Rushed into a building, Reese had no idea what was going on other than the entire city seemed to be on fire. She heard dozens of sirens, witnessed several fire engines rushing toward the courthouse. She was yanked by her arms, the group moving inside a location she’d never been to before. She studied the walls, searching for any signs. There was nothing to give her any indication of where they’d taken her. As she was led down a hallway, flanked on both sides by the agents, she had the distinct impression that she was being investigated and the interrogation would begin as soon as she was plunked into a room.

They stopped just outside a steel door with no windows.

“Wait here. We’ll be right in,” Agent Brennan said with no inflection in his voice.

“Are you going to talk to me?” The door was slammed shut and she had no doubt locked. She jumped given the noise and folded her arms, still shivering from adrenaline as well as fear. She’d thought about what could have happened. Katrina. She’d made good on her threat. There was nothing else that could have occurred. Pacing the floor, she realized she didn’t have her phone, her purse or any way of contacting either her office or Sawyer.

Her breath skipping, she swallowed several times in an effort to calm her nerves. Fat fucking chance in hell. She needed to know what was going on or she’d lose her bloody ass mind. She counted her steps, eyeing the camera in the upper corner. FBI. Well, she’d heard they had an auxiliary office, but had never come into contact with them.

Sawyer. What he must be thinking. She leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. And waited.

What had to be ten minutes later, the door was opened, and the agents walked inside, closing the door. She eyed them warily, her anger level increasing. “About time. Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

Agent Brennan slid a cup of coffee across the desk. “Thought you could use this.”

“I’m fine, except I’d like to know what the hell is going on.” She heard the rage in her voice and didn’t give a shit. She was one of the good guys.

“Ms. Winton. You were the last person to talk with Katrina Dreyfus and that was yesterday. Correct?” The female agent plopped a paper file onto the desk, her eyes never reaching Reese’s.

“I don’t know if I was the last, but I had a visit with my client yesterday. What is this about?” Reese remained where she was, glowering at the file.

“Katrina Dreyfus has escaped or more importantly, she was helped to escape. In the process, a Missoula Deputy was shot and is currently in surgery, his injuries considered life threatening. In addition, there are reports of two casualties and at least five injured from bullet wounds. Then several explosions occurred, no doubt set off by bombs already planted at the various scenes in an effort to help them get away. That’s what this is about.” Agent Brennan’s voice boomed, the words stilted.

“Shit,” she mumbled. The magnitude of what had occurred was unfathomable.

“Exactly,” Agent Marks stated as she opened the file.

“Any knowledge of their whereabouts?” Reese was shivering.

Agent Brennan shook his head. “Nothing yet. As you can imagine, there are APB’s out for their arrest in several states. They could have gone in any direction.”

“And we need to know exactly what you talked about,” Agent Marks added.

“Are you insinuating that I had anything to do with this?” She could tell by the looks on their faces that they were more than interested.

Agent Marks eased down in the chair, pointing to the one across the table. “We’re not insinuating anything; however, we need to learn everything that you know.”

Reese crossed her arms.

“I suggest you sit down, Miss Winton. We are going to be here for a while.”

* * *

Boom!

Sawyer cringed as he grabbed his gear. The fire was burning hot, flames swallowing up the trees as if they were matchsticks.

“Explosions created this mess,” Cooper huffed. “Heard a rumor this is from Katrina Dreyfus escaping.”

“What?” Sawyer shoved his ass into the loop and grabbed the chain saw, checking the oil. He could only see smoke, but he knew the fire was rolling from the inside out. Whoever had set up the explosion knew what the hell they were doing.

“Yeah. Crazy shit. She was on the way to a pleading hearing and two vehicles rolled up, blocking the deputy’s car, shooting as they grabbed her. Heard the city street is a freaking mess.”

He glanced at Cooper and shook his head. “Reese was going to the courthouse. She was there.”

Cooper patted him on the back. “She’ll be okay. From what I heard, this shit happened almost an hour before court. This is a mess. The explosion wasn’t huge, but just enough to start the fire. A slow burn at first.”

Breathing out, he studied the fire. “What kind of explosives were used?”

