With one last anguished look at Ham, Piper disappeared down the ladder. Ian turned to Matt.
"You next." Matt didn’t hesitate. He climbed up on the box, eased out the window and disappeared from site. Ian took a moment to look outside. Piper and Matt both stood in the shadows of the yard looking up at the window. Good.
He went to the bed and stripped off the sheets, tied them together. He pulled Ham by his collar over to the window and patted the top of the wooden box. "Up here, boy."
Ham complied and Ian ran the sheets under his belly, then eased him out the window and let him dangle. Ham must have understood the need to be still because he hung quietly in the makeshift pulley. Ian eased more length of the sheet out the window lowering Ham closer to the ground.
Flames snapped and crackled behind him, but he didn't turn his head. No point in looking. His future was out this window.
At last he felt the sheets go limp and looked out the window. Piper had caught Ham and eased him free. Tucking his gun in the waistband of his jeans, Ian shimmied his way quickly down the ladder and they grouped together under the big black oak tree in the yard as Ian assessed their situation.
The first floor of the two hundred year old home burned like paper and flames licked upward toward the second floor as they watches. Ian was grateful the MacKenzie ancestor had built in the escape system.
Piper had tears in her eyes and Matt's arm was around his daughter's shoulders.
"We need to move." Ian said. "We're not safe here."
"You're in charge. What do you suggest?" Matt asked.
