“He’ll be coming home, soon.” Then Megs told him about Hawke.
Chaska felt sick for the man. “Third-degree burns?”
“He’s out of surgery and stable. Vicki is with him. The doctors told her he’s going to be there for at least a month and that he’ll need skin grafts. Silver and the others have second-degree burns. They’re keeping them overnight.”
“Please tell me they caught the bastards who flew the drone.”
Megs nodded. “Rossiter’s friends caught them—a couple of college kids.”
Chaska knew this had to have been hell on Megs. “How are you holding up?”
Megs drew a breath. “Now that I won’t be going to your funerals, I’m dandy.”
Sasha turned around, looked back at them from the front passenger seat. “You scared the hell out of us. I’ve been crying all day.”
For sunny Sasha, that was something.
They pulled into the parking lot at Mountain Memorial, where a skeleton crew had stayed on to offer triage to firefighters. Chaska walked over to the hotshot buggy, watched as Old Man climbed out, drum under his arm, Tall Bull and Dean behind him.
Dean wore a look of awe on his face. “Can I be a hotshot, too?”
“If you stay healthy and strong and work hard, yes.” Tall Bull bent down to Dean’s level. “How about I come check on you when I get back to the rez?”
Dean smiled again, nodded.
Tall Bull stood, looked over at Chaska. “See you around, brother.”
Then he climbed back in the buggy.
Dean stared after him, watched the buggy drive away.
Old Man stood beside the boy, put a hand on his shoulder. “Now you know what a true warrior is.”
Megs came up to Chaska, handed him her phone. “Someone really wants to talk to you.”
The sound of Naomi’s voice put a hitch in Chaska’s chest. “Yes, we’re all fine. We’re on our way down to you now. We just need to get cleared and find some wheels. See you soon. I love you, too.”
In the ER, the seven of them were given a quick exam and some crackers and then released. Chaska and Old Man stayed close to Dean, who probably wasn’t used to the technology, let alone being around so many white folks.
Back outside, Chaska found Conrad waiting for him.
“Rossiter is heading down with Hunter and Darcangelo. You, your grandfather, and the others can ride with Kenzie and me.”
Wendy from the newspaper rushed up to them, a woman Chaska didn’t recognize beside her. Both held up digital recorders. “God, I’m glad you’re okay. Everyone thought … Can you tell us what happened up there?”
But all Chaska wanted in the world right now was to hold Naomi. “Ask Megs. She can tell you all about it. I want to see my wife.”
Chapter 21
Naomi had never been morerelieved or more exhausted in her life. They were all safe and whole and alive—Chaska, little Dean, Grandpa Belcourt, the three camp counselors. But somehow the good news had left her feeling limp as a ragdoll.
When she’d gotten the call from Megs, Naomi had expected the worst. She’d thought she’d get confirmation that Chaska and Grandpa Belcourt had been killed, along with three camp counselors and another woman’s child—a child whose life had been hers to protect. Instead, she’d gotten the best news possible.
Megs had explained to her how the eight of them had survived, taking shelter in a cave a hundred feet up the side of a cliff. Then she’d handed the phone to Chaska.
Naomi had heard his voice—and burst into tears of sheer relief. Afterward, she’d gone in search of Kat, but Kat was already speaking with Gabe and getting the story from him. That left Winona, who had come running from the pavilion when she’d gotten Naomi’s text message.
That had been a half hour ago.