Killing Hour - Lisa Gardner [160]
“Up top.”
“So thirsty. Where’s the lake?”
“I’m going to loop this rope. You need to sit in it like a swing. And then Special Agent McCormack up there is going to pull you up. If you can use your legs against the wall to assist him, that would be very helpful.”
“Water?”
“All the water you want, Tina. You just have to make it to the top.”
The girl nodded slowly, her head bobbing back and forth almost drunkenly. She seemed dazed and unfocused, on the edge of checking back out. Kimberly moved quickly, wrapping the rope around Tina’s hips and getting it in place.
“Ready?” she called up.
“Ready,” Mac replied, and Kimberly heard a new urgency in his voice. The fire was obviously sweeping closer.
“Tina,” she said intently. “If you want that water, you gotta move. And I mean now.”
She hefted the girl up, felt the slack immediately tighten in the rope. Tina seemed to half get it; her feet kicked weakly at the wall. A groan from up top. A heaving gasp as Mac began to pull.
“Water at the top, Tina. Water at the top.”
Then Tina did something Kimberly didn’t expect. From deep in her haze, she roused her tired limbs, stuck her feet in what appeared to be small gaps between the railroad ties and actually tried to help.
Up, up, up she went, climbing toward freedom. Up, up, up out of her dark hellhole.
And just for a moment, Kimberly felt something lighten in her chest. She stood there, watching this exhausted girl finally make it to safety and she felt a moment of satisfaction, of sublime peace. She had done good. She had gotten this one right.
Tina disappeared over the edge. Within seconds the rope was back down.
“Move!” Mac barked.
Kimberly grabbed the rope, spotted the toeholds and bolted for the top.
She crested the pit just in time to watch a wall of flames hit the trees and bear down upon them.
CHAPTER 47
Dismal Swamp, Virginia
2:39 P.M.
Temperature: 103 degrees
“WE NEED CHOPPERS, WE NEED THE MANPOWER, WE NEED HELP.”
Quincy pulled up at the cluster of cars and spotted the thin columns of smoke darkening the bright blue sky. One, two, three—there had to be nearly a dozen of them. He turned back to the forestry official who was still barking orders into a radio.
“What the hell has happened?”
“Fire,” the man said tersely.
“Where is my daughter?”
“Is she a hiker? Who is she with?”
“Dammit.” Quincy spotted Ray Lee Chee staggering out of a vehicle and made a beeline for him, Rainie hot on his heels. “What happened?”
“Don’t know. Drove into Lake Drummond to start the search. Next thing I know, I’m hearing whistle blasts and smelling smoke.”
“Whistle blasts?”
“Three sharp blows, the international call of distress. Sounded from the northeast quadrant. I was headed in that direction, but man, the smoke got so thick so fast. Brian and I figured we’d better bug out while we still had the chance. We’re not equipped with that kind of gear.”
“And the others?”
“Saw Kathy and Lloyd headed toward their vehicle. Don’t know about Kimberly, Mac, or that doctor dude.”
“How do I get to Lake Drummond?”
Ray just looked at him, then at the clouds of smoke. “Now, sir, you don’t.”
Mac and Kimberly had Tina slung between them, one of her arms over each of their shoulders. The girl was a fighter, trying vainly to help them by moving her feet. But her body had been pushed beyond its limits days ago. The more she tried to run with them, the more she stumbled and careened sluggishly, throwing them all off balance.
The awkward motions were getting them nowhere and the fire was gaining fast.
“I got her,” Mac said tersely.
“It’s too much weight—”
“Shut up and help.” He stopped and hunkered down. Tina wrapped her arms around his neck, Kimberly boosted the muddy girl up onto his back.
“Water,” the girl croaked.
“When we’re out of the woods,” Mac promised. Neither of them had the heart to tell Tina that they had no water left. For that matter, if they didn’t magically find their vehicle in about the next five minutes, all of the water in the world would make no difference.
They were off and running again.