Page 26 of Burning Escape (Chasing Fire: Alaska #3)

THIRTEEN

Orion had to forget the fire line and get these people to safety.

Just when he was beginning to feel like they were going to be okay with a raging wildland fire headed straight toward them, now he had the militia invading.

With his Pulaski in hand, Orion jogged up the line to the other men. “Go back to the commune!”

The men and boys stopped and looked at him. With wet hair and faces covered in dirt and ash, they blended in with the trees. But it wasn’t nearly enough camouflage to hide from the militia.

“What’s going on?” Amos walked over. Abraham was right behind him.

“There’s a militia group on their way right now. I don’t know what they want, but it won’t be good. You need to get everyone out of here.”

“And leave you to face it all?” Amos glared. “We face the threat together. Like the fire.”

“These guys have guns. They’re not friendly. Go back and protect the women and children. You can leave?—”

“We’re not leaving the Refuge. I already told you that.” Amos didn’t look like he would budge.

One of the engines revved. They were getting closer. Abraham looked back toward the commune. “But he’s right. We shouldn’t leave the women and children defenseless.”

“I’ll do what I can to hold them off. Try to talk to them and figure out what they want. But you might need to fight. Find anything you can to arm yourselves.” Orion spoke to the group, but Amos’s mouth remained tight. “These are your people, your family, Amos. Go watch over them.”

“We’re a body for a reason. We don’t fight alone.”

Oh, he was a stubborn man. He’d have to be to survive in the wilds of Alaska off-grid.

But Orion could be just as determined. “I’m not alone, am I? God is my rock and my refuge.”

“Amos, the children.” Abraham stepped up to the leader.

Without a spoken word—but with plenty of displeasure in his expression—Amos left. The rest of the men followed, holding the tools they’d been using to fight a fire, now for a different purpose.

With that settled, Orion could focus on facing the militia.

He removed his sling. Why advertise the fact that he was wounded?

He hiked the incline again. How close were they?

The ATVs were moving in, the engines louder.

Reaching the top of the hill, Orion stayed behind a thick spruce trunk.

Three ATVs, each with two men riding, splashed in the shallows of the river, heading straight to the commune, but from the sound of it, more were coming from different directions.

What could they even want with a peaceful commune like the Refuge?

Could really use Your help here, Lord.

Amos’s words came back to him.

We’re a body for a reason. We don’t fight alone .

He really couldn’t fight them all off by himself. But he had to know the rest of the commune was safe and scope out the threat.

The smoke in the air hung heavy, obscuring his view. The fire roared close now, coming straight from the west. But the militiamen rode in from the north.

Six men, all armed and wearing various patterns of camouflage. Wait—Orion squeezed the handle of the Pulaski. That was Wayne Osborne!

They were heading straight to the village.

Where Tori was.

Forget trying to talk sense with these people. Orion spun and sprinted. He had to get to Tori, keep her safe. Hidden.

He cut around the trees and underbrush, arm in front of his face to block the branches.

“Hey! There he is!” one of the men shouted from a four-wheeler.

Orion probably sounded like a bull charging through, but at this point, he only cared about getting to Tori.

He had to keep her safe. With all the trees, their ATVs would have to go the long way around by the river.

He charged up the hill to cut across, his feet eating up the distance.

He could see the fire line they had finished breaking.

He was close. But so were the shouts from the militiamen.

Sounded like a couple of them were following him on foot now.

Orion slowed to slip between two smaller trees.

Something jerked around his ankle, tripping him. He hit the ground, knocking the breath out of himself.

What? His foot was caught. Orion tried to breathe and sit up. Around his boot was thin cable. A snare.

He tried to free himself, grasping at the locking mechanism.

“Well, look what we caught, Wayne. And I didn’t even have to bait the trap.” A man with a dark beard, a mustache, and a mean glare stood over Orion, a rifle in hand. His sneer showed off tobacco-stained teeth.

“Guess it’s our lucky day, Vlad.” Wayne chuckled as he stomped up. “Where’s the other one? The pretty little lady you were with.”

Yeah, like he’d just give Tori up. Orion kept his mouth clamped shut. Wayne yanked him to his feet. He and Vlad each grabbed Orion’s arms, a piercing pain shooting from his injured shoulder almost taking him down.

A third man hiked over. His long hair was pulled back in a grimy ponytail, and he had the longest beard of all the men. “It’s about time. Now give us what we want, Trist—who is this?” He looked Orion up and down, then glared at Wayne. “Where’s Tristan?”

“Ain’t this him?” Wayne looked confused. “Damian said it was him, that if I took the blonde, he’d follow.”

Took the blonde? Tori? That’s why he’d tried to kidnap her? To bait him?

“Idiots! This isn’t Tristan Winters.” Ponytail Guy slapped Wayne’s arm. “We’ve been chasing after the wrong guy!”

Tristan. Jamie Winters’s brother. So that was their intended target. Sure, he and Orion both had dark hair, similar builds, and blue eyes, but…

“I’m not Tristan, so why don’t you let me go and get out of here before the fire traps us all.” He pulled against Wayne’s hold since that was his uninjured side, but Wayne’s grip only tightened.

“What do we do now?” Wayne asked. “Frank, you make the call.”

The man with the ponytail—Frank—pulled out a knife and faced Orion. “He knows what we look like and who we’re after. I say he comes with us.”

* * *

Tori tried not to worry about Orion as she gathered the children into the chapel. But he was out there facing down the militia. At least he was with the other men. He had his job. She would do hers and keep these children safe.

