Ash, moving awkwardly, scrambled out of the front seat. Not trying to stall for time, Harlan decided. The kid was flat-out terrified. Shivering. The combination of the disturbing fog, Olivia’s ominous words and the fact that he had a gun pointed at him was too much. He was going into shock.

Harlan took the pistol out of Ash’s gear belt.

Olivia, draped in the shawl, appeared briefly in the glowing mist.

“Mirrors. Fire. Dead men walking through a dying garden.”

Ink lowered the instrument. “Get her.”

Trev and Ox moved warily into the fog.

Harlan fought back a wave of near panic but Olivia vanished into the glowing mist. He allowed himself to breathe again.

He was about to order Ash to move into the trees when he glimpsed a thin beam of energy inside the SUV. He took a closer look and saw that the light was emanating from a clunky-looking device on the dashboard. Artifact.

“Get it,” he said to Ash.

“Huh?” Ash looked confused.

“Get that gadget on the dashboard.”

Ash obeyed. He reached into the vehicle and grabbed the object.

“Move,” Harlan said. “Into the trees. Whatever you do, don’t drop that thing.”

Ash was appalled at the notion of going into the fog-bound woods. He clutched the gadget as though it were a talisman.

“It’s useless,” Ox shouted. “No way we can find her, not in this stuff. She’s gone.”

Harlan steered Ash toward the glowing crystal that marked the path into the woods.

“Find her,” Ink shouted.

He started into the fog, moving warily, but hastily retreated to the relative safety of the vehicle.

“Fuck,” he said. “That stuff is impossible.”

“Worse than the maze,” Ox said.

“We can’t lose her.” Ink raised the recorder.

Ash abruptly stumbled and went down hard on his knees. The thud was audible.

“Rancourt,” Ink yelled. “He’s over there somewhere.”

“Ash is gone,” Trev shouted.

“Rancourt must have grabbed him,” Ox said.

Shots rang out. Harlan knew he and Ash were invisible in the trees, but that would not protect them from a random bullet. He grabbed Ash by one arm and hauled him toward the next crystal.

More shots thundered in the night.

“Forget Rancourt,” Ink yelled. “You’ll never be able to find him in this stuff. It’s the woman we want.”

“What about Ash?” Trev said.

“He’s a dead man,” Ink said. “There’s nothing we can do.”

“It’s like the oracle said.” Ox’s voice rose. “We summoned her, so we’re all doomed.”

“Shut up,” Ink said. “Get in the vehicles. Trev, you take the second car.”

“Forget it,” Trev shouted. “The nav is gone.”

“What the fuck?” Ink said. “Shit. Rancourt must have grabbed it when he took Ash. Everyone. Car one. Move.”