Still, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Lingering here was not a good idea.
“Let’s keep going,” she said, urging the others on.
“Why are the lights off? What’s wrong with that sign?” Hannah asked.
“The solar storm,” Tucker said like a wise old man.
The girl nodded and followed Kris past the desolate store and into the beginning of Thirteen Corners. The few other places of business lay dark and ominous, nestled in the woods at the edge of road.
Hannah looked around with wide eyes. “This is really eerie.”
“Yes, it is,” Kris said as she squeezed Tuck’s hand, and he moved closer to brush against her leg.
As they entered the darkened turns, Kris pushed herself not to show the fear coursing through her. She had to act at ease for Tucker and this girl they had picked up along the way. As they wound their way up into the darkness, an orange glow showed itself around the next turn.
She stopped walking, and the others mimicked her stillness. A crackling roar sounded from ahead.
“Another car on fire?” Hannah asked.
Kris shook her head. This was larger. “Stay here.” She squatted to look her son in the eyes. “Tuck, stay with Hannah. I’m going to run ahead for just a moment.”
“Mommy, no! I want to go with you.”
“You’re right, Sweetie. We need to stay together.” She kissed his nose and took his hand. She looked at Hannah. “Stay close. We’ll go only as far as needed to see what’s going on.”
They only walked a few hundred yards around the next bend in order to see what was needed. The picture made her knees wobble and threaten to buckle.
A hay truck had jackknifed in the big turn. When it ignited, it must have set its load ablaze. It probably hadn’t taken long for the surrounding trees to catch.
The heat seared Kris’s face. She stood in front of Tucker, and held her hand in front of her for protection. She wondered if the driver had escaped in time. Then the reality of what this meant hit her. She had her son, and now this girl, to protect and no road to follow home.
As mad as she was at Blake, she found herself hoping along with her son. Come on, Blake. For once keep a promise.
~*~
A surge of urgency shot through Blake, and he picked up his pace. He had just passed the post office, ignoring the yells from the housing development up the road. He didn’t have time to make sure strangers were safe. He had to get to his family.
That urgency thrummed inside of him, prickling his skin with anxiety. The feeling was new to him and quite uncomfortable. He shook his hands out trying to dispel the sensation, yet it only increased. The road straightened now for a good half-mile or more until it came to the tree-lined Thirteen Corners—the rite of passage between Forest Glen and Cedar Ridge.
He sniffed the air. A pungent, unmistakable scent filled his nostrils: fire. Not just any kind of fire. Forest fire. His legs pumped of their own accord, carrying him towards the inevitable. He rounded the first two corners before he saw it.
The heat seared his cheeks as the flames ripped up the underbrush, towering into the pines and crackling in anger. He stopped in his tracks, gasping to breathe, the smoky air burning his throat and lungs. Throwing his head back at the trees covering the moon, he roared at the top of his lungs, “Tucker!”
~*~
“Did you hear that?” Tucker tilted his head.
“It’s the fire, Sweetie. We need to go back the way we came.” Kris pulled on his arm, but the boy planted his feet firmly.
“No, it was Dad. He called my name.”
Kris’s throat tightened. “Tuck, I wish that were true...”
“It is true.” He struggled out of her grasp, ran a few yards toward the fire, stopped, put his hands to his mouth, and yelled louder than she had ever heard him. “Daddy!”
The call echoed in her soul, breaking the hold she had on sanity. Tears streamed down her face as she scooped her protesting son into her arms and traveled away from the increasing threat.
~*~
Blake hung his head, self-contempt pulverizing him. Then he heard it. He easily could have passed it off as his imagination except for that fact that the sound of his name being called on his son’s lips caused the hairs on his arms to stand on end.
His family was just on the other side of the fire. He had to get to them. Puffing out a few breaths and calming his heart, he scanned his surroundings.
