Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire

by Chris Miller

  “It’s never too late to start believing,” I said, putting my arm on his shoulder to comfort him. The next thing I knew, Trista was rushing to our side. She threw her arms around me in a frantic hug.

  “You made it!” said Trista. “I’m so glad you’re safe. You were gone so long I started to worry that you wouldn’t make it.”

  “We had help,” I said excitedly. “We weren’t alone in there; Hope is alive!”

  I explained what had happened, how Hope had appeared in the flames and how she had led us out safely. Trista took it all in without a word and then began to process out loud what I had just said. “She told you that the seven were marked?” Trista asked.

  “Yes, but we never found the seventh mark, did we?” I counted out, “Petrov, Philan, Sam, Stoney, Hope and you. That’s only six.”

  “Right, so who was the seventh?” Trista asked.

  I shrugged my shoulders.

  “The seventh of seven only Fire can name,” I repeated the prophecy aloud.

  “Maybe that’s the point,” she decided. “Maybe we were never meant to find the seventh person. I think the Author alone knows who it was. He meant for it to be a secret.”

  Our thoughts were interrupted as a pair of emergency vehicles raced into the school parking lot and a team of medics rushed to our sides. Within moments they began loading Cranton and me onto stretchers and wheeling us into our respective vehicles. Cranton was taken in an ambulance while I was loaded into the back of a white van with flashing red lights. Trista promised to call Emily and meet us at the hospital as soon as she could.

  The back doors of the van slammed shut, locking me inside, but I wasn’t alone. Two medics hovered over me in the back of the van. One was a man seated beside me, the other a woman, seated near my head. They were both dressed in official looking blue dress shirts and matching blue pants. As the van pulled away, the female medic began checking me over for burns.

  “Are you Hunter Brown?” the man prodded, as he placed a mask over my face.

  “Yeah,” I answered, a bit surprised they already knew my name.

  “He’s one of them alright,” the woman interrupted, pointing to my collarbone, “He’s got the mark.”

  Her words caught me by surprise.

  Mark? What mark? I wondered.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked.

  “Don’t worry about it,” she assured me. “We know just how to take care of your kind.”

  “My kind…what do you mean my kind. Ouch! What are you doing?” A sharp sting in my thigh drew my attention to a large needle the man had jabbed in my leg. I wanted to ask him what it was for, but my mind began to wander and my body relaxed. I struggled to focus my vision on the medics seated beside me. As my mind grew hazy, my vision began to change. That’s when I saw their eyes were hollow, empty and as black as night.

  These were no medics. Something was wrong.

  My eyes rolled back and my heavy eyelids began to droop shut. The last thing I heard was the man’s voice talking to someone on his cell phone.

  “We found another one. Prepare the chamber.”

  Testimonials

  “I opened up my new copy of Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire, not knowing what to expect from this sequel to The Secret of the Shadow. From the first page I realized I was in the grip of another irresistible, fast-paced tale of adventure and lessons learned. Characters, both new and familiar, inspiring and despicable, populate this story of a chosen few who must execute a sacred duty assigned by the Author himself. Twists, turns, terror and comic moments will enthrall readers of any age. Definitely addicting!”

  Susanne Greenman, middle school educator

  “Easily enjoyed by all ages. The way the Miller brothers continue to create a unique transport into another world and weave the truths of God throughout its pages really makes this second book in their Hunter Brown series spellbinding. However, it should come with a warning label: May Cause Sleeplessness. It was hard to read just a little bit at a time. Even reading it to my grandchildren before bed was difficult as they always wanted just one more chapter and I would easily agree with them. Just one question, though: How long before the next book comes out?”

  Barbara Tillery–grandmother and chaplain’s wife

  “Some books you just read. Other books make you jump in the story and live it. The Miller Brothers have this kind of gift; they make their stories so real you feel the swoosh of the blade and the clang of the hammer, a little too close for comfort. But you also feel the presence of Light—strong enough to pierce every shadow—a fire blazing with deep truth.”

  “Bongo Rod” Butler, The Coconut Hut Radio Show

  “We were so excited to read Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire, we felt like we were in the story too! We were hooked after the very first page!”

  Micah and Tabitha Bertrand, ages 10 and 8

  “My family, from youngest to oldest, enjoys reading each book the Miller Brothers have written. Each one is filled with descriptive language and wonderful lessons. The Codebearers Series is a well loved favorite in my house!”

  Michelle Bertrand–mother of Micah & Tabitha

  “It is unique to find a book that both my son and I enjoy equally. Rarer still is one that takes us on our own journey from fun to faith as when we follow Hunter and his friends on their adventures. These books are so thrilling that my son won’t stop reading them, and so intriguing that they cause him to ask questions about the role of faith in his own life. Best of all, the excitement over Hunter’s adventures leaves my son dreaming of not only the next Codebearer book, but of the book he may write someday. Thanks, Miller Brothers, for a book that helps my son love reading so much he wants to write!”

  Susan Foucher, pastor’s wife and mother of two

  “This book had me hooked from page one, kept me flying through the pages and left me begging for more. There is no doubt about it, the Miller Brothers have mastered the art of storytelling. This is more than a youth fiction book—it’s a story for all ages.”

  Scott Kaste, father of four fans of the Miller Bros and president of CrossStaff Publishers

  “Excitement leaps off the pages! This book was so much fun, even my dad liked it!”

  Hayden Dobyns, age 11

  “Me too!”

  Bryce Dobyns, age 9 (Hayden’s brother)