Wildfire Run (13 page)

“Follow me,” Luke yelled
out his window. “You were right before, Callie. We need to go to the southwest to get out. We'll get Adam and then we'll go.” The wind was much stronger, but Luke couldn't tell if the smoke was any thicker. They had been in it so long he was used to it now, adjusting his breathing to take short, shallow breaths. His hair was almost dry from dunking it in the pool. When they got out of here, he was going to dive into a real swimming pool and never get out.

“Stop before you get to those boxes. I want to see if they're still working,” Callie said, starting up the golf cart.

“Okay.” Luke waved at her and turned the truck
toward the main part of the camp. It was strange to be driving the truck. It was so much higher up in the air than the golf cart or the jeep. He glanced over at Theo. Theo was drinking another bottle of water, holding Tocho in his lap with his other hand.

“Are you still okay, Theo?”

“I guess so. Do you want some water? Callie put some in here.”

Luke took a bottle with one hand, pulling the steering wheel too far with the other, making them lurch to the side. “It isn't as easy to drive as I thought it was going to be.”

“I can tell. Remind me not to ride with you again until you pass driver's ed.” Theo leaned out the window and looked back. “Callie's keeping up with you. She really can drive. She's pretty smart too.”

“You don't want to make her mad, though. She doesn't forget easily.” Luke turned the wheel too far to the left and the tire scraped the curb.

“Never mind,” Theo said. “Don't talk; just drive.”

Once they were away from the main buildings, Luke slowed the truck.

“We need to get off the road to go in the right
direction. It's going to be bumpy.”

“Are you sure the truck is going to fit through the trees?”

“We'll make it fit. Hold on.” Luke bounced off the road, trying to find the right speed to be able to maneuver around the trees. He ended up cutting back and forth to find room, running over anything small enough to fit under the truck. Every time he looked in the rearview mirror he saw Callie, crouched over the steering wheel of the golf cart, her eyes focused on the back of the truck.

Comet whined when Luke bounced the truck over a big exposed root, and Theo put up a hand to brace himself.

“How soon before we get to the defense system?” Theo asked.

“We're already past it,” Luke said. “Callie didn't notice; she was so busy trying to follow me. I knew it would be off. It's going to make her mad when she finds out. She doesn't like it when I fool her.”

Theo shook his head. “Remind me to stand back then.”

“How bad can it be?”

It was bad. When Luke pulled up beside the
jeep and stopped the truck, Callie was right behind him. She leaped out of the golf cart and ran toward the truck.

“You liar! You liar! I hate it when people lie to me. How could you! You're just lucky it was off!” She stomped around, punching the air. “If you weren't the President's kid, I'd…I'd…I don't know what I would do, but it would be something terrible!”

“Luke! Adam's awake,” Theo said, stopping Callie in midpunch.

Luke ran over to the tree where they had left Adam. He was struggling to sit up.

“Water,” Adam croaked.

“Get some water, quick.”

Callie gave Luke a bottle, and Luke held it up to Adam's mouth. Adam managed to swallow a little.

“Thanks,” he whispered.

A roar drowned out everything, and when Luke turned to the sound he saw a massive wall of flame rise up to the east. He looked at Callie and Theo. No one needed to say anything. They helped Adam into the golf cart, and within seconds Luke had the truck started, driving away from the flames, Callie following. Luke drove as
fast as he could, scraping trees on both sides, trying to see if the fire was visible in the rearview mirror.

“We're not going to clear that one!” Theo yelled. The side of the truck slammed into a tree and a mirror ripped off. Luke turned the wheel back and pushed on the gas, forcing the truck through the opening.

“We didn't need that mirror anyway,” Luke said, trying to keep control of the truck.

As they moved to the southwest, away from both the fires, Luke thought the air felt a little clearer. The roar wasn't as loud. When he could see larger gaps through the trees, Luke knew the fence was close. He slowed the truck, not sure he would be able to see the fence in the dim light of the smoke-filled air. When he thought he caught a glimpse of it, he stopped.

“Now are you going to tell us what you're doing?” Callie asked, climbing out of the golf cart. “Whatever it is, I hope it doesn't take long.” She looked back over her shoulder. “How much time do we have, Theo?”

“Not very much. We drove faster than it can spread, but it will catch up pretty soon. You'd better explain things quick, Luke.”

Luke lowered the lift. “I do listen sometimes when my dad talks about ancient battles,” he said. “The ancient Romans used battering rams all the time. We're going to turn the truck into a battering ram!”

Theo looked as if he would do anything to have a notebook in hand.

