“You’re not going anywhere.” Megs stood. “Taylor, Belcourt, Rossiter, Hawke, and seven other people are missing! I don’t want you to be next.”
“I can’tsithere and do nothing!”
“Sure, you can!” Megs’ voice broke. “Do you think I’d be here right now if there were any chance at all that we could reach them?”
“Fuck!” Creed let out a frustrated shout, threw open the door to the vehicle bays, and stomped out.
Just then, Bob stepped through the front door.
“What’s holding you up, Lexi? We’re ready to…” He glanced around. “Hell. Did you get bad news about my son-in-law?”
Lexi stepped back, but held onto Vicki’s hand. “Eric and Brandon Silver and two other men were in a helicopter that crashed right in front of the fire. They survived the crash and deployed fire shelters, but no one has been able to reach them since.”
“Ah, shit.”
At Lexi’s words, Vicki’s stomach revolted. She put a hand to her belly, drew a few breaths. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Through there.” Lexi pointed to the bathroom, following her inside, and closing the door behind them. “Morning sickness?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”
Lexi stayed while Vicki threw up, handing her a wet paper towel when it was over. “I can’t believe this. It’s worse than my worst nightmare.”
But Vicki had lived with the fear of Eric being hurt or killed in a fire since she’d watched him put out that blaze at Hank’s place.
“I need to call Eric’s mother.”
Austin opened his eyes,found himself staring up at a familiar face, hair from a long beard tickling his forehead. “Bear?”
“Austin Taylor.” Bear looked down at him, concern in his eyes.
Austin tried to remember. He’d left the lake, hiked back to his truck, and started for Scarlet. “What am I doing on the ground?”
“Sleeping.”
Hypothermia.
Shit.
“I came to warn you about the fire, to get you out.”
“You came … for me?”
The surprise in Bear’s voice put an ache in Austin’s chest. “I needed to make sure you were safe.”
“Mama said when fires come, run to the mine.”
So, Bear had been safe in an old mine all this time.
Didn’t it just figure?
Austin fought to sit up, got an assist from Bear, and saw that he’d collapsed only a hundred or so yards from his truck. Not good. “I’m sorry about your cabin.”
“The things of this world will pass away.”
“I took these to keep them safe.” Austin reached into his backpack, which Bear had apparently removed from his shoulders, and drew out the diary and the photograph.
Bear stared. “You took Mama’s book and picture.”