Page 24 of Rabid

She waited for the right moment. Roaring flames filled the air, drowning out every other noise. Now.

She met Max’s steady gaze, and he stared back, unblinking. “We’re going after him,” she said, her voice barely audible above the inferno. Max’s ears perked up, and he slowly blinked in acknowledgment. Not a whimper or bark escaped him. He was ready. “You need to pull me up thatridge,” she whispered, tightening her grip on his collar.

“Heel,” she instructed softly, and together, they began the slow, grueling climb up the mound of dirt and rock. With every step, pain shot through her injured leg, her joints grinding with each weight shift. She gritted her teeth and pushed on. Max climbed steadily, offering her just enough support to keep going. The hill felt endless. She could almost feel a hot gun barrel pressed against her back, ready to fire.

They reached the top, and Joan’s balance wavered as she took her first step down the other side, her legs ready to give out. She lowered herself carefully to the ground, dropping beside Max, both breathing heavily. They didn’t have time to rest, but her body refused to go on without a break. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the last of her water. She took a small sip to wash the grime from her mouth, then poured the rest into the cap, holding it out for Max. He drank it all, licking the plastic clean before looking back up at her.

After gaining her feet, she took a few cautious steps downward, keeping her body low, braced to duck if needed. Once her head was low enough to stay below the ridge, she straightened up and surveyed the area. The height of the hill tapered down at the ridge’s edge. She’d have a clear view of the driveway if she went there.

The fire blazed, casting an eerie glowfrom above and making her nerves prickle. The small town’s volunteer fire department wouldn’t be arriving any time soon. Friday nights meant everyone was at the football game, including the volunteers. By the time anyone got here, the barn and everything inside would be lost.

For some reason, the memory of Deputy Berger’s offhanded advice came back to her. It was after she’d purchased the shotgun.“If you aim that thing, shoot to kill.”She’d shrugged it off, but tonight, that piece of advice was her goal. She intended to follow it to the letter.

She made her way to the edge of the ridge and gestured for Max to sit. She took two careful steps forward, peering around a cluster of rocks. Her heart thumped. Jeb’s truck remained parked in front of the shed. There was no sign of him in the driver’s seat or in the corner of the yard she could see.

She took a cautious step into the open.

The blast came out of nowhere.

She was flung to the right as the buckshot tore into her left side, the impact like a wall of needles ripping through her. Pain exploded down her ribs, her shoulder, her thigh. She hit the ground hard, gasping. Her vision blurred. A dark, sick feeling swept over her. She barely made out Jeb’s shout above the ringing in her ears.

“Get him!” he yelled.

The brindle.

She didn’t need to see to know the dog was coming. Her gun had slipped from her hand when she fell, and she scrambled frantically in the dirt, fingers clawing at the ground until she felt the cold grip.

The brindle didn’t charge around the ridge as she’d expected.

Max’s body went rigid, his gaze snapping upward. Joan followed his line of sight.

The brindle stood above them on the ridge, framed in the glow of the fire like some demonic creature. He loomed, a hulking figure of muscle and fury, his lips peeled back in a grotesque snarl that showed every jagged, yellowed tooth in his mouth. Thick strands of foamy saliva hung from his jaws, dripping slowly to the dirt below. His amber eyes were feral, lit by a terrifying, unrestrained rage that zeroed in on her with pure, violent hunger. The deep growl that rolled from his throat vibrated through the ground beneath her.

He leapt.

Chapter Twenty

Unstoppable Havoc

Her body moved on instinct, the gun coming up in her hands as she braced herself.

Max launched himself between her and the brindle, dislodging the gun from her hand before she fired. The two dogs became a blur of snapping teeth and thrashing bodies a few feet away.

Max’s high-pitched yelp sliced through the air, freezing Joan’s blood. Ignoring the sharp pain radiating through her side and leg, she scrambled to her knees and searched for the gun. Her fingers found it, her grip tightening as she brought it to her chest.

She sighted down the barrel. The dogs rolled,and she couldn’t take the shot without risking Max. She cursed under her breath, her hands trembling from adrenaline and terror. Jeb had to be close.

The seconds dragged. The brindle tore more flesh from Max’s shoulder, and her beautiful dog, so full of heart, fell, his cry ringing in her ears. Helpless anger churned inside her, but her hands wouldn’t stop shaking. She was dying inside, her fear a poison spreading through her. Curling the fingers of her left hand into the ground, she let jagged stones dig into her palm and beneath her nails as she waited for a shot.

The growls and cries stopped, their fight moving into the shadows.

The pull on her heart was almost too much. She didn’t think it was Max who had survived. She rolled onto her back, staring at the smoky night sky. This was how it ended.

Her eyes fell to the gun in her right hand. Her entire body shook. She rolled partially to her side and forced herself to glance away from Max’s shadow.

Jeb was back in his truck, the driver’s side door flung open. His face twisted with rage as he slapped the dashboard, the truck’s engine whining and sputtering. The gears ground noisily as he jerked the stick, either unable to get it into gear or completely forgetting the clutch. His movements were erratic, his mind unraveling right before her eyes. He was still dangerous, still deadly, and worstof all, he would win this battle.

A warm, wet tongue touched the back of her neck. She exhaled the breath she’d been holding.

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