“Before you start pacing, Theo,” Luke said, “I know what you're going to say.” Luke started throwing the ropes down off the truck. “Electricity conducts through metal, so anyone inside when the truck hits would get a jolt of electricity. That's why I brought the two-by-fours. We'll tie down the steering wheel and then brace a piece of wood against the gas pedal and one on the brake pedal. We pull out the one on the brake pedal and let the truck go. No one has to be in it.”

Theo paced. “Okay, I can picture that. Come on, let's help him.” He climbed in the truck too. “What if the truck doesn't bring the fence all the way down? The fence looks strong.”

“I know, but I've looked at the fence before. It's made to keep people out, and the fence sections are bolted on the outside of the supports so they won't push in as easily. We are coming from it the other way. The truck won't be able to knock it
down completely, but that's okay. We're going to short out the fence.”

“How?” Callie asked. “Wasn't it made to prevent that?”

Luke threw down the two-by-fours. “Like I said, the fence is designed to make it hard to get in here, and to give the Marines an edge if there were an attack. If someone tried to get in, the idea is that the fence would slow them down long enough to allow the Marines to counterattack. The fence isn't a perfect defense by itself. We're going to short it out with a chain.” Luke picked up the sledgehammers and threw them out.

“I don't get it. Do we just throw the chain at it?”

“No, we attach the chain to the back bumper of the truck so it drags on the ground. Do you get it, Theo? It's just like when some insulation wears away on an electric train set and things short out.”

“Yes, brilliant! When the truck hits the fence, the electricity will go through the truck and then the chain and then go to ground. It might short out the fence, especially if the wires are already damaged by the impact.”

“Okay, whatever you say. We should stop talk
ing about this and do it,” Callie said. “What do we do first?”

“As soon as I get the truck positioned, Theo, you put the chain on the back bumper, so the metal can conduct the electricity. Here, take the creeper and the block and tackle out.”

Luke backed the truck up as far away as he could from the fence and parked it so it faced between two support pillars. He hoped it was far enough back to pick up enough speed. It wouldn't make a dent if it just bumped into the fence. After a few attempts, Luke found the right sizes of boards to brace both the gas pedal and the brake pedal. Theo helped him tie the steering wheel in place.

“Are we ready?” Luke placed the brace on the brake pedal and then started the engine. He picked up the board for the gas and pushed it into place, nearly flooring it. The blast of sound surprised him as the truck strained to move forward. “You two stand way back when I pull out the wood on the brake pedal.” Callie and Theo moved away.

“Wait!” Theo said, running back toward Luke as Luke was reaching his arm into the cab. “The truck is going to go forward so fast you might not
be able to get your arm out of the way. We have to tie a rope around the board so you can stand far enough back and pull on it.”

“You're right.” Luke stepped back, a little shaky at how close he had come to potential disaster.

“We're going to have to turn the truck off to do this. You don't want to accidentally dislodge the brake.”

Luke reached in and shut off the engine, telling himself he would never again think Theo worried about safety too much.

Once the rope was in place, Theo said, “I'm not sure this is such a good idea. You're going to have to yank on the rope and then drop it right away. If you hold on to it too long, it will pull you, because that two-by-four isn't going to come all the way out of the truck. It will get stuck somewhere.”

Luke had pictured the two-by-four flying out the door before the truck moved, but now he realized Theo was right again.

“I got it,” Luke said. “Move back.” He started the engine again, and then he pulled hard on the rope, dropping it as he fell backward. The truck lurched forward and the wood caught in the door just as Theo said it would. The truck picked up
speed, turning a little to the left. It still managed to crash into the fence between the supports, the front of the truck tipping up as the fence buckled. There was a crackling, hissing sound, and bolts of electricity raced down the truck, sparking and crackling. Then nothing.

“I think it worked,” Callie said in a hushed voice. “I don't hear the humming anymore.”

Luke picked up a stick. “Do you have any water left? Pour some on the end of this.”

“We have lots of water left.” Callie soaked the stick. “I'm not going to ask for a long explanation,” she said with a grin.

“If the fence is still live, it will spark when it touches the water. Wood is not a very good conductor of electricity, so it won't hurt me.” Luke came close to the fence. He knew he was right, but it was still hard to reach the stick out and touch it to the fence.

When nothing happened, Callie danced around them, grabbing Luke and kissing him and then moving on to Theo. Theo drew back and then stopped, letting her grab and kiss him too.

“Let's go,” she yelled. “Last one over the fence is a rotten egg.” She dashed over to the fence and started to climb across.

“Callie,” Luke called, “we have some other stuff to do to get Adam out. We can use the sledgehammers to break down the outer fence, but we can't carry him to safety. He might be able to walk a little, but he can't outrun the fire.”

