Without answering, he tore off two long strips of material. He opened the canteen, wetted both strips and turned to Kelly. “I’m going to tie this over your nose and mouth.”
Kelly held herself perfectly still as he positioned the strip of wet material over the lower half of her face and tied it tightly at the back of her head. He did the same to himself. Then turning in the seat, he sprinkled the remaining water over her, wetting her shirt and jeans and hair.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Keeping you from getting burned.” He emptied the canteen over her.
“But what about you?”
He turned away from her, set his hands on the steering wheel. “I want you to hold on to me.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to get us out of here.”
“Buzz, you don’t know what’s on the other side. What if there’s fire?”
He punched the accelerator. The ATV shot forward, a racehorse plunging from the gate and running for its life. He felt Kelly rock back, then her arms wrapped around his midsection. He shouldn’t have enjoyed the sensation considering the circumstances; he wasn’t even sure they were going to get out of this alive. But he reveled in the feel of her against him, her closeness. And he couldn’t help but wonder if this was the last time he would ever have her this close.
The ATV burst into the wall of flames. Yellow heat scorched his face. Acrid smoke burned the inside of his nose, sent tears to his eyes, blurring his vision. Buzz held the steering wheel steady, kept the pedal to the floor and drove blindly through the flames. He smelled burning rubber and singed hair. Heat streaked up his arm. He looked down, saw the sleeve of his shirt smoldering. Cursing, he slapped at the flames, felt Kelly’s hands reach around him to do the same.
An instant later the flames opened up to forest. The smoke thickened, and Buzz knew they were now down-wind, heading south, away from the fire. He sucked in a breath, felt his lungs seize. He coughed. Behind him, he could hear Kelly choking. For the first time he felt the pain of a burn on his arm. He wanted to stop, but knew they couldn’t linger. The smoke was only going to get worse. The heat would only get more intense.
They were alive, he thought. And for the moment, Buzz knew that was the best he could hope for.
The fire pursued them like a hungry predator for what seemed like an eternity, but eventually the smoke thinned and the trail opened up. Visibility returned, though the pungent smell of burning timber still hung heavy in the air. Kelly held onto Buzz as if her life depended on it as the ATV took them over the terrain at a death-defying speed.
She didn’t think they were ever going to reach the campground. Every bump jarred her all the way to her bones. Her face and arms stung from the scratches she’d received from the branches growing into the trail. Even though the smoke was no longer chokingly thick, her throat felt as if someone had taken a rasp to it.
She could only imagine how Buzz felt. He hadn’t said a word, but occasionally, when he had to make a sharp turn or they hit a large bump, she could feel his body go rigid with pain. A couple of times, she even thought she heard him groan. Damn stubborn man. She’d been perfectly capable of driving the ATV. Why did he always have to be so damn heroic?
But she knew the answer to that. And with her emotions riding high, she didn’t want to examine it too closely.
Dusk had fallen by the time they drove into the parking lot of the campground. A dozen fire department vehicles from several jurisdictions, law-enforcement vehicles from the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Department, an ambulance and a big white RMSAR truck hauling a goose-neck horse trailer crowded the small lot. By the time the ATV reached the sidewalk, several people had exited the main building and were rushing toward them. Kelly spotted several police officers, a female park ranger. She caught sight of an RMSAR-emblazoned cap, a television camera and lights. Someone let out a whoop, then a throng of people surrounded them.
A dozen voices came at her at once. She knew it was silly, but she didn’t want to let go of Buzz. She wanted to believe it was because he was hurt, because he needed her and she wanted to help him. But she knew her inability to take her hands from around his waist had more to do with her own needs than his.
A moment later, she spotted Eddie. Her heart pinged once against her ribs and she had to choke back a sob. “Sweetheart,” she whispered, but the word was barely audible.
“Mommy!”