Fifty yards from safety.

As she raced forward the heel of one of her boots twisted. Fatigue had robbed her of balance, and she slithered sideways, falling awkwardly. She struggled to get up for a moment, then slumped to the ground.

"No..." Ryan said disbelievingly.

The fire seemed to hang over the girl for a moment, in hungry anticipation. Then it plunged down and overwhelmed her. Lori Quint vanished in the torrent of flames. Doc Tanner began to weep.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"Got to be going somewhere better, lover," Krysty said.

The door of the gateway was closed and the disks in floor and ceiling were beginning to glow. In only a handful of seconds the six friends would be making another jump into the unknown.

Ryan gazed around the glass-walled chamber. Doc sat quietly, knees drawn up under his chin, staring blankly ahead; J.B. was at his side, glasses folded neatly and safely tucked away; Jak whistled quietly to himself. Rick lay fast asleep, curled into a fetal position.

And Lori was dead.

"Somewhere better, lover?" Ryan repeated. "Couldn't be much worse." He paused. "Could it?"