Ronan Kendrick was the first to hear the faint whistle. After everyone split up to search for half an hour, they finally found the three who had fallen into a deep pit.
"It’s Mr. Vance."
Evelyn Ford shone her flashlight into the deep pit, but it was hard to see through the thick fog. When a gust of wind carried a wave of firelight over, she was finally able to make out the situation inside.
The dog wagged its tail and barked wildly; even it seemed overjoyed to have found them.
"This pit is pretty deep. We’ll need a rope to pull them out."
Clearly, they couldn’t get out on their own. Someone had to go down into the pit and bring them out.
"I’ll go down. I’m lighter, and I’m not injured." Evelyn Ford took the pack off Ronan Kendrick’s back and pulled out a coil of hemp rope.
Just as Evelyn Ford shook the rope out and began to tie it around herself, Ronan Kendrick tacitly agreed. He glanced into the pit and started helping her anchor the rope.
"Let me go instead." Quincy said, looking into the pitch-black pit. He was uneasy about Evelyn Ford going down alone.
"The pit is too deep, and it’s a little narrow."
Evelyn Ford waved him off. "Enough talk. We have to get them out of there. The fire is getting closer."
Ronan Kendrick and Ethan Dawson held the rope while Quincy shone the flashlight from the side. Gripping the rope, Evelyn Ford was lowered bit by bit until her feet touched the ground. She estimated the pit was at least eight or nine meters deep.
"Mr. Vance, how are you all doing?" Evelyn Ford untied the rope from herself and rushed to check on the three men.
Taylor Vance waved his hand dismissively, then pointed to his throat.
Evelyn Ford then realized he had lost his voice. A branch was also impaled in his calf, and the ground was covered in sticky blood.
Taylor Vance gestured for Evelyn Ford to check on Zion Lowell and Peter Owens first. Peter Owens had passed out again, but his condition seemed better. Zion Lowell’s breathing, however, was extremely faint. He must have suffered internal injuries and a head injury from the fall.
Evelyn Ford quickly took out some high-efficacy medicine and gave it to the three men, then re-examined them to see if they could be moved.
A fall from a height is a lot like a car crash. If ribs are fractured, you can’t move the person carelessly, or you risk the bones piercing other organs and causing even more severe injuries.
But the situation was urgent; the fire was already burning near the pit. No matter what, she had to get them out first.
Evelyn Ford tied the rope around Taylor Vance first. To prevent excessive blood loss from his leg, she took out a strip of cloth and fashioned a tight tourniquet above the wound.
To avoid putting pressure on his chest and abdomen, she had to be careful, securing the rope around his shoulders, back, and hips.
"Ronan, he’s ready!" Evelyn Ford shouted, then blew her whistle twice to signal Ronan Kendrick above.
Ronan Kendrick called back in acknowledgment, and he and Ethan Dawson strained together to pull Taylor Vance up.
Zion Lowell was in bad shape. As he was being pulled up, he opened his eyes to glance at Evelyn Ford before lapsing back into unconsciousness.
After Peter Owens was also pulled up, Evelyn Ford finally breathed a sigh of relief. She gripped the rope tightly and let Ronan Kendrick haul her out of the pit.
"We need to get out of here. I gave them medicine, so they should be stable for now. Let’s head back to the riverbank."
With the raging fire right at their backs, there was no more time to waste. Ronan Kendrick carried Zion Lowell, Ethan Dawson carried Taylor Vance, and Evelyn Ford carried Peter Owens. Quincy was too weak to carry anyone, so he could only follow behind with the flashlight.
"What should we do? We still haven’t found Wyatt Vaughn and the others," Quincy said. "You all go on ahead. I’ll search a little longer."
"Quincy, they must have gotten out already," Evelyn said. "Didn’t Ethan Dawson tell you? He heard Miles Vaughn calling Wyatt’s name earlier."
Quincy was still hesitating. Steeling herself, Evelyn Ford raised her voice.
"Think about Zoe! If you don’t leave now, none of us will be able to escape when the fire gets here."
Quincy glanced back at the rolling sea of fire, then gritted his teeth and wiped his eyes.
"Let’s go."
Peter Owens was a young man of about five-foot-ten, and he was not light. Evelyn Ford felt as though her back was about to snap, but with the thought of the inferno chasing them from behind, she knew she couldn’t stop to rest.
Ronan Kendrick had wanted to carry one man on his back and another in his arms, but Zion Lowell was too badly injured. To avoid putting pressure on his wounds, Ronan could only carry him bridal-style as they fled.
The veins on Evelyn Ford’s neck bulged from the strain. Her throat was sore and itchy, and though she desperately felt a sneeze coming on, it wouldn’t come out.
Behind them, the CRACKLE and POP of exploding embers filled the air. The glare of the fire broke through the thick fog, seeming to reach for the very heavens.
Evelyn Ford glanced back and nearly tripped over a tree root. Steadying her breath, she hurried to catch up.
Just as they were about to get out of the woods, Evelyn Ford finally stumbled and fell, bringing the unconscious Peter Owens down with her. Ignoring her now-twisted ankle, she hoisted him back onto her shoulders and half-dragged, half-carried him the rest of the way out of the forest.
Only when they had crossed the river and were watching the forest behind them become engulfed by the sky-high flames did Evelyn Ford finally set Peter Owens down. She braced her hands on her knees, gasping for air.
Even though they had crossed the river, they still weren’t safe. They had to keep moving.
"You’re finally back!" Officer Graham said, holding Zoe, his voice fraught with anxiety. "How are they? Where are the others?"
"We didn’t find anyone else," Quincy said, his eyes red as he took Zoe from him.
Officer Graham’s brow furrowed. He patted Quincy’s shoulder. At a time like this, any words of comfort would have been meaningless.
The injuries on Taylor Vance and Peter Owens needed immediate attention. Evelyn Ford took a lunchbox-sized first-aid kit from her bag and began to treat them.
"Mr. Lowell must have serious internal injuries. Lay him down flat," Evelyn Ford instructed. She took a bottle from her bag. The pills inside looked like chocolate-covered malt balls, but they had a strong, slightly foul odor.
Evelyn Ford shook out three pills and handed them to Officer Graham. "Dissolve these in water, then have Mr. Lowell drink it."
After tending to the external wounds of Taylor Vance and Peter Owens, Evelyn Ford, exhausted once more, collapsed onto the ground.
She looked at the raging inferno on the far bank of the river, then back at the spruce forest behind them.
The spruce forest was incredibly dense. If a single ember from the fire across the river were blown over by the wind, this forest could easily ignite as well.
’We have to leave as soon as possible... but how?’
’There are no smooth paths, so riding horses won’t be easy. But we don’t have any other choice.’
’This group is full of the old, the weak, and the seriously injured. An escape this intense has already pushed everyone to their physical limits. If we have to rely on our own two feet, we might not get to safety even after walking for three days and three nights.’
Just then, the ground beneath them began to shake. Wendy was so frightened she dropped into a crouch and trembled uncontrollably. The others weren’t much better off; terror was etched on every face.
The tremor lasted for ten seconds before stopping. Ronan Kendrick went to Evelyn Ford and whispered, "I’m afraid there might be more earthquakes, or even a volcanic eruption. We need to leave, now."
Evelyn Ford got up and pulled him into the woods behind them.
"Two people to a horse. We’ll leave on horseback."
"How will you explain the horses to them?"
"I won’t."
The horses had already been tamed and were quite docile. After Evelyn released them from her space, Ronan Kendrick patted each of them on the head before leading them back to the rest of the group. With the exception of Officer Graham, everyone else stared in utter disbelief at the five well-fed, powerful steeds that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.