The cabin was small. I could barely make out the shapes of a kitchenette, a small table, and a modest living room area.
“Let’s not turn the overhead lights on.” His cheeks and nose were pink from the cold, which the cabin barely kept at bay. “Use the flashlight if you have to. Try not to shine it toward any of the windows.”
I nodded, keeping the beam low.
“Get comfortable and settle in,” he continued.
I frowned. “Are you leaving?”
He shook his head. “I’ll patrol outside. I want you to lock the door when I leave and don’t open it until I tell you to.”
Anxiety knotted my stomach. “It’s so dark out there,” I whispered, unsure.
Jude grinned at me like the question didn’t bother him at all.
“I’ll be fine,” he said. “I’m well trained. I’m going to keep you safe.”
I studied him for a second before nodding. “I know.”
Jude gave me one last nod before stepping back outside, and I locked the door behind him.
For a moment, I stood there listening to the silence, trying to fight the nervous energy.
I walked over and sat down on the couch, my hand tightening around the heavy metal flashlight.
The cabin was completely quiet. There was no hum of electronics, no ambient sounds at all. It was as if the forest swallowed them all.
I fidgeted with the buttons of my coat. I didn’t even have my phone to distract me.
Roman had insisted I leave it behind with him. I hadn’t loved that idea, but he’d explained that it was safer this way. If the Shadow Stalker somehow had a way to track my phone, it could ruin everything. The serial killer had gotten a hold of my number somehow to send me those texts while I was at the safe house, and Roman hadn’t wanted to take any chances.
So I sat there and waited, staring at the ceiling of the cabin.
Time crawled along, and I chided myself for not at least bringing a book or anything to distract my mind.
I had no idea how much time passed while I sat alone. Without a clock or a phone, it was impossible to tell. Minutes could have been stretching into hours for all I knew. The longer I sat there without hearing anything, the more my dread spiked.
Surely, I wouldn’t be stuck here all night.
They had expected the Shadow Stalker to attack before the fundraiser ended, and that didn’t last all night. Not that much time could have passed, but it felt it.
I tried to stay calm, but the silence pressed in on me.
The cabin smelled musty, like no one had been inside for a long time. Dust coated most of the surfaces, and everything was faintly grimy in the beam of the flashlight.
I shifted on the couch, my nerves ratcheting higher when—
BANG. BANG. BANG.
The knocks on the door were earsplitting. My entire body locked up.
Adrenaline surged as my heart pumped violently. The pounding continued—a frantic, panicked rhythm.
I jumped up from the couch and rushed toward the door. My hand was already on the knob before I forced myself to stop.
Jude’s voice echoed in my head:Don’t open the door unless I tell you to.
I froze, my hand hovering inches from the lock as the pounding continued.