Cooper huffed. “We don’t know at this point, but given the track of the approaching storm, we need to get this derailed fast. The winds are kicking up and we don’t need lightning strikes added to the mix.”

Sawyer studied the cumulous clouds rolling through the darkening sky, nodding as a bank of embers floated down from the bank of trees. “Copy that.”

“Glad you arrived, buddy. This thing could get out of control fast,” Landen called as he approached. “Antonio, Riker, Moose and Zane are already on the other side. We need to kick this thing head on.”

“What engine companies are here?” He followed Landen as they moved closer and could see Boone, Stoker, Garcia, and Steel just up ahead, flanking the approaching flames as they established scratch lines. The damn ditches would be tough to dig given the rock terrain. The other side had a difficult access.

“Only twelve at this point. The others were dispatched to the city. We have our work cut out for us.” Landen grabbed his mask. “The smoke is acrid already. You’ll need all the gear. You’re in charge, buddy.”

In charge. Fantastic. Sawyer surveyed the scene one last time as he grabbed his mask. “We need to surround the flames. Cut off the air supply. The crown fires are only the beginning.” He pointed toward the trees. “Continue digging scratch lines so we can try and push this back toward the other team. Only way to shut this puppy down. I need to find the engine company. We’ll need them to work from this side.”

“They’re just around the corner,” Cooper acknowledged. “I’ll keep the coms on and find out what else we’re dealing with.”

Sawyer nodded before taking off, jogging around the corner until he found the captain. “Captain Banyon.”

“Sawyer Lincoln. Sorry to see you under these circumstances.” He raised an eyebrow as he walked closer.

“Need your men positioned on this side initially. We’re going to try and turn the fire. Then you’re going to need to head to the west and cut this fucker off.”

“Will do. There’s concern there’s another bomb and you know we’re too damn close to civilians.”

Sawyer exhaled, swearing under his breath. “If we see any suspicious packages, equipment or anything else, we’ll call out and pull back. Keep in radio contact. I’m terrified about the direction of the fire.”

“Not a problem and I know what you mean,” Captain Banyon stated, shaking his head. “We’re evacuating the school and the surrounding neighborhood. I have the sheriff’s department dispatched to block off several of the side streets approaching.”

“We should have the bomb squad on standby just in case.”

“Already underway.” The captain patted Sawyer on the back. “Be careful in there, son. We don’t need any loss of life.”

The words rang into the back of his mind as Sawyer jogged toward the fire. The first sight of flames was only a few hundred feet from the road, far too close for comfort. They had one location to turn the fire, moving outside the city but if their calculations were incorrect, the fire would roll through a park heading straight for the elementary school. At this point, all bets were off as to exactly what they were facing but his gut told him it was going to be ugly. As soon as he got to the outskirts, he headed toward the men. His men at this point. “What do we have?”

“A lot of shit. Damn explosion started two fires, but they’ve collided together. Hot as hell,” Stoker answered. He leaned over, as if catching his breath.

Wwwhhhhaaa!

Sirens blasted from every corner, screaming over the blocked off street. The city wide alert system had been engaged. Mayor Falk was obviously terrified.

“Damn this shit,” Sawyer huffed. “Stoker, you and Garcia get to the east, cut those damn trenches wide. Landen. You’re with me. We can’t have the fire crossing over. You know what that means.”

Stoker nodded. “I do. We can shut this thing down. We’ve been through a hell of a lot worse.”

“That’s Laney’s school on the other side,” Garcia insisted, the look on his face full of terror.

“They’re evacuating the school as we speak,” Sawyer answered, trying to keep his friend from going off the rails.

Garcia nodded several times.

“Come on,” Stoker encouraged.

Crack!

The noise came from the direction of the firefighters and he could also hear cries, yelling as if they were in additional danger. How in God’s name had this been allowed to happen?

“We’ve dug in several scratch lines and managed to cut away some brush, but only slowed down the damn flames,” Boone rubbed his eyes, coughing and spitting. “Whatever the fucker used is burning everything, including our eyes.”

“This fire is rolling hot,” Landen added.

