Chapter 23

23

The fire was close. Coming closer.

"We have to go," Kinsley all but screamed at Yapp as an easterly wind whipped over her body, bringing heavy levels of smoke and choking off her oxygen.

He ignored her and continued to fumble under the hood, then ran to the driver's seat and turned the key. The engine groaned, but didn't catch. He tried it again. Again and again. Same results every time until it only clicked.

She raced toward him as far as her rope would allow her to move. "Please, can't you see that the fire is getting closer? That we're in significant danger here? If we leave on foot now, we have a chance to outrun the fire, but if we sit here and waste time trying to get the stupid truck running, we'll die for sure."

He looked up, panic in his eyes, his hands clasped to the wheel. He'd left the key switched on, and the radio was running. She didn't want to listen to it, but a Level 2 alert had now been issued for their area. The excited announcer was saying that, with the increase in winds, things were moving so quickly they could hardly keep up with the changes in alerts. He begged everyone in the area to continue to stay tuned.

"You heard him!" she shouted to break Yapp's daze. "We have to go."

He took a quick look at her and bolted outside. Good, he'd come to his senses, would untie her, and they could leave.

He took a long look at her, then turning toward the back of his vehicle, he ran away, leaving her behind.

"Wait! Wait!" she shouted. "Untie me!"

He kept going, looking like he'd really kicked it into gear and was running at high-speed. She couldn't keep watching. She had to free herself. She charged for the bumper and clawed at the knot. The rope was tighter than she could imagine, her fingers pulling, prodding, digging. Moving it only a fraction of an inch.

She heard a yelp from Yapp, but she didn't take time to check on him. She continued to pull at the rough rope, its abrasive braid gnawing at her fingers. If she couldn't get it loosened soon, her fingertips would begin to bleed.

A section let loose. She tugged hard on it, blood now seeping onto the rope. She didn't care. She'd gotten it loose. Now to work on the second knot, which came free in her fingers far more easily. She jerked the rope from the bumper. She couldn't free her hands, so she wrapped the length of it around her body so it wouldn't trip her up.

She charged around the end of the truck and raced forward. Yapp lay in the dirt clutching his ankle.

He looked up. "I wrenched my ankle. I can't walk. You can't leave me here."

She waited for him to pull his gun on her, but saw that he'd dropped it.

She hurried to pick it up. "I can leave you behind, and I think I will."

"No, no. Please. Can't you just imagine how horrible it would be to die in the forest fire?"

"As if you cared about whether I died in one," she said. "If I died at all. In fact, you probably planned to kill me when you felt like you were free."

"I wasn't, I swear. I was going to let you go." He didn't sound very convincing.

Whether he was convincing or not, she had no intention of leaving him behind. Jesus would never leave Yapp or any person to die. He would forgive and move on.

"You'll have to get to your knees, and then I'll help you up and support you. But you'll have to put some weight on that ankle if you want to get out of here."

He gaped at her as if he didn't expect her to help him. Most people wouldn't. They would run as fast as they could away from the danger. But Christians who lived their faith weren't "most people." Even if they were in the shadow of fear like this, hopefully they would assist the other person.

She couldn't support him and control the gun, so she lifted her arm and flung it so far away that his bad ankle would prevent him from retrieving it.

"What in the world?" He rolled to his knees, moaning in pain. "What if you need that gun?"

"Why would I need a gun? You're dependent on me to get out of here, so I know you're not going to do something stupid."

He latched on to her, acting as if he were going to crawl up her body to get to his feet.

"Chill, or you'll take both of us down. Let me help you up in a civilized fashion."

He relaxed, but only a fraction.

She held out her hands. "First, you'll have to untie me."

He dug into the knot and pulled it free.

She flexed her wrists, then managed to get him to his feet and her shoulder under his arm. She started forward, and he limped alongside her, groaning nearly every time his bad ankle hit the ground. She struggled to bear up under his weight, seeming to get heavier and heavier with every step.

