Wildfire Run (10 page)

Luke drove slowly, trying
to get his bearings. It was harder than he thought to estimate where the nature trail would be, and to stop the right distance away from it. Usually, when he and Adam went running, they picked up the trail right outside Laurel Lodge, but now he was coming at it from the opposite direction. Finally he hit the brake, not daring to go farther. “We should be close. Can you hear the sirens are louder now? That means we aren't too far away from the center of the compound. I know where they've been pruning lots of the trees too. I bet that's where they put the boxes.”

The three of them got out, Comet jumping
down too. Luke was glad they had moved far enough away from the fire so they couldn't hear it anymore. It made him able to concentrate better.

“Now what?” Callie asked. “How are we getting the doors off anyway? That can't be easy.”

“First we get Adam out, because it's going to be rough.” Adam mumbled a little when Theo started to pull him out, but even though he didn't open his eyes, he wasn't a total deadweight. He shuffled forward, leaning on Theo, while Luke tried to take some of his weight from his other side. When they lowered him to the ground, propping him against a tree, Luke knelt down in front of him.

“Adam, Adam, we need you to wake up. Adam, please.” Once the words were out of his mouth, he couldn't stop the tears. He choked and crouched down on the ground, covering his face, knowing he was shaking, but trying hard not to make a sound. Without Adam and Sal, he was nobody, just a kid who didn't know how to do anything. How was he supposed to know what to do? Maybe they should just stay in one spot, hoping someone would come get them. He could hear his dad's voice:
Make haste slowly
. But that
advice couldn't help now. What was he supposed to do? The whole thing was his dad's fault. They would never be here if his dad hadn't wanted to be President.

“Luke, come on, let's try your idea,” Theo said. “The sooner we do this, the sooner we can get help for Adam.”

“Go away,” Luke said.

“I'm with Theo,” he heard Callie say. “Come on, Luke. Get up.”

Luke wished he could shut out the sound of their voices. He waited, his hands still over his face, expecting Callie to call him a baby, but she didn't. They didn't say anything else. Luke didn't know how long he crouched there all scrunched up, but then he felt Comet licking his ear. Luke reached his hand out and ran it along Comet's back. At Luke's touch, Comet barked and jumped around him, trying to lick his face.

“Luke, we don't have much more time,” Theo said. “Look at the air.”

There were bits of ash swirling about them now, like gray snowflakes in a winter storm.

“A helicopter won't be able to get through this, will it?” Callie said, moving over to Theo. He put his arm around her.

“We don't need a helicopter.” Luke got up, not looking at either one of them, focusing on the jeep as a way to stop thinking about everything else. “I'm not going to just sit here. I don't care what my dad says.”

“What do you mean?” Callie asked. “Why are you talking about your dad?”

“Never mind. It's just something he says that I don't think is always a good thing. You guys stay back. We don't have any tools to get the doors off, so I'm going to back the door into a tree and see if that works. Keep Comet clear too.”

“You can't drive fast enough to break the door off. You'll be hurt when the tree hits the door,” Callie said.

“He doesn't have to drive fast.” Theo let go of Callie and picked up a rock about the size of a plate. “If we wedge the rock in the space between the open door and the car, the bolts may break more easily even with just slow pressure. Just make sure you put on your seat belt.”

Luke felt terrible knowing he was going to do a bit more than putting a scratch on the colonel's jeep, but he didn't see any other way. Once Theo had the rock in place, Luke positioned the jeep about five feet in front of the tree, put the car in
reverse, and stomped on the gas. The door hit the tree and the jeep jerked forward. Without thinking, Luke put on the brake. When the car stopped he could see the door was still attached, even though it was sagging from the frame because one of the bolts had snapped.

“The rock won't go back in,” Theo said, examining the door. “There's no place left to wedge it.”

“I'm going to have to run it into the tree again, faster and from farther away,” Luke said. Callie opened her mouth, but then closed it again. Luke was glad; he didn't think he could stand too much more.

“Move back.” He positioned the jeep about ten feet in front of the tree, put the car in reverse, and stepped on the gas, all as fast as he could so he wouldn't have time to think. The door hit the tree, the jeep jerked forward, and Luke's seat belt dug across his neck, gagging him.

“It's off,” Callie yelled. “It worked.”

Luke almost wished it hadn't. Now it meant he had to do it again for the other door. The skin on his neck was burning from the seat belt. How come people on TV never acted like it hurt when they fell or ran into things?

The second time he had to hit the tree twice
as well, and the muscles in the back of his neck screamed when he hit the tree extra fast to make sure the door would come off. He sat back and closed his eyes for a moment, wishing that had been the last thing he had to do, instead of just one of the first things. He wished he could erase the past few hours and go back to the morning, to being excited to show Theo the garage, and to joking around with Adam. After today, he didn't know if he could go back to that Luke.

“Now what?” Callie asked. “These doors aren't big enough to be like a knight's armor that covers you all up.”

“I know,” Luke said. “We're not making that kind of armor. We're going to hook them together, and prop them against each other to make sort of a tunnel we can crawl into. The beams are only about a foot wide, so we will be safe going in and out.”

