Walker: Secrets

Chapter 75

The firefighters arrived a short time later, an ambulance following along close behind. While the paramedics took care of checking over both Geri and Gale then after much persistence, Cordell too, the firefighters worked hard to control the blaze and extinguish the fire. The fire had begun to spread across the paddock and towards Walker ranch but with the hard efforts of the fire crew, the grass fire started by the barn had been contained before it could do too much damage.

The barn however was already a lost cause before the firefighters arrived and by the time that morning came, the rising sun rose over a smoldering pile of charred timbers and burnt hay bales. There was hardly anything left of the barn after the fire, even the stacks of timber closest to the barn had been destroyed as well.

As the firefighters began packing up, police officers arrived along with the forensics department and Cordell went to go speak with them and arrange things that needed to be sorted. Maddie stayed back with Geri, the two of them seated on the tailgate of Cordell's truck to watch things unfold.

The sound of a vehicle approaching caught Maddie's attention and she looked over to see that it was Dan's truck, Denise and Colton getting out along with him once he'd brought it to a stop. Denise hurried over to the ambulance where her mother was still being seen too, Colton jogging over towards her.

'Maddie...'

'I'm okay, I'm okay.' She told him as he threw his arms around her, holding her tight and she held him tight back. 'We're all okay.'

'Thank god...' Colton said as he finally let her go, taking a look over his shoulder at the burnt barn, Geri leaving to let them have a moment alone. 'What-what happened?'

'I don't know.' Maddie replied softly. 'I-I think there was a lantern and it got knocked over, that's what I could hear from Aunt Geri telling Dad.'

He shook his head. 'Damn lanterns. Why didn't they just take a flashlight or an electric lantern instead?'

Maddie shrugged. 'I have no idea.' Climbing up onto the tailgate with her, Colton placed his arm around her and she smiled sadly at him as she snuggled into his hold, watching the firefighters and the police while they worked over at the barn. 'Thanks.'

They sat there, another truck coming up the track a short while later. The rest of the Walker family piled out and made a beeline for Cordell, Abeline the first to reach him. 'Cordi-'

'I-I'm okay Mama.' Cordell told her as she hugged him and he hugged her back. 'We-we're all okay.'

'Thank god.' She squeezed him tightly for a moment, breathing his presence in. 'I was so worried when we got the call this morning.'

'We-we're okay.' He repeated as she pulled back, Stella and August coming over to give him a hug too. 'We-we all made it out.'

'We were so worried Dad.' Stella said as she looked up at him. 'You sure you're ok?'

'The paramedics checked me over, they say I'm fine.'

August held his dad tight for a moment then stepped back as Stella let him go too. 'What happened?'

'We-we're still trying to figure that out but it seems Gale took a lantern in and it got knocked over. There-there was paint and stuff stored inside and that-that seems to be what caused it.'

'You all right?' Bonham questioned as Stella wandered off to go check on her sister, looking at his son with concern.

'Yeah, yeah Daddy. You know, this whole time, I-I thought, I thought I did this,' He motioned to the smoldering remains of the barn behind him. 'thought it was my fault. My memory made me think that-that I caused Marv to come in and-and save my life. To-to save Denise and me. But I wasn't even there. I wasn't even- I wasn't even here. It-it was Gale. She-she was the one... The one who started the fire.'