by J. P. Castle
The sky glowed brighter behind them. Trees crackled in the distance, falling to the forest floor as the raging inferno incinerated everything in its path. Other campers fled through the main entrance, leaving a dry trail of dust behind them.
Hank and Dodi handed out weapons from the rear of the SUV.
“REMEMBER WHAT YOU WERE TAUGHT. STAY CALM, STAY FOCUSED, STAY ALIVE. HAVE A TARGET EVERY TIME YOU PULL THE TRIGGER,” said Dodi in full military mode.
Trapped, people scattered for cover. The heat in the whole area picked up several degrees and climbing. Thirsten crouched with Martin in the middle of the camp and prayed on his knees. He held his hands up in the air toward Heaven. Others gathered around.
“Lord, we need you right now, please send angels. Satan is on his way to destroy us all; he’s trapped us with his fire. Your mighty hand is the only thing that can save us. I pray that you hear my prayer. Please help us as you did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they walked out of the fiery furnace unscathed. In Jesus’ holy name, we pray, amen.”
Thirsten opened his eyes to find Mr. McCrady’s hand on his shoulder. “Amen,” said Mr. McCrady.
Ollie wheezed from the smoke.
“Let’s get to cover, Thirsten,” said Mr. McCrady.
Troian went inside and collected the kids. “Bastian, what do I do?” she said with great fear in her voice. “I can’t fight with these children.”
“Troian, follow me,” he said, shoving a pistol into his pants, and tossing the rocket launcher and the money onto his back. He carried an additional long gun in one hand and scooped little Liam up into his other arm. They raced for cover nearby.
Bastian positioned them behind a set of three solid boulders. “Stay down, do not raise your head up, okay,” said Bastian to Liam.
“Are you gonna be my daddy now?” said Liam. “Because I’m scared of fire. I need my daddy.”
The question rattled Bastian’s emotions, understanding all too well how it felt lately to be fatherless. “I’m gonna do my best.” Bastian looked at Troian, then back at Liam. “I promise you, I’m gonna do my best.” A wrenching pain belted down his lower back.
Baby Ezra cried between coughs from the smoke he was inhaling.
Troian reached over, touching Bastian’s forehead. “You’re burning up again, and I honestly don’t think it’s all from the fire.”
“No time to worry about that now. If something happens to me, you take this money. Explain to my Uncle Atticus that this is our family. If you can’t find him, you have to find a way to stay off the grid.”
“Where’s Rani?” said Troian.
“She’s made her choice. If she wanted to be with me, she’d be here by my side. Remember what I said. Hopefully, Atticus will protect you if he thinks we’re together. Hard to say, I’ve never met the man or even seen a picture of him. I hope he shows up.
“That text could’ve also come from Girard now that I’m thinking about it. A genius trick. This would be an excellent trap, one I never even considered. I need to know you’ll be safe. Everyone’s carried a lot since this all started, but you and I have carried more.
“I’m not trying to be arrogant by saying that. I’ve kept busy trying to figure out what to do with all of these people, and how to keep us fed and safe. And you, losing your family same as the others, but instantly taking on this extra load, it’s overwhelming.”
“I never believed you were arrogant,” said Troian. Her cheeks reddened as the heat rolled through Vedauwoo. Sweat poured down both of their faces.
Bastian talked fast while preparing his weapons. He continued to load extra rounds into a spare clip. “I didn’t know you in school, but I’ve grown to know a little about you over the past weeks. I’ve thought about you a lot since we met, but then there’s Rani. I couldn’t abandon her during this time. What kind of person would that make me?
“I never should’ve given you that second kiss the other day. I got caught up in the moment. It was wrong of me to do that to her. I didn’t mention it to her today, didn’t see the point since she decided to leave anyway.
“I’m not gonna lie, I gave her a chance to stay today, even though things haven’t been great between us. If she would’ve stayed, I’m not sure how long it would’ve lasted. She wants nothing at all to do with these kids. And I am not gonna throw them out or put all of that on you. There’s nothing else I can say about it right now. We all have to work together, and she refuses.”
