The canine flinched, drawing close to Anna’s leg.
“I guess I’ll check outside around the barn and see what I can find,” I said.
Anna rubbed the dog’s head. “I’ll see if I can get a pit dug out, so we can get a fire going or something.”
“Sounds good. Be right back.” I turned and walked toward the entrance, leaving Anna and her new-found friend to the bleakness of the barn. I paused shy of the opening, pulling my makeshift mask over my mouth and nose.
The ash whipped about in the wind, growing more intense. I tilted my head, then lifted my hand to shield my face from the growing tumult. I worked my way down the side of the building, staring at the ground for anything of use. A blanket of soot coated the grass, concealing whatever might lurk underneath.
My foot ran through the weeds, probing for something solid. I hit the corner of the barn, then made my way down the other side.
The bite of the wind and cold nipped at my arms, and tore through the gashes in my shirt. I wrapped one arm across my waist while the other shielded my face.
I walked the length of the barn, peering inside the gaping holes in the walls along the way. Anna’s shadowy figure moved through the dimness.
I skirted the corner, then skimmed over the wide-open area between the barn and the tree line that sat a good thirty to forty feet away.
A vast amount of nothing filled the area. I sifted through the soot-covered grass and weeds, finding nothing more than pieces of rotted wood that had been broken off from the barn. It broke apart in my hand with little effort.
Great.
I threw the useless wood to the ground, then peered over at the tree line. If the far side of the barn didn’t produce anything useful, I’d make a trip back to the trees to see what I could come up with.
Ash gathered on the top of my head and face. The slight sting increased in my nose and eyes. I got back on the move and headed to the far side of the barn.
I thumbed through the grass, finding more rotted planks of wood submerged in the ash. My chin touched the top of my chest as I rubbed my hands together. I blew into my palms and made my way to the front of the barn, checking the last remaining side with the hopes of finding something we could use.
A flash of light caught my eye from the road. I blinked away the soot gathering on my lashes. A vehicle drove past the barn, heading in the direction we walked.
I waved my arm, trying to flag it down. The vehicle continued on, not braking or slowing. I ran toward the corner of the barn while keeping an eye on the black SUV.
It drove a bit farther, passing by trees that lined the paved road, then slowed. The brake lights flashed. It turned and cut through more trees, heading in the direction of the tree line that ran the length behind the barn and off into the distance.
I fumbled my way inside the barn, panting and pointing at the road.
Anna lurked in the far corner. Her tiny frame melded with the dimness as did the German shepherd’s dark coat.
“Did you find anything out there we can use?” she asked, digging at the ground from her knees.
The German shepherd growled in my direction as I approached the two of them. “I spotted an SUV traveling down the road. It turned off not too far from here.”
Anna paused, and looked my way. “Really?”
“Yeah. There has to be some sort of house, cabin, or whatever, close to us then, right?”
“I’d assumed so,” Anna answered with a shrug.
“I say we track it down and see. I didn’t find anything out there except for rotted wood anyway.” I pointed at the trees set off from the barn. “Those trees in the back are the only thing I found that we could maybe use.”
Anna stood, rubbing her wounded arm. She wiped the dirt from the knees of her pants. “Let’s go check it out and see what we find.”
CHAPTER NINE
CORY
Thunder shook the rafters. Wind punished the softened-wood walls. A clapping sounded from the corner of the barn roof above our heads.
I flinched, ducked, then flitted my gaze to the ceiling. A small piece of the roof’s covering flapped in the wind, then broke off, allowing more gray ash to fall inside the barn.
“Guess it’s a good thing we’re leaving,” Anna said as soot whipped in through the additional slot in the roof.
“If this keeps up, this building won’t last too long.” I backed toward the entrance.
“How far away did you say you spotted that vehicle?” Anna asked, walking to the front of the barn with the canine at her side.
“Not that far. If we move at a good clip, we should be able to track it down fast,” I replied. “You’re good to go, right?”
Anna nodded. “Yeah. I’m good to go.”
The canine slowed as we neared the edge of the barn. Her head lowered, attention fixed to the falling ash beyond the protective walls and roof that shielded us from the soot. She lifted her nose skyward, sniffed the air, then backed away.
I kept moving.
Anna stopped, then glanced at the timid German shepherd. “Hold on.”
I stopped, then peered over my shoulder at her. “What are you doing? We don’t have time for this. Leave the dog and come on. It’ll be fine here in this barn.”
“I don’t want to leave Shadow,” Anna replied, petting the top of the canine’s head.
“Shadow?” I replied.
“Yeah,” Anna answered. “I don’t much like calling her it
