I nodded. “It should.”
“I’ll drive. Joe and Kelly in the other truck. Gavin in the back. He can’t stay as a wolf for long. We’ll come across people soon enough. They’ll see him.”
“We can worry about that once this place is behind us,” Kelly said. He was breathing harshly, a thick stream of fog pouring from his mouth. “I hate it here. It’s like poison.”
“It’s him,” Joe said. His eyes were red. “He’s infected this place. I can feel it. The woods are dying, like he’s sucking the life from everything around him.”
I told myself the chill I felt was from the air.
THE TRUCKS WERE STILL PARKED in front of the house where we’d left them. I wondered if anyone would look for the hunters, if they’d be able to track them here. It didn’t matter. We’d be long gone if that ever happened.
There was a newer truck parked at the rear that hadn’t been there before. Joe told me it was Ox’s. He’d replaced the one that got wrecked when we fought in Caswell. I shuddered at the memory of the children raining down from the rooftops, their eyes vacant, their claws dripping with blood. I hoped they never remembered what had happened.
Kelly grabbed me by the hand as he stopped next to my truck. I looked at him.
He said, “This is real. I need you to know that. This is real. We’re here. We came for you, the both of you. You’re awake, Carter. I swear you’re awake.”
I hugged him tightly, breathing him in, relishing the beat of his heart.
“There’s time for that later,” Gordo snapped. “Get to the truck. Don’t get stuck trying to turn around.”
We separated. Kelly looked like he was going to say something else but stopped himself. Gordo was right. We had to focus.
Joe squeezed my shoulder before pulling Kelly toward the truck. My brothers looked back at me over their shoulders as if they thought I’d disappear once I was out of their sight. I didn’t blame them.
Gordo took my bag from me, and the keys. “Get Gavin in the back.” He turned toward the cab and opened the door.
I rounded the truck. Gavin followed me. The stench of blood was still thick in the air. It made my gums itch. I pulled down the tailgate, glancing at Gavin. He stood next to me, back rigid as he stared off into the forest. I touched him between the ears. He startled, looking over at me. “We good?”
He jumped into the back of the truck. It creaked and shook from side to side under his considerable weight. He whined at me. I understood. Let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go.
I lifted the tailgate and locked it in place.
The truck rumbled to life, black exhaust pouring from the tailpipe and making my eyes water. As I went to the passenger side, I glanced over my shoulder to see Joe back up slowly and execute a sloppy three-point turn. His truck’s tires spun briefly before they caught, lurching forward as he turned down the country road.
I climbed inside and closed the door behind me. The heater was on full blast, but it hadn’t yet warmed up. My teeth chattered. I reached to the back window and slid it open. Gavin stuck his snout in, nostrils flaring. His tongue lolled out between his fangs.
Gordo pulled forward toward the house. “Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
“I wouldn’t count on it,” I muttered.
He managed to get the truck turned around with little trouble. He pulled around the other vehicles, tree branches scraping against the passenger side. Ahead, the other truck’s brake lights flashed as they waited for us to catch up.
Gordo turned the headlights on and off to let them know to keep going. They started up again, truck bouncing on the old road.
The house was barely out of sight behind us when Gordo grunted.
I looked over at him.
He was grinding his teeth, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. Gavin pulled his snout out from the window, growling as he struggled to stay upright in the snow that had settled in the bed of the truck.
Gordo said, “He’s awake.”
The engine revved as he pressed his foot down on the gas pedal. We jerked forward just as a roar came from deep in the woods.
“Go, go, go,” I chanted. I looked out the window, sure I’d see a large black mass barreling toward us. I pressed my hands against the roof of the cab as the truck fishtailed around a corner. Gordo spun the wheel, easing up on the gas as the truck drifted. We narrowly missed a tree, the trunk almost grazing the side of the truck. We straightened out and picked up speed again.
Ahead, Joe and Kelly