The fire had spread from a hay truck to both sides of the highway. On the left, the blaze was eating up the mountain, hungrily devouring the underbrush. He knew that hillside was lost. You couldn’t stop a fire going up a steep-sided mountain, especially as dry and overgrown as it was. It hit him then. There would be no one to stop it. No fire trucks. No firemen. No airplanes or helicopters with retardant.
Panic fueled him. He needed to get to his family now. This fire could destroy the whole of Cedar Ridge. The right side of the road burned, but the flames had not traveled down into the creek canyon yet. He had no idea how long that would last, but it didn’t matter. He was already making his way through the underbrush down to the big boulders in the creek.
The ground was treacherous. Hardly any light traveled down into the little canyon. By the time he tripped over an unseen root or rock a third time, he decided it would be worth stopping to find the headlamp he hoped was still stashed in the pack. It was, as was a water. He downed a third of it before putting it back.
With the headlamp, he could see his footing, and travel was much faster. I’m coming, Tuck. I’m coming.
He kept the chant up in his head while shoving through underbrush, scrambling over the large boulders, splashing through the creek, and fighting as fast as he could to his family.
Glancing at the fire a hundred feet above him propelled him to move even faster. He scrambled, using his hands to help speed him farther along in the canyon. Would Tucker remember what he had taught him? Would Kris? He held the hope in his heart as he growled and shoved through the brush that kept him from his son.
~*~
Kris pulled at her son, panic flooding her. The wind could turn the fire upon them at any moment.
“Please, Tuck! We have to get out of the fire’s path!”
“No! Dad’s out there! I heard him!”
Kris stopped struggling with him. Her strength had waned from the fight. It had taken her what felt like an eternity to get him even a hundred yards away from the imminent danger of the forest fire. Luckily, Tucker didn’t run back but stayed put, his eyes frantically searching the canyon.
“Tucker, why are you so sure he’s coming?”
“Why wouldn’t he be?” Hannah asked.
Kris had forgotten the girl was there because she had been so intent on getting her son away from the flames.
“Just because he’s been gone on assignment doesn’t mean he won’t keep his promise.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Besides, he told me he would be home soon.”
“What do you mean he told you?” Kris took him by the shoulders, her world falling apart around her.
“He’s coming, and I heard him!” His defiance shocked Kris, shocked her enough to make her second-guess her actions.
“Okay, Tuck.” She nodded, releasing her ego. “What should we do?”
Tucker looked at her, his eyes wide and wild. “We have to stay in one place. That’s what he’s always told us. Stay in one place and blow the whistle three times in a row.”
Kris glanced towards the fire. It seemed to be moving away from them, but she feared it could turn at any moment. “Wouldn’t he want us to stay in one place where it was safe?”
Tucker cocked his head.
“That forest fire is very dangerous. You know how they can change direction without notice. If the wind starts blowing towards us, we’ll be in danger.” She did her best to keep her voice calm.
“We’re downhill. Fires don’t move downhill fast.”
“Let’s compr
omise. One more corner and closer to the creek in the big clearing. We can stop there and blow the whistle unless the fire changes.”
Tucker nodded. “We have to hurry. He’s going to be listening for the whistle.”
Kris followed Tucker as he ran down the hill. Hannah stepped up next to her.
“Is he losing it, or is your husband out there?”
“I don’t know, but I need time to come up with a plan anyway.”
Kris and Hannah caught up with the boy, and he yanked at the backpack on her back, soon coming up with his emergency whistle. He took in a lung-full of air and blew as loud as he could. Then he took in another breath and repeated the call two more times.
His brows furrowed as he whispered-counted to one hundred. Kris wanted to bring him into her arms, hold him, comfort him, but she saw her husband in him right now. He had to act. That’s how he would make it through this, but how would she?
Once Tucker whispered one hundred, he repeated the call. Three piercing whistles that would wake the heavens themselves. While he continued his procedure, Kris hoped her son was right. She hoped that he had heard Blake call him and that he was on his way. Watching her son’s heart break was not something she could stand right now.
