Page 30 of Landon

“I’m really sorry,” Noel said. “But I’ll be honest with you. Your mom did not have permission to?—”

Suddenly, a low rumble reverberated through the air, growing louder and more menacing by the second. The ground seemed to shudder beneath the vehicle. Out of nowhere, amassive wave of mud and debris surged onto the road ahead, a churning mass of earth, rocks, and uprooted trees. The mudslide barreled down the hillside with terrifying speed, sweeping everything in its path.

“Fuck!” Landon cried out as the SUV lurched.

Noel screamed as the road before them seemed to shift and move. Her hand slammed onto the dashboard as Landon stepped on the brakes, bringing them to a skidding stop. He handled the vehicle with expert precision and probably a dose of luck to keep them from sliding too close to the edge of a ravine.

“What is it?” she cried.

“The fucking road has washed out. It looks like a mudslide.” She turned to look at him, noting the hard set of his jaw. He put the SUV into reverse and managed to turn around. “We’ll have to go a different way.”

He tapped into his earpiece. “Mudslide on the main highway. Reversing and going east, up into the mountains. We won’t be able to get back to the resort before dark. Let me know what’s up here.” He was silent, and Noel assumed whoever was on the other end was figuring out where they could go.

“Got it. Send it to me.” Another pause. “Good. Yeah. Make the call to the Fugates and to Pamela.”

He looked to the side, catching her gaze. “My people are sending info on an alternate route or a place to wait until the storm passes.”

He slowed to a stop and studied the images on his phone. “There’s a small building not too far from here.”

“How far?” she asked. “Can we get there?”

“Only about two more miles. We shouldn’t have any problems as long as there are no more mudslides.”

Their progress was slow as the rain slashed across the windshield, the road barely visible. The minutes ticked by. Suddenly, a loud crack split through the storm noise, and a talltree fell across the road. Once again, Landon cursed, hitting the brakes. The SUV careened as it slid toward the edge of the road.

Noel cried out as the ravine loomed closer. The image of them pitching over the side of the mountain flew through her mind before he safely brought the vehicle to a stop again. “Oh God, what now?” Noel cried, dragging her gaze from the rain and wind-whipped visage out the windshield to Landon. His face was hard, his eyes as stormy as the view outside, and his nostrils flared as he appeared to fight to keep his breathing steady. She wondered if he would finally lose control, but he only twisted his head around to peer into the back seat.

“Everyone okay?”

Those two words slashed out but conveyed what they needed to. He was in charge and checking on those he’d vowed to protect.

“Y… yeah,” Tad said, his answer coming through his panting.

“Penny?” Landon asked. This time, his voice was softer. Noel felt a pull in her chest at how he took control, handled everything thrown at them, and still managed to care about how his question would sound to a young, frightened almost teenager.

Penny didn’t answer, but Noel looked to see her nodding her head.

Landon glanced down at the screen on his watch, then out the windshield. “It’s over there,” he said as he inclined his head to the side.

The fear had knocked out all rational thoughts from Noel. “What? What’s there?”

“The small shed.”

The wind howled around the SUV, shaking it with each fierce gust. Inside, Noel clutched the dashboard, her knuckles white with tension. She cast a glance into the back seat, her heart twisting as she saw the fear etched across Penny’s young face.The girl’s wide eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her small hands gripping Tad’s arm tightly.

Noel turned back to Landon, her voice soft but urgent. “Will it really be safer than staying in the vehicle?”

Landon’s gaze flicked to the rearview mirror, taking in the frightened children before meeting Noel’s eyes. His jaw tightened, and he spoke in a low, measured tone. “The road’s blocked now. We’re on a narrow stretch with a steep drop on the north side. If there’s another mudslide or washout, we could be pushed right over the edge.”

His words hung heavy in the air, punctuated by the relentless pounding of rain against the roof. In the back, Penny whimpered softly, her small frame trembling.

Noel swallowed hard. “Oh shit…” she murmured, the weight of their situation pressing down on her.

Landon made a sound that resembled a chuckle and a scoff. She wanted to be offended, but in truth, either would have been appropriate. Her brain was as scrambled as their trip so far, but Landon seemed to thrive on finding a new way to survive whatever was thrown at them. “Right,” she said, hoping she infused the one word with as much courage as she could muster.

“Okay, guys, here’s what we’re going to do. We need to get out of the vehicle on the driver’s side. I’ll get the bags out of the back. Then we’ll hike about… about the length of a football field to a small barn. At least we can stay as dry as possible, and since the storm winds aren’t predicted to get stronger, it will withstand the rain. Any questions?”

Everyone shook their heads, and he continued, “Right. Tad, you’re in charge of helping Penny get out, and Noel, you’ll carry the brown bag with the protein bars and water.”

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