Page 74 of Wild Fires

“I can lead you out,” I told him.

But only ten yards into our retreat, he started to freak out when his oxygen meter hit twenty-five percent.

“It's dropped over fifty percent already. I'm not going to make it out of here. Leave me behind and save yourself.”

“Big Dick, get back here. We're going to have each take a side and let Gracie lead the way. We have to move quickly or he's going to run out of oxygen in his suit.”

That worked for another twenty yards before Rodney started gasping for air. We could all hear the warning alert on his suit.

Dan froze, causing us all to stop. He looked terrified. No one wanted to lead a team that lost a member in any fire.

“He's going to make it out,” I told him.

“Yeah, we need to just keep moving,” Big Dick said, but his voice told us he didn't actually believe it.

“I'm not going to let him die,” I said as I started to remove my own tank and helmet to swap with him.

“Gracie, no,” Rodney cried.

“Listen to me. This is our best chance to get us all out of here safely. You just have to swear to me that you won't leave me here. You're going to have grab my bird and double time it back or else . . .”

I shuddered at the memory of being stuck in a death loop from hell. I certainly didn't want to relive that in the middle of burning woods all by myself.

“Or else what?” Dan asked.

“Or else I'll hunt you all down and peck your eyes out for abandoning me in here. The smoke is too thick to fly.”

“It's too thick to breathe,” Rodney argued. “It's suicide. I won't let you do it.”

“I'll survive, but it is too thick for me to get myself out.”

“She'll just keep dying and being reborn until the fire dies out,” Big Dick explained to them.

I bit my lip and nodded.

It was my biggest nightmare.

“I don't want you to have to go through that again for me.”

“Then I won't, as long as you just grab my bird and take me with you. I won't allow myself to shift back until we're safely there. Being in my feathers gives us all the best chance.”

“What if you catch fire in your feathers, Gracie?”

“Dan, we don't have time to debate this. Hold him down and remove his broken gear. And if I catch fire in my feathers, then I just die and rise again. It's no different than in human form. It just happens a little faster.”

“Less to burn,” Big Dick confirmed for them.

I nodded.

Dan continued to protest as we made the swap.

I pulled my helmet off and my skin began to blister almost immediately. I could feel the burning sensation, but I knew it didn't hurt me the way it did others.

“We have to make the swap quickly. It's too hot out here for him to handle it long.”

“You're doing great, Gracie Lou,” Big Dick encouraged.

As we were starting to disconnect his helmet, Rodney ran out of oxygen.

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