Then in her side-view mirror, she saw the sheriff’s deputy and Kat and Gabe’s SUV slow to a stop. They’d made it out.
Thank God.
“Mona stepped on my toe!” a little voice called out.
“I didn’t mean to,” Mona answered.
“I’m sure it was an accident. Can you say ‘excuse me,’ Mona?”
“’Scuse me.”
“I know you’re all crowded in here. Try to be patient and understanding with each other. We need to pull together like true Lakota. As soon as we get to the fairgrounds, you’ll be able to get out and play.”
What they would do after that, Naomi didn’t know. They needed safe lodging for the counselors and the kids, or they needed to send the kids home a few days early. None of that was going to be easy to arrange.
“What should we sing next?” she asked the kids, moving forward a couple of car lengths.
“Row Your Boat!”
“No, that’s for babies.”
“Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star!”
In her side-view mirror, Ahearn, Conrad, and Megs pulled up, making up the rear of the long line of traffic.
Conrad jumped out of his SUV, ran up to the sheriff’s vehicle, and talked with the deputy—it looked like Julia Marcs—through the window. His head fell forward, his fists clenching. He kicked the dirt.
Naomi’s pulse skipped.
She watched as he walked to Kat’s vehicle, bent down, his head shaking.
Kat climbed out, ran to the side of the road, and threw up.
Oh, God.
Ice slid down Naomi’s spine, fear making her throat tight.
Megs leaped out of her truck, joined Conrad and Kat, taking Kat into her arms.
Naomi pulled over, parked. “Stay in the van, kids. No fighting!”
She ran to where the others stood. “What is it? What happened?”
Conrad met her gaze, a sheen of tears in his eyes, regret like pain on his face. “We didn’t get to the camp. The fire … We barely made it out ourselves.”
His words didn’t make sense to Naomi, a rushing sound in her ears.
She shook her head, backed away, ran to the sheriff’s vehicle, hand on her heavy belly. “Is Chaska in there?”
Julia shook her head. “I’m sorry, Naomi. There wasn’t room. He, his grandfather, Gabe Rossiter, and three camp counselors volunteered to stay behind. There’s a rescue helicopter on the way, but the fire burned through the camp not long after we left.”
Naomi staggered back, shaking her head. “No.”
Chaska couldn’t be gone. He couldn’t be.
Chaska!
Strong arms caught her as her knees buckled.