He glanced back. "Things are looking worse back there. We have to hurry."

"I can go faster, but can you?"

"I have to." He picked up his pace, but stopped his groaning.

They hobbled forward. She refused to look back, but the smoke got heavier, swirling thick and clogging her throat and lungs to elicit deep coughs. She pulled her shirt up over her mouth and nose. She'd always heard most people died of smoke inhalation before flames got them, and she could believe that right now.

"Do you hear that?" Yapp's excited tone broke free before he erupted in a coughing attack. "Someone's coming in a vehicle. I hear it. Tell me you do, too."

She tilted her head and listened. "I do!" Excitement took over her fear. She suspected firefighters were on their way to battle the blaze and they would help.

A black SUV crested the hill and came to a sudden stop. The vehicle rocked as the passenger door blew open. A man, tall and built, shot out and charged their way. The driver was only moments behind him.

She couldn't see through the haze to make out their identities, but they were both tall and built like Dev.

Oh, please let it be him.

The first guy limped heavily, maybe she didn't want it to be Dev after all. She didn't want him to be incapacitated, but Yapp did say he'd shot him with a speargun.

"Kinsley," the man called out as he neared.

"Dev!" she shouted. She couldn't contain her joy, even if he was injured and limping.

Please don't let it be serious.

He burst through the murky air, and she got a good look at his face.

She drank in the sight of him. "It's you. It's really you."

He picked up his speed, blood saturating his khaki pants near his hip.

"Thank God you're alive," he cried out.

"And you too." She wanted him to sweep her into his arms, but she was still holding Yapp up. She should just release him. Let him drop to the ground. He deserved that at the very least, but she wasn't vindictive.

Dev stopped and eyed Yapp. "What's going on here?"

"He ran away like a coward, leaving me behind," she said. "Then he fell and twisted his ankle. He can't walk."

"And you're helping him?" Dev's tone rose.

"It was the Christian thing to do." She smiled at the man she loved. Loved. In no uncertain terms, and once they got out of danger she intended to tell him. Because if their close call from the fire told her anything, it told her she loved him.

It still didn't free her from her promise to Jada, but she hoped they could work that out. All assuming that Dev reciprocated the feelings.

Jada! Oh my gosh, Jada . She'd been tied up. Kinsley had been too self-absorbed to even think to ask about her. "Please tell me Jada's okay."

"She's fine," Dev said. "We called Reid after we left the cabin and asked him to untie her, then take her and Mom to his place."

Kinsley let out a long breath of air, finally feeling like this might be over.

Dev peered over her shoulder, his posture tensing. "We should go. Now! The fire seems like it's advancing fast, and we don't want to get caught in a blow-up."

She had no idea what a blow-up was, but it didn't sound good as related to fire.

"Take Yapp," Dev said to Colin, who'd had stopped next to them. His anger was alive and vivid on his face as he glared at Yapp. "Try anything, and I won't be as charitable as Kinsley."

Colin grabbed Yapp around the waist and put his arm over his shoulder. Then he stepped off at a rapid pace, dragging Yapp behind him.

"Hey!" Yapp shouted. "Be careful. I'm injured."

Colin snorted and kept up his pace.

Dev swung Kinsley up in his arms, then turned to go. At his first step, she felt him stiffen. Surely his pain was too much to bear.

"I can walk," she said. "No need to make your injury worse."

"It's worth it to be holding you. When I thought I might lose you." His voice broke, and he shook his head but didn't stop moving.

He settled her in the front seat of the SUV, and he took the back where Colin had put Yapp. She wished he were sitting next to her, but she knew he had to keep an eye on Yapp. The guy was devious and couldn't be counted on not to try to escape.

Colin quickly made a three-point turn and had their vehicle heading toward the compound. He turned up the radio to the emergency station. Nothing had changed since the last time she'd heard the alerts, but their area was still under a Level 2 warning.

"I see no point in hanging around the compound and waiting for a higher alert," Colin said. "We should evacuate tonight."

