71
The giant wolf dropped to its stomach on the porch and didn’t move. The two smaller wolves backed cautiously into the yard and melted into the shadows.
“Do you smell that?” Cecil asked. “It smells like smoke.” Hobbling off the front porch, Cecil was surveying the entire house when he spotted a flicker in the second-floor rear window. Pulling on Kenneth’s sleeve, he said, “Up there, do you see it?”
“Shit,” Kenneth said. “What the hell is going on here?”
Kenneth made the front door in three strides, while Cecil limped along behind as fast as he could. Grabbing the door handle, Kenneth found the front door locked. “Wait here, Cecil. I’ll go to the kitchen door.”
Kenneth took off running as fast as he could. Reaching the back porch, he yanked on the screen door only to find it locked. Hitting the door with his rifle butt, it splintered and swung inward. Turning the back door handle, he found it locked, too.
Kenneth backed into the yard and looked up to find the second-floor windows dancing with yellow and orange flames. Thick black smoke was rolling out from under the eaves, spinning and swirling into the night sky.