Chapter Thirty One
Zane
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Sparks flew into the air like fireworks on the Fourth of July once the fire hit the sap on the pine trees. The crackling of the flames deafened Zane to the work behind him. Gem Haven Motorcycle Club members had the backhoe and shovels going a hundred yards beyond the firefighters building another fire line.
He looked into the sky. Where was the fucking helicopter? They were supposed to have a water drop twenty minutes ago.
"Prez!"
He turned to find Conner running toward him. He looked behind him at the flames and jogged away from them.
"Snake's spotted the arsonists." Conner stopped, doubled over, and breathed hard. "He went down Havana Mountain and blocked their exit. There are two of them loading up a truck. He needs backup, or they'll cut through Canyon Creek and get away."
Adrenaline filled him. He wasn't going to hand over Valdone Motorcycle Club members to the sheriff. He was going to take care of the problem himself.
"Tell Big John to keep the men working the firebreak and then meet me at the truck." He took off jogging, unable to go faster with all the fallen branches, rough terrain, and activities surrounding him.
At the truck, he set his phone on the dash. The screen flashed to life as text after text notifications came in. He'd hit a hot spot for reception.
Not taking the time to read the messages, he waved Conner to him and took off once his MC brother got in the vehicle.
"We can ride the fire's edge and cut through, coming in front of them. Snake has the only other exit covered." He glanced at Conner. "Does your phone come in?"
"Off and on." Conner typed on the cell. "I'll send a message. Hopefully, it'll get to Snake before we do."
Flames spread into the grass, away from the trees. He drove closer to the base of the mountain. If he failed to make it through, there would be no escape. The fire would surround them.
"They weren't fucking joking around. This ain't no warning. They're trying to take the whole mountain down." Conner rolled up his window as the smoke thickened.
Forced to slow, Zane kept his gaze near the truck's front bumper, trying to miss anything lying in his path.
"The fire is hot enough to strip the paint off the truck." Conner held on to the dash, twisted his upper body, and looked behind them. "You might think of going faster."
He looked in the rearview mirror. A wall of fire rose behind him. For the first time, he questioned if he'd make it out of here alive. The fire was bigger, stronger, and faster than he'd expected.
If he died, he'd only go to his grave with one regret. He'd never had a chance to tell River he had always loved her.
"There they are. Up ahead." Conner pointed. "I hope like hell you have a plan, Prez. We're running out of time."
"I'm going to throw the motherfuckers back into the fire they started." He pulled in front of the truck, blocking their path, and jumped out of the vehicle with his pistol drawn.
The roar of the fire hid their approach. The men stopped and raised their arms out to their sides, clutching empty gas cans in their hands.
Zane stepped forward, aiming at the closest man's forehead. Conner stepped forward with his pistol trained on the other man. He recognized both as Valdone Motorcycle Club members. The ones in the picture the sheriff had passed to him.
"Walk backward." He stepped forward, pushing them in the direction he wanted them to go.
When he was twenty-five feet from the perimeter of the fire, and he could feel the heat on his face, he stopped. It wouldn't be long, and they'd run from the flames, risking getting shot over burning to death.
"Stop, right there." He stepped over an eight-inch downed tree. "Get down on your knees."
When they hesitated, he yelled, "Get down."
They dropped. He eyed the fire. He was playing a deadly game. If he was wrong, they'd all burn up.
"Why is Valdone targeting Gem Haven?" he shouted.
The man shook his head, remaining silent.
Zane shot the ground in front of him. "You only have one chance. Either tell me why your president sent you here or that fire you started will take you out."
Sweat rolled off the man's head. "We just do what we're told," he shouted.
"It looks like your club needs a big message not to fuck with Gem Haven." He walked closer.
The heat was almost unbearable, and he still had twenty feet to reach them. He stayed back.
"What bigger message do they need when the sheriff finds your bones after the fire sweeps right over you?"
"No, man. We'll tell him no more fires." The man looked wildly around. "I don't want to burn."
The other man went down on his hands and knees, concaving his spine, trying to get the heat from his shirt off his skin. "Prez was going to burn you out. Without your businesses supporting the club, he could take your members. Please, Jesus, I'm burning."
"Not yet, you're not." He widened his stance and fought the urge to step back.
He had to remember the fallen tree behind him. The direction of the truck. The route across Canyon Creek. He mapped his exit because every second counted.
"On your stomach," he shouted.
The men fell forward in a hurry, almost as if they were relieved they could change positions and try to get the heat off their backs.
He glanced at Conner and motioned with his chin to back up. There was no use in all of them frying. The men weren't getting away. The only way they could run was if they ran toward Zane.
"Not leaving you, Prez," shouted Conner.
Connor stepped beside him. Zane kept his gaze on the men. They squirmed on the ground, trying to inch away from the flames.
"They're going to run." Conner braced his shooting hand. "They won't be able to stay down."
Zane stepped back, one foot over the log and then the other. "It won't matter. I'll shoot them if they try. Once they burn, any evidence will be gone."
"The one on the right is crawling." Connor stilled. "I got him, Prez."
At the sound of the shot, the other man screamed and pushed himself to his feet. Zane shot his foot, sending him sprawling on the ground. A couple more hits, and the men wouldn't move.
Cries of agony mingled with the crackle of the growing fire. Zane shot once more, and Conner shot twice. The men never moved again.
Zane waved to Conner. "Get back."
They made it to the truck. Standing in the open door, he peered over the other vehicle. Flames had covered the men's clothing. There was no fight in them.
He slid behind the steering wheel and started the truck. Conner ran around the vehicle and got in the passenger side.
"Let's get the hell out of here." He stomped on the accelerator, jetting forward over the rough ground.
One mistake, and they'd have the fire crawling up their backs. Having grown up here, he'd spent his childhood roaming the mountains. He knew every logging road and access gate.
Once he hit the creek and crossed the water, he no longer worried about escaping the path of the fire. He needed to get to Gem Haven and see how the firefighters and his members were doing battling the blaze on the other side.
Everything he lived for was at risk. But only one thing couldn't be replaced.
River.