Bitterness swirls in my gut, fueling my steadily building confidence.
“Bullshit,” I shake my head. “I’m going to get help, or fucking die trying.”
He runs a hand over his mouth, the other gripping the gas mask tighter, before he gazes at me with something contemplative passing behind his eyes. Twigs snap in the brush to my right, and I break our staring match to examine the trees. It gives my captor the opening he needs as he advances on me.
“Stop!” I shout as my head whips back around to him, and I level the gun.
Rowan stomps towards me, his long legs eating thedistance between us. “I tried to warn you—”
I fire, thecrackricocheting through the parking lot as the bullet lands. My only mistake is that in my rush, I didn’t aim properly.
Rowan’s body rears as he drops the mask. He grunts, the sound low and rough, before he places a hand over his shoulder. He breathes deeply, his eyes locking onto the bullet wound as he pulls his bloodied hand away. He sneers at the carnage before snarling at me. “You had better hope you’re quicker than me, Addison.”
With no other options in sight, I dart for the forest. My legs, toned and strong, push me into the night.
Chapter Thirteen
Addison
Just as I break the treeline, I peer over my shoulder to see how close Rowan is. My steps falter as I take in his relaxed form propped against the truck. Somewhere along the way, he grabbed the purple rope, and it hangs at his side, gripped tightly in his fist. The gas mask is resting on top of his head as he watches me with narrowed eyes.
The blood covering his clothes and oozing from his shoulder makes him look haunting as the sky roils with thunder. A cold-blooded killer stalking his prey.
“Tick-tock, Sunshine!” He shouts. “Better get a head start while you still can.”
His words spur me on as I turn on my heel and sprint along a path. The brush is thick and unrelenting as the cleared dirt beneath my feet becomes overgrown with moss and leaves. Tree limbs scrape across my skin as I use my arms to push them out of my way. I can’t see where I’m going, but I can’t stop.
Not if I want to face the consequences.
I don’t know how long I run blindly into the thicket. All I know is I have to getaway.
My heart pounds in my ears as the sky churns overhead. I grip the gun tightly, making sure I keep it on my person despite my clumsy marathon through endless darkness. All around me, the forest is alive with the chirps and echoes of wildlife, but all I can hear is my harsh breathing as I force myself to sprint beyond my limits.
This is survival.
And I refuse to be prey.
When I break through the brush and enter a clearing, it jars me so hard that I stop in my tracks. My pulse beats painfully as I glance around with wide, frantic eyes.
This place is so quiet and undisturbed that it makes my horrid state seem like an overreaction, but I know there’s far more on the line than just my freedom.
I use a hand to wipe the water away from my face as I take shelter under a tree. In my haze, I manage to pull my phone out of my pocket. The single bar of service almost makes me weep as I give a bated gasp.
My hands tremble as I pull up the call log. I click the only number I can think of in a time like this.
It only takes two rings for my mom to pick up. “Hello?”
“Mom!” My lips quiver, and my voice sounds shaky. “Mom, please listen to me. I’m trapped out in the middle of nowhere, and there’s a man killing people—”
“Addison? You’re breaking up, hun.”
I curse, my lips pulling over my teeth as I pound my fist against the bark of the tree. “Mom, you have to find me! The tracking app!”
“Find you? What’s going on?”
“Please, Mom!” I hiss.
Boots scuff over rock behind me, and I fall silent as I wait to see if anyone is there. I peer around, but the grounds are quiet.