Callie came back. She walked over to Adam and then came close to Luke. “Luke, Adam's unconscious again.” She glanced at Theo and then back at Luke. “Did you ever think we should leave him?” she said slowly. “You know they must be sending more helicopters, and the fire is still coming.” She pointed to the east, where a red glow rose above the trees, the crackling getting louder again. “It's coming closer. Why don't we get out so we can tell them where Adam is?”

“He wouldn't want you endangering yourself to save him,” Theo said. “We should get out while we can. Let's go.”

Luke looked at the
two of them, clenching his fists. “I don't care what anyone would want me to do,” he bellowed. “I'm sick of people getting hurt because of me, just because it's their job. For the last time, I am not leaving him! You go if you want. I have to get to work.” He walked over and picked up the longest, thickest piece of rope, looping it around his neck, fighting back tears.

“We're staying,” Callie said. “That was stupid of us. Just tell us what to do.”

After Luke explained, Theo began to laugh so hard, he had to sit on the ground holding his sides. When he stopped laughing, he said, “I don't know how you came up with that, but it's
so crazy, it might work.”

“I'm glad you think it's so funny,” Callie yelled. “It's more than crazy; it's ridiculous. Whoever heard of pulling a golf cart up in a tree and running it along a zip line over a fence?”

“No, it's brilliant,” Theo said. “Once it's on the other side, we'll all fit in. We'll just drive to where we can find someone to help us.”

“Hector's idea back at the front gate made me think of it,” Luke said. “His plan wouldn't work as long as the electric fence was live, because a rope couldn't be tied high enough on the trees outside of the fence to support someone's weight coming straight across. They're pruned so you can't. But we don't want that anyway. I'm going to tie the rope around a trunk on the other side, lower to the ground. Now that the fence is partway down, the line will start high on this side and run down so the cart just clears the fence to the other side.”

“A golf cart is too heavy. You can't lift it up in a tree.” Callie wiped some sweat off her face.

“The block and tackle will lift a lot of weight,” Luke said. “That's what it's made for, because with all the pulleys you can lift more than you could with just a rope. The heaviest part of a golf
cart is the batteries, and there are six of them. We take them out and carry them over ourselves. Then we put the batteries back in on the other side. This rope is supposed to hold five hundred pounds. I know because Sal made us use this sort of rope when we built the tree house. A golf cart without the batteries probably weighs about five hundred pounds.” He really didn't know how much a golf cart weighed, but he wasn't going to tell them that.

“Whatever you say.” Callie sighed. “I'm too tired to think. What do we do?”

“I already know which tree I want to use on this side.” Luke picked up the coil of rope, slung it over his shoulder, and then grabbed the sledgehammer. “We need to knock a hole in the outer fence so I can find a good tree on the other side.”

When he climbed up and over the electric fence, he felt his knee throb, but he knew he couldn't let it slow him down. Theo followed, and after a few minutes Callie came too.

“Let's see how hard it is to knock this down,” Luke said, taking a swing. He put all his weight into it, but only one board cracked.

“Let me try,” Theo said. Theo's swing punched
through and he kept at it, splintering the wood.

When enough pieces were broken, Luke said, “Let me get through so I can scout around. You two keep working until there's a big enough space to get Adam through.”

Luke found an oak tree he thought would be strong enough, and then he realized where he was. He was outside the fence, by himself. Even though the woods were the same, it felt strange, like all the trees had grown bigger but he had shrunk. He put his cheek against the rough bark. What was Sal doing right now? Why hadn't he come to the back gate? Luke couldn't even tell how much time had passed; it seemed like hours and hours, but he didn't think they would still be alive if it had been that long. What was his father doing? Was Air Force One on its way back to Washington? Was his mom on her way home?

Taking a breath, Luke slung the coil of rope around to his back and climbed, trying to think only of getting to the branch he wanted. He was so tired he had to think about moving each arm and each leg one at a time, like he was controlling a puppet on a string. At the first fork he looped the rope around the trunk and tied it off. He fed out some of the rope, then started to make his
way down, wishing he'd worn work gloves as the rope fibers burned against his hands.

On the ground, Luke fed out more of the rope and then made his way back to the fence. He saw the golf cart pulled right up to the edge, and Callie leaning over Adam. She was smiling and opening a water bottle again. Luke was amazed to see Theo reach out and take one of Adam's arms while Adam used the other to push himself off the seat.

“Hey, pal,” Adam said to Luke. He swayed toward Theo, and Theo caught him, sagging under Adam's weight.

“Don't talk, Adam,” Callie said. “Luke, we already took Tocho and Comet over and we're going to help Adam over the fence. It will be a lot easier than carrying him if he can do part of it himself. Get on his other side.”