“You owe me nothing, Bastian. Without you, the majority of us would be gone by now. Me ‘n you are trying to do the right thing by two orphans. I’m not gonna lie either, instant motherhood’s been hard, but if it’s hard for me, I try to imagine how these kids must feel. And you’re not obligated to me over these children. If you want to be with Rani, I’m sure you two can work things out. I never tried to interfere. I never asked for any of this. Let’s—”
Before Troian could finish her sentence, Bastian stopped what he was doing and clutched the back of her hair in his hand, the same way he had in the park. Troian assumed he held her to kiss her again, but he didn’t. His nose sifted through her hair, parting the silky strands. He smelled her, breathed her. Even through the dense smoke, he recognized her unique aroma. The same scent he recalled from the other fleeting moments they’d been this close together. I may never hold you, touch you, or taste your lips again, either one of you, he thought.
He pulled away.
“That’s just it though, Troian, I don’t think I wanna be with Rani. Give me time to sort it all out in my head,” he said with an odd, almost frightening expression on his face. Eyes ready to dance with the devil.
Right now, he had to put the pain of love out of his mind. Right now, he prepared himself to kill, kill the enemy that destroyed his life, his first love, and his family. Girard’s trapped us with no way out this time. He won’t have me without a fight, and I’ll never let him take me alive.
His mind wrestled, trying to calculate General Given’s moves, which proved difficult in the middle of the firestorm with a fever heating up his brain.
“We’re out of time. I hear a chopper,” he said, slamming a clip into the gun. “They’re here. This is it.”
He swallowed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Last Minutes
CALEB SEIZED AHOLD of Bryce’s hand, forcing her to follow in a dead run. He didn’t mind being patient, waiting for her to fall in love with him—if that day should ever come. But in the meantime, when it came to her safety, he would take no chances.
“I don’t care what you think of me; overall, but right now, you DO NOT leave my side. Do you hear me, Bryce? Get down here, cover your head. Try to breathe as close to the ground as you can. There’s more oxygen there. When I move—you move with me unless I tell you differently. One bullet Bryce, one bullet, that’s all it takes. Bam, you’re gone.”
“Shouldn’t we all stay together?” said Bryce.
“NO, it’s more dangerous that way. They could wipe us out in short order. Let’s not make it easy for ‘em,” said Caleb, preparing his weapons while he talked, sweat soaking through his shirt.
“Are you up for this, Caleb? Maybe we should run.”
Caleb gave Bryce a stern face. “Run, run where Bryce? Have you looked around lately? Besides, I’d never do that to Bastian. No, we’re not running anywhere. The only way out of this hell is when Girard’s been eliminated. My guess is he’s trying to burn us out of here right now.”
“Caleb, I’m scared,” said Bryce in a shaky voice. Her hair stuck to her face from the heat.
Caleb stopped what he was doing for a brief second to brush it back. “Hold this ammo,” he said, handing her a box of bullets. “Do you remember how I showed you to reload the clips?”
“Yes, but my hands are shaking so bad, I’m not sure if I can.”
“Bryce, I’d be a liar right now if I said I wasn’t scared, too. I’ll die trying to protect you, both of us. Now pull it together, where’s the
girl that I . . . that gives me hell every day—I need that girl right now, or we might not make it outta here.
“I can’t reload these clips by myself and fight, too. Depending on how many soldiers Girard sends, we may not stand a chance anyway. If we do survive the fight, it’ll be a miracle if we escape this fire,” he said, coughing to clear his throat.
Caleb stared at her, wanting to kiss her so bad he could hardly stand it. He refrained, even though he may never get another chance. He noticed her whole body trembling and pulled her tightly into him.
Neither said anything, Bryce felt his heart pounding heavily in his chest. Pure strength flowed through his muscular arms. For once, she didn’t feel a need to spout off her mouth or try to pull away.
He’s so brave. And so confident. How can he be so courageous right now? I always had an opinion of myself as a brave person, but I feel so weak.
“I hear choppers coming doll face, they’re here,” he said, releasing his grip on her. “Let’s hope your uncle comes through. We’re gonna need all the help we can get right now,” said Caleb, loading a round into the chamber of his gun.