Kinsley was all for that, but she wasn't in charge, and she wasn't going to ask more of these men than what they didn't want for themselves.

"Agreed," Dev replied.

"Hey, Siri, call Brooklyn," Colin said.

The digital assistant made the speakerphone call to Colin's fiancée. That's the first call Kinsley would've made, too, if she were him.

"Just checking in to see if everything is okay with you and that you got the fire evacuation alert." If he hadn't been gripping the steering wheel as if his life depended on it, the strain in his voice surely made his worry for her evident.

"I'm glad you called," she said, her tone equally strained. "I wasn't sure if I should leave now or wait for the Level 3 alert."

The level that freaked Kinsley out. Level 3 – Go now! Leave immediately. Extreme danger in the area.

"Tell you what," he said, this time sounding more relaxed, but the whitening of his fingers on the wheel gave him away, "we aren't going to wait for the next alert. We can pick you up on our way out of town."

She let out a relieved breath that carried over the phone. "That sounds perfect to me. I can be ready in ten minutes."

"I'm not at my cabin right now but don't be surprised if we don't get to your place for thirty minutes or so."

"I'll be waiting." She fell silent for a moment. "I love you."

"Love you too." He glanced at Kinsley, the dashboard lights revealing a sheepish look on his face.

Kinsley's heart warmed. It was so cute that the big strapping guy was shy all of a sudden because he was in love.

He turned back to the road, but tapped his phone. "Siri, call Russ."

"This better be important," Russ said. "I have my hands full with the potential evacuation."

Colin brought him up to speed. "I know you're busy, but can you send one of your deputies to meet us at the compound and take Yapp into custody?"

"Not hardly." His tone had dropped, nearly coming out as a boom. "I'm not leaving this up to one of my men. We've been waiting to find this guy, and I'm more than happy to slap cuffs on him."

In the backseat, Yapp issued a curse under his breath. Not Kinsley. She had to resist shooting her hand up in victory and gloat. Not only was it unattractive, but it wasn't right to take joy in another person's misery, even if the person had chosen to do terrible things.

"And we'll be glad to turn him over for prosecution." Colin ended the call and looked in the rearview mirror. "After we meet Russ, we'll pick up Mom and Jada. Then swing through town for Brooklyn and leave the Level 2 area."

"Sounds like a plan," Dev replied. "But not until I know Reid doesn't need us for anything at the compound."

Kinsley looked between the brothers. "If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know."

"You don't need to do a thing except recover from this guy's manhandling." Dev sounded like he might pummel the guy sitting next to him, but he kept his focus on Kinsley. "So what was this all about anyway? I know he wasn't shooting at you because of some silly pranks you played on him when you were kids."

Kinsley turned to place her full attention on Dev and told him about the diamonds. "It's a wonder they survived all these years. Yapp put them in his cargo pocket, and they should still be there."

Dev patted Yapp's pocket, withdrew the pouch, and held it up. "And now, thanks to you, they can be returned to the jeweler where they belong." Dev smiled at her, and Yapp growled.

Both were welcome responses. She settled back in her seat to listen to the radio as they made the final drive down the trail.

They reached the main road without incident, and even with the smoke, she could make out the compound fence ahead. Kinsley had never seen a more welcome sight in her life. Okay, maybe that wasn't true. Maybe the most welcome thing of all was when Dev had emerged from the smoke to come to her rescue.

An even more welcome sight would be when she and Dev were alone, and she told him she loved him, then flung herself into his arms. Hopefully he would welcome her declaration and it wouldn't be just because everyone was safe, but because he wanted a future together.

Dev loved his sister, but he wouldn't put up with her ultimatum any longer, and he was going to tell her that the moment the opportunity presented itself. But right now, she was hugging him and had been hugging Kinsley within an inch of their lives. His mother, too.

"We really need to leave," Dev said to the group. "We can continue this love fest once we're somewhere safe."

"You mean we'll stop at the ER first." His mother jutted out a hip. "No matter what you say, you're going to get that injury checked out now."