“Keep your masks on. We need to cut through every scrap of brush. Take whatever trees are necessary,” Sawyer instructed then pressed the com button. “Giovanni. What’s your report?” Hearing clicks and hisses, he waited, walking away from the buzz of chainsaws. He could see clearly the swirling mass of smoke rolling in their direction from the city fires. The courthouse as well as the jail seemed to be in the direct path.

“We’ve turned the flames but it’s by no means contained,” Antonio replied.

“The engine company is headed in your direction. We’re on the move,” Sawyer yelled.

“Let’s get ‘er done.”

Sawyer didn’t hesitate, running toward the flames, snapping shut the visor on his helmet. The rush of intense heat was almost overwhelming, a product of the accelerants used as well as the trees, dead limbs creating instant combustibles. The beautiful terrain was full of animals and birds, nature walks and running trails. A shining jewel of the outdoor community. All they could do was fight fire with fire.

The acrid smoke was thick, preventing the ability to see past a few feet. He could see Stoker and Garcia working under a fiery canopy, flames shooting up the tall trunks of pines and oaks. Crackling sounds could be heard everywhere as the embers turned into firebrands, the larger chunks alive with scorching hot coals.

Whoosh! Wham!

“Shit!” Steel exclaimed, his ragged breath sounds shooting through the com system.

“Call out, Frost!” Sawyer jerked to a halt, turning in a full circle. Hearing nothing for a few seconds, he moved in the direction Steel had been sent.

“I’m here,” Steel huffed, his tone of voice husky from the smoke. “Trees are falling fast.”

“Get out of there.” Sawyer wasn’t taking any chances.

“I don’t think we can get a handle on this,” Landen stated.

“We can, and we will!” Sawyer insisted.

Crack! Boom!

“This thing is burning too hot,” Boone yelped, jumping backward as a massive pine tree top speared the ground.

Sawyer could see a hint of rising steam. The firefighters were also making headway. But Boone was right. The fire was burning damn hot and close to getting out of control. “Giovanni. We need to pull back.”

“We can’t. Orders. Keep going.”

“Damn it!” Sawyer knew there was nothing else they could do. The entire town was counting on them. He heard a series of snaps and looked up, hissing as a shower of embers and soot rolled down from the heavens. “Get out of the way.” He knew exactly where the tree was going to fall. Running at full speed, he shoved Garcia and Stoker back several feet, all three men grunting as the tree veered just off to the left, falling as if in slow motion, grabbing several other smaller trees along the way.

Bam!

The earth rumbled, creating a wash of smoke and soot from the force.

“Shit!” Stoker had rolled, landing on top of a mass of freshly cut brush.

“That was nuts!” Garcia yelled, helping Stoker to his feet and brushing off his pants.

Landen crouched onto the ground, catching his breath.

Sawyer sucked in his breath. “Call out!” He waited as the men sounded off, indicating they were okay. “Slow and easy!”

They set out as a team, surrounding the fire, controlling then containing their only goals.

No matter the level of danger.

As Sawyer cut through a series of massive limbs, working side by side along with the other men, he could tell after only two hours that they would need to establish a burnout if they had any chance of controlling the fire. The intentionally set fire could turn the tide, but only if handled carefully given the weather conditions. He motioned to Boone as the others took a break. “Damn this shit.”

Boone flanked his side, taking a series of deep breaths. “Your call on this one. Using the flares might not be the best idea. Too dangerous.”

“If we control them, we might get a handle on this. Thinking a burnout. If we start a fire just to the south of the head, we may be able to cut her off. Coupled with the firefighters attacking from the tail, we can try and move this away from the park as well as the school.” Sawyer spoke into the microphone, allowing everyone on the team to hear. He could tell Boone was skeptical.

“Sounds like a good plan,” Giovanni said first. “Let’s do this!”

“I don’t know, man. Seems the wind direction has changed. Worries the shit out of me. What if those kids aren’t out of the school yet and something goes wrong?”

Sawyer held his breath as he glanced up at the sky. Trees were bending in all directions, making it difficult to decipher anything about the approaching weather pattern. “Cooper. What is happening with the weather?”

