Page 70 of Ace

Dex had lookedthrough every group of people before he gave up hope that Gi was anywhere near the northern village. He headed back up to the hidden fishing boat and grabbed some supplies from his sack plus a smaller backpack to carry it all. Then he took off at a run toward the fire. He couldn’t see it most of the time, just when he was up higher on a hill or when the tree cover was less dense. It still burned. Smoke billowed up in the sky. And every time he saw any evidence of the explosion, he ran faster.

For about an hour, he didn’t see many people, but then he started to see groups travelling the opposite direction. He stopped a man with his wife and children. “What’s going on?”

The man used his hands to show what Dex assumed was an explosion and pointed back behind him. Then he took his wife by the hand and they kept walking.

Dex pushed further. His legs were burning, his lungs couldn’t get enough of the thick, humid air. And as he got closer, the air started to smell of smoke.

What if the fire spread? He hadn’t considered that horror until this moment. Everything around them was so wet, he hadn’t thought about a spreading fire. Where was Gi? He hadn’t seen another person for a long time. And the further he walked, the more hopeless he felt. As he got closer, the smoke increased, and he could hear a faint crackle of burning wood. “No.”

He pushed harder, the area around him beginning to be cluttered with debris. And then he saw people trapped in the rubble. A man. Dex checked his pulse. It was weak, but he was alive. Dex quickly cleared the mess from on top of him and tried to wake him. After a minute, he mumbled and then blinked his eyes open.

Dex smiled at him and tried to indicate he would be back. He kept walking. The debris became more prevalent until it filled his path. He climbed on top and around some larger pieces of wood and parts of building, siding, even trees. He shook his head. That must have been some explosion.

He moved to another clearing. His phone rang. The general. “Hello.”

“Dex, where’s Gi.”

“I’m still looking, sir.”

“Where are you?”

“At the explosion site.”

“What!”

Dex swallowed.

“Get out of there, son.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“Our satellite images show more weapons. They could blow any second.”

“I have to find her.”

“Do you have confirmation that she was even down there?”

“No, sir. But she’s not with her villagers.”

After a few long seconds of silence, he choked out. “I’ll find her, sir, no matter what.”

“You don’t have a lot of time. You’ll both be buried if you don’t move.”

“Okay. I’ll send word if I find anything.”

“Godspeed.”

Dex hung up and ran to the wreckage. What he saw was a great devastation. The whole building had been gutted; the roof and sides were completely gone. And inside, the flames burned brightly on one whole side. His face heated the closer he got. He pulled out his phone and took some pictures. In the opposite corner as the flames, he saw another stockpile of weapons. Unopened crates. He assumed they were weapons. The whole floor looked hot, like coal hot. But at least the flame seemed to be travelling the other direction. That was fortunate in one regard, but it was a huge risk if those flames spread to the trees and up toward the villagers, moving through their stores, their cities. But as he watched it’s destruction, he knew there was nothing his meager efforts could do to stop it. It burned several stories high and was ripping through everything.

He kept walking, searching the other side of the building. If Gianna was here, she was hurt. This much he knew, now that he’d seen not another human for so long. He refused to think about the other alternative, which would be something he would have to face for the rest of his life.

But as he walked around the back, he saw no evidence of anyone. “Gianna!” he shouted, no longer worried about any of the Mantukese. He rounded the other side of the building. “Gianna!”

Piles of debris rose up higher on this side, and he poked around in the nearest pile. “Hello!”

No one answered. His heart began to feel more desperate, his mind racing through all possible scenarios. “Gi! Come on, Blaze. Talk to me.”

He choked out a sob and put his fist to his lips. “Gi.”

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