Is this what Pierce does when he’s not busy writing novels? Promising an exclusive meet-and-greet to lure in unsuspecting victims for his twisted games doesn’t seem so far-fetched now that it’s happening to us.
Screw that, it’s time to reverse our fate.
Lochlan has the crossbow thrown over his shoulder. Lee carries an axe, which seems oddly fitting for him. Kristi and Sammy both have knives, as I do, along with two baseball bats. We all carry extra supplies in case everything goes wrong, and we get separated or can’t make it back to the bunker.
Which had better not happen because I’m much too pretty to die this young.
When we reach the top, we all split ways. I take my position as bait near the ledge and wait for Sammy’s bird call to signal that the rest of them are in place and ready for me to put on the performance of a lifetime.
“Caw-caw! Caw-caw! Caw-caw!”
That’s my queue. Now, here’s to hoping those acting classes in college will finally pay off.
I raise my hands to the sky and scream. “COME AND GET ME YOU AXE-SLINGING DOUCHECANOE! You wanted me, you got me!”
My voice echoes through the sky as I scream and stomp my feet louder while my eyes skim the tree-line for any movement.
“COME OUT, COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE! Face me like a grown-up! You think you’re tough with that stupid little axe? COME AND TRY ME THEN!” My lungs are on fire as I strain to yell as loudly as I can.
Just when I think this plan isn’t going to work, I see movement to my left. Kristi is running out of the woods, her bat up and ready to swing. Except she’s running right atme.
“This is all your fault, Lexi!” she screams as she approaches me. The bat makes a whooshing sound over my head, and I duck at the last minute, avoiding having my skull smashed in.
“What are you doing, Kristi!” Sammy screams, his legs pumping in rhythm with his arms as he races to catch up to the two of us.
Kristi turns on her heel, spinning to face Sammy. “You don’t understand!” she howls before reaching into her back pocket. “This entire thing is HER fault!” Kristi faces me again and throws a white envelope. It floats to the ground like a feather in the wind.
“Lexi is on our side.” Sammy tries to reason with her. “Why would she put herself in this situation while we all just wait to be killed off by the Axeman?”
She has her bat raised again, her arm shaking with restraint as she looks back and forth between the two of us.
Where did Lee and Lochlan disappear to? I know if they saw this crap going down, they’d be here to defend me in a heartbeat. What if the Axeman already has them? My heart starts pounding at the thought as my eyes dart from the tree-line and back to Kristi.
Sammy steps forward, his arms raised, while he pleads with Kristi to hand over the bat, just as I catch movement behind him.
“Lee!” I shout. Pure undiluted terror consumes me as I watch the Axeman and Lee fall out of the forest, tangled together. Lee’s axe drops out of his grasp and rolls a couple of times before coming to a thumping stop mere feet from them. I can’t tell who has the upper hand as they roll and wrestle each other to the ground. The Axeman slams the hilt of his own axe into Lee’s face, knocking him out entirely.
“No!” I shout, racing past Kristi and Sammy toward where Lee lies motionless. The Axeman raises the axe above his head as he stares down at Lee. “Get away from him! Please! Take me instead, just leave him alone!” My voice cracks, and hot, wet tears stream down my cheeks as I fall to my knees next to Lee.
Blood runs freely out of the wound on his head, but his chest rises slowly. He’s still breathing. He’s still alive.
“Please.” I look up at the Axeman. “Please let him live.”
The Axeman cocks his head at me. “Choose.”
The sound of his voice stirs something in me. Do I know him? “Choose what?” I ask, rubbing at my nose and face.
“Who should I kill next, Lex?”
I tug my hair with my hands as I stare at the Axeman. The mask and the sound of his voice tug at a memory, but I can’t concentrate enough to pull it out of my scattered thoughts.
I won’t play this game. I can’t be the decider of someone else’s fate—only my own.
“Me. Take me,” I gasp out through my tears.
The Axeman lets out a small chuckle and stands, stepping over Lee’s limp body, and stops before me.
He raises the axe above his head. “I’m not done with you yet,” he responds, then lets the axe fly past me, over my head. There’s a loud thunk, followed by a startled, gurgling noise behind me. I turn and see the hilt of the axe embedded in Sammy’s chest. I gasp as his dark eyes meet mine, frozen in shock and fear, before he collapses.