Click. Hiss.

“Damn this piece of shit!” Sawyer snapped. “Coop. Can you hear me?”

“Sketchy. Storm is moving slowly.” Cooper’s voice was almost garbled.

“Then maybe we have a short window at doing this,” Boone said as he looked Sawyer directly in the eyes.

If he got this call wrong, he would stand a chance of torching the school. But he knew in his gut as well as his knowledge of the trees, there was only one way of stopping this fire. “We’re going to do this. You’re up,” Sawyer directed Boone. “Take Frost and don’t go until I give the okay.” Even through Boone’s mask, he could tell the man was unsure of his decision. “Boone. Go. Now!”

“Yes, sir. Your call.” Boone backed away, keeping his eyes on his buddy before turning and heading to his gear.

Sawyer began to shake, adrenaline mixing with a mind-blowing fear. He could only pray to God that he wasn’t wrong. A flash of the nightmare rushed into his mind. Squelching the distraction, he refused to accept the dream was some damn sign. They were all getting out alive. Grabbing his ax, he continued cutting, falling into his training.

“We’re ready!” Boone called less than five minutes later.

“Giovanni. We are in position,” Sawyer stated, making certain the words were clear.

“We’re ready,” Giovanni answered.

Sawyer hesitated, waiting as he counted to five. Boone was damn good at tossing, the best they had and would take the target. Of that, he had no doubt. “On my go. Three. Two. One. Go!” The moment he gave the okay, a rush of wind roared overhead. Trees twisted, flames jumping from one to another as the embers rained down.

Crack! Whoosh!

Boom!

“No!” Sawyer screamed as the flair was caught by a falling tree and tossed. In the next several seconds, the entire area seemed to be engulfed by flames. He raced into the forest, jumping over fallen limbs, weaving back and forth as firebrands were tossed down from almost every direction, immediately setting the ground beneath on fire. “Giovanni. Get to the school. We have a full firestorm.”

“We’re on our way!” Antonio replied.

He continued running. “Cooper. We need another engine company at the school. What’s the report on the evacuation?” The flames were increasing, licking up every surrounding tree. “Shit. Stoker!”

Stoker and Garcia were down, the blast blowing them back several feet.

“Fuck!” Stoker moaned as he rolled over, barely avoiding a falling limb.

“I have you.” Jerking him to his feet, Sawyer could tell Garcia was okay.

“Lincoln. Giovanni. Listen to me,” Captain Phillips yelled on the coms.

“Sir?” Sawyer pointed further into the forest and only a dozen or so yards from the school.

“There are reports of another bomb that went off at the school with heavy damage and fire to one side.”

Sawyer could almost not understand what he was hearing. “A bomb?”

“There are also reports of children trapped inside the school,” the captain continued.

Stoker jerked to a halt, turning toward Sawyer.

“Shit. Shit!” Sawyer half screamed. He could see Boone as well as Steel up ahead. Jesus. They’d gotten separated. Think. Think. “Okay. I understand. We are almost at the school.”

“Whoa. Whoa! Don’t do anything stupid or heroic. We have a fire team coming in from Hamilton right now.”

“Hamilton?” Garcia chortled. “That’s forty-fucking-five minutes away. What about 15, 6, or 18? That’s a school over there. My fiancée works at that school! Those kids are in danger.”

“Son, they’re all working the fire in the city. You’ve got 12 for now.” Captain Phillips stated, his tone calm.

“This is bullshit!” Stoker managed, limping as he moved past a group of fallen limbs.

Garcia paced. “We have to make certain they are all right.”

Crack! Boom!

“Cooper. We can’t wait. We’re going in.” Sawyer pushed through the last group of trees, the other men behind him. “Oh my God.”

“Jesus. What in the hell?” Boone managed.

“What the hell. Laney. Dear God. Laney.” Garcia was shaking.

“Look, we have to do this. Get control. They evacuated the school. I’ll talk to the principal.” Antonio took the lead, giving a respectful nod to Sawyer.