Just in case, she had to prepare for their next steps. She thought of all the possible routes to get back to their house. The easiest, though longest, would be to follow the road next to the gas station to the cut-off road that wound around Thirteen Corners. A calculated look at the fire, and she knew that would be risky. The fire was traveling in that direction, and they might just be trapped like they are now, except with no place to go than to try to outrun the inferno.
There weren’t any roads on the other side. The creek canyon grew into a deeper gorge that would be a perilous and dangerous hike through an overgrown forest. With the addition of the fire, which might follow them and rip through the steep terrain, it wasn’t an option.
Her heart raced with indecision as Tucker began his call for the fourth time. She held her hands over her ears. If it wasn’t for her adamant and resilient son, she would probably just give up. As it was, she saw no other choice than to go back down to Sara’s. As much as Kris wanted to be back home where they had provisions and safety and beds, she didn’t know how to get them there safely.
Kris sat on the gravel pull-out and brought her son down into her lap after he finished his last round of whistles. Thankfully the talkative teen had become silent, wide eyes watching the smoke billowing up in the forest.
“Mommy, I have to count.” He struggled in her arms.
“Sweetie, we can’t stay here. We have to go back to Forest Glen. The fire is blocking our way home.”
“Dad’s coming. Can’t you feel it? We have to stay in one place.”
Kris hung her head. “I’ll give you five more minutes, and then we have to move.” She kissed him on the temple before letting go.
She wished she had his tenacity. She wished she still believed in her husband that way. What if he had listened to her? What if he left like she had wanted? He had wanted to come with her. Things would have been so different if she had let him. The weight of her decision sat heavy on her shoulders.
In the midst of a whistle, a baritone voice traveled from the canyon.
“Stop,” she told Tucker.
“But Dad...”
“Shhh. Listen.”
When they heard the sound again, Tucker met her gaze. Hers held disbelief and relief, and his, affirmation and dedication.
“I told you,” he said smugly before running towards the canyon. “Daddy! We’re here!”
“Tucker! I’m coming! I’m coming, son!” Blake’s voice held more emotion than Kris had heard from him since the day Tucker was born.
“He came!” Hannah clapped.
“He came,” Kris repeated, a slight smile bending her lips as she felt a weight lifting off her.
“Daddy!” Tucker ran into the shadow that appeared from the canyon.
“Oh, Tuck!” Blake grabbed his son in a bear hug, the boy practically disappearing. “I found you!”
“I knew you would. I never gave up. We always return to each other.”
“We always return to each other.” Blake tightened his arms around Tuck. “You remembered the whistle.” Pride filled his voice.
Kris understood. She was quite proud of her son right now, too. He had saved them.
“And I made Mommy stay in one place. I have water, too. Are you thirsty?”
“You have grown so much, my boy.” He gave him one more squeeze before setting him down and stepping back to look at him. “Look how tall you are!”
“I’m six now and in first grade.”
“I’m sorry I’ve been gone so long.”
“You’ve been on assignment,” he said with a nod.
“The last one. Now, it’s just you.”
Kris turned abruptly to watch Blake. Last assignment? He hadn’t said anything about that to her. Regret sat heavy within her. She hadn’t given him the chance.
“And Mommy,” Tucker added.
“Yes,” Blake said meeting her shocked gaze. A sheen of emotion reflected in his eyes. “And Mommy.”
“Me too?” Hannah spoke up timidly.
Blake’s gaze shot to the teenager and then back to Kris.
“This is Hannah. That’s her car burning down there. She lives off Mountain View.” Kris took a step closer to the girl, wanting her to feel supported.
“We’ll get you home to your parents, Hannah,” Blake said with a nod.
“How, Dad? How do we get past this fire?”
“Which way does a fire travel the easiest, Tuck?” he asked while adjusting the backpack on his shoulders.
