It stumbled over the curb, rolled sideways and fell face-first into the high weeds next to the road, swinging its massive tail into the street, directly in the path of the patrol car.
Thump, thump. For a second Diana thought she had run over a body, a person. That’s what it felt like. When she looked in the rearview mirror, she saw the giant tail curl into the air, and a howl of pain pierced the night. It sent a chill down her spine.
CHAPTER 28
Despite thinner-than-usual traffic and his sedan’s flashing lights, Bohannon still found himself making halting progress down McLaughlin. Ahead, they were blocked in by an old lady in a burgundy Seville, and, to the right, they were flanked by a semitruck advertising cold cuts.
The detective pounded on his horn three times, not letting up on third beep for several seconds. The lady in the Seville turned in her seat and glared out the back window. After she faced forward again, her brake lights illuminated and her reverse lights flashed for a second. The Seville’s back tires spun and squealed, sending the car lurching over the left-hand curb onto the grassy median.
The way ahead was clear—except for the burning fire truck, lying on its side across both lanes of traffic heading south. Two firemen and a cop stood on the side of the road, crouching away from the toppled fire engine, as if they were afraid it was going to blow up.
Stepping on the gas and yanking the wheel to the right, Bohannon cut in front of the semi in the right lane. No other vehicles stood between them and the pyre half a block ahead. He accelerated and skidded to a halt at the curb, where the three uniformed men cowered. Looking at Mara, he said, jabbing a finger downward, “Lower your window.”
She complied, and, with the window now open, Bohannon yelled to the cop, “Hey, are you Henderson?”
The cop, gesticulating wildly and talking into the microphone on his shoulder, ignored him. Bohannon put the car in Park and said to his passengers, as he opened his door, “You guys stay put. Let me find out what’s going on. I don’t see his patrol car, but it might be on the other side of the truck.” He pointed to the blaze ahead.
Mara opened her own door and said, “You go talk to the cop. I’m going to see if Mom is out there somewhere.” She slammed her door.
Bohannon was about to call after her but threw his hands into the air and slammed the car door, as she jogged away toward the fire. Keeping one eye on Mara’s back, he ran over to the cop, whose jaw was tucked down toward the radio microphone on his shoulder.
“No, no!” Henderson shouted. “I’m telling you it was a friggin’, honest-to-God, fire-breathing dragon. It kicked the crap out of a fire truck and then set it on fire.” He paused for a second, then rolled his eyes in disgust. “No, there was no torch or matches. It blew flames from its mouth.” Another pause. “I don’t know where it is. The road has stopped shaking, so maybe it took off somewhere. No, not in a vehicle! In the air!”
Bohannon reached over and turned off the microphone.
“Hey!” Henderson yanked his shoulder back and glared wild-eyed at the detective.
Bohannon pointed to himself and said, “Detective Bohannon. You can’t call in a dragon, dude.”
The cop’s jowls jiggled, as his head swayed back and forth, his eyes filled with fear and amazement. “I didn’t believe her, but she said it was a dragon. I didn’t believe her, but it was. It was a dragon.”
“Who said it was a dragon?” Bohannon asked.
“The little girl who was in the taxi I pulled over. She said its name is Mr. Ping. A dragon named Mr. Ping, and it was.”
“They were in a taxi, not the woman’s vehicle?”
“Correct, a taxi with the roof ripped off.”
“Where are they, the girl and the woman, her grandmother?”
“They stole my patrol car when the dragon landed.” The cop pointed blankly toward the burning truck.
Bohannon’s gaze followed where Henderson pointed. From around the back bumper of the overturned truck, Mara jogged toward him, returning from searching for her mother on the far side. She headed directly for them, until a yell came from Bo’s parked sedan.
“Mara! Come here!” Sam called, his torso hanging out the back window, his arm waving wildly to get her attention.
Mara course-corrected with a slight slip on the wet pavement