“Find out what in the hell and where is Engine 12?” Sawyer yelled into the coms as he walked further into the parking lot, surveying the fire. “This isn’t our gig. Remember. The rest of you. Back this fire off. Get it shut down!”

Garcia stood where he was. “Where the hell are they?”

“They would have been taken completely away from the fire. Garcia. Move!” Sawyer tried to encourage.

“Come on.” Stoker pulled Garcia’s arm.

Sawyer paced the parking lot, grateful that he finally heard sirens in the background. He turned, hearing a noise as Antonio and another man came running in their direction. “What?”

“There are two children as reported unaccounted for,” the man was coughing, his expression of absolute anguish.

Sawyer turned back toward the building. “We have to get them out. Where would they be?”

“I don’t know.”

“Think. Think!” Sawyer insisted.

The man shook his head. “They were both in art class.”

“Where is the classroom?” Antonio flanked Sawyer’s side.

“Right there. Near the fire. I’m the principal. It was my duty to get them all out. Oh, God!” The man was almost hysterical.

“Where exactly. Tell me exactly!” Sawyer tried to remain calm.

“Second floor. Room 202.”

Sawyer glanced toward the road, cognizant that the firefighters were on their way. “We have to go in there now. We can’t wait.”

“Sawyer,” Antonio said through clenched teeth.

“We have no choice. Follow me.” Sawyer took off running, taking the stairs toward one of the entrances two at a time. He could hear Antonio following him.

“You’re nuts. We don’t know what we’re doing,” Antonio insisted.

“Maybe not, but we can’t leave them in there to die.” Slapping down his visor, he nodded as Antonio did the same. They had limited protection, but this was something he had to do. He felt the door. Cool to the touch, he yanked it open, taking a step back. While smoke filled the space, there was no sign of the fire. Both men headed up the interior stairs. When they reached the second floor, they stopped, looking both directions. “202. That has to be close.”

“Let’s hope so.”

They continued down the hall as the smoke began to rise, creeping along the edges of the hallway. Their vision became limited as they continued their path.

“Shit!” Antonio pointed. The flames were licking around the corner, headed straight for them.

“We might have one chance at this.” Sawyer moved back and forth along the hallway until he found the correct room. “202.”

“Come on.”

Entering, the lights were on but there was no sign of the children. “Is anyone in here?”

Antonio walked up and down the aisles, searching. “I don’t see them. Maybe they got out.”

“Children are told to hide.” Sawyer heard creaking sounds as the fire shot into the rafters. Flames would soon find their way into the room one way or another. As smoke filled the room, making it even more difficult to see anything, he noticed another door at the back. Taking long strides, he headed in the direction, yanking open the door.

Small faces peered out, both children trembling.

“Hi there. We’re fireman and we’re going to get you out of here.” Sawyer knelt down, lifting his visor so the children could see his face. “What are your names?”

“Sawyer, we have to get the hell out of here,” Antonio insisted.

“Just a second. Can you tell me your names?’

“Me-gan,” the little girl managed as she began to cry. “I want my mommy.”

“I know, honey.” Sawyer tried his best to keep a smile.

“The fire has breached the ceiling,” Antonio stated between clenched teeth.

“Who are you? One fine looking man,” Sawyer continued.

“Jimmy.”

“Well, okay, Jimmy. Megan. Take my hands. We’re getting you out of here.” Sawyer held out his hands. Every muscle in his body was tense, shaking from the intense adrenaline.

“Get them, now.” Antonio hissed and crouched down. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.” Grabbing Jimmy, he stepped out of the closet first. “Oh, shit.”

Refusing to turn around until he had the girl secure, Sawyer picked her up, cradling her against his chest. “Okay. This might be a little scary but just close your eyes. Okay? Can you do that?”

“Uh-huh,” Megan said as she sniffled and buried her head.

“Come on, Sawyer. We could get blocked in.” Antonio led the way, heading to the door.

Sawyer followed as flames shot down the wall on the other side.

Whoosh! Boom!

Megan screamed as she clung to him.

“It’s okay, honey. It’s okay.” It was anything but okay. The hallway was now filled with smoke, flames covering the end of the hall, whisking up and over the ceiling, the bluish hue creeping, eating everything in its path.

