Page 27 of Burning Escape (Chasing Fire: Alaska #3)

FOURTEEN

If the militia didn’t kill him, the fire might.

As it was, they used the snare to cinch Orion’s wrists together and marched him at gunpoint back to the commune.

A glance behind him showed the fire devouring the forest, flames shooting high, sparks flying even higher.

The men holding Orion kicked it into double time while three others ran for the ATVs.

“We’ll drive them upriver and meet you at the commune,” Vlad said.

Orion could breathe a little easier once they passed the fire line they’d broken. Hopefully it would be enough to deviate the roaring monster away from the Refuge. Still, the air was all ash and smoke. And their line was hastily done, sacrificing width to get more distance around the structures.

“We need to get to shelter.” Orion had to yell over the fire to be heard.

Wayne yanked on the cable, pulling Orion behind him. “You’re not calling the shots here.”

As if that wasn’t obvious.

Okay, so maybe going at it alone hadn’t been the smartest thing to do.

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

Amos was stubborn, but he was right too. No amount of training or strength was going to help him overpower all these men. He should’ve listened to his father.

We know it’s a dangerous job, but that’s why there’s a team. It’s not a solo gig. And as your family, we’re part of your team too.

But what about everything Orion wanted to prove? That he was a worthy son, a grandson Grandpa Jack could be proud of and not ashamed.

The legacy that is most worth achieving is a life surrendered to God. It’s not all up to you.

But Orion was used to being on his own. For so long, he’d been the only one there for his mom. He’d had to hold it together and be there for her.

But then again, look at all she’d done for him. Maybe it really hadn’t been on his own strength. And the two of them had had a lot of support over the years from their community and friends.

Okay, Lord, I get it. I’ve been pretty focused on what I thought You wanted from me instead of surrendering to You and being a part of the team You brought me to. Help me now. And keep Tori safe.

They followed the trail to the chapel and spilled onto the grassy common area, now marred by muddy tracks and a couple ATVs. But the situation was a little different here. Abraham and Amos held a bald man. Three others from the militia were sitting on the ground, surrounded by men from the commune.

Hannah and Mara ran down the steps of the chapel.

And the fire was roaring toward them all.

Amos yelled over to his wife, “Are the other women and children safe?”

Hannah coughed and nodded. “All the women and children are accounted for if Tori is out here with you. But we should all be inside. The smoke?—”

Orion scanned the area. A fist-sized lump lodged in his throat. “Where’s Tori?”

“I didn’t say you could talk,” Frank said. “Doyle, are all our people here?”

The man Amos had in hand looked around. “All except Damian.”

“Good riddance. That idiot thought this was Tristan. He’s the one that sent us on this messed-up chase.” Frank kept his gun pointed at Orion.

“Hey, that’s my cousin you’re talking about.” One of the men behind Orion stepped up.

“So you wanna be responsible for his fiasco?” Frank asked him.

The man backed down.

“We need to get inside,” Mara said, a worried expression on her face as she looked over the top of the chapel at the flames coming closer.

“I’m not going anywhere until you release my men.” Frank practically snarled.

“Release our man and we’ll seek shelter together. We don’t want any trouble.” Amos faced the militiaman. “We have enough room in the basement of the chapel until the fire passes us by.”

But Tori.

For a moment, the men faced each other in a silent stare down.

“You’re just going to let us walk on out of here when this is done? I don’t believe you,” Frank said.

Amos didn’t back down. “I’m a man of my word. I don’t want to see anyone harmed. If you agree to leave us in peace.”

“Fine, but let us go. We’ll find our own way out of this fire.”

“What about Tori?” Orion yanked his wrists, the thin cable cutting into his skin. But with the woman he loved missing, he didn’t much care.

Amos nodded at his men, and they released the militia, who immediately ran for the ATVs.

Orion ran after the one related to Damian. “Where is Tori? Did your cousin?—”

“If she’s the blonde trainer from the gym, there’s no telling what Damian has done. But I’m not waiting around to find out. He’s on his own.” He swung a leg over behind Vlad on the seat of the four-wheeler, and they peeled out of the commune.

A strong hand on his shoulder stopped Orion from sprinting after them. They disappeared into the smoke.

“Hold on, son.” Amos released the locking mechanism on the snare, freeing Orion’s wrists.

