“Move,” he gasped out. “This house is fucked.”
Between the two of them, they hoisted the swaying, staggering Josh to his feet.
“His arm’s broken,” Nate said. “I got him.” He hoisted Josh up into his arms. It wasn’t difficult. The kid had wasted away to skin and bone.
“Now, or we’re toast!” Jim Wong bawled from out in the corridor.
The fire had devoured half the house. There was no way out through the front door. They ran through the smoke of the living room. Jim shot out the window, and they clambered out the big window frame onto the patio. Their boots crunched on the broken glass, which quickly gave way to fresh snow.
Josh stared up at the dark sky, his big, hollow eyes huge with wonder. The fire behind them crackled and roared. Hot wind, mixing with the smell of outside.
“I can’t believe it,” he croaked. “I feel snow on my face. I can smell the wind.”
Nate didn’t have the breath to answer, not running through the woods while carrying someone, and besides, Josh’s teeth were chattering. He could go into shock.
They reached the car, and he wrapped Josh in a blanket and cranked the heat up to full blast. The kid looked terrible, still drenched in the big guy’s blood, his wan, ashen face daubed with plenty of his own, lips a grayish blue, eyes hollow. But his gaze was clear. And he was smiling.
“Thank you,” he said, looking at Mace and Wong. “Whoever you are. I owe you. For the rest of my life.”
“No problem,” Mace said. “Look, do you need to go to a hospital right now, or can you tough it out for a few hours so we can get closer to home? I’m concerned about spreading out our security while Clemens is still out there fighting like a cornered rat. We’re safer if we’re all together. But if you’re in a bad way—”
“No. I’m fine. I’ll wait. Take me straight to Lu. Please. That’s all I want.”
The SUV had studded tires, so it could handle the narrow, twisting mountain road even in the deep night and the thickening snow. The fire glowed on the ridge behind them. Jim got onto his phone as they drove. “Yes, I’m calling to report what appears to be a house fire out on Bailey Ridge. No, ma’am, I’m not at the scene myself. I saw it from the road across the ridge, from probably about ten miles away. Looks bad from here. Yeah, sure. Thanks, ma’am. You have a good evening, too.”
Nate pulled out his burner and called Elisa. She picked up on the first ring.
“Yes?” her voice was high and anxious.
“Hey,” he said. “It’s done. We got him.”
“Oh my God.” Her voice choked off. “Is he…is he all right?”
“Yes. He’s pretty beat up, but he’ll pull through. We don’t want to check him into a hospital here. That spreads our security thinner. Hang on.” He turned around, and held the phone toward Josh’s functioning arm. “Your sister.”
Josh lifted the phone to his ear. “Lu?” His voice broke.
Nate turned away to give Josh some privacy and got into the driver’s seat.
After they’d put some miles behind them, Mace reached out and patted his arm. “Yo,” he said gently. “Slow down, man. There’s fresh snow on this road. You got him, okay? He’s safe. You can relax now. Want me to drive?”
“I’m good,” Nate assured him.
“Fine, then. Let me tell you the plan. You drop off me and Jim at that rental car place right outside of Bellamy so I can get myself a clean car. Then Jim and I will blast right on back to Granger Valley to debrief Anton and Fi. I don’t like having just one guy cover them while Anton is still under the weather. You guys swing by to get Elisa, and meet us at the hospital with Mitch and Clint. You got all that?”
“Sounds good,” he said.
“You’re good to drive?” Mace frowned. “You’re not crashing, are you?”
“No. I’m fine. I’m great.”
The hours crawled by. It wasn’t too long now from the eight AM opening time of the rental car place in Bellamy, so he let just Jim and Mace out at the diner next to it to wait. But Mace was reluctant to go. His worried gaze alternated between Nate’s face and Josh’s. “I’m having second thoughts. Maybe I should stick with you guys.”
“No, go on. You and Jim both go cover them,” Nate urged. “Go.”
“If you’re sure. See you at the hospital in Granger