Read Online The Children and the Blood by Skye Malone, Megan Joel Peterson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Skye Malone, Megan Joel Peterson
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cell phone. Thumbing it on, he cursed vehemently and then tossed the useless thing into the passenger seat.
Crushing the pedal to the floor, he sent the car careening down the mountainside.
His eyes flicked from the road to the houses below. He didn’t know what he was going to do when he got there, but if he could warn them that the weird, glowing men were coming – and that the fire was a trap – maybe they’d stand a chance.
Three figures rushed from the house. One fell.
He swore, the car nearly leaving the road as he careened around another curve.
A burst of light made his gaze snap back to the farm.
The fallen one still lay on the ground, but the two others were gone. A large figure stood over the prone body, while the black-clad vultures circled.
Cole scanned the yard in confusion, and then he spotted them.
The two girls were alive, huddling several yards from where they’d been standing.
And then the men started coming for them.
He hit the gravel track bordering the property, and instantly, the embankments obscured his view. Gasping, he glanced to the road. He was running out of time.
A dead body was sprawled across the lane.
Shouting, he swerved. At full speed, the car rushed up the embankment and charged over the rise.
A girl was directly in his path.
Frantically, he hauled on the wheel and the emergency brake, sending the vehicle whirling in a tight arc around the girl and missing her by inches. Grass and dirt flew everywhere as the car spun to a halt between her and the men.
He couldn’t believe he’d just done that.
Gasping, he flung himself at the passenger door, throwing it open.
“Get in!” he shouted.
The driver’s side window shattered.
Lunging forward, the older girl grabbed the younger one and propelled the child into the car before tumbling in behind.
Cole’s foot hit the floor, taking the gas pedal with it.
The engine roared as he whipped the car around. Dirt spewing from beneath the tires, the vehicle surged toward the far edge of the property.
He glanced over as the older girl let out a choked cry. Another house. More bodies. A bloodied floral dress and a glimpse of a dead man with white hair were all he saw before the car rushed past and left the carnage behind.
Gripping the wheel, he braced himself as the sedan flew over the embankment and crashed back down onto the path. Gravel spit furiously from beneath them as the car fishtailed.
The tires caught. The sedan righted itself with a lurch. Headlights flooded his rearview mirror.
Reece and his friends were coming.
The car raced for the mountain road.
“Are you hurt?” he yelled over the growl of the gravel.
No response.
He looked over quickly. Eyes glazed, the older one stared at the floor. The younger had her head buried in the other girl’s lap.
Drawing a breath, he checked out the window as the sedan wound up the mountainside. The other cars weren’t too far behind, but the turnoff was ahead. And then the main road. And then the interstate.
If he could reach it in time.
Slowing as much as he dared, he started to turn.
Headlights surged into view. A horn blared. Hitting the brakes, he swerved madly as a pickup truck veered out of the way and smashed into the trees behind him.
With a cornering ability born of being too expensive for its own good, the sedan snapped back onto the concrete. Hanging onto the wheel with a white-knuckled grip, Cole risked a hasty glance in the rearview mirror.
The driver was getting out and shouting after him. But his truck was blocking the road Reece and the others were driving. Relief at the latter, and guilt at the former, warred inside Cole momentarily before he settled on just being glad the three of them were alive.
Except now he was going in the wrong direction.
And he couldn’t believe that little roadblock would slow them for long.
“Hey,” he called, looking swiftly to the older girl.
No response.
“Hey!”
The girl flinched, and then slowly, her eyes
Crushing the pedal to the floor, he sent the car careening down the mountainside.
His eyes flicked from the road to the houses below. He didn’t know what he was going to do when he got there, but if he could warn them that the weird, glowing men were coming – and that the fire was a trap – maybe they’d stand a chance.
Three figures rushed from the house. One fell.
He swore, the car nearly leaving the road as he careened around another curve.
A burst of light made his gaze snap back to the farm.
The fallen one still lay on the ground, but the two others were gone. A large figure stood over the prone body, while the black-clad vultures circled.
Cole scanned the yard in confusion, and then he spotted them.
The two girls were alive, huddling several yards from where they’d been standing.
And then the men started coming for them.
He hit the gravel track bordering the property, and instantly, the embankments obscured his view. Gasping, he glanced to the road. He was running out of time.
A dead body was sprawled across the lane.
Shouting, he swerved. At full speed, the car rushed up the embankment and charged over the rise.
A girl was directly in his path.
Frantically, he hauled on the wheel and the emergency brake, sending the vehicle whirling in a tight arc around the girl and missing her by inches. Grass and dirt flew everywhere as the car spun to a halt between her and the men.
He couldn’t believe he’d just done that.
Gasping, he flung himself at the passenger door, throwing it open.
“Get in!” he shouted.
The driver’s side window shattered.
Lunging forward, the older girl grabbed the younger one and propelled the child into the car before tumbling in behind.
Cole’s foot hit the floor, taking the gas pedal with it.
The engine roared as he whipped the car around. Dirt spewing from beneath the tires, the vehicle surged toward the far edge of the property.
He glanced over as the older girl let out a choked cry. Another house. More bodies. A bloodied floral dress and a glimpse of a dead man with white hair were all he saw before the car rushed past and left the carnage behind.
Gripping the wheel, he braced himself as the sedan flew over the embankment and crashed back down onto the path. Gravel spit furiously from beneath them as the car fishtailed.
The tires caught. The sedan righted itself with a lurch. Headlights flooded his rearview mirror.
Reece and his friends were coming.
The car raced for the mountain road.
“Are you hurt?” he yelled over the growl of the gravel.
No response.
He looked over quickly. Eyes glazed, the older one stared at the floor. The younger had her head buried in the other girl’s lap.
Drawing a breath, he checked out the window as the sedan wound up the mountainside. The other cars weren’t too far behind, but the turnoff was ahead. And then the main road. And then the interstate.
If he could reach it in time.
Slowing as much as he dared, he started to turn.
Headlights surged into view. A horn blared. Hitting the brakes, he swerved madly as a pickup truck veered out of the way and smashed into the trees behind him.
With a cornering ability born of being too expensive for its own good, the sedan snapped back onto the concrete. Hanging onto the wheel with a white-knuckled grip, Cole risked a hasty glance in the rearview mirror.
The driver was getting out and shouting after him. But his truck was blocking the road Reece and the others were driving. Relief at the latter, and guilt at the former, warred inside Cole momentarily before he settled on just being glad the three of them were alive.
Except now he was going in the wrong direction.
And he couldn’t believe that little roadblock would slow them for long.
“Hey,” he called, looking swiftly to the older girl.
No response.
“Hey!”
The girl flinched, and then slowly, her eyes
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