Page 31 of Scorched

“No argument there,” Macy said.

“Behave!” Seb yelled, entering the garage, while the rest of them went out through the pocket door to the main living area, then out the front door.

Outside, Brady commandeered Macy’s keys. She didn’t protest and climbed into the passenger seat. The rest of them piled into the back two rows of the car. He took off down the drive after Seb.

Despite telling Seb they wouldn’t speed, Brady kept pace with Seb as they barreled down the country roads toward Thomas’s clinic. Rayna clutched Tara’s hand in the middle seat, worry etching deeper on her face with every mile. As they neared, Maggie could see an orange glow in the sky, and her heart sank. She’d hoped it was a small fire the fire department could quickly knock down.

They rounded the bend, and the clinic came into sight. A collective gasp went through the car. Flames shot toward the sky, overpowering the flashing lights of the firetrucks just arriving on the scene. Smoke billowed, the roar of the fire audible even inside the closed interior of the SUV.

Tears sprang into Maggie’s eyes. It was a total loss.

Brady brought the car to a halt at the perimeter of emergency vehicles, and they all rushed out. Rayna dashed toward Thomas, who stood with Declan near one of the trucks. Horror shone all over his face as he stared at the flames.

From the barn at the rear of the property, Maggie heard the terrified screams of several horses. It drew Thomas’s attention as well. Without asking for permission, he ran around the flaming building. Maggie kicked off her heels and followed.

Declan snagged her hand as she ran past.

“Let me go, Deck!”

He slapped a radio in her hand. “Be careful.”

More tears welled in her eyes at the look he gave her. He understood she had to do this and wasn’t going to stop her. Every fiber in his being wanted to, though. It was written in the lines of his tense muscles and the tick in his jaw. On impulse, she closed the distance between them and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “I will.” With one last look, she turned around and ran after her siblings and friends.

The animals’ screams grew louder as she got closer. The barn was just starting to catch from the embers that landed on the roof; the flames contained to the rafters. Thomas had his keys out and was unlocking the doors when she reached them. He pushed inside as the lock opened, the rest of them following.

“Just let them out. We’ll worry about rounding them up later,” Thomas yelled.

Maggie stopped at the closest occupied stall and opened the door, making sure she was to the side so she didn’t get trampled. The horse ran out, the whites of his eyes showing. Her eyes watering from the growing smoke, she ran to the next stall and repeated the process. A loud crack sounded overhead, and embers rained down. Pockets of fire roiled in the rafters now.

She hurried through the barn, checking stalls, leap-frogging with the others. Through the haze of smoke, she caught a glimpse of glowing eyes peeking around some hay bales in the corner. A cough wracked her as the smoke grew thicker, but she stepped toward the stack, getting on all fours to crawl across the floor. As she got closer, she saw a kitten huddled in the hay.

“Come—” she coughed “here, kitty.”

The roof creaked again, and she heard something besides embers fall behind her. Praying hard that she would make it out of the barn, she edged toward the cat. It shrunk back against the hay, hissing. “It’s okay, baby.” She coughed some more. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Maggie!” She heard Thomas shout her name. “Maggie, where are you?”

His voice distracted the kitten, and she snatched the cat by the scruff. It yowled, but calmed as she got a better grip.

“I’m coming!” she yelled back as best she could. The smoke was really getting thick. She turned toward his voice and bent low to stay out of the thickest smoke. She was glad for the barn’s high ceilings. It helped keep the air at her level a little clearer.

Another wracking cough shook her. It was still pretty smoky down here, though. Tears streamed down her face now. “Thomas?” Her voice cracked and broke on the end of his name.

“Out here, Mags!”

She was still on the right path, his voice directly in front of her. A flashlight bobbed through the haze, and she made a beeline for it, cradling the kitten to her chest. The roof cracked again, and more debris fell. Maggie screamed as a beam crashed down in front of her. Fire blocked her path.

Panic made her breath come in quick pants. She tamped down the fear, knowing it wouldn’t help her escape. Think, Maggie! The hard plastic in her hand registered. The radio! She pressed the mic button and brought it to her mouth. “Declan? Are you there?”

“I’m here, Maggie.”

“I’m trapped. A beam fell, and it’s on fire, blocking the exit. I don’t think I can go back the way we came in, either. I heard a crash somewhere back there.”

“Okay. Hang tight. Stay low. I’ll get you out.”

She dropped to her belly on the floor, keeping the kitten tucked close. It let out a pitiful meow, and she knew it was feeling the effects of the smoke, too.

“It’s okay, baby. Declan will find us. We’ll be okay.” Another crack ripped through the barn, and she heard another crash behind her. Fear sent a fine tremor through her body. She prayed no more beams dropped near her.

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