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“Ranger Harper, we heard shouting,” the woman said.
“It’s okay,” Lucy replied. “This is Sawyer. He’s part of Redwood Coast Rescue.”
There was a pause. Then: “Holy shit,” the man said. “The blind Marine? I read an article about you.”
Sawyer winced. It wasn’t exactly how he loved being introduced. There was more to him than his blindness, but ever since that article about him in a popular wilderness magazine got picked up by mainstream media, it was all anyone ever wanted to talk about.
Resigned, he nodded and waved vaguely in the direction of the voices. “That’s me.”
“Wow. I’m Theodore, and this is my wife, Bea. It’s so nice to meet you. You’re an inspiration, man. If I lost my sight, I wouldn’t be as brave as you.”
Mr. Grassley scoffed. “You mean to tell me that you’re part of a rescue team? Are you honestly trying to find someone out here?”
Sawyer worked his jaw hard enough that it popped. “Yes,” he bit out.
Zelda whined, pressing against his leg. Sweet girl that she was, she never liked tension or conflict.
“Can we help?” Theodore asked, enthusiasm bounding in his voice like an eager puppy.
Grassley grunted. “We didn’t pay for this tour to look for a lost man.”
“Actually,” Lucy said and seemed to relish correcting him. “If there’s a lost hiker, it’s everyone’s duty on the trail to keep an eye out for him.”
“We’ll be glad to help,” Bea said gruffly, barreling over Grassley’s next protest.
Just as Sawyer opened his mouth to thank them, the world seemed to lurch beneath his feet. Zelda yelped and slammed into his side, causing him to stumble.
“What the?—”
The ground heaved violently beneath them.
Earthquake.
The stench of unsettled earth and the high, shrill cries of frightened birds filled the air. Zelda howled with terror, her nails scrabbling on the loose dirt as she fought to keep her balance.
Rocks calved off the mountainside, tumbling down around them and exploding on impact, sending shrapnel flying. For a moment, he was back in a warzone with mortars raining down and enemy fire coming from every direction.
Nowhere was safe.
“Get down!” Lucy shouted. She sounded calm and in control. “Protect your heads!”
Sawyer crouched, pulling Zelda close and protecting her as best he could while rocks skittered and rolled around them. Dust filled his nostrils, grit stinging his eyes. His ears rang.
The shaking seemed to go on forever like the mountain was rebelling against the world itself. Beads of sweat trickled down his neck as he clenched his jaw tight against the fear threatening to crawl out his throat. He’d survived war zones, injuries, and the sniper’s bullet that had claimed his sight, but this... this was something entirely different.
Then— silence. It came on just as suddenly and shockingly as the earthquake itself. Only the sounds of their heavy, ragged breaths and distant echoes of tumbling stones filled the air.
He raised his head and coughed to clear the dirt from his mouth. His eyes felt gritty. “Lucy?”
“I’m here,” she gasped from his left. “I’m okay. Everyone?”
“We’re okay,” Bea croaked.
“Oh my God,” Joel said, his voice cracking. “Dad!”
There was a lot of scrambling around him then—voices talking over each other, Joel crying. He saw lots of movement, flashes of faces and hands, and?—
A branch snapped like a gunshot, breaking off a nearby tree. He saw it falling through the air with startling clarity. He also saw the vague outline of a person standing directly underneath it and dove toward them. “Look out!”
His hands connected with the person’s back, shoving them out of the way. But he wasn’t fast enough. The branch landed on him, and it was like getting hit by a concrete block. His knees crumbled, and pain exploded through his head…
And then there was nothing but blackness.