“Let me get rid of the rope first.”

They shuffled forward, using the bent fence like a ramp, Adam with his arms around Theo's and Luke's shoulders, his weight nearly collapsing Luke's legs every time he took a step.

At the top of the fence, now about four feet from the ground, Luke said, “You're going to have to sit down, Adam, and turn around to swing
yourself off the fence.” Adam was drenched in sweat, and his breath came in shallow gasps. He nodded his head.

Theo and Luke jumped down first and positioned themselves so they could help. Adam managed to turn around, but when he swung off the fence he couldn't hold on. Luke and Theo tried to catch him, but Adam's weight brought them all to the ground.

Adam lay still and then opened his eyes again.

“We're almost there,” Theo said. “Do you think you can crawl over here just a little ways?”

Watching Adam struggle to crawl was so painful Luke had to turn away. “I'm going back over,” he said, picking up the end of the rope and swinging himself up on the fence. He noticed that the metal on the fence was getting warm.

“That should be far enough,” Luke heard Theo say.

Back inside the fence, Luke picked up another rope and added it to the section he still held, staggering a bit under the additional weight of the thick rope.

“Next job,” Callie said.

“Drive the golf cart right under that tree. I have to get the ropes up it so I can fasten the
other end of the zip line and bring the block and tackle up.”

When the golf cart was in place, Luke climbed on the front, reaching up to grab the lowest branch. He pulled himself up and swung a leg over, willing himself to go the rest of the way.

After he tied off the zip line, he dropped the other rope over the largest branch forking toward the fence.

“Callie,” he said, looking down and seeing Theo as well, “both of you can get the batteries out and get them over the fence. Use the creeper like a cart, because they're heavy. You can push it right up to the bent fence section. I'm coming back down to tie up the block and tackle. I'll need your help to pull it up into the tree.”

The block and tackle went up more easily than Luke expected, with all of them pulling on the other end of the rope.

“Hold this while I get back up there and secure it.” As Luke went back up in the tree, he wondered why he used to think tree climbing was fun.

“Only one more time on this side,” he said, when he finished tying off the pulley system. “I'm coming down.”

He walked around the golf cart. “We need to tie up the golf cart like you're putting ribbon on a present, front to back and side to side, with a loop at the top so I can loop another rope to the zip line once we get it up.”

“How is it going to move along the zip line?” Callie asked.

“Gravity should carry it across. I tied the other end lower than the end on this side. The weight of the golf cart should be enough to make it slide along the rope. I'm going to have an extra rope hang from it in case we have to pull it along.” This was the weakest part of the plan. Luke didn't know if the rope would hold, but he didn't want Callie and Theo to know.

The golf cart did look like a present once it was tied up. It would be a present to them all if the plan worked. Luke didn't think he could even crawl away from here now, much less outrun a fire. He coughed. His mouth felt like the inside of a fireplace. It was getting so hard to breathe, he felt like he wanted to take big gasps of the smoky air.

“We need to lift it up by pulling on the other end of the rope,” Luke said. “Once it's up in the air, we can wrap our end around the tree, and
then you two are going to have to hold it while I get back up there and attach it to the zip line.”

Getting the golf cart up, Luke started to talk to himself in his head.
Just a few more minutes to get this up, a few more minutes to get it across, a few more minutes to get everyone in, a few more minutes to get away; it will all be over in a few more minutes.

“Hurry, Luke!” Callie called. “I see the flames coming this way. They aren't very far off.” The heat was so great now, Luke's hands were slippery with sweat as he tied a loop around the zip line and through the rope loop on the golf cart.

“Let go of the rope and get across the fence,” he yelled down. “If this doesn't work, take off running. Don't wait for me.”

“It will work,” Callie said. Luke didn't look down. He let go of the top rope; the golf cart slid. The rope sagged down and started to fray.

“It's not going to clear the fence,” he whispered, watching the cart dip lower and lower as it slid. The cart started to tip, the weight of the engine unbalancing it.

Luke held his breath as the wheels just skimmed the top edge of the fence. The cart slid on down the rope until it came to a stop about two feet
above the ground. The rope snapped and it fell with a thud.

“Yes!” Luke yelled, punching his arm up in the air and almost losing his balance.

“Get out of there, Luke!” Callie screamed. Theo was already lifting the batteries back into the battery compartment. Luke slid down the pulley rope. The front edge of the fire was around the bottom of the tree now, the dead grass and twigs burning like little sparklers. He stopped, feet from the ground, not wanting to go straight into the fire.

“Jump!” Callie cried.