No Mark Upon Her

then all hell broke loose.”
    Boats were not Tavie’s forte. She stepped carefully into the skiff, followed more confidently by Ian, and the man pushed off.
    “Did you—is Kieran—is anyone hurt?” Tavie asked. She’d been called ice maiden because she was usually so calm at a scene, but now her heart felt as if it might pump out of her chest. Suddenly she realized that this was how Kieran had felt while they were searching for Rebecca Meredith and his worst fears had been realized. Dread settled in the pit of her stomach.
    “You know the guy who lives there?” Ian’s dismay registered on his face, even in the flickering light. “Don’t tell me it’s that bloke—”
    She didn’t answer, focusing on the man rowing. “Please—what’s your name?”
    “John.”
    “John, is anyone hurt?”
    “I don’t know. We couldn’t get close enough.” There was a crack and more sparks shot into the air. “Shit,” John said, pushing the oars harder through the water. The prow of the little skiff lifted from the force. “My wife—we’ve got to get people away from there. Where is the fucking fire engine?”
    Glancing back, Tavie saw flashing blue lights moving slowly towards the shore. “They’re coming. They’ve got to go through the park.”
    “If they don’t get here soon, there’ll be nothing left.”
    Tavie could feel the heat as they neared the landing raft. As soon as the skiff touched, she scrambled out, nearly missing her step. She could see a woman now, in front of the cottage next door.
    “John!” the woman shouted. “Are they coming? Everything could go up any—”
    “Get away, Janet.” John tied the skiff to a bollard and he and Ian climbed out on Tavie’s heels. He motioned the woman towards the open ground to the right of their cottage.
    Tavie looked back. The engine was aligned parallel to the river’s edge now. They’d be pumping soon.
    “Go, both of you,” she ordered. Then she had no more thought for them as she ran towards the flames.
    “Tav, are you out of your mind?”
    She heard Ian’s words, but they seemed to have no connection to her.
    She was close now, the heat scorching her face. There were only a few yards between the landing raft and the shed. Then she saw a dark shape and heard the high-pitched keening of a dog over the crackle of the fire.
    “Finn! Finn!”
    The dog yelped but didn’t come to her. Shielding her face with her arm, she took a few more steps and saw why. He wouldn’t leave his master.
    Kieran lay facedown, legs splayed, arms beneath him, as if he’d fallen without trying to catch himself.
    Tavie’s training took over. She pulled her torch from her belt and ran the last few steps. Behind her, Ian was muttering, “You’re mad, you’re utterly mad,” but he was right with her.
    She knelt, playing the torch over Kieran’s prone form. Finn whimpered and tried to lick her face. “It’s all right, boy, it’s all right,” she said. “Easy, now. Sit. Good boy.” The dog sat, but he was trembling with distress. The torch caught the gleam of the whites of his eyes.
    Tavie put a hand on Kieran’s shoulder and felt a reassuring movement in return. He groaned.
    “Kieran, it’s me. Can you turn over? Can you move?”
    He moaned again and rolled towards her. “I had to get—I had to get Finn—”
    “Don’t talk.” She played the light over his face, and for a horrifying moment she thought one side was charred black. Then she felt moisture, saw the sheen of blood on the hand she’d placed on his shoulder.
    “My head.” He reached up. “Something came down—”
    “We’ve got to move you. Can you stand?” She slipped an arm beneath his shoulder as Ian took his other side.
    They got him to his feet, but then he twisted away from them. “The boat—”
    “Your boat’s fine—”
    “No, the boat . The shell I was building—” He lurched towards a long, slender shape, made humped by the drape of a tarpaulin. “Don’t let it burn. Her boat—”
    Shouts and the chug of the diesel pump carried across the water. Tavie recognized the captain’s voice as he yelled, “Clear the area, clear the area.” The force of the jet from the deck gun could do them serious damage—not to mention what would happen if the shed blew before the engine could get the fire under control. With a shudder, she thought of the solvents Kieran used on his boat repairs.
    “Come on, Kieran.” She and Ian grabbed him again, half lifting him off his