Conrad drew her to her feet, held her close. “We don’t know anything for certain yet. There’s still hope.”
The children.
The thought cut through Naomi’s shock and anguish. She pulled away from Conrad, turned toward the van. “I have to get back to the kids. They need me. I have to—”
Conrad caught her with a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t think you should drive.”
“Saint Barbara’s has a bus we can borrow for the kids,” Deputy Marcs called out to them. “Let’s get everyone together there.”
“You can ride with me,” Conrad said. “One of the counselors can drive the van to the church. We’ll regroup there and get you all to safety at the fairgrounds.”
Naomi nodded, barely aware of what was happening around her as Conrad led her toward his SUV. Then Kat was there.
There were tears on Kat’s cheeks, but she smiled and hugged Naomi tight. “We’ll get through this together, no matter what. You won’t be alone.”
In that moment, Kat’s words meant everything to Naomi.
Her eyes filled with tears, her throat tight. “Thanks.”
It took what seemed like an eternity to reach the parking lot at St. Barbara’s, where the priest, Father Pemberthy, stood waiting for them beside a big yellow school bus.
Naomi fought to pull herself together, fear making her feel sick. But she didn’t know anything for certain yet, and right now, the children needed her. She couldn’t fall apart.
Chaska!
Conrad parked his vehicle, the hollow look in his eyes telling Naomi that he was suffering, too. What had Chaska said to her about getting through theinipiwhen she’d freaked out over the darkness and the heat?
When it gets tough and you don’t think you can take it, pray for the person next to you. They’re having a hard time of it, too.
Naomi sent up a prayer for Conrad, for Megs and Ahearn, for Kat, for Chaska and Gabe and Grandpa and all the camp counselors and the kids. It didn’t take her pain away, but praying seemed to bring her back to herself.
She reached out, touched Conrad’s arm. “Please don’t blame yourself. I know you did everything you could.”
Conrad squeezed his eyes shut. “We weren’t even sure anyone was still at the camp, not after Julia and Kat passed us on the road. The fire got ahead of us on the way out. If I had known they were still there … But even then …Shit. I’m so sorry.”
“There’s nothing more you could have done. Like you say, there’s still hope.”
Naomi clung to that hope, somehow managing to walk to where the kids stood in a neat line to board the bus. “Settle down, everyone.”
She took a quick headcount to reassure herself.
Thirty-nine children, not counting Kat and Gabe’s kids.
No, that couldn’t be right. She wasn’t thinking clearly. She’d gotten it wrong.
They couldn’t have left a child behind. They couldn’t have.
Fighting to keep calm, she started counting again.
Tina, one of the counselors, ran up to her. “Dean is missing. One of the kids saw him run and hide in the tipi when we were loading the van.”
Naomi’s heart seemed to shatter.
Chapter 13
Teeth chattering,Austin waded on stiff legs to the water’s edge, treading on blackened reeds and tripping on charred, fallen branches until he stepped on dry, scorched earth. The fire had passed to the northeast, rolling onward like a tsunami, the roar distant, gray smoke blotting out sunlight.
Holy fuck.