Page 14 of Burning for Him

The ground beneath their feet shook, as if there were another earthquake. He glanced to his right as rocks and dirt rolled pastthem. They were still in the slide’s calamitous path but nearing the edge. Almost there.

They repeatedly stumbled before regaining their footing. Somehow, they managed to remain upright as they leaped over or darted around several tree limbs, shrubbery, and rocks. The pandemonium behind them was deafening, but just ahead lay stable ground—only a few more yards to go.

Margie tripped, and Doug lost his grip on her arm. He skidded to a stop but pushed Jenn forward. “Keep going! I’ve got her!”

She slowed, and he yelled again as he turned to help the other woman. “Go, Jenn! Run, damn it!”

Before he could move in the other direction, he saw a boulder and more shifting earth heading straight for Jenn, who was oblivious to the new danger as her attention was on Margie. Panic assailed him. Making a split-second decision, his heart raced as he ran toward her, grabbed her around the waist, and tackled her into a roll, barely getting them out of the way of the massive stone as it flew past them. It kept going, between two huts and over the edge of the cliff. A moment later, the huts disappeared into the abyss, too, as a river of loose earth pushed them over.

Dirt, tree limbs, and rocks pelted them as Doug scrambled to his feet, pulling Jenn with him, as the side of the mountain continued to move downward. On shaky legs, they reached the edge of the slide, and he pushed her a few more yards out of the way. As they tried to catch their breath, the tremors and rumbling slowed and eventually dissipated. The earth stopped moving, and everything around them stilled.

“Margie!” Jenn ran back toward the broad swath of destruction, which stretched the length of a football field or more, splitting the village in half. Everything in the middle had been swept downhill or covered.

Doug rushed after her. “Jenn! Wait!”

He knew he couldn’t stop her from searching for her friend, but she needed to use caution. She could get hurt if the loose dirt and downed trees shifted again. Grasping her shoulder, he maneuvered her until she was behind him. “Let me go first. Watch your step.”

“Where is she? I don’t see her!”

“Easy. We’ll find her. Just go slow.”

“Margie!”

Doug’s gaze scanned their surroundings as he carefully moved forward, trying to figure out where the older woman had been when she fell. In the distance, he heard shouts and crying, but none came from the person they were looking for.

“Margie!” Jenn yelled. “Doug, we have to find her. Where is she? Oh, God. Margie!”

After climbing over the trunk of a large tree, he turned to help her over. In his pocket, the satellite radio squawked, and he pulled it out.

“Bullseye! Sit-rep!”

He pulled out the device and keyed the microphone as Jenn continued to call out for the other woman. “I’m here, Romeo—Jenn’s with me. We’re okay, but Margie’s missing. We’re searching for her.”

“Copy that.”

“Is everyone okay on your end?”

“The chapel is still standing, and the others from the commune made it back here safely. Not sure if we lost any more of the villagers, though.”

“Copy.” He continued to search for the missing woman, watching his step and keeping a close eye on Jenn. The dirt shifted beneath his feet, and he widened his stance until it stabilized again.

“Rich is on his sat phone, trying to get some more help up here. Will keep you posted. Stay safe.”

“You too.”

Jenn clambered up and over another large downed tree. “Margie! Oh, God! Doug, she’s here!”

Grabbing a thick limb covered in dirt and sap, he hoisted himself up to find Margie’s head, arms, and upper torso sticking out from under the tree. From the waist down, her body was crushed beneath the weight of the massive pine. Mud coated her clothes and skin. Blood seeped from her mouth and several gashes on her face and arms, but she was still alive, blinking and moaning.

Jenn sobbed and frantically dug at the dirt with her bare hands, trying to free the woman. Doug jumped down and assessed the situation. The tree had to weigh several tons, with no way to lift it off her. They didn’t have access to the chainsaws or ropes. He lightly patted Margie’s shoulder in reassurance he didn’t feel, then moved to her other side and tried to wedge a hand into the dirt by her hip. It was packed tight and full of rocks and pebbles. Shit.

He removed the pack from his back and opened it, looking for anything that could be used as a shovel. While it held a first aid kit, along with some small tools and survival gear, nothing could be used to dig. Glancing around, he spotted a broken tree limb he could use. When he reached for it, the woman moaned again and grabbed his elbow.

He gently squeezed her hand. “Easy, Margie. We’re going to get you out of there.”

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she shook her head slightly and whispered, “No, y-you’re not. Too...too much.”

She coughed violently, spitting up clots of blood, and he winced at the wet rattle coming from her chest. It was the sound of impending death that he heard several times while in themilitary, and one that he’d never forget or mistake. Jenn took Margie’s hand in hers. “Don’t say that. We can get you out.”

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