Mercy Thompson 01-05 - THE MERCY THOMPSON COLLECTION

to call Zee—”
    MERCY!
    Adam’s voice in my head screamed at such volume that I couldn’t move. A blasting yet soundless noise that grew and grew until . . . there was nothing at all. The cry left me with a headache that made the one I’d woken up with in Phin’s basement seem like a pinprick.
    â€œSam,” I said urgently, both hands on the wheel again—for all the good it was going to do me. I’d only just barely kept from hitting the brakes as hard as I could, which doubtless would have caused a big pileup on the busy highway behind me. On the other hand, I could hardly keep traveling the way I was. “Sam. Sam, I can’t see.”
    A mouth closed on my right wrist and tugged down and then back. As soon as he was guiding me straight, I put on my brake, gently, and rolled to a stop.
    The Rabbit shook as cars blasted past us, but no one honked, so we must have made it to the shoulder. After some indefinable amount of time, the pain faded finally and left me shaken and sweating and feeling as if I’d been run over by a semi.
    â€œWe have to get home,” I said, restarting the car. My hands were shaking as I put the Rabbit in gear and made a beeline toward Finley.
    I’d left Adam to deal with his pack. If something had happened to him, I’d never forgive myself for my cowardice.

8

    WE WERE ON CHEMICAL DRIVE, THE HIGHWAY THAT LED out of the city to the countryside, when the ambulance passed us going the other direction, lights flashing but sirens off. I almost turned to follow.
    No. Better to find out exactly what’s happened first. Sam isn’t a doctor today, and I can’t help anyone better than the hospital where they’re taking the victim. And maybe it wasn’t anyone I knew in the ambulance at all.
    As soon as I turned down my road, I put my foot down on the gas pedal and forgot about speed limits. Ahead of us, something was billowing black smoke. There were red flashing lights—fire engines at my house, which was well on its way to becoming so much kindling.
    Adam would have thought I was in there. I hadn’t told him I was leaving—because he’d have sent someone with me, someone he trusted, and I wanted him to have all of those with him.
    Adam’s cry suddenly made sense, but I was terrified of what he’d done when the connection had blown. It might have felt like I had died or fallen unconscious. I should have called him instead of waiting until I could drive here.
    Adam’s pack surrounded the trailer, staying out of the way of the fire department. The fire must have started while the meeting was still taking place or shortly thereafter—I firmly squelched the notion that they might have set it on fire in effigy. My eye slipped over familiar faces—there was Darryl, Auriele, Paul—and some not so familiar—Henry and George. I couldn’t find Adam anywhere in the bunch. My stomach clenched in fear at his absence.
    I parked by the side of the road as close as I could get with the fire trucks everywhere, but it was still well back from the fire.
    I sprinted up to the closest of Adam’s pack and grabbed her by the arm—Auriele.
    â€œWhere is Adam?” I asked.
    Her irises widened in shock. “Mercy? Adam thought you were in there when it blew.”
    Blew? I looked around and realized that it did look as though the trailer had simply exploded. Bits of siding, glass, and trailer were scattered a dozen yards from the burning hulk that used to be my house. The trailer had gas heat; maybe there had been a leak. How long would it have had to leak before blowing up? If it had been leaking when I left, I would have smelled gas.
    Tomorrow, I’ll feel bad about losing my home and the things that are important, like my photos . . . poor Medea. I left her locked in because I always lock her in at night so she’ll be safe. I don’t want to think about what happened to her. Tonight, I have more urgent fears.
    â€œAuriele,” I said slowly and clearly, “where is Adam?”
    â€œMercy!”
    Arms snagged me hard and pulled me close. “Oh God, oh God, Mercy. He thought you were effing dead. Went through the side of the bloody trailer to find you.” Ben’s voice was hoarse from the smoke and almost unrecognizable. If it hadn’t been for the British accent, I wouldn’t have been certain it was him.
    â€œBen?” I peeled myself out of his