Page 45 of Scent of Evil
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Raine was terrified by fire. That wasn’t necessarily a big revelation as she knew most people were, but she’d been involved in a house fire when she and Cami were kids. Their mother had been drinking and left the stove unattended. The flames reached up and accidentally set the kitchen curtains on fire. She and Cami had been playing in their room when the fire began to spread. They’d had to go into the living room to wake up their mother to get her out of the house.
The experience had given her nightmares for months. And now she was in the middle of another, much bigger and more dangerous fire.
Wearing Justin’s damp shirt over her mouth and nose helped ease her breathing, but the smoke billowing around them made her eyes water. When Timber broke into a trot, she was taken by surprise and had to grab the saddle horn to keep from falling off.
Her fault. This desperate situation they were in was all her fault! She’d insisted on continuing to track Decker. She hadn’t wanted him to get away.
They should have taken the SUV and drove away from the area when they had the chance. Instead, she’d dragged Justin and Stone into the heart of danger. Waves of guilt swamped her, and she wished more than anything she’d made a better decision. That she hadn’t risked Justin and Stone for a fool’s mission.
Arresting Decker wasn’t a priority when they faced a fire that could burn them to a crisp.
Blinking away the gritty smoke, she tried to keep her gaze centered on Justin’s strong, tanned back. He was a commanding presence. They’d only known each other for two days, but it seemed like they’d been riding together forever. If she were honest with herself, she’d come to like and admire him. No, she more thanlikedhim. She cared about him in a way that made her wish she was ten years younger. He was everything she’d ever wanted in a man—strong, protective, capable, and calm in a crisis. Honorable in a way her ex had never been. Her heart squeezed in her chest at the thought of something terrible happening to him.
She glanced up at the smoke-filled sky, unable to see the clouds that had been moving in earlier beyond the haze. Yet that didn’t stop her from opening her heart to prayer.
Please, Lord Jesus, I know I’m not worthy, but Justin is. He deserves Your protection. Please guide us safely out of the forest. Amen.
The prayer helped calm her racing heart. Her headache pounded with each bouncing step. Timber gamely kept up with Blaze, the horses seemingly intent on getting to safety too.
How much farther? She had no idea. Glancing over her shoulder, she gasped beneath the damp shirt at how much the fire had already spread.
They weren’t going to make it!
No. She roughly shoved the depressing thought aside. She had faith that Justin would get them out of there. That with God’s help, they would survive.
She repeated her prayer in her mind as they made their way through the forest. It wasn’t easy to move with Timber as she couldn’t see the path ahead. As she clung to Timber’s back, the phrase “blind faith” took on a new meaning.
The heat behind them seemed to be pushing them forward. She ducked in time to avoid a low-hanging tree branch, trying not to imagine the trees engulfed in flames behind them. When she turned to look back, the fire was roaring in earnest. It was as if the huge wall of burning trees was moving forward, determined to surround them.
No, please, no! She had to resist the urge to close her eyes. They needed to hurry! To get out of there as quickly as possible.
Then suddenly the horses broke into a clearing. Smoke still hung in the air, but it was less there, maybe because there was more room for it to dissipate.
Did this open meadow indicate they were getting close to the highway?
Timber abruptly broke into a cantor. She tightened her knees and grabbed the saddle horn to stay seated. Although she had to admit, the gait was smoother than his trot. At least for her. Maybe not as easy on the horses, she silently acknowledged.
Seconds later, they were back in the forest. The horses slowed back to a trot, and she caught a glimpse of Stone running beside Justin and Blaze, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. He seemed to be breathing hard. Was Stone getting tired? The poor dog seemed to be keeping up, but for how much longer?
Please, Lord, help us!
They continued moving through the forest for what seemed like hours. Tree branches slapped her in the face. She couldn’t avoid them while desperately trying to get into the rhythm of Timber’s trot.
Then the trees thinned again. She blinked, wondering if it was her imagination. It wasn’t. It was a road!
They’d reached the highway!
Justin turned back to catch her gaze. He slowed Blaze to a walk and lifted his hand to gesture at something up ahead. She nodded to indicate she understood, even though she couldn’t really see what he was pointing to.
The horses went down an incline, then back up onto the paved road. Smoke still filled the air, but she could make out an SUV parked off to the side with a horse trailer behind it.
Trevor to the rescue!
Raine gratefully trotted to where the trailer was located. Then she quickly swung out of the saddle, knowing the fire wasn’t that far behind. Justin had already dismounted. Stone rushed forward to greet Archie. Blinking against the grit in her eyes, she watched as Trevor grabbed Justin in a brotherly bear hug, then stepping back to open the trailer.
Justin turned to her and pulled the shirt away from his mouth. “Are you okay?” When she managed to nod, he smiled. “Good. Climb into the back seat of the SUV. If you don’t mind, Stone will ride with you.”