LEDGER AND RANI lay on their stomachs behind some fallen trees. Both had their weapons ready.
“Ledger Thomas, you’re the last person on earth I ever imagined I’d be in a shootout with. But, come to think of it, I never imagined I’d be in a shootout in the first place,” she said, releasing the safety on her gun. She’d grown quite handy with a weapon after a few one on one lessons from Dodi and Hank.
“Rani Unstoppable, I wouldn’t want to be in a shootout with any other girl,” he said, winking at her.
Ledger had a—way—about him, which intrigued Rani. Secretly she loved his cockiness, his style, the way he was with her . . . but she’d never tell him that in a million years. Bastian had a different air about him. He couldn’t let loose—let the hair fly—not quite like Ledger could.
Rani had proved her bravery to Ledger, and on more than one occasion the past few weeks. But a grave concern happened across her face. “Ledger,” she swallowed, “are we gonna make it through this?”
Ledger rolled one full revolution, putting himself directly in her face. He reached up and traced his finger slowly across her forehead and down the side of her cheek. He stopped just under her chin, all while studying her features close up.
“If we make it, will you go to prom with me?” he said, returning his eyes to peer down the site on his gun.
“If we live through this, yes, you can take me to prom, Ledger Thomas.”
“You’d never have gone with me to any prom back in school,” he laughed, “‘n that’s full well the truth. Funny how things change when real life kicks in ‘n popularity contests are over. People recognize people for who they are, not how many friends they have, likes on social accounts, or what kind of purse they carry.”
“You’re right, I admit my vision of life, and many of my actions were heavily skewed in the wrong direction, I failed to comprehend what really mattered . . . but right now, I’d go anywhere with you. Heck, I’d even get married to get out of here.”
Ledger stopped focusing on his gunsight and turned his head to look Rani in the eye again. “Well, let’s don’t get in a rush here. You’re scaring me with all this married talk,” he grinned, then his expression returned to—strictly business, “but I’m gonna hold you to a date with me, which means we have to survive. And in all seriousness, I’m worried about this one. It’s already getting hard to breathe here. My guess, Girard’s blocked us in, set us up good this time.”
“Yeah, the air’s thin, my chest is a little tight. Do you hear that noise?”
The deep thud of rotors approached.
“They’re here. Try not to get separated from me, Rani. I don’t want anything to happen to you, either one of us,” he said.
Rani’s thoughts shifted to Bastian. Wonder if he’s okay? Did he think of me at all, or even care to? Stay safe, Bash. A tear nearly fell until she envisioned him with Troian. If he loved you, he’d be here by your side no matter what, not hers. Rani scanned the darkness the best she could through the smoke. Come ‘n get some, Girard, “Let’s dance big daddy.”
AMIR AND YOULIE cowered down in the dry part of the creek bed behind some bushes in the distance. The ditch served decent cover with a boulder every few feet.
“This isn’t a very safe place, Amir.”
“I agree, but what else do we got right now. We don’t have time to make it to those mountains, and if we did, we wouldn’t outrun the fire,” said Amir. “I’m not a fighter, Youlie. I’m a proud, full-blown, committed computer nerd. I’ll never try to pull anyone’s chain about that fact,” said Amir, gawking at the pistol in his hand. He’d practice shooting with Hank ‘n Dodi a few times but still wasn’t comfortable with a weapon. “This goes against everything I believe.”
Youlie touched Amir’s shoulder. “We got each other, Amir. And in case we don’t make it through this. I’ve enjoyed going over the news with you every day these past few weeks. The time we’ve spent alone together rummaging through the headlines, learning about the Marksmen Monkeys, and preparing updates for Bastian has helped me cope. I’m a computer nerd, too, in case you haven’t noticed. This could be the last conversation we ever have,” said Youlie. “If this is truly it, Amir, I want you to know that I like you.”
“I like you, too, Youlie,” he responded with haste, not grasping precisely what she had meant. His frazzled mind scrambled, similar to a fragmented computer . . . until a light flickered in his brain. “Ohhh, you mean you like me, like me.”
