Firebreak: A Mystery Read Online Free PDF

evacuation route?” she asked.
    “I do. We’re headed down Bull Run Road toward 67. The radio said the elementary school is ready with cots set up for the night.”
    “Excellent. You have five minutes and I want you out of the driveway. Okay?”
    The man nodded and turned to see Dell helping his wife with one last load.
    Josie and Dell left and wound their way down the road to the next house, owned by Smokey and Vie Blessings. Smokey was a city council member whom Josie had worked with for many years. He was a voice of reason whenever Mayor Moss tried to fight Josie’s decisions. Josie was also friends with Smokey’s wife, Vie, a nurse at the town’s trauma center. Where Smokey was easygoing, Vie was passionate. She was often the only nurse working in an ER that shared rotating physicians because of the town’s small size and remote location. Vie got things done.
    When Josie and Dell got out of the car and approached the house, they found Smokey standing by their pickup truck, his face red and angry. Josie reached her hand out and shook Smokey’s. “You heard about the mandatory evacuation? Fire chief wants you out immediately. The fire is too unpredictable right now.”
    “I know about the evacuation. Tell my wife! I can’t get her out of that house. I don’t know what’s wrong with her.” Smokey turned back and glanced toward the truck, where his sixteen-year-old son was sitting, staring down at his cell phone. “Donny’s been sitting in there for fifteen minutes while she keeps dragging out more junk we don’t need. I can’t get her to stop and listen.”
    Josie was stunned. She’d never seen Smokey lose his cool. “Let me go talk to her.”
    Dell offered to help Smokey throw the suitcases situated behind the pickup into the bed, and she ran inside the house. It was a two-story stone house, decorated with Southwest fabrics and patterns. Josie heard noise from the hallway to the left of the front door and found Vie digging in a closet in what appeared to be a craft or sewing room.
    “Vie, it’s Josie.”
    Vie pulled out of the closet and Josie recognized the wide-eyed vacant look on her face as a combination of terror and shock. It was a look that Josie did not associate with the woman who remained in charge during whatever crisis was thrown at her at the trauma center. Vie said nothing, just stared at Josie, her eyes unblinking.
    “Vie, you have to leave. The fire is headed this direction. None of this stuff is worth your life.”
    Vie reached back into the closet and pulled out a box that appeared to hold memorabilia—baby books and a child’s blanket. “I can’t leave all this. I have boxes from Donny’s childhood. I’ve kept all this for him. I don’t have our photos yet. They’re in my bedroom.”
    Josie put her hand on Vie’s arm to pull her from the closet but Vie jerked free. Josie reached for her again, this time grabbing hold in a tight grip. “Vie,” Josie said, her voice loud, her tone firm. “You are putting your son’s life in jeopardy right now. That fire is headed directly toward this house. Smokey and Donny are outside waiting on you.”
    She turned and looked at Josie as if she’d been slapped. Tears welled up in her eyes. “We came from nothing. We built this home, piece by piece.”
    Josie kept her hand on Vie’s arm and guided her out of the bedroom. Vie clutched the box but walked with Josie down the hallway. “You won’t lose those memories. You’ve made a great home for your family, and if you have to, you’ll rebuild. But we have to keep you safe. We need you to leave now so we can move on to the next family.”
    They reached the door and Vie stopped again, staring at Josie for a moment before finally walking to the car without another word. She got into the passenger seat and Smokey backed out of the driveway without hesitation.
    The next three homes were empty. As they reached the last home, Doug called and said it was time to get out. The flames from the