Read Online Fallen Angel by Melissa Jones - Free Book Online Page B

didn’t have a choice. Ella and Angie were still there, he had to make sure they were both safe. He trusted Blaze to know the terrain and navigate the obstacles that the storm might have churned up so he let him have his head. They had to ford a flooded gully but that was the only thing that caused him to slow.  When they pounded into the yard they found the barn with one section of the roof ablaze. Ella was standing in the yard ringing her hands. He pulled Blaze up and slid to the ground in one fluid motion.
    “Luke.” Ella ran toward him frantically. “Angel, went back in there! I couldn’t stop her.” Luke frowned and looked at the barn.
    “Is she after the animals?”
    “No she already got them out, they are in the corral.”
    “Stay with her,” he said to James who had dismounted right behind him then ran though the door way into the barn. He looked around thinking she mus t be after another animal. He didn’t see any sign of her or any animals but he could smell the smoke in the air.
    “Angie,” he yelled, “Where are you?”
    “I’m up here.” He still couldn’t see her but he could hear her. It sounded like she was above his head. He grabbed the ladder and hoisted himself up into the loft. The smoke was significantly thicker up here. He looked toward the end and saw the flames. That’s when he saw Angie as well. She was battling back the flames with a blanket.
    “What the hell are you doing? Just leave it and get out of here.”
    “No, it’s still small, I can put it out.” He grabbed her arm and turned her around.
    “Angie are you crazy? It’s not worth your life. Let’s go!” He pulled her toward the ladder but she jerked her arm out of his grasp.
    “No.”
    “I don’t want to have to carry you out of here but I will. You are under my protection and I will not let you risk your life for a building.” He roared.
    “Luke think about it, if the barn goes it will take the bunk house with it for sure. Maybe the house too. You want to just sit here and do nothing?” She yelled back at him.
    “There is nothing we can do, it’s not like we can form a bucket brigade.”
    “If we can fight from the inside, keep it from the hay, the rain will help us on the outside.”
    “Angie a blanket isn’t going to keep that hay from going up and when it does you’ re a sitting duck up here.”
    “ We’ll haul up buckets through that window with a rope.” She pointed at the opening at the end of the barn. He looked at it then her.
    “Fine go get buckets.” He barked.
    “Why don’t you go get buckets?”
    “Because I am stronger than you and I can haul them up. And because I said so ! Now move!” He yelled. She wanted to argue with him but she knew he was right. She climbed down the ladder as quickly as she could and grabbed the water buckets out of the stalls and ran out to where Ella and James were still standing. She quickly explained what she wanted them to do then turned and ran back into the barn.
    “What are you doing?” Luke said when he saw her back up.
    “You can’t do it by yourself.”  He growled and threw one end of a rope out the opening. He had secured the other end to a beam so he didn’t have to worry about losing it. A moment later he felt a tug and carefully hauled it back up again. He set the bucket on the floor and untied the rope from the handle then threw the rope out again. He watched Angie pick up the bucket and carry to the fire and throw it on then run it back.
    “Throw it where the fire is spreading to, maybe we can cut it off.” She nodded then coughed. When he hauled the next bucket up he dunked his bandanna in it and tied it around her nose and mouth, then let her take the bucket. 
    As they continued the procedure he was sure it was a losing battle, it didn’t seem like they were making any progress against the fire. Then he realized the fire wasn’t progressing either. Shortly after he realized that he saw it begin to shrink until finally he