Page 92 of Smokescreen

“Those guys are clearly working for someone. They’re not the ones calling the shots here.”

“I agree. But who?”

She shrugged. “That I can’t tell you.”

“It has to be someone with either power, influence, or money.”

“Most likely all three of those things.”

Olive stared in the distance again and sucked in a breath.

Something new peaked over the mountains. Not just smoke.

Flames.

She could see flames.

Olive pressed her eyes shut. That meant this fire was getting even closer.

Olive watched as the men on horses came back through the pasture an hour later. Reid and his crew drew to a stop near the porch.

Olive rushed across the lawn to meet them.

“All the cattle should be safe—for now,” Reid told anyone who was listening. “But we need to take some preemptive measures in case the fire gets closer to the ranch.”

“What can we do to help?” Tevin had been on Olive’s heels as she ran down to greet everyone.

“We’re going to establish a fire line,” Reid said. “It’s where you remove all the vegetation so if the fire gets closer, there will be nothing to feed it. There’s still a chance the wind can make the flames jump the fire line. But we’ve got to do something.”

“I’ll help.” Olive kept her chin up, daring anyone to tell her no.

“We’re going to need everyone we can get,” Reid said. “We need to gather supplies. Everyone should meet back here in fifteen minutes ready to work.”

The seriousness of the situation hit her again.

This fire could be devastating.

But there was no time to waste thinking about such things.

Instead, she hurried inside and found some work boots.

Suddenly, this wasn’t about her investigation. It was about saving Reid’s legacy on the ranch.

For the second time this week, Olive found herself praying for protection and guidance.

CHAPTER 41

Everyone piled into multiple vehicles and traveled about a mile away from the Homestead.

Under Reid’s direction, they formed a line and began to dig into the ground. They needed to get rid of any grass or plants that could potentially feed the fire. The trench was probably six feet wide and formed a barrier between the forest and the Homestead.

All the cattle and resources were on the other side.

Overhead, helicopters swooped in, dropping fire retardant on the flames.

Olive kept a mask over her mouth as she worked so she wouldn’t breathe in the smoke. Dust-like ash already filled the air, stinging her eyes and irritating her lungs. She ignored it and kept working.

The fire was still miles away. Olive could only imagine what it would be like once it got closer. She’d never experienced anything like this before.