“I don't know.” Callie knelt down and examined the doors. “They're awfully small. Are you sure we are going to fit?”

“I think I'm too big.” Theo picked up one of the doors and held it to his chest. It looked small against him.

“We have to try,” Luke said. “Now I need
something to hook the two together.”

Theo set down the door and poked around in the back of the jeep. “We don't have any rope. There's nothing in here at all.”

“Yes, there is, but the colonel isn't going to like it.” Luke took out his pocketknife. “We'll use a seat belt and thread it through the door handles.”

“You can't cut off a seat belt!” Theo objected.

“We don't have another choice.” It wasn't as easy as Luke thought. His pocketknife wasn't very sharp, but by a combination of sawing and pulling, the seat belt came free. Luke picked up one of the doors. “Grab the other one, Callie, and then let's move forward. We'll wait till we get close to put the doors together. It won't be so heavy that way.”

Callie picked up the other door. “How do we find the boxes?”

“We walk forward really slowly, until we spot one of the boxes. Theo, you should follow behind us. Without both your lenses, how well can you see?”

“Not very well. I'll stay back. Watch out for the jagged edges on the doors where they broke off.”

“Then can you carry Comet? I know he won't
stay if I tell him to, and I don't want him to run ahead of us.”

“Sure.” Theo scooped up the dog and fell in behind Luke and Callie.

They edged forward, holding the doors in front of them like shields. The doors were heavier than they looked and Luke had to keep adjusting his hold.

“This isn't my idea of fun,” Callie said.

“Well, it's not mine either.” Luke couldn't see anything up in the trees. Each time he took a step, he stopped, waiting for something to happen to him, feeling his skin prickling.

“If it gets us, how long will we feel like we're on fire?” Callie asked.

“I don't know. I think the pain is supposed to be so great people pass out from it. That way they just can't run through it, feel terrible for a few seconds, and then get over it so they can keep on going.”

“Great. Whoever thought this defense system up is one strange, sick person. How big do you think the boxes are?” Callie whispered.

“I don't know,” Luke whispered back. “Why are we whispering?”

“It just feels like we should.”

They continued to move forward, straining to see something, anything that might look out of place.

After a few minutes, Luke said, “I don't see anything. Maybe they aren't on after all, and we've just walked through the area.”

“Wait! We can use my camera like a telescope. It has a twelve-x optical zoom. Here, Theo, take the door.” Theo shifted Comet under one arm and grasped the door with his other hand while Callie pulled the camera off her neck and opened the lens. She looked through the viewfinder, scanning several trees.

“Nothing, no…that's just bark…no…wait.” She moved the camera back to one of the larger trees and held it there. “It works. I see one!” She pointed ahead.

“I can't see it,” Luke said. All he could see were the leaves fluttering on the trees from the hot wind.

“Right there where the branch forks. It's on the forked part going up. It's painted to look like the branch, but it doesn't match exactly. Just like when you look for lizards in the desert—you have to look for the pattern that's a little bit off.”

“I still don't see it.”

Callie went around behind Luke and put her arm up over his shoulder. “Follow my finger. Do you see it?”

“Yes, I see it!” The box was about the size of a DVD case, but thicker, painted a mottled brown. Callie was right; it didn't match exactly. The easiest part of it to see was the glint of the lens.

Theo caught up and Luke pointed to the box. “I don't see it,” Theo said.

Luke moved as close as he dared to the tree, pointing upward.

“I guess I see it,” Theo said. “I wish I had my other lens.”

“I found the other box,” Callie said. “I even see the little opening where the beam comes out.”

“Okay, good.” Luke tried to sound happy, but he almost wished Callie hadn't found the boxes. Maybe his idea was too crazy after all. He sighed, setting down his door. He took the other one from Theo and positioned them on the ground so he could strap the two together. “Callie, will you help me hold them so I can get them fastened?”

Callie grabbed one. “How are they going to stay propped up?”

Luke wound the seat belt through both door handles and pulled them together as tightly as
possible, jamming the cut end back through the buckle. “They will hold each other up, kind of like when you make a card house out of two cards, the upside-down ‘V' kind, except we'll have to balance them just right so there isn't a gap at the top where the rays could go through. The seat belt will help keep them together.”

He took the doors and tried to flip them over to demonstrate, but they were too heavy. “Here, Callie, take one side and help me turn them the right way. We'll try it away from the rays to see if it works.”

It took a couple of tries to get the doors over and positioned so they would stand alone. Callie knelt down and peered in. “That's a very small tunnel.”

“It's all we've got,” Luke said.

“Are you sure it won't fall down?”

Luke reached out and gave one door a slight shake. It wobbled but didn't knock the other over. “Looks good. Try it,” he said.

Callie lay down on her stomach in front of the opening. “I think I can pull myself through using my arms and my feet.” She slid forward using an inchworm motion. “This really hurts my arms, and my feet aren't doing much good,”
she called, her voice muffled.

“Keep trying,” Luke said. “It's not very far.”

