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“Back. Now.”

He shoved me behind him with one arm, and gestured to Ripley with the other. The two of them exchanged hand signals, deepening the silence. I had no idea what was going on.

That way,Theo mouthed, pointing with a finger.

I had no idea how he heard it before I did; the low rumble of footsteps, padding through the front hallway. I felt suddenly helpless, and uncomfortably naked. Maybe because I pretty muchwasnaked, except for my G-string and the long T-shirt I’d borrowed from Colson, that now dangled somewhere just above my knees.

I had a sudden epiphany, and slipped into the back room. When I returned, I was holding the long-handled axe the boys had used all week, to chop firewood.

Colson saw me crouched beside him, holding it up like a psycho. His eyes went wide.

“Seriously?”he hissed.

“Oh yeah,” I whispered back. “I’m prepared to trauma-bond us all, tonight.”

Ripley chuckled as he shot me an approving glance. I smiled, winked back, and blew him a kiss. The absurdity of our interaction hit me like a brick; we were on the verge of discovery, or capture, or maybe even death. Why in thehellwas I smiling? Should we really be flirting right now? And more important than any of that, could I really bury this razor-sharp axe into a stranger’s neck, if it came down to it?

Shit yeah, I could.

I gripped the axe handle tighter, my smile becoming somehow more maniacal. I didn’t know much, but I knew that whoever came down that hallway in the next minute was about to get seriously and irrevocably fucked up.

And then there it was; a lone figure, standing in the shadows. The figure stepped forward, revealing a man in a dark trench coat. He stood calmly, holding his hands clasped in front of him.

“Unfuckingreal,” Ripley murmured.

Colson however, hadn’t said a single word. He approached slowly and without fear, until he stood between us and the intruder.

“You found us,” Colson muttered.