She grabbed Cal’s phone and her own.She shoved her feet into boots and got the gun out of the closet.After a second of indecision, she plugged in the landline and dialed 911.She didn’t explain everything.She just explained where she was and that Daryl Everly had taken two people hostage and that a police officer and an investigator were following them into the state forest.
She ignored the questions, the demands from the dispatcher and dropped the phone, rushing out behind Jake and Nate.
They were already gone, but she could see their muddy footprints.
She’d just follow them.She could track to a certain extent, and if she hurried, maybe she could catch up to them.Three people with guns against Daryl Everly would be fine.
Everything would befine.
She repeated that to herself over and over again as she struggled to follow the prints.There were so many, and the slushy snow and mud made it difficult to discern what was human, what was sun melt, and what was animal.What the hell would she do if she just… hiked herself into being lost out here in the state forest?What kind of stupidity was that?
But she couldn’t convince herself to stop or turn back.It felt imperative to move forward.To find them.To…do something.
She didn’t know how long she hiked, trying to follow the path, but she never caught up to Nate or Detective Hayes and she was starting to think she’d made a misstep somewhere.
But when she heard the echo of a gunshot, everything inside of her froze.
Then she ran toward it.
*
“What is goingon?”Aly muttered, pacing back and forth.“Why haven’t we heard anything from anyone?”
She’d called Jill’s landline a million times, everyone’s cell a million more.No answers.It wasn’t… right.Something was definitely wrong.
Aly turned to face Landon who was standing in the living room, staring pensively out a window.She knew he was worried or he would have gone and done his chores.Instead, he was here brooding.
But he’d talked her out of following Nate and Hayes.At least hehad.
“What if something ishappening, Landon?I think it’s been too long.We should go.Maybe I’m being paranoid, but…”
“But we’ve had a hell of a lot to be paranoid about,” Landon finished on a tired sigh.He pushed away from the window.“All right.Stay here and—”
“No.”
“Aly.”
“No.I’ll get our coats.You get the guns.”
He opened his mouth no doubt to continue his argument, but Aly fixed him with a firm look.
“Fine,” he muttered.
They turned away from each other to go grab their respective supplies.They shrugged on their coats and laced up their boots quickly, heading out to Landon’s truck in quiet, hurried unison.
It wasn’t easy to drive the narrow, muddy road fast, but Landon did his best.They skidded a few times, but he handled it and they pulled up to the cabin.Landon shoved into park.
Landon was out of the truck first, but Aly was quickly on his heels handing him his gun.Everything was so… quiet.It felt like there was no one here.
She shared a look with Landon.Yeah, he didn’t like it either.
They hadn’t made it to the front door when they heard the loud echo of a sharp, pronouncedpop.
A gunshot.
Landon let out a sharp oath.
Then they were both running toward the sound.
