Giving her a bit of space was the best thing right now. For how long though, he wasn’t sure. Because her temper was sure to get the best of her sooner or later.
A deep rumble sounded above his head. Oh no. Dark storm clouds were heading their way. “Zach! Look!”
The team leader looked up. “Quick! Get the tarps in place.”
As they rushed around to cover the exposed fossils they’d been working on, he glanced at Anna. Rain was rare out here in the summer, but they were always prepared.
“Anna! Storm!”
Her head snapped up and she rushed into motion, packing the fossils in the crates and preparing them to be loaded on the wagon. Just in case.
Prayerfully this wouldn’t cause another flash flood. But if it did, they had to be prepared for it.
Thunder grew in the distance and the day darkened.
Walker ran across the washout. “How can I help?”
Zach shouted directions to all of them and they packed as if they were being chased by the devil himself.
They loaded crates in the wagon, along with Anna’s satchel. The canopy and makeshift table were taken down and loaded.
Anna’s gaze was frantic as she peered around. The rain started coming down in massive sheets of water.
In a matter of seconds, they were all drenched.
“We’ve got to go now, Anna. We can’t get caught in this gulley if it floods.” Joshua tugged on her arm. The other guysmounted their horses. Walker ran back across the washout to his home.
“Do you think it will all be okay?” She bit her lip and wouldn’t move.
“It’s out of our hands. But we’ve protected it the best that we could.” He pulled her toward the wagon.
The telltale roar in the distance spurred him into action.
Joshua swept her up in his arms and dashed to the wagon. He practically threw her up onto the seat and then jumped up beside her.
“Go!”
The horses flew into action.
Anna gripped his arm and kept her gaze over her shoulder. “I don’t see anything yet.”
“We’ve got to get out of this washout and onto higher ground as soon as possible. Keep an eye out for me, okay?” He flicked the reins again. “Yah! Faster, boys.”
As dangerous as it was to race along the rocky, uneven gulley in the wagon, they didn’t have much choice. Time wasn’t on their side and it would be much worse to get caught up in a flash flood. The roar behind them grew.
It was coming.
“Twice in one summer. That hasn’t happened since we’ve lived here, has it?” Joshua steered the horses toward the north side, where the rise of wall decreased. If he could get them up safely before the water reached them, that was all that mattered.
“Dad said that he was warned by the Indians he worked with on a small dig up near Casper. But I don’t remember anything like this. The occasional flash flood when a storm came through, but nothing of the magnitude of the last one.”
“Maybe this one won’t be as bad.” He spotted a grassy slope they might be able to make it up. As long as the horses kept their footing.
“Are you headed for that?” She pointed exactly where he’d hoped to gain higher ground.
“Yeah. Think it’ll work?”
“It’s not as steep. I think it’s our only chance.” Her grip on his arm tightened. “Oh no ...hurry!”
