Page 13 of Burning Escape (Chasing Fire: Alaska #3)

“I’m Tori. This is Orion.” Tori gestured to the middle of the yard. “And that’s Joann and baby Josiah. They’re from the Refuge, and we were hoping you could help us get to Copper Mountain.”

“I’m Kitri.” She slowly moved to standing and looked out at the property as if searching for something.

“Kitri, did something happen to you to knock you out?” Orion asked again. “Are you in danger?”

“Buzz broomly fix gone.”

“What was that?” Orion looked confused.

Kitri spouted off another meaningless string of words.

“Let’s go inside and get her some water. Something is going on.” Tori helped Kitri into the house. Hopefully she wasn’t having a stroke. She walked normally, which was a good sign.

Orion swept up a rifle lying next to the door. “Joann, come with us.” He held the door open until Joann was safely inside.

The log home was cozy. A big stone fireplace took up most of the living room, and the simple leather furniture and stacks of quilts and books scattered around gave it a homey touch.

Tori led Kitri to the small wooden table in the open dining room, while Orion searched the cupboards, eventually bringing a glass of water for each of them. Kitri stared off into space rather than taking the glass.

“Here, try to drink.” Tori put the glass in her hand.

Kitri slowly lifted the glass and sipped. She closed her eyes a moment and shook her head.

“Do you remember what happened?” Tori asked.

“A drone. There was a drone, and it sprayed something in the air while I was feeding the chickens.”

“Do you remember having that rash before the drone?” Orion pointed at her arms. The angry red welts on her skin covered the backs of her hands up to her elbows.

Kitri shook her head. “No. I remember rushing up the steps for the gun, but I must’ve passed out.”

“Where is the rest of your family?” Joann tucked the sling tighter around Josiah.

“Fishing. It’s our annual salmon trip. They’ll be gone a couple more days. I stayed to take care of the animals and the garden.” Kitri set the glass down and scratched her arm again.

“I think you need medical attention. We need to get back to Copper Mountain. You should come with us.” Orion didn’t sound like he would take no for an answer.

“I can’t leave the animals.”

“If that drone sprayed something on you, the first thing you need to do is wash it off. Do you have a shower?” Tori asked.

Kitri nodded. “I’ll go wash off.”

“Do you have a radio or satellite phone?” Orion asked as she stood.

“Sat phone is over there on the counter. But it isn’t working. I was waiting for Cameron to get back and look at it. It won’t charge.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Orion walked over to the counter. Kitri left the room. He checked it over.

“Anything?” Tori stood next to him.

He tried pressing buttons. Nothing happened. He checked the battery on the back, removed it, and tried the extra battery sitting on the counter. “Still nothing. Not sure what’s wrong with it.”

Joann spoke up from the table. “Should we be worried about whatever that spray was? Do you think it’s still in the air?” She held the baby closer, patting his back and rocking.

“I don’t know. But if it killed the chickens out there and knocked Kitri out, it can’t be good.” Tori fiddled with her ring.

“Maybe we should bring one of the chickens with us to test for chemicals.” Orion set the useless phone down.

“Do you really want to expose all of us if whatever is on them is still active? We can always tell the authorities and send them back here. The important thing is we get Kitri and Josiah some medical attention.” Tori refrained from shivering.

The thought of something dangerous in the air was downright terrifying.

An enemy she could see was an enemy she could fight.

But who knew what had been sprayed? Or why. “We should leave as soon as possible.”

“I’ll go see what vehicles are available.” Orion left out the front door.

“Josiah?” Joann gently lifted the baby out of the sling. He didn’t stir or cry. She tried dripping water on his feet. “He’s not responding. And he hasn’t had a wet diaper all day.” She looked up at Tori, panic in her eyes.

“Can you get him to drink anything? Maybe he’s dehydrated.”

“My milk in the bottle probably isn’t good anymore.”

“Let’s try a little sugar water.” Tori ransacked the cupboards until she found sugar. She mixed some with water and brought it to Joann. Together they dripped a few dropperfuls down his tiny mouth. He wriggled but didn’t open his eyes.

