No Ordinary Day , Tate, Harley [ebook offline .TXT] 📗

Holly turned to Emma. “We can’t let him go out there. He’s going to get hurt.”

Emma nodded. “Come on.” She took Holly’s hand and together they hurried after John. As they neared the scene, the sharp smell of gasoline wrinkled Holly’s nose.

A truck with oversized tires and mud splashed across a giant metal bumper lurched forward. It slammed into a Honda Civic. The little sedan lurched and wobbled. The truck backed up before accelerating again, shoving the smaller car further into the ditch and off the road.

Off to the side, a man held a woman half-upright as she wailed. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clutched at the man’s hands and arms. What happened? Holly turned as a horn blasted. The truck reared, coming up on three wheels as it half shoved, half crushed what remained of the Civic before bouncing off the road and clear of the traffic snarl.

Within a minute, it disappeared through the tree line. What remained of the little sedan tipped into the ditch, sides gnarled and torn.

“I smell burning rubber.” Emma turned around in place, one hand above her eyes to shield against the setting sun. “Do you see John?”

Holly wasn’t looking for John; she was squinting at the car. Something moved inside. Holly took a few halting steps forward. Emma didn’t notice. She took a few more. There! At first, she’d thought it might be a child or a passenger collecting their things, but it wasn’t.

It was a dog.

Holly took off, running straight toward the wreckage.

“Holly! Stop!” Emma called after, but Holly didn’t listen. As she reached the vehicle, the smell of gasoline filled her nose and she gagged. A paw landed hard on the side window, followed by a German shepherd’s snout nosing the glass. Holly yanked on the door handle. Locked.

She rushed up to the driver’s side and—“Oh, no.” She froze.

The driver was still inside, what was left of her anyway, impaled by the steering column when the front of the car crumpled in the collision. Blood oozed from a crater the size of a softball hollowing out the back of her head. Brain and blood and bits of bone flocked the seat.

Emma caught up to her, panting and out of breath. “We have to—” She stopped when she saw the body. “Oh, Holly, I’m so sorry.” She reached for her arm. “We need to go.”

“There’s a dog!” Holly shrugged off Emma’s grip. “We have to save the dog.”

The German shepherd pawed again at the glass, trying in vain to dig his way free. Holly sucked in a breath and reached for the driver’s side door. Also locked. She cursed. “We’ll never get in.”

Emma hurried around to the ditch. “Come over here! The door is warped. We might be able to get him out.”

Holly ran to join her, using her sleeve to cover her mouth as the smell intensified. It coated her nostrils and turned her stomach to sludge. “What is that?”

“Something’s smoking in the engine. We need to hurry.”

Together, Emma and Holly wrenched on the door, pulling with all their might. It wouldn’t budge. Holly propped her foot on the rear fender and tried again. Nothing. She bit back a sob.

“What the hell?” John’s voice cut through her frustration and Holly perked up.

“Hurry! We can’t leave him!” She beckoned him forward, but he stalled at the sight of the driver.

“I didn’t think anyone was injured.” He palmed his forehead. “I never should have let that guy drive away.”

“How could you stop him? He was in a massive truck.”

John ignored Emma’s question. “We have to get out of here.”

“We can’t leave the dog.” Holly grasped the door again and wrenched on the metal. The dog nosed the glass and pawed at the scant opening. Just a little more—

John grabbed her by the arm. “I said we need to go.”

“Not without the dog!” He pulled. She resisted. “Get your hand off me!”

“Can’t you smell that? The car’s going to explode!”

Emma shoved a clump of sweaty hair off her face. “Then quit standing there like a disappointed drill sergeant and help us.”

John muttered something under his breath, but squeezed in, gripping the top of the door while Holly and Emma worked on the bottom. It moved, just not enough.

“It’s not going to work.” John pulled back, ready to give up.

Holly reached for his arm. “Try one more time. Please.”

He stared at her for a moment, hard expression softening into something she couldn’t read. Without another word, he lent his support again, wrenching the top of the door until metal popped and groaned and finally lurched free. John stumbled back and the dog catapulted out, toppling Holly to the ground. He licked her all over, big, flat tongue scraping across her cheek and chin. Yes, we did it. You’re free!

She laughed and pushed him off as a deafening boom filled her ears. A rush of heat and bits of metal flew toward her. She twisted, shielding her head with her arms as clouds of black smoke billowed overhead.

The dog pawed her shoulder and nuzzled her arm. He was right. If she didn’t get up, she was going to die.

Chapter Eleven

Emma

Emma couldn’t hear a thing. She pressed her hands to her ears, but the ringing only intensified. A blast of heat washed over her, straight through her blouse, blasting her skin. She recoiled on instinct, curling up in a ball against the onslaught. What happened?

Something tugged her sleeve and she rolled. John. He crouched in front of her, his mouth opening and closing, but no sound came out. “What? I can’t hear.” She batted at her ears.

He gestured behind her. As Emma turned, heat seared her cheeks like forty ovens on broil. Flames licked the hood of the little sedan, twining in the air as smoke blotted out the setting sun. Holly! She spun to find Holly on the ground, the dog pawing and licking her cheek.

Oh no. Emma scrambled over and grabbed the girl by the shoulder. She shook a little