“Jesus. We have to get out of here. I know this school. The boiler is underneath us.”

“Fuck,” Sawyer mumbled as they remained low. He heard the little girl coughing and yanked off his mask. “Here. Keep this on.”

Antonio did the same, cursing under his breath.

Within seconds the hallway was engulfed, becoming disorienting.

“Where are the stairs?” Antonio managed as he coughed.

“We’re almost there.” Blinking, his eyes stinging, Sawyer was forced to stop and look, blinking in order to try and focus. God. They could have overshot the stairwell. He had to take a leap of faith and follow his instincts. Moving to the left, he felt along the wall until his hand met an open space. “Come on!”

Sawyer took the stairs carefully, making certain to keep Megan covered. The creaks became groans in the building as the metal expanded. The boiler was something else entirely. The gas lines could go at any minute. “Almost.” Choking, he tried to hold his breath as he made his way down. He could see light. “Almost there.” Pulling back, he made certain Antonio was right behind him.

“I’m here. Go. Go!” As they moved onto the landing, he could just make out the fire engine rolling into the parking lot. Thank you, God. Thank you-

Boom!

* * *

Shaken, Reese walked out of the interrogation room after several hours. Yes, she understood the seriousness of the fact Katrina Dreyfus had escaped, no doubt with the help of her maniacal brother, Bo Dreyfus. She’d been given more than a crash course on the entire family and the devious criminal activity, enabling her to understand the nature of what they were all up against.

As she’d been led out of the building to the same awaiting SUV, she’d been the one to remain quiet, her thoughts swirling around her conversation with Katrina. Perhaps she should have picked up on the fact the girl was stating in no uncertain terms that she was going to escape. The thought, given her mental exhaustion, was almost hysterical. How and why should she even contemplate the fact a prisoner in both wrist and ankle chains, escorted by two armed deputies in a bullet proof car could have any chance of escaping? The thought was ludicrous.

But it happened.

Katrina had an entire team working in order to mastermind her escape. Reese doubted the entire scope would come to light for days, if not weeks. There were too many moving parts as well as injuries. Deaths. As she was driven toward her car, she could still see billowing smoke, but the direction was off. Not the same as the buildings from before.

“Was there another explosion?” She moved to the edge of the seat, doing her best to peer out the windshield.

“The wooded area just outside the city caught fire,” Agent Marks stated casually.

“Caught fire? A product of the Dreyfus escape?” Reese knew she wasn’t cut out for this profession. This beautiful city targeted by absolute monsters.

“No word. Fire teams have been working to get it under control. That’s all I’ve heard,” Agent Brennan added. As he pulled over to the curb, he exhaled. “We’re going to need all your case notes on Katrina.”

“I’m aware. You can have them.” Reese grabbed the handle of the vehicle. Fire teams. All she wanted to do at this point was hear the sound of Sawyer’s voice.

“Thank you for your cooperation. I will tell you that if Katrina and her brother follow the same path, you might be in danger. We will need more of your time as this case unfolds.”

Of course, they would. She glanced at the male agent, unable to detect any real concern. Maybe she was simply used to the cold natured business. “I’ll keep my doors locked.” Opening the door, she could see a solid half dozen press vans and other vehicles, all waiting for their fifteen minutes of fame. And the stench was rancid, seared metal and charred wood infiltrated the air, creating a haze.

“One last thing, Miss Winton,” Agent Brennan said. “You need to keep the conversation confidential. With the exhaustive connections both Katrina and her brother have made, you’ll never know when there are eyes and ears.”

Reese knew the drill. Tipping her head, she gave the agent a sneering smile. “Absolutely.” Without waiting for another jaded comment, she stepped out, slamming the door. And immediately a chill trickled down the back of her legs. The wind was whipping, allowing soot and other small debris to float in the air. Even from where she was standing, she could see at least three burned out buildings, the ruins still smoldering. “My God.”

