The Gathering (Darkness Rising 1)

"No service?" Daniel said.

I looked over to see him staring down at his.

"In the truck," he said. "Now."

I was hurrying around it when a crashing in the undergrowth made me spin. A stag barreled into the clearing. Spotting us, it froze, and I didn't need to see its rolling eyes or flaring nostrils--I could feel its fear, a stark terror that made the hair on my neck rise.

It thundered off, crashing through the trees in blind panic. Fire was coming.

THIRTY-FOUR

IYANKED OPEN THE truck door and jumped in. Daniel jammed the key into the ignition and cranked it. Nothing happened.

"No," he whispered. "No, no, no."

He turned it again and again, twisting it back and forth, then letting go, slamming his palms against the steering wheel.

I opened my door. "We'll walk. The fire can't be that close--"

"No. Just hold on." He took a deep breath, then tried again, calmer now.

My dad always said that when the wildlife started to flee, it was time to take cover. By that point, you can't outrun it on foot.

On the second twist, the engine caught, faltered, then roared to life. Daniel nodded, slammed it into drive, hit the gas and ...

The tires spun.

"No way. No goddamn way."

He threw open the door. "Slide over. When I yell, hit the gas."

He pushed. I accelerated. The tires spun, refusing to take hold. Ash settled on the hood. I hit the gas harder. Finally, the truck jolted from the rut and sped forward. I hit the brakes.

"No!" Daniel yelled. "Keep her rolling."

I glanced in the mirrors to see him racing along the side of the truck. He grabbed the door and yanked it open. I turned my attention back to the road. Daniel swung in, then slammed the door shut and collapsed in the passenger seat, panting.

"Always wanted to do that, haven't you?" I said.

He laughed and struggled to catch his breath. Ash frosted his hair and shoulders.

"Just keep going," he said. "It's rough, and if you slow down, she'll get stuck again."

Rough was right. I hadn't noticed it as a passenger, but now I felt every jerk, every roll. Another deer raced past us. Then a fox, so panicked it almost ran under the wheels. The animals were heading toward town. That meant the fire was in the other direction. Good.

When we reached the road, I could see a wall of smoke over the distant treetops.

"I see it," Daniel said, before I could speak. His voice was low, and calm now. "Do you want me to take over?"

I shook my head and hit the gas, driving as fast as I dared on the winding road.

The ash stopped falling. When I looked in the rearview mirror, though, I could still see the smoke.

"How can it be coming in so fast?" I said.

"You know the saying. Spreads like wildfire."

"Sure, but this seems too fast."