He fully intended to have it evaluated. The spear could've damaged his muscles or nerves. But even if he didn't intend to go to the ER, her body language told him not to argue.

Still, everyone's safety had to come first, so he would compromise. "I'll go, but it'll have to wait until we're out of the evacuation area."

His mom eyed him, the same terse gaze he'd expected every time he'd done something wrong as a kid. Her look was meant to intimidate him, but at this point in his life it left him knowing how much she cared about him.

"I'll agree to that," her eyebrow rose as if her stare needed emphasis, "if you promise not to argue once we're somewhere safe and near an ER."

"I promise." He raised his first three fingers. "Scout's honor."

"Great. You'd never go back on that promise." She smiled. "With that settled, we can all quickly grab what we want to take with us."

"Make sure it's not a lot," he said, looking at Kinsley as she couldn't possibly take her entire box of memories and a suitcase with clothing. "We only have so much room in the vehicle."

They split up and Dev followed Jada and Kinsley to his bedroom where most of his things were located.

"I'll get out of your way in a flash." He went straight to the closet and retrieved his carry-on suitcase, then scanned the room to think about what he would take with him. The most important thing was to bring Kinsley, and honestly, everything else could be replaced.

Well, maybe not the picture of his dad, or the fishing reel his dad had given him. He grabbed the photo and reel from the top of his dresser. He quickly opened the suitcase and tossed in some clothing.

"My clothes can be replaced, but these things can't." Kinsley set her suitcase next to his. She opened it, and dumped all of the items from her memory box into the case. Everything minus the lamp, of course. "I can put my basic toiletries in my carry-on bag and keep it on my lap."

Dev set his suitcase on the floor. "I'll see you in the other room. Don't take too long."

"Before you go," Jada said. "I need to talk to you about something." She bit her lip. "About that dating ultimatum I gave you."

"Yeah," Dev said. "I wanted to talk to you about that, too, but we really don't have time for me to plead my case."

"It won't take long." She gave a tentative smile. "I see how the two of you look at each other, and I won't stand in your way. Just promise me if you get together, then break up and it's not an amiable split, that it won't ruin my relationship with either of you."

"I don't think breaking up is going to be a problem." Dev gave Kinsley a pointed smile. "But thanks for not holding us to the promise so we can make decisions that are best for us." He didn't want to talk about this any further with his sister, and it wasn't the time to talk to Kinsley, so he nodded at Jada's suitcase. "Get that packed and let's get going."

"Aye, aye, sir." She saluted him and laughed, the timbre lighthearted.

He rolled his eyes and gave her a gentle punch to the shoulder. He turned to look at Kinsley. "We'll talk later."

"Later," she said as if in some sort of a trance.

Maybe she was thinking about them together as a couple, something she hadn't contemplated until Jada removed her demand. He stepped out the door and did some contemplating on his own. The huge obstacle between him and Kinsley had been removed.

Well, if he didn't count his trust issue. But Kinsley wasn't at all like Hailey. She would never leave him in a lurch. She would never agree to marry him unless she planned to fulfill her commitment. If not, she would turn him down at the proposal, even if she knew her rejection would hurt him. Because she also knew the heartache he'd gone through with Hailey and understood that his proposal was the time to say no, not the day they were to be married.

At least, he had to believe that she would handle things far differently than Hailey had done. Now, he only had to figure out what he was going to say to her once they were alone.

Kinsley sat with Dev in his ER room. His request for her to accompany him to the room shocked her. Leaving the others in the waiting area, he'd held her hand as they walked down the hallway to his room. He seemed sad to let go when the nurse instructed him to lie down so she could take his vitals.

She remained at his side while he met with the doctor but had to stay back when he went for a CT scan. She spent the time praying that he hadn't sustained a serious injury. He was in pain. She could see it in the strain on his face. For the trip to Portland, she'd wanted him to lie down in the backseat instead of driving. But this was Dev. The man who would go the extra mile to make sure she and his family were safe. With six people to evacuate and each with a suitcase, one vehicle wasn't enough, so they'd taken two. Colin, Brooklyn, and Sandy rode in one, and Dev, Jada, and Kinsley in the other.

