Page 134 of Dead Heat

A sharp cry escaped Garm, followed by an unholy howl that sent shards of icicles through my veins.

“What’s happening?” Alessandro asked.

I tried not to move a muscle. “I don’t know.”

Darkness blanketed us. Garm’s eye shine disappeared as he turned toward the mouth of the cave. Whatever had the hound on edge was also large enough to block the incoming light.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Terrific.

Jaws snapped. Growls rumbled.

The earth shook again.

“Sounds like more than one monster out there,” Alessandro said.

I offered an absent nod, more focused on calculating our odds of sneaking past Godzilla versus King Kong without detection. We could double-back through the cave in search of another exit, but I was loathe to turn around at this point, not when we were only a few yards from the finish line.

I cast a sidelong glance at a reassembled Max. “How fast can you run?”

“I’m more of a lumberer.”

That was my concern.

“You’re not thinking about trying to run past them, are you?” Max asked. “That’s suicide.”

“Not if we do it right.” I considered the cherufe. “They won’t smell you and they’ll be too focused on each other to notice rolling rocks. For all they know, they caused a small landslide with all their stomping and posturing.”

“How do we know the creatures on the other side of Garm won’t smell him?” Alessandro asked. “We don’t even know what they are.”

A chorus of ferocious snarls jumpstarted my heart. We were wasting time. If we didn’t move now, we’d have to abandon our plan. I wasn’t ready to admit defeat.

“This is our best chance,” I insisted. “If you make it through, then I know we have a shot.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Then we’ll change course. I believe in you, Max.”

Alessandro seemed to warm to the idea. “What’s the worst they can do? Swallow you whole and poop you out later?”

Max recoiled. “Thanks, man. And here I thought we’d become friends.”

Garm’s silhouette hunched and lunged. It was impossible to see anything beyond him except movement.

Max moved forward. When he got within two feet of Garm’s hind legs, the cherufe dropped to the ground and blended with the rocky terrain. He inched his body forward, giving a new definition to the word ‘earthworm.’ I held my breath as he skirted Garm’s powerful haunches. Alessandro gripped my arm, and it took me a few seconds to realize that, despite the intensity of the situation, no nightmares were forthcoming. There’d be time to celebrate that win later.

If I was lucky.

I lost sight of Max the same moment Garm took the fight outside the cave. This was our chance.

“Now!”

Alessandro and I bolted for the bright light of the exit. Only when I reached the mouth did I notice the incubus was a few yards behind me. I would’ve been faster than him even on his best day, but his strength was waning again. I should’ve factored that in.

I turned back.

“Go!” Alessandro yelled, panting. “I can make it!”

“I’m not leaving you!”

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