Page 57 of Burning Escape

Tori called in. “Midnight Sun, this is Tori. What’s the ETA on that water drop?”

The voice on the other side of the radio came through. “The scooper is grabbing water right now. They’re on their way.”

“Drop it on the structures. We’re going to need all the protection we can get.”

“ETA is seven minutes.”

“We’ll be ready.”

Orion sent word up the line. “We won’t be hit with the water here, but we need to make sure everyone in the area knows.”

Tori turned to Gabby. “Go make sure everyone back at the commune is inside a building until the water drops. Then they can go back to whatever they were doing. Run!”

The girl threw down the branch she’d been dragging and took off.

Amos walked over to them, his face flushed, hair matted down, wet with perspiration.

Orion told him about the drop. “We still have a chance to evacuate, but that window is closing fast. If we can get everyone to the Brinks’, there’s a bus?—”

“I already told you,” Amos said as he shook his head, “we’re staying. The Lord will protect us.”

“How can you be so sure?” Tori asked him.

“He brought you.” Amos turned and went back to where one of the other men had cut down a small spruce. Amos dragged it over the fire line.

Orion looked at Tori. “We better get the line finished.”

The sound of an engine broke through the din of chain saws.

Finally.

Everyone on the line stopped and looked up. Within seconds, a cool mist rained down on them, the majority of the water hitting the commune just as they’d requested. Orion grinned at Tori. The air felt clearer, the water dispelling some of the smoke. Hopefully, it soaked the buildings enough to protect them from flying sparks.

They might have a chance at this.

Gabby ran back, sopping wet and laughing. “That was fun!” Her smile was infectious.

“Everyone okay?” Tori asked her.

She nodded and grabbed another branch to move.

The whine of another engine broke through the trees as Tori bent down to pick up her chain saw.

“Is the airplane coming back?” Gabby paused.

“Not this soon.” More engines sounded. From slightly different directions.

A gunshot went off.

Orion dropped his Pulaski and rushed up the slight incline to the west. He pulled out a small pair of field binoculars and scouted the area.

He suddenly spun around and yelled to Tori, “Get the girls and run!”

“What is it?” She wasn’t going anywhere until she knew what threat was coming.

He sprinted back to her, a stormy look in his eyes she only saw when he was facing down people like Wayne Osborne. “You’ll never believe—” He grunted and snatched his Pulaski up, not bothering to finish his statement. “We have to go!” he shouted to the others in the line and waved them toward the commune.

“Ry, what’s going on? Who is it?” Tori stopped him.

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