While there was police tape as well as deputies monitoring the area, keeping the path clear for emergency vehicles, dozens of people lined the streets, even after all this time. She had no idea how to get the hell out of the area. After finding her car blocked in, she grabbed her phone. Seeing the voice mail from Sawyer and from hours before, she tried to control the apprehension. He was a smokejumper, not a firefighter. That meant he was nowhere close to these fires. Right?

She replayed the message twice before hitting redial. “Damn it.” His sensuous voice asking for the caller to leave a message wasn’t comforting. Instead, the level of anxiety increased. “Sawyer. I’m fine. I’m stuck at the scene near the courthouse right now. Call me back as soon as you can.” Holding the phone to her head, she said a silent prayer. Maybe she was still in some level of shock, but she knew in her heart that Sawyer was in trouble. There was so much activity, fire engines positioned every few feet. As she studied the area, scanning both sides of the street, another rift of smoke caught her attention. The direction had to be from an adjacent street.

Cutting her way through the crowd, she kept her head down as she walked to the end of the street then down an alley, half jogging as she willed her phone to ring. When she reached the other street, she could tell an area all the way down and toward the outskirts of town was also blocked off. Lights were going and there was another group of reporters waiting in the background.

You bet she was going to find out what was going on. She walked to the closest group of reporters. There was no way of knowing if they’d recognize her as being a part of the Dreyfus defense, but she would push aside any direct questions. “Excuse me. What’s going on? Another fire?”

The reporter didn’t bother looking in her direction. “An explosion near the elementary school.”

“Anyone hurt?” Reese wasn’t certain she wanted to know the answer.

“No confirmation, but there are reports that a smokejumper was injured. They were able to contain the fire, but part of the elementary school burned. They think there were still children inside.”

“Children?” she managed as she tried to understand what was happening.

“Unfortunately. There’s no report but they believe one of the smokejumpers was killed trying to save their lives.”

“A smokejumper?” Sawyer’s nightmare flooded her mind. No. No! He hadn’t experienced some level of a premonition. There was no chance. She took two steps closer, her heart racing to the point she was having difficulty breathing. Died? No. There was no way. Please God. Please God! Don’t forsake the man I love. Please!

“Yeah. Brave guys. I can tell you that much.” The reporter looked in her direction, narrowing her eyes. “Wait a minute. Aren’t you Reese Winton?”

Reese took another few steps, all noise clearly wrapped up in a vacuum.

“Hey, Ron. We have Katrina Dreyfus’ defense attorney. Miss. Can we ask you a few questions?”

She knew she was shaking her head but had no voice as she meandered her way closer. The school. The entire area was blocked off, but she had to get there. She would find a way. Turning around, she fought to get back to where she’d been. As the crowd thickened, she pushed and shoved her way, scrambling to get out. “Excuse me. Excuse me!”

“Miss! We’d like to ask you a few questions.”

Her mind was on lock down and she reacted, weaving in and out of the dozens of people until she was able to take off running, her high heels clipping then slipping on the pavement. Nothing was going to stop her. Nothing. She kept her head down, pushing, heading in the direction of her car. Racing down the alley, she heard other footsteps, as if the reporters were following her. She could see nothing as tears slid into her eyes, beads of sweat trickling down both sides of her face.

No. No! Please don’t let anything have happened to him.

She could hear the sound of her thudding heart echoing in her ears and for a few seconds, all time rolled into slow motion. Her hands fumbling, she managed to get into her car and started the engine. While she was still blocked in on one side, she threw the gear into drive, turning the steering wheel and inching out. Throwing the gear into reverse, she maneuvered the wheels, making headway an inch at a time. “Come on. Come on!” Exasperated, she slapped her hand on the steering wheel then willed herself to try again.

What had to be ten minutes later, she was free and made a turn in the middle of the street. She slammed on the accelerator, moving through the yellow light and heading in the direction of the school. Her mind was in a fog, yet she kept going, trying to keep her eyes on the road. Turn after turn, she blinked as tears threatened to derail her.

When she finally made the last turn, heading for the school, she could see lights of emergency vehicles. There were other reporters, news crews from every station. My God. This was a nightmare. She rolled into the parking lot but was immediately cut off. Jerking to a stop and stopping the engine, she flew out of the car, racing toward the school. Firefighters seemed to be everywhere, water pumping on the school. Children stood with adults on the outskirts, staring in horror at their school.