“You don’t have to be into me, too, it’s okay. I just wanted you to be clear about how I felt,” she said, taking a deep breath. She wanted to get that off her chest in case the worst possible scenario—full demise—became a reality.
“No, I like you—like you, too, Youlie. I’m sorry, I’m awkward. I’m not a suave Casanova like the other guys. I don’t have any experience with girls. I never met one that wanted me for anything other than a study buddy. Most only wanted to be nice for five minutes so they could copy my homework,” he said, jabbering. “Can we talk about this later . . . no, no, we may not have later. Youlie, do you want to be my girlfriend? I’ve never had one, don’t even know if that’s how I’m supposed to ask. I’d enjoy having had at least one girlfriend before I die, and I can’t imagine it being anyone but you.”
“I’ve never had a boyfriend either, Amir. I’ve wanted you to ask me for a long time. Yes, I’ll be your girlfriend.” Momentary happiness filled her brain. If she died, at least she’d die happy.
They pressed their backs against the ditch wall, waiting in fear. A chopper rolled in.
Amir held the gun between his bent knees, with his eyes closed. “They’re here,” he said.
TIMMY AND MAZEL cowered further left down the ditch line, in the same creek bed Amir and Youlie crouched in. They could barely see Mr. McCrady, Ollie, Thirsten, and Martin. Timmy had an automatic weapon in one hand, his other arm held Mazel close.
“Timmy, we might die right now. I can hardly breathe.”
“Mazel, we’ve been in a lot of situations where we might die lately. Me ‘n you are gonna get through this one . . . same as the last one. You have to think like that—it’s the only way.”
“Timmy, I love you. We’ve never actually been together, and I’ve never actually said it, but I’m saying it now. I love you.”
“We didn’t need to say it, Mazel, because we always knew. We’re all we got in this world now, besides the friends in our group here, but that’s not why I feel the way I do about you. I’ve always felt that way, ever since we were little kids in fourth ‘n fifth-grade . . . hell, why do you suppose I’m at your house all the time. You weren’t the only person in our neighborhood I could’ve played video games with.”
“But you have never said that to me . . . or even hinted it, not once, that I can ever remember.”
“Didn’t figure I ever needed to. I thoug
ht you just . . . knew. He’s here. Stay close to me,” said Timmy. “I’m having trouble breathing in this smoke.”
JOAQUIN, LUMEN, MATEO, and Ginger lay closest to the R.V. behind some tall pines, many yards in front of the dry part of the creek bed.
“I hope I do better for you girls than I did last time we were in a firefight,” said Joaquin.
“You helped save my life last time, as I recall,” said Lumen, readying her weapon, steady, confident for her age. “You’ll be fine. Keep those muscles near me, big boy. I’ve had a few self-defense classes that my dad forced me to take when I was fourteen. But I don’t believe that’ll stack up against a trained soldier trying to kill me. I may need your power.”
“Guess we’re about to find out if our practice has paid off with Dodi ‘n Hank. You may not have needed it, but I sure did,” said Joaquin.
“Yeah, well consider this the ultimate pass/fail test,” said Lumen.
“I’m not ready for this,” said Mateo, sweating heavily. “I thought I was, but I’m not.”
“Mateo, you got this. You simply have nerves. It’s normal. Stay beside me. We are gonna get through this. Bastian said his uncle’s on the way, we gotta believe he’ll make it. I hope that’s him in those choppers I hear. We also have Dodi ‘n Hank around here somewhere. It’s gonna be okay . . . somehow,” said Ginger Halliday. “Trust me, I’ve got plenty nerves of my own. I’m sure everybody in our camp does. If they say otherwise, they’re liars,” she said, cocking her weapon.
“Thanks for the confidence boost, Ginger. I’ll try not to let anyone down. Fear is such a powerful emotion.”
“Yes, it can kill a man all by itself,” said Ginger.
DODI AND HANK pressed tight against the edges of some boulders. They’d driven across the road to the other side. Strategically, they envisioned that General Given might come in from that direction. They’d kill as many of his men as they possibly could.
“Dodi, I never believed we’d be fighting against our own side,” said Hank, loading a clip into his gun.