“I have to find her.” His eyes were already watering from the smoke in the air.

“We’ll go with you,” Abraham said. John, Mara’s brother, stood next to him.

“I can’t have you risk your lives?—”

“You don’t have to do this alone, Orion.

We can cover more ground together.” Amos looked past Orion and over the chapel roof.

“Look, the fire is moving south. That’s because, together, we worked on that fire line the way you taught us.

One man could not have done it. God brought you here for a reason.

To help us. And also for us to help you get your wife back. ”

Orion followed the outline of flames. The line was holding.

And the truth of Amos’s words pinched in uncomfortable ways. But he was right. Except for one thing.

“She’s not my wife.” In that moment, the truth of the matter crystallized. “I’m hopelessly in love with her, but…we’re not actually married.”

But he wanted to explore that possibility in the future. She was fire and light. Passion and adventure.

Life before moving here had been full, but looking back, it seemed dull and stale. She brought a joy he wanted to discover for himself. He needed to find her. Now.

Amos studied him a beat, his eyes narrowed. “She still needs saving, and you still need our help.”

But what had Amos said earlier? Cover more ground.

Right. Orion needed to dial down the pride and realize they were better off working together.

And his team was bigger than the four of them standing here in the middle of the Refuge.

He found the radio. “Price to base. We need help. Tori is missing, possibly kidnapped.”

Tucker’s voice came through. “What’s your location?”

“At the Refuge. The fire is skirting around us, heading south and east. Most likely, if Tori was taken, they’ll be following the river north of here.”

“We’ve got the Firehawk chopper in the air with another load of water. We’ll have them fly over and scope it out. The rest of the team is on the way to help.”

But would they get there in time?

* * *

Tori had gotten into smokejumping because it was the most dangerous job she could think of.

She wanted to prove to herself that she could face her fears and overcome them.

That she wasn’t a helpless little girl afraid of the dark.

Or a lost, broken teenager so scared to be alone that she found herself in even darker places if it meant she could, for a little bit of time, feel like she belonged.

Yet here she was, very much alone and now blindfolded.

Well, not completely alone. The sound of water and rhythmic splashing meant she was still in the canoe with him .

Damian.

Sure, as a client he’d always wanted more attention, a little more handholding than others, but she’d never thought he was this sick.

“It’s about time you woke up.”

Tori pushed herself up to sitting, ready for a showdown. So her head was a little fuzzy still. She had enough wits to fight. Starting with ripping off the blindfold. “What do you think you’re doing? Kidnapping me?”

He glanced back and continued to paddle. “You weren’t paying attention. I needed to get you away from that other guy, from your friends. You don’t need them.”

“For what?”

“To build a new life. Together.” He turned in the seat and let the paddle rest on his lap. The current carried them slowly downstream.

“With you? What makes you think—wait. Are you part of the militia? Is that what this is?”

“They were a means to an end. They’re busy killing off some fish, testing drones to release toxins, and establishing a new order. But what they’re forgetting is our greatest asset: our children.”

His straight face and soulless eyes as he spoke gave her goosebumps. “You have kids?” That was a scary thought.

“Not yet.” He paused. “But I’ve found the perfect mother for my children. A woman who’s strong. Fit. Beautiful.” He lifted his hand to caress her.

She balked, dangerously rocking the canoe. The man was more than sick. He was completely delusional. “What about that girl, the one you were with at the bar?”

“Amber? I told you. She was a friend. She doesn’t have the strength needed for this new life.

We need to populate, establish a new generation.

One that can fight back. Think for themselves.

I’ve watched you for a while now. You’re the one.

The others can worry about governments and establishments. I’m thinking of the future.”

Tori glanced around. Not a thing to use as a weapon or restraint in the vessel. She needed to get away from him and run. It wasn’t too far to the shore. She had no idea how long she’d been knocked out for or how far they’d gone. The air was still smoky. The fire was still out there.

“Well, I hate to break it to you, but I’m not part of that future, Damian. I’m not drinking the Kool-Aid, not buying into this new way of life.”

He didn’t look concerned. Instead, a smile creeped on to his face. “Not yet. But you will.”

“Not on your life!” She threw herself to the right but then leaped out the left side of the canoe, into the frigid river water. The shock of it stole her breath, but she didn’t care. She kicked her legs and came up for air.

Just get to shore. Get to shore.

“Tori!”