arm.
“What are you doing?”
“The way I figure it, you owe me. All I wanted was one kiss. You said stop and I did. And for that you make a formal complaint and I get fired? That hardly seems fair to me.”
The ground under her feet moved as another tremor hit. She lost her balance.
Kevin caught her, gripping both arms tightly and pulling her towards him.
“Get off me.” She raised her voice, hoping someone would hear it, praying for the strength to fight him off it that’s what it came to.
“Retract it,” he demanded. He shook her.
“Or what?” Jael raised her gaze to his, keeping her voice as steady as she could.
Kevin’s hand slid to her waist and he kissed her.
Jael bit down hard on his tongue, and brought her knee up hard and fast.
Kevin swore, clutching himself tightly as he fell to the floor.
The dispensary door opened and Micah ran in. “Jael? I heard you…” he broke off and raised an eyebrow.
“I’m fine.”
“Did he try something?”
“She kicked me,” Kevin managed, as he rolled on the floor in obvious pain.
“Not hard enough,” Jael muttered. “Just ignore him.”
A huge tremor struck. Bookcases along the wall toppled. Micah grabbed Jael, dragging her to the door frame and protecting her with his body. The wall beside them cracked and the ceiling fell with a shower of dust and debris. A beam hit Kevin, cutting off his cry of pain.
Jael tried to get to him.
“Leave him,” Micah said, holding onto her.
“I can’t.” She tugged free.
Micah grabbed her, pulling her backwards as another beam fell. This one caught his arm, tossing him to the floor.
The movement stopped and Jael spun around. “Micah, where are you?”
“Over here.” The voice came from her left.
She tossed the polystyrene ceiling tiles to one side, uncovering a dusty Micah. “Are you hurt?”
He shook his head, rising from the dirt, looking like something out of a horror film. “What about you?”
“I’m fine.” She glanced around. “Where’s…”
“Kevin’s dead. Let’s get out of here.” He took her hand and pulled her from the remains of the room.
Danny stood by the office door. “Are you two all right? Where’s Kevin?”
“We’re fine,” Micah said. “Kevin’s dead, the ceiling fell on him.” He took a deep breath. “He’d tried…”
Jael squeezed his fingers. “It’s nothing,” she whispered. “He’s dead, no point making things any worse.”
Danny nodded, either not hearing or choosing to ignore her comment. “We need to leave now. Everyone else from the base has gone. Steve’s taking us. You go with Micah…”
“What about the locals?” Jael asked.
“The navy and army are evacuating them,” Danny said. “It’s not my problem.”
The radio cracked.
“Leave it.”
“I can’t…” Jael ran into the office and picked up the mic. “This is Achor base.”
“This is Mr. Steveton. The road’s gone. We can’t get out.”
“We’ll come and get you.”
Zeek shook his head. “You don’t have time. The readings show you have minutes, an hour at the most.”
Micah looked at her. “I hate to agree honey, but I can’t risk it. Not in this ash cloud.”
“We don’t have a choice.” Her hands screwed into fists. “We can’t let them die out there. We could pick them up on the way to Bantu. It’s not that far.”
Micah hesitated, and Jael could see the anguish of decision in his eyes. Then he sighed. “OK, but we go now. You’ll have to leave everything behind.”
“One minute.” She grabbed her pack containing the ropes, tent pegs, and basic first aid stuff. Shoving a couple of syringes, vials, and pill boxes into it, she nodded. “OK, ready.”
****
Micah ran with Jael to the hanger, grateful he’d left the plane there. He was also thankful for the full fuel tanks. That didn’t make her any less insane or this plan any less harebrained than it was. Around them, the ash fell like snow. The sky was dark, filled with foreboding and
“What are you doing?”
“The way I figure it, you owe me. All I wanted was one kiss. You said stop and I did. And for that you make a formal complaint and I get fired? That hardly seems fair to me.”
The ground under her feet moved as another tremor hit. She lost her balance.
Kevin caught her, gripping both arms tightly and pulling her towards him.
“Get off me.” She raised her voice, hoping someone would hear it, praying for the strength to fight him off it that’s what it came to.
“Retract it,” he demanded. He shook her.
“Or what?” Jael raised her gaze to his, keeping her voice as steady as she could.
Kevin’s hand slid to her waist and he kissed her.
Jael bit down hard on his tongue, and brought her knee up hard and fast.
Kevin swore, clutching himself tightly as he fell to the floor.
The dispensary door opened and Micah ran in. “Jael? I heard you…” he broke off and raised an eyebrow.
“I’m fine.”
“Did he try something?”
“She kicked me,” Kevin managed, as he rolled on the floor in obvious pain.
“Not hard enough,” Jael muttered. “Just ignore him.”
A huge tremor struck. Bookcases along the wall toppled. Micah grabbed Jael, dragging her to the door frame and protecting her with his body. The wall beside them cracked and the ceiling fell with a shower of dust and debris. A beam hit Kevin, cutting off his cry of pain.
Jael tried to get to him.
“Leave him,” Micah said, holding onto her.
“I can’t.” She tugged free.
Micah grabbed her, pulling her backwards as another beam fell. This one caught his arm, tossing him to the floor.
The movement stopped and Jael spun around. “Micah, where are you?”
“Over here.” The voice came from her left.
She tossed the polystyrene ceiling tiles to one side, uncovering a dusty Micah. “Are you hurt?”
He shook his head, rising from the dirt, looking like something out of a horror film. “What about you?”
“I’m fine.” She glanced around. “Where’s…”
“Kevin’s dead. Let’s get out of here.” He took her hand and pulled her from the remains of the room.
Danny stood by the office door. “Are you two all right? Where’s Kevin?”
“We’re fine,” Micah said. “Kevin’s dead, the ceiling fell on him.” He took a deep breath. “He’d tried…”
Jael squeezed his fingers. “It’s nothing,” she whispered. “He’s dead, no point making things any worse.”
Danny nodded, either not hearing or choosing to ignore her comment. “We need to leave now. Everyone else from the base has gone. Steve’s taking us. You go with Micah…”
“What about the locals?” Jael asked.
“The navy and army are evacuating them,” Danny said. “It’s not my problem.”
The radio cracked.
“Leave it.”
“I can’t…” Jael ran into the office and picked up the mic. “This is Achor base.”
“This is Mr. Steveton. The road’s gone. We can’t get out.”
“We’ll come and get you.”
Zeek shook his head. “You don’t have time. The readings show you have minutes, an hour at the most.”
Micah looked at her. “I hate to agree honey, but I can’t risk it. Not in this ash cloud.”
“We don’t have a choice.” Her hands screwed into fists. “We can’t let them die out there. We could pick them up on the way to Bantu. It’s not that far.”
Micah hesitated, and Jael could see the anguish of decision in his eyes. Then he sighed. “OK, but we go now. You’ll have to leave everything behind.”
“One minute.” She grabbed her pack containing the ropes, tent pegs, and basic first aid stuff. Shoving a couple of syringes, vials, and pill boxes into it, she nodded. “OK, ready.”
****
Micah ran with Jael to the hanger, grateful he’d left the plane there. He was also thankful for the full fuel tanks. That didn’t make her any less insane or this plan any less harebrained than it was. Around them, the ash fell like snow. The sky was dark, filled with foreboding and
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