Page 54 of Burning Hearts

And where was Tristan?

A wind current whipped him to the side. The parachute caught the draft and sucked him toward Cadee. He steered out of the way, falling back on instinct and riding the current over the cabin, which was completely engulfed in fire now.

Logan scoured the ground for militia guys. Was this where they had gone after abandoning the compound? Their hideout had been discovered. Was this just another spot to hole up and skirt the law?

He landed on the snow and hit the ground running.

The parachute dropped behind him. Logan gathered it up as fast as he could and stuffed it back in his pack, which he clipped onto his flight suit. Each of the smokejumpers on his team did the same. “Everyone good?”

They all nodded to him.

Jade strode between them. Rookies and seasoned smokejumpers alike—and a couple of stowaway hotshots. All of them had turned up to help him come up here and save Jamie.

They’d raced back to the base camp, but Mark hadn’t been available to act as spotter. JoJo hadn’t been able to come, but Hammer had jumped on the plane when he heard what was happening. Saxon was the one who’d jumped in the copilot seat to replace Mark, starting up the engine before anyone could mention how no one had even known he was a licensed pilot.

Logan stared at his friends on the ground now.

Jade glanced at him. “You good?”

Logan nodded, too choked up to even tell them thank you.

She clapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s find her.”

Hammer came over, his pack in his arms. “I need a rifle, not a bunch of stuff.” He grimaced. “Never mind. Did you see her, or anyone with a weapon we need to be worried about?”

Logan frowned. “What?”

Hammer pointed over his shoulder, down the hill. “On an ATV. One man, one woman.”

Logan raced by him, all the way to the edge of the snowy hill. He stumbled on the ground, his boot sliding on a slick patch of compacted snow. The sun overhead glinted off the white under him, the glare almost blinding.

He reached the edge where the hill dropped off and shielded his eyes with his hand. “Jamie!” He turned back. “I see them!”

The ATV had overturned. She lay on the grass below the snow line, where she’d presumably rolled away from the crashed vehicle.

Whoever the man was, he lay closer to the vehicle.

Logan dropped his gear and started to run. “Jamie!”

He raced down the hill, slipping on snow and sliding down, creating a spray of icy particles behind him. When his boots found traction on the grass, Logan jumped up and scrambled over. He skidded to a stop beside her, at least part of his attention on the man.

Hammer ran up right behind him.

Logan pointed. “Secure him!”

He reached down and touched her cheeks, patting gently. “Jamie, can you hear me?”

“This one’s been beaten,” Hammer called over.

Logan said, “It might be her brother.”

Orion and Tori headed toward them. Logan said, “Jade and Vince are checking out the fire at the house.”

Cadee came down the hill behind them. “Is Jamie okay?”

Jamie sucked in a breath and came up swinging.

“Whoa, whoa.” He grasped her wrists gently. “I’ve got you. Everything is okay.”

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