“Uphill, of course. That’s why I told Mommy not to worry.”
“Don’t forget the wind,” she said gently.
“Well, of course the wind, but it’s night, so the wind is traveling up the canyon.” Tucker turned back to Blake as if asking for confirmation.
“How did you get to be so smart?” Blake picked the boy up and squeezed him again.
“You and Mommy,” he said with a shrug and then buried himself in his dad’s neck.
“So, with that information, what would you suggest we do?” Blake asked him.
Tucker, pulled back, squeezed his eyebrows together, and put a finger on his lips as he thought. “Go up the creek where you just came out of?”
Blake looked up into the trees, back toward the fire, and then down into the canyon. “I think that’s our best option if we want to make it home.”
Kris looked down into the black expanse where she knew the creek flowed through a rocky little gorge. A shudder ran through her body. She sensed Blake watching her, so she met his concerned gaze. A softness filled his eyes and a promise. He would protect them.
“Won’t we be going right past the fire?” Hannah asked, her hands twisting in front of her, careful of the bandage.
“Yes, Hannah, we will. It takes a lot to move a fire downhill, including wind. Right now, the wind is on our side. It’s pushing up the other side, away from the creek. If we hurry, we should be able to get past it before it turns...if it does.”
“Why did that sound so ominous?” the girl asked.
“If the fire does make it down into the canyon and the wind picks up...it won’t stop.”
“The firefighters will come put it out, Dad. We have the best firefighters.” Tucker smiled proudly.
Kris knew he thought about the field trip he had just taken to the fire station with his class. He had spoken about it nonstop for the rest of the week and said if he decided not to do assignments like Daddy, he wanted to be a firefighter.
Blake knelt down in front of Tucker. “Tuck, there won’t be any firefighters coming to stop this fire.” The serious and factual way he said it caused a shiver to run down Kris’s spine.
“What?” Hannah shrieked.
“Why, Daddy?”
“Think about what happ
ened to Hannah’s car.”
“Ours too, Dad. Mommy’s car exploded like on Mythbusters.”
Blake squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them, Kris swore she saw moisture wetting his eyelashes.
“I’m so glad you got out in time.”
“Mommy did it. She rushed us out, and we hid behind a big tree.”
Blake met Kris’s eyes. His gaze told her everything she wanted to know, and she felt the hardening of her heart begin to lessen.
“So, you’re saying every car has exploded?” Hannah asked, her face paling.
“Not necessarily exploded, but most will no longer function.” Blake stood, eyes scanning the fire.
Hannah abruptly lowered herself into a plop on the asphalt. She hung her head between her knees as her body shook.
Kris squatted next to her and rested a hand on her back. Words did not come. What could you say to cheer up a girl at the start of her life when the world collapsed around her?
Blake shifted from foot to foot. She immediately felt anxiety course through her, pushing her to action. He had never kept still well, and emotions, well, they never made him comfortable.
“We’ve got to get moving,” Blake spoke as he dug through Tucker’s backpack and then placed it on the boy’s back. He pulled out the flashlight, and after zipping the bag back up, wound it with ferocity as if winding it would dispel the fear that coursed through him...at least that’s how Kris saw it. She almost wished she could have a go at it right now, too.
“I also have an emergency blanket,” Tucker said, pushing his little chest out in pride.
“You have done well, son. Better than I could have ever hoped for.”
Tucker’s beaming smile almost made Kris forget the predicament they were in. She took the flashlight Blake handed her, grabbed the girl’s hand, and stood up.
The girl followed, wiping at her eyes and breathing shakily.
“My dad’s here, just like I said, Hannah. He’s going to get us home.” Tucker touched the girl’s arm before turning toward the creek.
“He’s very brave,” she whispered to Kris.
“Yes, he is,” she said, squeezing the girl’s hand before letting it go.
Grant Us Mercy (Book 1): Grant Us Mercy Page 5
