The Gathering (Darkness Rising 1)

I saw them every time I looked in a mirror.

Blood pounded in my ears. I could see him coming toward me, could see his lips moving, but couldn't hear anything except that rush of blood. Then a beep and a crackle and he pulled

a radio off his hip and lifted it to his mouth.

"I've got Maya," he said, still smiling at me. "She's fine. She's going to come with me."

I inched backward, trying not to look at the gun. When he saw me moving, his smile faltered. His lips pursed, like I'd insulted him.

"Come on, Maya," he said. "We need to get you out of here."

"No." I stepped sideways toward the woods. "I can make it from here."

"That fire's coming in fast. Let me take you--"

I twisted to run. I heard him shout my name. Glanced back to see the gun rising. I tried to stop, skidding on the dirt. The gun fired.

"Nooo!" The shout came from behind us.

Daniel charged out of the smoke, his face flushed, even his eyes seeming to glow red. The man pointed the gun at me. Daniel shouted again, so loud it was like a sonic boom, more felt than heard. I staggered back. Then Daniel was there, grabbing my arm, pulling me, and the man was on the ground, struggling to get up.

We ran into the forest.

"Did you hit him?" I said.

"What?"

When I repeated the question, he just looked at me, confused. I thought he couldn't hear me, but before I could say it wasn't important, he said, "I guess so," like he wasn't sure himself and I thought of the other day, when he said he'd hit his dad, but couldn't remember doing it.

It didn't matter now. We kept running toward town. The crackle and bellow of the fire was so loud we couldn't hear if anyone was following us. It was like racing through endless fog, praying you're going in the right direction, knowing you are only when you can finally see the trees before you smack into them.

A shout behind us. An answering one. The crash of a vehicle mowing through the undergrowth. Then the whine of an ATV engine.

Daniel yanked me behind a huge Douglas fir.

The ATV engine died to a low idle. Then a woman's voice sounded, harsh, like she was talking into a radio.

"It's me," she said. "They're close by. Grab my coordinates and head over."

Pause.

"Already? Who have they evacuated?"

Another pause. The woman swore. "Yeah, well remind him that forest fires are one thing he can't control, even if they're set by Aduros. He wanted chaos? He's got it. He'd just better hope when the smoke clears, we have what we came for."

She revved the engine. When I leaned out, trying to see it, I noticed a faint figure about thirty feet away, watching us. Before I could warn Daniel, the figure waved frantically, and I realized it was Rafe.

He pointed to show us where the ATV was. Daniel nodded and whispered, "About ten feet away in that direction."

"Too close," I whispered back.

"I know."

Rafe motioned that there were two ATVs. I waved for him to take off--he was far enough to get away safely. He shook his head ... and stepped out from his hiding spot.

"What the hell is he--?"

"Hey!" Rafe yelled, looking in the opposite direction. "Maya! Daniel! Where are you guys?"