“He’s getting weaker.” Joann’s voice wobbled.

Orion came in. “What’s wrong?”

“We need to get Josiah to the clinic ASAP.”

Orion dangled keys in the air. “There’s a truck ready to go. All the animals have water. So far it looks like just the chickens were affected.”

Kitri stumbled into the room from the hall.

“You okay?” Tori asked her.

Her dark hair dripped water and was a little tangled, but at least she had clean clothes on. The T-shirt showed the rash up and down both arms.

“Dizzy, but—” She looked at Tori, rolled her eyes. Not in an attitude kind of way though. They rolled back and forth rather than focusing on Tori, who stood right in front of her. She didn’t finish her thought.

“There must’ve been some sort of neurotoxin in that spray. We’re going to get you to an emergency room.”

Kitri’s gaze settled on Tori for a moment, and she nodded. She allowed them to escort her to the truck, where Orion already had Joann and Josiah settled.

It was a long, bumpy ride on the dirt road that probably only the Brinks used, but no one complained.

No one said much of anything. Thick forest lined the road, letting in little sunlight in this area.

Joann hummed a song, maybe a hymn—it sounded familiar.

Tori wouldn’t begrudge her finding some comfort wherever she could with her baby suffering.

But this was why she didn’t buy into the whole God-and-grace thing.

Then again, she’d heard a little here and there but never actually tried to pray herself. And the way Orion, and even Abraham, had prayed today hadn’t been a bunch of religious words. It was like they’d simply been talking to God.

Couldn’t hurt to try.

You say to pray, so fine. Why should Josiah suffer? He’s an innocent baby. And Kitri? She didn’t do anything to deserve an attack. Please, just save Josiah and heal Kitri. If You really do care, get them back home safely like Abraham prayed.

Oh, and I will never take for granted a hot shower or indoor plumbing again!

Tori breathed easier when Orion turned the truck onto a familiar paved road.

Civilization.

Within another hour, they pulled up to the small clinic in Copper Mountain. Orion offered to call the authorities for Kitri as soon as he could get a phone.

“Joann, do you want me to stay with you?” Tori asked.

The wide-eyed woman merely nodded.

They walked into the lobby. The space was small, crowded with just a few padded chairs and one coffee table with magazines scattered across its top. But the big windows facing the street displayed the mountains to the north.

“It’s so bright,” Joann whispered, taking everything in with wonder and maybe trepidation as they moved to the front desk. A woman in scrubs sat behind a counter.

“Can I help you?”

“Will you explain?” Joann whispered to Tori. “I don’t know what to say.”

Thankfully, the woman behind the counter understood the urgency, and they were rushed back. It was a good thing Tori was there. Joann looked like she was going to faint as the nurse and doctor took Josiah, examined him, and started an IV.

“What are they doing?” she kept asking. “Are they hurting him?”

Tori tried to explain the best she could and held Joann back from reaching for her baby. “We need to let them work. They’re helping him. He needs fluids, and since he’s not drinking, they’re putting fluid directly into his body through the IV.”

Another nurse came in. “Why don’t you two go get a drink or something to?—”

“I’m not leaving my baby.” Joann planted her feet and stared down the nurse.

Whoa-boy. That mama-bear instinct must be kicking in.

“She’s fine, Shawna. Let her stay by her son.” The doctor looked up at them. “It’s a good thing you brought him in now.”

“Will he be okay? Do we have to go to Anchorage?” Tori asked him.

“It’s your lucky day. I’m a pediatric specialist from Anchorage. Just came to fill in for Dr. Hughes this week while she’s gone. Josiah is weak, but?—”

At that moment, the baby arched his back and cried. Finally.

“—looks like this little guy is a fighter.”

Joann closed her eyes a moment, tilted her head up to the ceiling. She looked back at the doctor with shimmering eyes. “It’s not luck that brought you here. It’s an answer to prayer.”