But only four this night. Only four, when it ought to have been a hundred, perhaps two. A crew of trapped miners, a school, and a row of housing before that raging landslide.
It was midnight before Patrick persuaded his tired body up those stairs. He’d had the good sense to wash, redress before he went to find her. He felt he could never again stand the stench of wet earth. He’d scrubbed and scrubbed until every particle was lifted from his skin, nails, hair, and still, he felt gritty with it.
Sam was asleep in his chair, and Patrick passed him by like a phantom, his feet dragging, his heart pounding. The door was unlocked. He pushed it inward.
Nina was curled up in sleep. Moonbeams found her through the window and left squares of light on the blankets. She breathed softly, her parted l
