Page 147 of The Fire Line

“County Road Six is closed south of the bridge. Repeat, County Six is closed. Spot fire crossed the road. All units clear the drainage.”

Harris’s hand tightened on the wheel.

Jay looked at him. “That’s us?”

“Yup.”

They rounded the next bend and saw why.

Orange fire moved through the grass beyond the junction, low and fast beneath the wind. Smoke swallowed sections of the road entirely, and somewhere inside it a tree came down with a sound Jay felt more than heard.

Harris braked. The trailer pushed against the truck before settling, and Rain kicked once inside, hard enough for Jay to feel through the frame.

For several seconds Harris stared through the windshield, measuring what remained visible—the road, the smoke, the width of the turn, whatever margin might still exist between them and the fire.

Jay knew that look now. Harris wasn’t ignoring the order. He was testing it against the physical evidence, searching for an option.

Apparently there wasn’t one.

Harris reached for the radio. “East access still open?”

Static answered first, then a voice Jay didn’t recognize.

“Negative. Crews pulled out of that drainage fifteen minutes ago.”

Cold settled beneath Jay’s ribs. Priya’s vehicle couldn’t have been much farther ahead when the road closed.

Harris put the truck into reverse.

“Where are we going?” Jay asked.

“Back.”

“To the ranch?”

“For now.”

Rain kicked again while Harris backed carefully until he had enough room to turn the truck and trailer.

Jay looked through the rear window at the road disappearing beneath smoke. “That was open ten minutes ago.”

“Yup.”

“How does a road disappear in ten minutes?”

“Wind.”

Harris drove faster on the return.

* * *

The ranch appeared again through the windshield. This time it did not look evacuated. It looked cut off.

Harris pulled beside the barn and was out before the engine fully stopped. “Checking the east road.”

“The deputy said command pulled out.”

“I heard him. Need to see it.”