Page 46 of Savage Redemption

“But did everyone escape?” I demand.

“Aye. Eventually.” He tips his chin in the direction of a cluster of about half a dozen men. “Casualties are over there.”

Casualties? Oh God…

I approach the group and spot three bodies lying on the ground. “Who…?” I croak. The smoke is still choking. I need to get Erin away, but not before I know who’s been injured.

Megan, the island doctor, is on her knees beside the prone figure closest to me. It looks like a child.

“He’s in a serious condition, he needs to get to hospitalnow,” she snaps over her shoulder.

“On it.” Tony Haigh, in charge while Ethan and the rest are away, is on his phone. “Ambulance, and a fire crew,” he barks. “We’ll need a helicopter. We have one casualty requiring immediate medical attention. Male child aged thirteen. Burns and smoke inhalation.” He goes on to issue directions and coordinates to enable the authorities to locate the island.

I know it must be serious for him to summon outside help. He probably wouldn’t, but both the Caraksay helicopters are away taking Ethan and the others to Aberdeen.

A child? Oh, no…

What about the others? I drag my gaze away, to land on the teenage girl beside the boy. She’s struggling to sit up but is assisted by one of the men. Her face is blackened by smoke. She’s spluttering, coughing, trying to speak.

“It’s okay, love. We got everyone out,” the man assures her.

Megan has fastened an oxygen mask to the boy and passes the girl a mouthpiece. “Here, take a few drags of this. It’ll help.”

The girl snatches at the oxygen mask and sucks in a lungful of the precious gas.

“Take Andrej and Natalija up to the clinic,” Megan instructs the men closest. “I’ll be there in a moment. Where’s Tomasz?”

“Up at the castle. Mrs McRae is looking after him.”

“I’ll need to check him over, too. Can someone bring him to the clinic?”

Tony despatches a man to find the lad. Meanwhile, the two other children are carried from the scene, and the doctor scrambles across the coarse heather to reach the third casualty. A sudden gust of wind sweeps the dense smoke away briefly, and I get my first proper sight of him.

And sink to my knees with a moan.

It’s Adan.

“I need another oxygen tank.”

Someone produces one, and she attaches that mask to his face, then turns to Tony again. “What was he even doing down here?”

“Do you know him, Doc?” Tony kneels beside her.

“I recognise him. He’s from the construction site. He came to my clinic the other day, brought in another of the workers.”

“Do you know his name?”

She shakes her head.

Tony gets to his feet. “Is the construction crew still here?”

“Yes, boss.” Another smoke-streaked man gestures up the hill. “When the alarm was raised, they came down to help fight the fire. They’re over there.”

Another group of men, in hard hats and hi-vis jackets, watches anxiously from a few yards away. The woman in charge of the site steps away from the group and approaches the man on the ground.

“He’s one of yours?” Tony demands.

“Yes,” she nods. “He went to the clinic, an injured wrist, he said. Needed an X-ray.”

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