They had been unable to escape the looping path with Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick at the lead. This time, Ethan Dawson led the way. Once the break was over, everyone grabbed their luggage and followed behind him, pressing forward.
After eating, Officer Graham and Wendy had recovered some strength and were able to walk on their own.
Ronan Kendrick and Evelyn Ford brought up the rear. As they walked, they continued to use a megaphone to call out for the others.
The smell of burning wood from behind grew stronger. This part of the forest had many spruce trees, and their burning scent wasn’t pleasant. It was similar to pine and cypress, acrid and choking.
Evelyn Ford glanced back. Through the black fog, she could vaguely make out the glow of a sky filled with fire.
"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH..." Officer Graham was coughing violently, his steps heavy. Evelyn Ford gave him another one of her special pills.
Normally, half a pill was sufficient. Taking a whole one could quickly restore the body, but it would be followed by a period of weakness.
Evelyn Ford told him about the side effect, but Officer Graham didn’t hesitate. He popped the pill directly into his mouth.
"I can’t hold everyone back."
He glanced behind them, his expression grave. "I don’t know how the others are doing."
The path through the forest was treacherous, covered in rocks and potholes. The two wolfdogs had already fallen several times, yelping and baring their teeth in pain.
After about an hour of walking, a dry, cracked riverbed appeared ahead. The forest was now behind them. With the riverbed acting as a firebreak, the wildfire would be stopped here.
"Let’s cross the riverbed! The fire’s almost here," Ethan Dawson said, throwing himself at the thorns on the bank. He flattened the thorny bushes so they could get down into the riverbed. Once they crossed, they would be safe.
Ronan Kendrick held Evelyn Ford’s hand, scouting the path ahead while she followed closely. Siam weeds over two meters tall grew within the thorns, making it difficult to pass. Their clothes kept getting snagged, and as Evelyn Ford pushed some of the weeds aside, a thorn pricked her chin.
The riverbed itself was cracked and uneven. Everyone practically had to scramble and crawl to get to the other side.
"We’re finally safe. The fire can’t cross," Quincy said, gasping for breath. He took his Water Cup from his bag and handed it to Zoe. Her cold had worsened; after a single sip of water, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
"What about the others? We haven’t seen them."
The people currently missing were: Taylor Vance, Zion Lowell, Peter Owens, Wyatt Vaughn, Miles Vaughn, Joelle Finch, Chet Lawrence, Nathan Xavier, Drako, and Ian Yates.
Evelyn Ford’s eyelid twitched. She shrugged off her backpack.
"Let’s rest for ten minutes. Then Ronan and I will go back and find the others."
"No, it’s too dangerous! The fire is coming," Officer Graham said, absolutely refusing to let Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick go back.
"He’s right, it’s too dangerous. Miss Ford, please don’t go back."
Evelyn Ford patted Wendy’s shoulder. "The fire hasn’t reached this point yet. With this riverbed between us, we’re safe. The others might be fast enough to have gotten out already, but Mr. Vance and Mr. Lowell are definitely still in there."
At the thought of Taylor Vance and Zion Lowell, Wendy grew worried too.
"I’ll go with you." Ethan Dawson staggered to his feet and walked over to Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick.
"I have a better sense of direction. It might be faster if I go with you to search."
Evelyn Ford nodded. "Alright. But can you handle it?"
"Don’t worry, I can hold up."
"I’ll go too. Mr. Graham, please help me look after Zoe. I’m going with Evelyn and the others."
Quincy carefully laid Zoe down, picked up a nearby wooden stick, and limped over to Evelyn Ford.
"I have to find Wyatt Vaughn."
Evelyn Ford glanced at him, then finally nodded. "Keep up."
Evelyn Ford handed her backpack to Officer Graham, leaving one of the wolfdogs and a flashlight with them. The four of them then returned to the forest to continue searching for the others.
"You must be careful," Officer Graham called out. Though worried, he could only wait where he was with the two children.
Evelyn Ford nodded. "You too."
Returning to the blazing forest, Evelyn Ford was immediately hit by a wave of searing heat.
Ethan Dawson led the way. The four of them split into two teams, keeping about ten meters apart as they began to search.
Evelyn Ford continued to broadcast their call with the megaphone. The only sounds in the forest were their footsteps and the looped message.
In a deep pit, Taylor Vance awoke from unconsciousness. A sharp pain shot through his calf, and he discovered a branch had pierced clean through it. He had lost too much blood and had no strength left.
Just then, a flash of fire lit up the sky above the pit. In the fleeting light, he vaguely saw two other people in there with him.
He slowly dragged himself over and saw it was Peter Owens. Peter was lying on the ground. Although he was still breathing, he had taken a bad fall. Taylor Vance felt sticky, wet blood on his chest.
"Peter, wake up! Don’t sleep, you’re injured! Wake up!"
Peter Owens didn’t respond. Taylor Vance moved to the other person: Zion Lowell. There was a backpack cushioning Zion’s body, but his head had hit a nearby rock. His breathing was extremely faint.
Taylor Vance closed his eyes, his hands trembling violently. He tried to wake Zion Lowell, but when he opened his mouth, not a single word came out. Zion’s body was growing cold. The thought that his brother of several decades lay beside him, and he was powerless to save him, was such a shock that Taylor Vance suddenly lost his voice.
Frantic and terrified, he could only beat his chest and clutch his own throat, trying to force a sound out. But the more anxious he became, the more his voice failed him.
"Ah... ah..."
He pounded his chest, looking up at the flashes of fire as the hope in his eyes faded bit by bit.
"This is Evelyn Ford. This is Evelyn Ford. Is anyone there? If you hear this, respond with a whistle..."
In his daze, Taylor Vance thought he heard Evelyn Ford’s voice. He looked up again in disbelief. There was nothing but black fog and the occasional flash of fire. An ember fell into the pit, and he quickly lunged over, smothering it with his body.
"This is Evelyn Ford. This is Evelyn Ford..."
He really was hearing her voice. Taylor Vance wanted to answer, but when he opened his mouth, no sound came out.
He fumbled in the backpack under Zion Lowell, found a whistle, and blew it with all his might. He managed three blasts before his strength gave out completely.
Just then, a pair of hands reached over, took the whistle from him, and blew a fourth blast.
"This is Evelyn Ford! Is anyone there? Is anyone there?"
’Someone’s here. Someone’s here. We’re still alive.’
Taylor Vance opened his mouth, making a hoarse, guttural sound. He tried to stand but fell back heavily.
Peter Owens, lying on the ground, blew the whistle over and over.
Taylor Vance raised his hand and slapped Zion Lowell’s face hard.
’Don’t sleep. Wake up. Evelyn Ford is here to save us.’
Countless times before, Taylor Vance had thought of just giving up and dying.
But in that moment, for the first time, an infinite will to survive surged within him. He took the whistle from Peter Owens’s hand and took his turn, blowing it yet again.
Until, finally, footsteps sounded from above the pit, and a beam of light shone in.
The first things he saw were the faces of Evelyn Ford, Ronan Kendrick, and Quincy. Beside them was a tall, sturdy figure who seemed to be Ethan Dawson. There was also a wolfdog, poking its head in and barking nonstop.
Taylor Vance broke into a wide grin.
’They’re finally here.’