She lifted the latch on the barn door and stepped through, leaving it open for Sprocket tofollow.
“Well, Nick had to go get a dog so I had to reschedule all my afternoon appointments so I can take care of everything and still get out of here in time to pick up the kids.” She tucked the phone into her shoulder to grab the stack of metal food bowls in what used to be the tack room, now used to store food andequipment.
“Who else is there?” Chrisasked.
“Justme.”
Sprocket began barking from the main area of the barn. Denise turned in that direction as if she could see through the wall at what had set heroff.
“What do you mean, just you?” Chrisasked.
The phone beeped in her ear.For fuck’s sake.She pulled it away to see who wascalling.
“Hang on, the school iscalling.”
“Denise—”
She switched lines. “Hello?”
“Hello. Ms.Reynolds?”
“Yes.”
“This is Alicia from the front office of SpringerElementary.”
The barking had grown louder with several other dogs joining Sprocket and she closed the door to the tack room. She’d find out what set them off after thecall.
“Yes?” An acrid smell permeated the air and she twitched her nose to get rid of the itch it caused.What isthat?
“We’d like to know if Kimber and Kaden will be returning to school after their dentalappointment.”
Her gut contracted. “What do you mean return to school? They should be at schoolnow.”
“No, ma’am. Their father signed them out for their dental appointment beforelunch.”
She dropped the bowls, the clatter of them hitting the concrete floor adding to the cacophony of the dogs’barking.
“There’s a no-contact court order against their father, who is a wanted felon, so would you mind explaining to me how the fuck he signed them out of school?” sheshouted.
No. No. No. This is not happening.Adrenaline and a heavy dose of fear coursed throughher.
“I—”
“Fuck!” Her skin tightened as goose bumps rose from every pore of her body. Her vision narrowed, thenexpanded.
She switched back to Chris and wrenched open the tack roomdoor.
“Chris—” Smoke billowed around her and she coughed as it wrapped around herhead.
Every dog was barking or howling. Sprocket stood in front of the now closed barn door, snarling andbarking.
“Denise!”
“I’m here. He took the kids. The barn’s onfire.”
Thick, black, oily smoke billowed up from the bottom of the door. Flames danced and crackled within the smoke, reaching halfway up the wall. A quick glance at the other end of the barn showed a similar situation, although the fire hadn’t progressed asmuch.
That old barn’s probably got some really drywood.