She gathered the group of the youngest kids, maybe seven of them together, and led the way down the center aisle between the pews.

The weak sunrays coming in through the high windows gave them dim light.

But the log walls were sturdy. The little altar was nothing more than a wooden pulpit and a simple cross hanging on the wall behind it, but it was a reminder of why this group was here.

And the building was the farthest east, farthest from the fire.

But what protection would it be from the militia?

Tori brought the kids to the little room behind the altar. The sounds of the ATVs seemed to be coming from everywhere all at once. One of the little girls, probably not even five, started crying. Gabby rushed over to hold her.

Tori moved to the door, back to the main part of the chapel. “Gabby, keep them here and keep them quiet. I’m going to go find Orion.”

Mara and Joann rushed in with Hannah. More women followed, and Tori met them at the door.

“You all should stay here—hide if you can,” Tori told them.

“Who are these people? What do they want?” Hannah stood in front of the open entrance to the chapel, ready to face down anything that tried to cross the threshold.

“It’s a militia group. I don’t know what they want, but it’s probably my fault they’re here.”

“Your fault?” Mara asked.

And suddenly Tori was tired of the lies, the weight of them unbearable.

“I’m no one’s answer to prayer. I brought trouble. Right to your doorstep.”

“What are you talking about?” Hannah’s eyes narrowed.

“Look, Orion and I aren’t married. We’re smokejumpers.

Wildland firefighters. But one of our teammates has a friend.

She was caught by this militia. We were helping rescue her and her brother when the militia shot down our airplane.

Orion and I were separated from our team when we parachuted out and were injured running away from these guys.

When Amos assumed we were married, we thought it was for the best that we stay together.

Especially with the way Jeremiah would stare.

But it looks like the militia found us again.

So, I guess I’m trying to say I’m sorry. ”

“Why is the militia being here your fault?” Mara looked confused.

Wasn’t it obvious? She attracted the worst of humanity.

“Seems to me these men are bent on destruction one way or another. That isn’t your fault.

As for pretending to be married, I can’t say I condone lying, but under the circumstances with Jeremiah, I understand.

Mara told us what happened when you left.

And we haven’t seen Jeremiah since.” Hannah’s eyes softened.

“Amos and I wanted this community to be a safe place, and it wasn’t for you.

And for that, I’m the one that is sorry.

Still…God works in mysterious ways. Little Josiah is thriving.

You’re here just in time to help us fight this fire.

That’s not a coincidence. I’d say you are exactly the answer to prayer we needed. ”

“If you don’t want to marry Orion, do you think he’d marry me?” Gabby tugged on her arm, all the children that should’ve been hiding trailing behind her.

Tori chuckled. “We’re not married, but…he might be the answer to the prayer I didn’t even know to pray. And?—”

Two ATVs sped into the middle of the commune, tearing up the grass.

“Get back!” Tori shooed the women away from the door. “Take the children into the back room—better yet, the basement.” Most of the women did as she asked, except Hannah and Mara. They stayed by Tori at the doorway of the chapel.

“You’re not alone, Victoria. We do this together.” Hannah walked through the door.

They stood on the steps of the chapel, ready to face the four men. Maybe Tori could lure them away.

Suddenly a shout, and Amos and the other men from the fire line ran onto the open lawn. But the militia took aim with rifles and pistols.

“No!” Tori leaped off the steps and stood between the two groups of men, facing the militia. “Don’t hurt these people. They’ve done nothing to you.”

One of the men, probably the leader from the way the others watched him, got off his ATV. He was bald, a dirty green bandanna tied around his neck. “The fact that you’re here says otherwise. If they’ve been harboring Tristan Winters?—”

“Tristan? Jamie’s brother? He isn’t here. He never was.”

“Like I’m going to take your word for it.” The bald man held his rifle and walked up to her.

“You should. She tells the truth.” Amos came and stood next to Tori. “We have no quarrel with you. Leave us now, before that changes.”

An evil grin crept onto the militia leader’s face. “You don’t wanna cross me, old man.”

Tori wasn’t sure how it started, but a brawl broke out as the Refuge men surged the four militiamen, wrestling away guns and knocking each other to the ground. Tori jumped out of the way while Abraham tackled one of the men. She spun to check on the women. Thick arms grabbed her from behind.

She thrashed and kicked, but the man was strong, his grip unbreakable. He dragged her away behind the structure. She opened her mouth to shout. A gloved hand clamped down, cutting off her scream.

“Not so fast. This time you won’t get away.” The voice in her ear was familiar. But from where?

She could hardly hear with the blood rushing to her head. A gag was stuffed into her mouth, choking her. A sharp prick in her neck, and she felt a burning liquid forced under her skin. Her body went weak.

No! She threw her head back, butting her assailant.

He roared. But he didn’t stop.

He merely picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. She grabbed a tree branch as he moved away from the commune into the woods, but it slipped right through her hands. Her eyes barely stayed open. Whatever he’d shot into her was taking effect fast.

Another sound registered.

Water. He was taking her to the river.

Help me, Lord.

Help me out of this danger.

The man tossed her into one of the canoes. She blinked, looked up at his face. It blurred and then finally came into focus.

It wasn’t Jeremiah or Razor or Wayne, but she knew this man’s strength and determination. If only she’d realized in time that he was sick too.

“You can’t ignore me now. Finally, we’ll have some alone time, and you’ll see how perfect we can be together, Tori.”

Her eyes closed and everything faded into oblivion.