Page 23 of Dark Flame

“That’s kind of warped, you know?” she laughed louder.

“Hey,” he said, standing and taking her hand, “let’s head down into the build area. Kane needs us to clear some land quickly for the builders, and I thought maybe you could help with that.” Nat knew immediately what Flip was asking of her, and she froze, fearful of what could happen.

“I don’t know,” said Nat warily, “what if the fire loses control? We could have a wildfire that doesn’t stop and could destroy half the mountainside.”

“Already thought of that,” he said, smiling. “Nash!” he yelled.

“I’m here,” said the tall man jogging up to the couple. “No need to yell, big man. You’re shaking the rafters.”

“You’re funny,” said Flip, smirking. “You should fit right in.”

The threesome hiked down the trail to the build site designated for the new cabins. The brush and trees were so thick it would take equipment months to clear the land, possibly longer considering where it was located. There were several plateaus of flat land perfect for the cabins. Flip could visualize in his mind trails leading from one to the other and then back up the mountain to the main cabins.

“Okay, so the plan is, Nat, you set fire to the area, small areas at a time. We wait until the brush burns down, then Nash here will douse it with water, and hopefully, everything remains in control. I’ll clear the large debris.

“For the bigger trees, we need to focus hard, concentrating on just the tree. It’s okay if there is a little left, but we don’t want to have to get tree cutters in here. We want our team to handle it.”

“And if it doesn’t?” asked Nat. “I mean, what if the fire jumps to an area we can’t see?”

“No worries. Hawke is circling above for us.” Flip pointed toward the sky.

Nat looked up, and sure enough, Hawke was circling above their heads, or at least a hawk with Hawke in him, or something like that.

“Let’s start with this area,” said Flip. “From this tree line here to the smaller ridge there.”

Nat nodded and held her hands up, palms facing the space indicated. Without hesitation, the flames flew across the field, and the dry brush quickly burned. The trees lit with sparks, and Nat increased the heat, licking up the side of the bark to the leaves and branches. As the fire began to rage, a loud cry emanated from the hawk above.

Nash quickly lifted his hands toward the skies, clouds rumbling toward them, rolling like big cotton balls in the wind. The rain dumped onto the area affected, small personal buckets of wetness covering the flames.

Nat smiled as she watched the man work. When finished, they moved to the next section and repeated the process. Behind them, Flip moved the debris, tossing it across the valley to the opposite mountainside.

All the while, Hawke observed from above, ensuring that the flames remained in control and nothing burned that should not.

Three hours later, they smiled at their handy work and walked back up the path toward the cabin.

“I can’t believe how well we work together,” said Nat.

Flip’s muscles twitched slightly in his shoulders, and as if reading his every move, Nash smiled at the big man.

“Don’t worry, brother. She isn’t meant to be mine. However, we were designed to work together. It’s something you’ll read in the files that Regan provided for you.”

“You read them?” asked Flip.

“No, but Regan told me there was a fire starter that I was supposed to be paired with ‘in war.’ That’s what Moore had written in the files.” Flip nodded again. “There was to be someone for each of us, both as a romantic partner and a war partner, but it was rarely the same person. I don’t think it actually happened, but that was his sick plan.”

“So, do you know who you’re supposed to be paired with? Romantically, I mean,” said Nat shyly. She liked the other man. He was nice, and his skills were impressive. Like Spook, she felt a brotherly connection to him.

“I do,” he said solemnly. “Her name was Jessica.”

“Was?” she said, barely audible.

“Was. She couldn’t handle her gifts or the thought of our life together. She killed herself about two years ago, just as I found her. I thought I could help her if I just got to meet her, speak with her. I knew we were supposed to be together the minute I saw her in the window, but she was too far gone. I never even fully understood what her gifts were. Her parents had her committed to an insane asylum and had her so drugged she could barely speak, so I wasn’t allowed to visit her.”

“What do you mean too far gone?” asked Flip.

“Many of those that took their lives did so because they literally suffered mental breakdowns. They didn’t understand their gifts, couldn’t control them, and certainly couldn’t find anyone that would help them with them. Jessica was one of the unfortunate ones. Whatever her gifts were, she didn’t understand them and was led to believe she was some sort of freak and needed to be locked away.”

“I’m so sorry, Nash. I shouldn’t have brought it up,” said Nat, gripping the other man’s arm.

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