Page 87 of Love Again

Jared and Toby run by, lines zipping, and then Keller hands me the main nozzle. I drop the garden hose to the base of the foundation.

I get a clear shot of Devon as she’s moving quickly up the ladder. Finn’s out now and climbing down, Claire hanging onto his back, both arms wrapped around his neck.

Devon starts guiding Finn down, and she climbs nimbly backward. It’s going to take a few minutes before they are safely on the ground.

Two more guys have water jettisoning at the building.

“Keller wants to see you. Now,” shouts Nico, bracing himself as he takes the hose.

Keller’s up by Gulp and waves. He’s got a walkie-talkie pressed to his ear. His face is of total concentration. “Got it.”

“Spare suit in the cab,” he says. “Just got a call from a jogger who smells smoke.”

“From this?”

Keller shakes his head. “From the top of the hill.”

He plants his face back into the walkie-talkie. With one finger in an ear, he starts barking orders about the other engine heading up.

Then he points at me. “You need to suit up. Forty-five seconds till go.”

“You think it’s—”

“It’s gotta be the Pratchetts’.” He says this as I instinctively glance up toward the mountain where the two houses sit. Though it’s being whisked away by the wind, the faint smudge of smoke lies dark over the crest of trees.

As I’m hauling gear out of the truck, I look over at Devon.

Claire and Finn are only halfway down the ladder.

I pull on my bunker gear, boots, and gloves, then grab a respirator and tank. I glance again at Devon. She turns, and some instinct makes her look up.

That’s when I realize her nightmare has come true. Two families, two places on fire, and she can’t be at both.

She’s not even in gear, which is dangerous enough.

I grab my brother. “You watch her,” I say, and then I turn to her. “I’m going up there!” I shout. “You stay here. They’re short two men and Keller called in B-Team. She sees I’m suited up and she seems confused.

I don’t know if she can hear me, but she can see what’s happening. Keller yells something at her and hands her a helmet. Then I move to my truck. I leave her in the parking lot, only catching a glimpse of her in the rearview mirror. She’s still on the ladder, helping Finn down, but she’s glancing at the sky and then the truck.

She disappears when I start the ascent.

I fly past the station as Pokey pulls out, which means I’ll be there minutes before Trent and Frankie.

The sunrise has just peaked, and long shadows dance across the lawn. But they are wicked shadows cast by trees lit from behind.

As the truck rolls to a stop, I pull on the respirator and couple it to the tank. Both the barn and the cottage are on fire. The barn must have been set first—it’s already half gone. Embers fly and there’s a large crash as a support beam falls. Trent and Frankie look slightly lost.

I point to the left. “Fire pond, west side!” Trent, still behind the wheel, hauls Pokey toward the water source, leaving large ruts in the grass. I start racing toward the cottage. Someone is screaming inside.

They’re trapped.

Why?

That’s when I see it: there’s a two-by-four wedged between the door handle and the frame.

Someone is pulling on the door, hard. But it’s not budging.

“Stop!” I yell. In a second, the pressure is off. I grab the piece of wood and toss it behind me. The little blue door opens and Mateus stands there, one arm trying to hold Laurel back.