terrible things went through my mind. I thought…”

  His gaze went soft. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault.” She sniffed, smiled. “You were trying to rescue Bear.”

  “Bear didn’t need rescuing. He was safe all along.”

  Lexi listened while Austin told her about reaching the cabin to find that Bear wasn’t there. He told her how the fire had moved faster than he’d imagined, his description of running for the truck and realizing he wouldn’t make it sending chills down her spine.

  “I ran for Azure Lake instead. I knew that if I didn’t make it, I would burn alive. I would never see you or Emily again. Emily would lose her father like you’d lost your mother.”

  His words struck a sore spot inside her, the place in her heart that had never healed. “But you made it. You made it.”

  “The fire was right behind me. By the time I reached the lake, it was close enough to melt the straps on my backpack. If I had tripped, if the lake had been another ten feet farther away… The heat was unbearable, and the way the trees seemed to shriek…”

  Lexi felt almost sick, his descriptions bringing vivid images to her mind. “That’s awful.”

  “I’ve always had a lot of respect for firefighters, but after today…” Austin’s body tensed as if he’d just remembered something. “Hawke. Have they found him?”

  “Yes. He’s alive, but he’s hurt. He, Brandon Silver, and the others are being flown to the Denver Burn Center.”

  “What the hell happened?”

  Lexi shared the little she knew. “Eric and the others were heading to search for survivors at Camp Mato Sapa and to find you when they were struck by a drone. It took out the helicopter’s rear rotor. The chopper crashed right in front of the fire. Vicki said they deployed fire shelters, but Eric’s shelter failed. He has second-degree burns all over and third-degree burns on his right leg.”

  Austin squeezed his eyes shut. “Christ. I can’t imagine.”

  “Vicki’s pregnant.” Lexi wasn’t sure why this was relevant, but it was.

  So much had been at stake today.

  Austin let out a breath. “Thank God he’s alive. I’d have had to kick his ass otherwise.”

  Lexi squeezed Austin’s hand. “That’s big talk for a guy who can’t stay awake.”

  “What about Camp Mato Sapa?”

  “Nothing new there.”

  “Shit.”

  Lexi didn’t want Austin to worry about things he couldn’t change, not when he was still recovering. She changed the subject. “You said Bear was safe. Where did you find him?”

  “He found me. My truck was burned out, the radio melted. I started to walk back to town, but I lost consciousness. The next thing I knew, Bear was there, looking down at me. He helped me up and told me he’d take me to Winona.”

  Lexi smiled. “Like all the injured animals he finds?”

  “Exactly like that.” Austin told her how Bear had half carried and half dragged him down the road until the helicopter arrived. “He was scared of the helicopter, but I talked him into get onboard with me. I’ve never seen a bigger smile on anyone’s face than when he looked down at the ground.”

  “Where is he?”

  “I’m not sure. When I opened my eyes again, I was here.”

  They talked for a while, Lexi telling Austin how hard it had been to evacuate and leave their home and everything in it behind.

  “Where’s Emily? Where’s Mack?”

  “They’re with my dad and Kendra. They took them both to a park. I didn’t want Emily in the ER with sick people, and they wouldn’t let Mack in anyway.”

  Austin’s gaze met hers. “Let’s have another baby—a brother or sister for Emily.”

  His words surprised Lexi, made her laugh. “Where did that come from?”

  They had talked about having another child, but life had kept them busy. It had never seemed like the right time.

  “There was a moment in the lake when I thought I was going to die. There was so much smoke. I thought of you and Emily and how I’d always believed we’d have more children.”

  Tears blurred her vision again.

  She cupped his cheek with her palm. “Oh, Austin. If I had lost you …”

  But she hadn’t lost him. He was going to be okay.

  She smiled. “I would love to make another baby with you.”

  They kissed, his lips cool against hers.

  He drew back. “I almost forgot. I’ve got something to show you. Can you grab my pack? I think it’s in a plastic bag under the bed.”

  She bent down, saw a large plastic bag with his name on it, and tugged it off the shelf under his bed. “This is heavy.”

  Inside were his boots and his backpack, both reeking of smoke. The sight of both made her stomach knot. His boots were covered with ash and soaking wet. The fabric of his backpack had been burned through in places, and some of the nylon straps had begun to melt.

  Good God.

  It had been that close.

  He took the backpack, opened it, drew out what looked like a framed photo and a book. “This is a photo of Bear’s family and his mother’s journal. His whole family is buried out there not far from where the cabin stood. The place burned to the ground, but I managed to save these. I promised him I’d keep them safe.”

  “Oh, Austin.” Lexi stared, amazed. “Do you realize what you have here? No one knows anything about Bear’s past.”

  He grinned, pointed to a boy in the photo. “That’s him there. His real name is Matthew.”

  And Lexi knew. “You risked your life for these, didn’t you?”

  His brow furrowed. “I couldn’t leave them.”

  Lexi caught his face between her palms and kissed him again. “I could not possibly love you more.”

  Kenzie sat on a wooden bench in the shade, watching while Harrison walked to stand beside Joe at the microphone. Rain had asked Harrison to come and share what he knew with fol
ks in a kind of impromptu town meeting.

  “There are so many rumors flying,” she’d said.

  “Remember to check the list of missing persons.” Joe pointed to a piece of paper pinned to a nearby kiosk. “Right now, I think we’re down to about twenty-eight people. If you’re on the list, check in with Captain Langeland so we can get you crossed off. If you believe someone is missing, let him know.”

  Joe paused for a moment. “I’ve asked Harrison Conrad to come share the news with us. He’s on the Team, as you all know, so he’s getting updates.”

  Harrison stepped up to the mic. “As you might have heard, Austin Taylor was sent to find Bear and bring him to safety. The fire burned through that area while Taylor was there, but he found shelter in a lake. So, he’s hypothermic but okay. As it turns out, Bear found him.”

  Quiet laughter.

  “The fire also burned through Camp Mato Sapa—Naomi and Chaska Belcourt’s camp. Although most of the kids and staff got away, Gabe Rossiter, Chaska Belcourt, Grandpa Belcourt, and three counselors stayed behind so that the others could get away. One of the kids apparently hid during the evacuation and is missing, too.”

  A flurry of gasps.

  “Oh, God!”

  “That’s awful!”

  “Some Team members and I tried to reach the camp to evacuate them, but we couldn’t get through.”

  Kenzie’s heart constricted at his humbleness. He didn’t say a word about nearly being trapped and having to drive through flames, probably because he still believed he had failed.

  “A helicopter went to search for survivors but found nothing—no bodies, no survivors.”

  Harrison went on. “Our fire chief, Eric Hawke, went up in a helicopter to try to find Taylor and to check for survivors at Camp Mato Sapa, but a couple of college kids were flying a drone to film the fire. The drone struck the chopper and took out the tail rotor. The helicopter crashed in the path of the blaze.”

  “Oh, heavens!”

  A sob.

  “No!”

  “Captain Brandon Silver and a photojournalist were onboard, too, as well as the pilot. I just heard that they were all found alive—”

  Cheers.