Charles was at it again, flagging down drivers, asking for help.
Herb, the pharmacist, said he could fit a small crate in his front seat.
Kenzie gave him Trixie, the toy poodle, and told him where to meet her.
Seven dogs to go.
Then a familiar pickup truck pulled up, towing a horse trailer behind it.
Nate West looked down at her. “You need some help there, Kenzie?”
Kenzie explained as quickly as she could both her situation and Winona’s. “I don’t know how many animals she has, but one of them is an adult wolf.”
“Right.” Nate nodded. “I’m going to pull over.”
Kenzie followed him as he drove into the kennel’s parking lot, catching a glimpse of Rose as she passed through the roundabout. She looked like she’d just stepped out of the shower.
Nate stepped out of his truck, talking on the phone to someone. “That’s right—a wolf. Okay. I’m at the kennel now. I’ll ask.”
He turned to Kenzie. “How many dogs?”
“Seven.”
Nate repeated the number into the phone. “See you in a few.”
“My old man’s on his way.” He opened the door to the front of the trailer to reveal a living area complete with a television. “How many dog crates can we fit here if we get creative?”
The answer was all seven, Kenzie, Charles, and Nate working together to load the dogs quickly. They had just closed the door when Charles returned, Marc Hunter and Julian Darcangelo beside him.
Nate grinned, hugged Marc and then Julian. “I figured I’d run into you sooner or later.”
They knew each other?
Nate told Marc and Julian what was happening. “I’m heading down the canyon with a couple of horses and the rest of the dogs, but the wildlife clinic still needs help.”
Marc looked at Julian. “I told you we ought to stick around.”
Julian rolled his eyes. “No, I told you.”
Nate chuckled, climbed into his truck. “I’m leaving you in good hands, Kenzie.”
“I can’t thank you enough, Nate. I’ll see you at the fairgrounds.”
As Nate pulled out, his father, Jack West, pulled in, hauling a similar trailer. He leaned out of his window. “I hear there are some critters who need a ride.”
Conrad followedMegs in his SUV, smoke and dust from her tires all but obscuring his view of her pickup. Ahearn brought up the rear in his SUV, the three of them rushing to reach Camp Mato Sapa before the fire did. It didn’t look good. A dark wall of smoke hung over them, flames turning its underside orange, creating a strange twilight. Deer and elk fled, heading down the road and away from the danger.
Forty-three children and twenty adults.
Son of a bitch!
Would they be able to rescue everyone if they packed people in like sardines? The kids would have to be their first priority. After that…
Fuck!
Usually when the Team got toned out, Conrad knew they were going to make a difference. This time, he wasn’t sure any of them would make it back.
Megs had left it up to Team members to decide whether they wanted to take the risk. Not many Team members had been available. Hawke, Taylor, and Moretti were already fighting the fire. Nicole, Sasha, and O’Brien lived in the initial evacuation zone and had their hands full. Acharya rode a motorcycle, which was useless in this situation. Everyone else was scattered—at work, too far from Scarlet to make it, on a climbing vacation somewhere. That had left the three of them—Conrad, Megs, and Ahearn.