Chapter 4
AIDEN
She's panting, skin streaked with soot, and ash clinging to her hair.
The fire is getting louder. I can hear the crack of the flames as it devours more and more fuel as it spreads, and I know we need to get out of here.
"Are you Dara?" I manage to grit the words out, lifting her up and turning around so I'm shielding her from the heat with my body.
My mouth is near her ear. I'm just hoping she can hear as the trees around start to groan as the flames lick at the trunks.
I just need to know I've found the one I'm looking for and there isn't another woman stranded out there.
She nods, tears leaking from her eyes, relief floods through me. The first part of my mission is complete. I've found her. Completing the mission, though, gets more complicated, as a tendril of flame shoots out from the right, and I hear a heavy branch crash to the ground.
The fire's spread is widening, and we'll soon be cut off if we don't move fast.
"Can you run?" She's plastered against me, holding on like she's afraid I'll put her down. She fits perfectly against my chest, and I know I can easily carry her if I have to. Again, she nods, and I drop my head to her ear again. "Good. Hold onto my hand and I'll get us out of here."
I set her on her feet, offer my hand and she grabs hold. Her fingers are fragile in my grip, and I have to temper my urge to squeeze down. "Don't let go."
A final nod from her, and I set off, pulling her along as I jog, and I mark the landmarks that are still standing. I'm heading for the one spot that I know won't burn. It'll give us the break we need and a chance to assess our next move.
Dara keeps up with the shortened stride I use, and we cover ground faster than I expected.
Smoke hangs around us. It'll be a long time before I can get the smell of it out of my nose, and I push that thought away.
Remembering what fire has done to me before, what it's taken from me, will only render me unable to focus on the task at hand.
Surviving.
We crest three hills, each one feeling steeper as we go, and then finally, I spot what I'm looking for.
The rocky edge appears and I tug Dara on, increasing my speed as heat pounds at my back.
She labors on and I can feel her flagging, her strength slipping away as the ordeal takes hold on her.
Trying to talk to her, encouraging her with words, would require more energy than I can spare, so I squeeze her fingers and point.
Her eyes dart to me and then the area where I've indicated we're going.
There's no comprehension I see in her yet, and that's probably a good thing.
Because what we're about to do will probably terrify her.
I skid the last few feet, dirt flying up as I slow our approach.
Dara lurches to a stop beside me, eyes going wide as she sees what waits below.
She stumbles back a step. I shake my head, pulling her back beside me, and when she hesitates, I do the only thing I can.
Haul her up off her feet, hug her tight to my chest, and then jump.
The water in the river below rushes up at us and I take a deep breath before we hit the surface. It's deep enough here that I knew the risk of injury was low, but it's still not an easy thing to throw yourself off a high point and pray you live through the fall.
The water closes over us, sucking us down, and the current is strong, but not impossible to push against. Dara's arms are sure around my neck so I release her waist and kick up toward the air, arms and legs working as a unit to get us back to where we can finally breathe again.
When we break free, Dara coughs and lets go, water streaking down her face, and I guide her over to the shoreline with easy strokes.
The strap of the bag around her is starting to fray so when she drags herself out of the water, I point to the split. She runs her fingers over it and then gives a sigh that looks like relief.
I watch as she lifts the hem of her soaked shirt to wipe her face and am relieved to see no evidence she's been burned. Singed a little in places, maybe. But her skin appears to be unharmed.
My pack is waterproof, but wet, it's even heavier, so I shrug it off and set it on the ground.
Opening it and digging through the contents, I offer her a dry shirt of my own.
She stares at it for a moment, and I can see the exhaustion catching up to her as the adrenaline in her system wanes.
She's been running hard, driven by fear and the need to survive.
Now that we're in a place that feels even a little bit safer, the spike of hormones that's gotten her here is flagging, and so is she.
"You'll get cold." I wave the shirt at her again, and she finally takes it from me.
Then I set a clean pair of my pants on a boulder above the wet ground, a pair of socks.
We didn't get to this point just to have her go into shock and really start shutting down.
When she meets my eyes, I point to them and then walk off a few feet, turning my back to her.
Scuffling sounds tell me she's changing out of her soaked clothes. I should, too, but I'm more resistant to the threats presented to us right now. I can manage being cold for the time being. Funny how those old training requirements still pay off even though I left that life behind.
Far, far behind.
"Hey," she calls out, and I'm pulled from my thoughts by her voice. Low and rough, no doubt because she was exposed to the smoke for so long. "You can turn around now."
When I do, she's dressed in my clothes, sitting on the top of the boulder with her feet hanging down.
"Good. Now cover yourself up with this." I pull a pouch from my bag, unfolding the square survival blanket until it's large enough to fully surround her, and tuck it in as she settles against the rock wall.
"There's room for you up here," she says, scooting to her left, but I shake my head.
"Later." I hand her the canteen and a protein bar.
She offers to share, but I don't give any indication I've heard her. Instead, I turn, walk off, and start scouting for the safest route out of here.