CHAPTER SEVENTEEN FIRE ON THE HORIZON #3
“You’d better come back to me, Will Greyeagle,” she said, almost sobbing.
“Wild horses couldn’t keep me from coming back to you,” Greyeagle replied. “I love you, and I’ll always come back to you.”
“Fine, but don’t come crying to me when you get burned,” she said, hugging him tightly. “Please be careful.”
“I’ll do my best,” Greyeagle assured her.
“Hey, are you two gonna make out or are we gonna do this?” Kade called from outside.
“Time to go,” Greyeagle said, kissing her quickly.
He ducked out before she could protest and found Kade standing next to Kodiak, Tashunka, and Mason.
“You two up to speed on the plan?” asked Greyeagle, nodding at Kodiak and Mason.
“They’ve got the basics,” Tashunka replied. “We’ll cap this bitch. You just get that fire out.”
Greyeagle nodded at Kade.
“Did you find us a shield?” asked Greyeagle.
“Did I ever,” Kade said, grinning.
“What are you up to?” asked Greyeagle, dreading the answer.
“I’ve already briefed the locals,” interjected Wisdom. “No one’s going to shoot at the werewolves.”
“Good,” said Kade. “I’m too pretty to get shot.”
“The shield?” Greyeagle said.
“Oh, that,” Kade replied. “Follow me.”
“I rigged the explosives to go off on remote control,” Jason said. “You just get them close to the well and get the hell out of there. I’ll blow it when you’re clear.”
“Why does he get to blow it?” Kade said.
“He’s the explosives guy,” Greyeagle said. “You can blow the next one.”
“Idiots,” Sarah said, as she walked by.
“And damned proud of it,” Kade replied, nodding at Greyeagle.
“The shield?” Greyeagle asked again.
Kade pointed at a large chunk of the wall that the explosion had blown out. It was steel-reinforced concrete, with enough rebar sticking out that Kade could grab it without exposing his hands to the heat.
“Think you can lift that?” asked Greyeagle.
“I’d make a ‘your momma’ joke, but that’s my mom too,” Kade replied. “Yeah, I can lift it.”
“Alright,” Greyeagle said. “Let’s get this over with.”
“When this is all over,” Kade said, “can we get barbecue. I suddenly have a craving for some smoked brisket.”
Greyeagle rolled his eyes.
“If we don’t pull this off,” Greyeagle replied, “we’ll be the smoked brisket.”
“Good point,” Kade said. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s blow some shit up.”
Greyeagle nodded. He began putting on a set of firefighter’s bunker gear, then picked up the bag of explosives.
“Why do you get the suit?” Kade said, grinning.
“Because they don’t make one in sixty extra-large,” Greyeagle replied. “Hopefully, your shifted form will protect you long enough for us to pull this off. I won’t have that advantage.”
“How’s this?” asked Kade. “As soon as you give me the thumbs up, I’ll pick you up and get out of there as fast as I can go.”
“That’ll work,” Greyeagle replied. “The faster, the better.”
“Alright, then I guess it’s showtime,” Kade said. “Last one to the well is a rotten egg.”
“Or a fried one,” countered Greyeagle, prepping the explosives.
Kade shifted and picked up the slab of concrete. Greyeagle nodded in approval since it had to weigh as much as a mid-sized SUV. Kade made it look effortless.
“Let’s move,” rumbled Kade. “This thing is heavier than it looks.”
Tashunka and the others began preparing their tools as Kade lowered the shield into place and began advancing on the inferno.
Greyeagle stayed in the center, ducking beneath Kade’s arms. The heat grew rapidly as they got closer to the conflagration.
Kade groaned as the intense heat began singeing his fur, even behind the shield.
“We’d better hurry,” Kade grunted. “I can’t take much more of this.”
“Just a bit further,” Jason said over the radio. “Ten more yards, at least.”
“Keep calling it out,” Greyeagle replied. “We have to finish this before it finishes us.”
The heat was approaching unbearable now. Kade was blistering on his arms, shoulders, and thighs.
“How are you holding up?” asked Greyeagle.
“Don’t distract me,” Kade said through clenched teeth. “Just get ready to blow this popsicle stand.”
“Five more yards,” Jason said calmly.
“That’s easy for you to say, asshole,” grunted Kade.
Greyeagle could smell the burning flesh and hair. He knew Kade had to be in excruciating pain.
“Three more yards,” Jason said.
“FUCK!” snarled Kade, but he pressed on.
“Two more,” Jason added.
Kade whined in pain but didn’t slow down.
“Three feet,” Jason said.
Kade began to falter. His legs were shaking, and he almost dropped the shield.
“Close enough!” called Jason. “Drop it and get the hell out of there.”
Kade collapsed to the ground as Greyeagle threw the satchel full of explosives right up to the base of the well.
Then, he shifted and scooped up Kade. He felt the searing pain as the fire rolled over him.
The shield was falling. Greyeagle ignored the pain and raced out of the fire as fast as he could run.
When he reached the barrier they’d set up, he dove over it and collapsed to the ground. Jason immediately hit the detonator and dropped below the barrier.
“Fire in the hole!” he shouted.
A muted THUMP followed, then a pressure wave of superheated air rushed over them. An enormous amount of energy was released, and they felt the ground shake beneath their feet. Then, it began to rain. Thick, black drops of oil began hitting the ground all around them.
“Go!” roared Jason.
Tashunka, Kodiak, and Mason raced to the well and went to work.
Tashunka barked instructions as oil sprayed over them.
Kodiak nearly lost his footing on the slick ground while Mason wrestled the cap into place.
For a moment, it looked as though it wasn’t going to seal.
Then came a metallic clang, followed by a deep groan from somewhere beneath the earth. The flow began to slow.
Then, little by little, the flow became a trickle, then it stopped. They’d capped the well. They dropped their tools and headed back to where the others were gathered. They were dripping with oil and grinning from ear to ear.
Medics raced in and began attending to Greyeagle and Kade.
They had both shifted back to human form when they hit the ground.
The medics didn’t question why they were naked.
They just went to work. However, the transformation had already healed the worst of their injuries.
Instead of writhing in pain, they were both laughing.
“I told you we could do it,” Greyeagle said.
“Yes, you did,” Kade replied, “but I didn’t believe it until we hit the ground.”
“Me either,” Greyeagle muttered.
“I still say you’re both idiots,” Sarah said.
Raven leaned down and kissed Kade deeply.
“Hey,” Kade said. “I’m Greyeagle!”
Raven looked like she was going to die of embarrassment and looked at Sarah.
“I… I didn’t know,” she said. “I couldn’t tell.”
Greyeagle and Kade looked at each other and burst out laughing again.
“Gotcha,” Kade said, chuckling. “You should’ve seen the look on your face.”
“I stand by my word,” Sarah said, shaking her head. “Idiots. The both of you.”
Firefighters in bunker gear raced into what was left of the facility to find survivors. By some small miracle, they found six still alive, bringing the total of rescued people to twelve.