“Reese!”

Hearing a familiar female voice, she turned, seeing Laney standing with a group of children. “Laney. What is going on?”

“An explosion at the school. Two children were left inside. I just…” Her face twisted, full of anguish. “I should have gone back, but they forced us out.”

“Honey. You did all you could. Sawyer. Have you seen him?” Reese could tell by the flash in her new friend’s eyes that Sawyer was unaccounted for. “No!” She backed away, her entire body shaking.

“Stay with me. You can’t go over there yet. I’m sure everything is fine.” Laney walked toward her, holding out her hand.

“No. You don’t understand. He’s my…” She wasn’t certain of the words until that moment. “He’s my life.”

“I do understand,” Laney whispered. “Go. Go find him.”

She took off, running, passing by several of the deputies and a few firefighters.

“Miss! You… can’t… go… there!”

The deputy tried to catch her, but she jerked away, flying past him until she could see the burned-out section of the building, the firefighters standing in a circle. The forest beside the school was blackened, once majestic trees charred. Then she noticed the team. The smokejumpers. They were coming out of the forest. One by one. Their faces covered in soot. Their walks slow, methodical. And their expressions…

Full of anger. Or fear.

“Sawyer. Where is Sawyer?” She wasn’t even entirely certain if she was speaking out loud.

“Whoa! Reese. Hold on!”

“No. No!” she exclaimed and tried to move even closer.

“It’s Boone. Stop.” Catching her by the arm, Boone pulled her back and away from the still smoldering fire. “You can’t go in there.”

“Boone. Where’s Sawyer? Where is he?”

“Just breathe for me. He went inside to rescue two children.”

Yanking away her arm, she almost made it two additional feet before another smokejumper caught her. “Let me go.”

“Stop,” Boone said from behind. “I have this, Stoker. Okay?”

Panting, she continued to struggle, trying desperately to scan the other men. She recognized the majority.

But there was no Sawyer.

“Tell me what’s happened. Where is he?” Reese demanded.

“Stop!” Boone directed, pulling her to the side. “I’ll tell you.”

After two seconds, she almost exploded. “Then do it. Now!”

“He’s down. He’s hurt but he saved the children. Just wait. Okay?”

“What? What?” Terror and exasperation melded together until she was wheezing. She noticed another smokejumper sitting on the edge of an ambulance.

“Reese.”

Had she heard her name being called? She was cognizant that dozens of people had swarmed around them, cameras everywhere, people talking. Sirens seemed to be coming from every location, surrounding her. The smoke blew across in wave after wave, fueled by the wind, blocking her view. Nauseous, she gripped Boone’s shirt, pulling hard as she glared at him in the eyes. “Tell me!”

“There he is!”

The voice was unknown, and people rushed in front of them. Reese tried desperately to get out of his hold. She could just see through a break in the group of reporters as two men walked out of the smoke. Unable to make out any features, she held her breath.

Two smokejumpers were carrying a third in between them. The jumper’s head was low, but he was walking to some degree. The moment he tilted his head, she was thrown into a whirlwind of emotions. “Sawyer.” Breaking free from Boone’s hold, she managed to head directly for him.

Sawyer looked up, his eyes darting back and forth. The moment recognition flashed in them, he righted his body, his hands pushing at the men holding him.

They backed away, darting glances in her direction. As one of the jumpers smiled, he nodded to her, giving her a slight salute.

“Sawyer!”

“I’m okay. I’m okay,” Sawyer whispered, clinging to her, pressing his hand on the back of her head. “And I love you. God, I love you.”

Pulling back, she gazed into his face, his amazing eyes. “I love you.”

Time stood still as the wind blew, lifting the smoke away from the area and toward the sky.

A smile crossing his face, he captured her mouth and lifted her off the ground and into his arms.

“Yes!”

“Fantastic!”

As the crowd began to cheer, she allowed the tears to fall. Her man was safe. He was alive.

But she remained terrified…