Luke saw her legs move and then heard an “Ow!” Callie's body jerked up. The tunnel tipped to the side, bringing one door down on her back.

“That didn't feel so good. So much for that idea,” she said, scrambling free.

“Sorry.” Luke pulled the doors back up. “I should have stabilized them. If we hold them, it should work. Why did you yell?”

Callie held up her arm and pointed to a cut. “I dragged my arm across a rock. This isn't going to work.”

“Yes, it will,” Luke said.

“Luke!” Theo held out his watch. “I'm having trouble doing the math about the speed of the fire, but we'd better do something soon. Fires don't stand still.”

Luke took a deep breath. “I'm going first.”

“I should probably try
first,” Theo said, “you being the President's son and all. You shouldn't do it.”

Luke was surprised to hear Theo volunteer. “Don't get all noble or anything,” he said. “I'm a lot smaller than you, and this is one time when that's a good thing. I'll take up less room, and if anyone can get through it will be me.” Neither one argued with him. They all stood there until Luke said, “Well, no sense waiting around.”

He dragged the doors over as close to the trees as he dared, propping them back up. “I hope this beam really is only a foot wide. Callie, help me shove these into place.”

Callie reached her hand out and then drew it
back. “What happens if we push it too far and the beams hit our hands?”

“That isn't going to happen,” Luke said, trying not to imagine the feeling of his hand burning up. “Brace them for me, okay? Theo, you'll have to help too. Callie can hold one side and you can hold the other.”

Once the doors and Luke were in place he had to will himself to inch forward, trying to ignore the rough ground scraping on his knees and his arms. It was the hardest thing Luke had ever done, waiting for the pain that might hit him. He hadn't ever thought about pain before. It was just something that happened, usually when he did something stupid, and he knew it would go away. This was different, knowing he could be jolted by something so intense, he wouldn't be able to stand it. The crawling seemed to take forever. Finally, he heard Callie's voice.

“Your feet are clear, Luke. I think it's safe to stop.”

Luke realized he had been holding his breath. “No problem.” He tried to keep his voice steady as he got up.

“Callie, why don't you go next?” He was impatient to get moving now. They were so close.
Callie took a few tiny steps forward and Comet started to follow.

“No, stop, Comet, sit,” Luke said in his sternest voice. For once, Comet decided to obey, but Luke didn't know how long he would stay in one spot. “We'd better get Comet through before you. He's more likely to stay still if he's closer to me. Theo, put him down right in front of the doors.” Luke lay down on the other side, peering through. He hoped when Comet saw his face, he would crawl through toward him. At first, Comet just sat there, his head tilted to one side, eyeing Luke.

“Here, boy!” Comet looked puzzled, sniffing at the doors. “Here, boy.” Luke tapped the ground in front of him with his hand, and Comet came in far enough for Luke to reach in and pull him the rest of the way out. He set the dog down and picked up a stick, tossing it a few feet away. “Good dog! Go play with the stick.”

When Luke turned back he noticed Theo's face was a funny color, really pale and greenish. “Callie, I think Theo should come next so you can hold the door on that side. Theo, are you ready?”

“I guess,” Theo said.

“Maybe Theo should just stay here,” Callie suggested. “I'm not sure the tunnel is big enough for
him. We can come back and get him when we get Adam, right?”

“No!” Theo's shout startled everyone. “I don't want to stay here by myself. I think we should all stick together.” He got down on the ground.

“Theo, wait, you might get stuck halfway through,” Callie said, as Theo put his head into the tunnel. “Are you sure you want to try this?”

“Just hold the doors,” Theo said. Luke's grip was so tight his fingers hurt as Theo edged through so slowly, Luke thought he would never be clear.

“You're doing great,” Luke said. Theo's head was out of the tunnel when his glasses fell off. As he reached for them, his shoulder bumped the door Callie held and the whole tunnel shifted.

“I don't think I can hold it!” Callie yelled.

Theo stopped dead, his face flat against the ground.

“Try!” Luke ordered, putting his shoulder against the door he was holding. He reached his hand over Theo's head to grab the other door. “I got it! Go, Theo!”

Gasping noises came from Theo, and Luke was afraid he wouldn't move. “Just a little farther,” he said, and Theo began to ease forward.

Just when Theo had made it through, loud
popping noises came from the east, and a faint roaring sound. A hot, steady wind and the smoke had caught up to them.

“Callie…,” Luke said.

“I know. You don't have to tell me to hurry.”

Callie wriggled through so fast Luke didn't even have time to tell her to be careful.

“So much for the high-tech defense system,” she said, standing up and brushing off her shorts.

Luke released his hold on the doors and got up. Comet, the stick in his mouth, nudged against his leg, like he wanted to play a game. The dog danced to the side. Luke bent down to grab him, but Comet dashed back toward the trees, right at the beams. Callie screamed and Luke lunged for the dog, grabbing hold and then throwing himself to the side. Luke collided with the ground, but the impact made him lose his grip on Comet. The dog went up in the air, and then came down, striking the edge of one of the doors. His body fell to the earth, hitting hard. He lay motionless.