They really didn't want to drive as far as Portland but had found zero hotel vacancies anywhere closer. They ended up calling on the Veritas team to put them up in condos that team members had vacated to find family homes.

"Hospitals are so good at developing patience in their patients." Dev grinned. "Seems like we've spent more time waiting than anything else."

"I'm just glad we came to Portland, where we know the hospital is top-notch and there are experts to weigh in on your injury."

He waved a hand. "I'm sure the spear didn't do any serious damage, or there would've been more blood and pain."

"You can't be sure of that. And there's got to be bacteria in the lake water which can't be good for the wound." She got up from the hard chair and stood by his bed to look him in the face. "You know it doesn't hurt to admit when something has slowed you down and you need rest."

His eyes narrowed. "I agree. But in this case, I have to fix things because I created a mess."

"You?" She stared at him. "What did you do?"

"It was my responsibility to find the person who was trying to kill you and stop him. I failed. Failed big time. On one of the most important jobs of my life."

"And now you feel guilty and think you have to make up for it."

"Something like that."

"Does that mean that because you see I have feelings for you, you asked Jada to drop her ultimatum?" She shoved her hand into her hair. "That you're going to ask me out, as a pity date?"

"What?" He shot up in his bed and winced, then shifted off his hip. "No. Not at all. I'm in love with you. I have been for years. Since you didn't see it, I guess I did a good job of hiding it. But not from Hailey. That's the real reason she wouldn't marry me. She knew I still had feelings for you."

"Oh…oh. I-I didn't know." She clutched the chain hanging around her neck—the skeleton necklace that matched Jada's skeleton.

"Well, now you know." He reached for her hand and pulled her to sit on the bed, then took both of her hands in his. "With Jada removing her ultimatum, we're free to start dating."

"Sort of, yeah."

He frowned. "What do you mean sort of? Don't you want to date? 'Cause you've been putting out vibes that say you return my feelings."

"Oh, you picked up on the right vibes, all right." She paused, uncertain about saying this for the first time. "I love you. Just as much as you love me."

He tilted his head. "So what's the problem with dating, then?"

"I live here in Portland. You live in Shadow Lake. Nearly four hours apart. What kind of dating relationship would that be?"

He frowned. "We can work that out, can't we?"

"You obviously can't leave your job, because you have to be in Shadow Lake to do it. I can do my job from anywhere, but since I have to travel so often, being close to an airport would be nice."

"I wouldn't want you to make the drive to PDX all the time. It would be unfair to ask you to do something like that, when I didn't do a thing to compromise."

"I don't know," she said, gnawing on her lip as she thought. "I do travel a lot, but maybe with the cost of living being less in Shadow Lake, I wouldn't need to have the same income and could reduce the number of jobs I accept."

"It still means you would be making all the sacrifices." He searched her gaze. "I'm not sure I like being responsible for making you change your life for me. You might come to resent me."

"I don't think that ever could happen." She made sure to give him a sincere smile. "Let's think about it, and see if we can come up with a solution."

"Sounds like a plan." He looked disappointed for sure.

So was she. After Jada removed her ultimatum, Kinsley thought she and Dev would fall into each other's arms tonight, but one more obstacle stood in their way. She could change it. Easily. Just move to Shadow Lake and change jobs. But give up a career that she had gone to school for so many years to achieve? Had worked part-time jobs to help pay for living costs? Had sacrificed her personal life and sweated over the difficult coursework?

Was she ready to let that go, to spend the rest of her life with Dev? She almost gave a sharp laugh, but held it back.

She finally had what she'd wanted for years. A life with Dev was in reach, but was the sacrifice too great? Could anything be too great to spend the rest of her life with the man she loved?

A question only she could answer, and right now, she just didn't know.