My eyes instantly spot the wooden table leg Quinn left for me. I grab it, holding it tightly to my chest. I feel more in control of my own fate with it as I step further into the hallway.
There was definitely some type of fight out here. Dark, crimson blood coats the floor and a few sprays on the wall near the top of the staircase. This isn’t just from the cut on my foot. The table the typewriter wason is in pieces around me. Quinn had to have used it to knock Ahmed unconscious. But where is Ahmed? He obviously didn’t chase me down the stairs.
The stairs!
I throw open the second door in the hallway and see that it leads to a small balcony with a winding set of iron stairs leading up and down. If I go down, I’ll reach a rocky shore. The forest sits just yards away. I don’t relish the idea of being anywhere close to Travis.
Maybe if I go up, I’ll be able to scope out the area better and find a place to hide.
The iron steps creak ominously under my weight. I quicken my pace to reach the top. There is yet another door waiting, but this one is being propped open with a large cinder block. I tighten my grip around the table leg and tiptoe into the small space, letting out a sigh of relief when I realize I’m alone in here. It’s a small circular room with large open windows lining the walls and a giant light at its core.
It’s a lighthouse! It must be the one we passed on the ferry to Windermere from the mainland. I can see everything from where I’m standing. This is the perfect place to figure out where I am without being seen by anyone.
I crouch and crawl around the circular room, peering out of each window while trying my best not to get spotted.
On one side of the lighthouse lies the ocean. On the other lies a large, vast forest full of trees so thick I can’t see anything through the canopy.
But what I can see in the distance, only about a mile or so away from the looks of it, nestled into the heart of the woods, is Windermere. The exact place I need to go.
My blood boils under my skin as I think of the man dwelling safely behind the stone fortress. Pierce is the reason I’m here and the reason why my friends are now in danger. They may have broken pieces of me,but they still hold a sacred place in my heart that I can’t quite release their hold on. At the end of the day, I’d choose them every time. They’re my heart and soul, and I won’t let this ruin us.
I want to ruin him the way he’s trying to ruin us.
Maybe it’s time to turn this game of cat and mouse around and send him running for the hills. After all, it really is every man—or woman for themselves now as we fight to survive.
Chapter eighteen
First things first, I need a plan.
Quinn warned me not to go into the forest, but if I’m going to reach the estate before they find me, then the forest is precisely where I have to go.
I need food, water, and a real freaking plan before I decide to go full-blown Xena the Warrior Princess to save my friends. There have to be some supplies stored in this lighthouse somewhere. I risk one more glance into the woods before heading back downstairs. I’ve already searched the small bedroom, but none of us really checked out the surroundings of the room we woke up in. My whole body is on edge as I tiptoe down the last set of stairs before I reach the main room. Travis said he killed David, and I know Amber is dead, but I’m still hesitant to make my presence known since I don’t know where Ahmed is hiding.
Who else might be creeping around this lighthouse? Somebody shot Amber, so it’s safe to assume someone has to be nearby. I enter the room filled with our cages and gag. I’ve always hated the smell of blood. The coppery, tangy scent of Amber’s blood is overwhelming, making me dizzy and nauseated as I search the room. David’s limp body is hunched over next to one of the cages, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle.
Travis really did kill him.
But why? You’d think he would want the extra set of eyes and ears as they hunted me down.
Instead, Travis has partnered with Quinn, who is busy keeping him engaged far away from me. At least I hope he is. I’m still unsure how I feel about Quinn’s help. He was being truthful about the table leg, and he must have done something to Ahmed to get him out of the way. While helpful, it doesn’t erase the kernel of doubt and suspicion nestled right there next to my heart.
There isn’t time to debate his motives right now. I need to hurry up and get out of here before someone finds me. Travis will only hunt in the woods for so long before making his way back.
The large room has two more doors lining the walls, in addition to the door leading to the staircase. Raising the table leg, I make my way quickly to the first door while scanning the room for hidden danger.
Please have something in here I can use.
I twist the handle, and the door opens with a loud, thunderous creak. Turning back towards the cages, I pause to make sure the area is still clear before slipping through.
I want to scream in frustration when I see that it’s a small bathroom. There isn’t even a shower curtain to use. Just a small sink, toilet, and standing shower. All of which are covered in rust and grime. The room smells like urine, making my stomach roll all over again.
I hurry out and toward the last door. I’m surprised to find that this door is also unlocked. The handle turns like butter on a hot day and opens quietly, almost as if begging me to enter. I take a hesitant step into the room, my eyes darting in every direction. The room is about the size of a walk-in closet, though instead of clothing, there’s a large, black trunk sitting in the middle of the floor.
And sitting on top of the closed trunk is another bouquet of pink flowers. These are very much alive, unlike the dead ones left for meearlier. Sitting next to them is another note with my name written on it.
My hands shake as I reach for the note, pulling the letter out slowly.
My dearest, Teagan,
