Into the Fire Read Online Free

Angus glimpsed a horse still waiting to be rescued.
    The black mare neighed sharply. She had her head up and her headstall was broken: she must have stepped on the lead and snapped the buckles. When she saw the boy and the horse, she took off again, but Angus moved the bay over and blocked her way. She collided with them, the force landing mostly on Angus’ leg. He winced at the sudden pain in his knee but instinctively grabbed at the remnants of the headstall. The mare felt the pressure of his hand, shook her head once, but then stopped, meekly lowering her head. Angus directed his horse around and led the mare back to the truck.
    Mr Mac was next to the truck, staring frantically into the smoke. When he saw Angus, he gave a smile of relief then ran up and took the mare from him, leading her into the truck.
    Angus saw that there was another horse already next to the one with the blindfold. He slid off the bay, which caused a hot spurt of pain to shoot through his leg, and led his horse up into the truck as well. He hobbled back down the ramp and helped his father lift it up.
    ‘Whose is the other horse?’ Angus shouted.
    ‘Kenny Jones’. He says he’s got all his horses now.’
    ‘But there was one in his stables. I saw it.’
    Mr Mac frowned and then shook his head. ‘We’ve got to get these ones out. I’ll just check with him again. You get in the front. You’ve hurt your leg?’
    ‘I jarred it. I’m okay.’ Angus limped around the side of the truck. George and Harry were already in their battered four-wheel drive. Mr Mac was talking to Kenny Jones, who still looked neat, even in the chaos of the pending fire, and another man Angus didn’t know. He saw his father nod and come running over.
    ‘Let’s go.’
    ‘Coming, Dad.’ Angus was the last to get in. His knee was throbbing now and he took so long to open the cabin door that George and Harry had taken off, and Kenny Jones and his friend were walking past to get to their car.
    ‘…very sure we got every horse out.’
    Angus could hardly hear the words Kenny Jones spoke through the roar of the Brookwood Stables truck and the noise of the chaos around them. But he couldn’t mistake the confident look on Mr Jones’ face. He really did think all his horses were safe.
    Ash was falling from the sky as they drove away. Mr Mac didn’t speak but drove grimly, going much faster than he’d ever normally risk with horses on board. Angus felt sick. He just hoped that someone had got that last horse out.

CHAPTER 4
    Mr De Lugio and his eldest son, Mario, were in the kitchen discussing plans when E.D. and his other brother, Antonio, came in from the garage where all their motorbikes were stored. Five motorbikes were now loaded onto the trailer.
    ‘Right, listen up, boys. I’m in charge and we’ll do this my way,’ Mr De Lugio said, reaching for the pad of paper. ‘Now, Ma, I want you to stay inside here and keep an ear to the radio.’
    E.D. was about to protest but his mother fixed him with a warning look and he held his tongue. E.D. would go and get the family albums himself. He knew that was what his mum would be thinking about. They’d talked about it earlier, but E.D. had spent the morning cleaning out the garage with his two brothers.
    ‘Tony, you go outside and water.’
    ‘Water?’ E.D. spluttered.
    ‘Not just the garden, stupid,’ Mario laughed, giving E.D. a gentle shove. ‘Dad means the surroundings. The bushes and scrub down near the fence, the side of the house—anything and everything.’
    ‘The wind will take the fire towards the back of our property,’ Mr De Lugio continued, staring out the window. The others followed his gaze. Beyond the garden a dark, heavy wall of smoke shrouded the horizon. It was something E.D. hadn’t seen before and it was frightening. ‘The local fire authority will be updating on the radio. We do not need to run away from home and if we do, I will make the decision.’ Mr De Lugio took a sip of water.