It disappears and reappears in the current, ducking and then popping into view so briefly that, at first, I don’t realize what I’m seeing.
Then it clicks.
It’s the nose of an inflatable kayak. Bright green. Has it been in Leo’s gear raft all along—part of the emergency supplies, maybe? From my limited line of sight, I suspect that it’s meant for only one or two people, at most.
It must be his escape plan.
But it could be ours. If we can get to it. If even a couple of us can somehow—
“Hold on,” Leo says abruptly, not lowering the arrow an inch. He points it at Pam and slowly says, “One.” He moves the arrow a hair to the right, targeting Imani. “Two.” Next, he aims at Deborah. “Three,” he says, like he’s counting alongside a young child. Finally, he points the weapon at Macy, lingering for a second longer.
Macy’s ripped face twitches.
“Hmm,” he says. “Four.”
Nobody says a word in reply.
“Where’d the other two little piggies go?” His eyes scan the clearing, the boulders, the inky pines. He doesn’t sound worried. Just intent on finding out the answer to his question.
I hold my breath, my heart pounding against my ribcage. Allie and I are barely hidden among the boulders maybe thirty feet behind him, close enough that I can hear his breathing, see the way his fingers squeeze on the bowstring.
“They went over the falls,” Macy rasps, emotion clouding her voice. Is there any way she can see us up here? “I tried to warn them, but they … thought they could make it—”
“Bullshit,” Leo snaps. He takes a step toward them, and Imani’s knees buckle. Deborah catches her, barely managing to keep her upright.
“Do you think I’m stupid?” he snarls. “I watched that raft go over. Watched it flip. Saw your little dummies fly out.” His voice rises, echoing off the canyon walls. “WHERE THE FUCK ARE THE OTHER TWO?”
“Look down,”Parker says urgently, and I do.
At my feet are two smooth river rocks, each about the size of a baseball.
I pick them up, even as I argue with him in my head. I can’t throw worth shit on a good day, let alone with enough force to actually hurt or kill someone, especially from this distance.
But Allie is snatching one of the rocks from my hand with authority, like maybeshecan.
“Look, we can do this the easy way or we can do it the hard way,” Leo drawls. “If your true-crime freak is as smart as she thinks she is, I bet she knows all about how long I could draw this out,” he calls. “So tell me where they are, or I’m gonna start putting arrows through body parts. And when I’m out of those, my knife can go all night.” He smiles proudly, then his face twists into a scowl. “Let’s see … starting with—” He shifts his aim toward Imani’s chest. “—the slowest.”
“No.” Macy steps in front of Imani, spreading her arms wide. “I’m not fucking with you. Allie and Kaia went over Splinter Ridge. They’re dead. You don’t need to—”
“Enough,” Leo interrupts, his voice rising. For a second, he turns his head toward the river, where the tip of the kayak bobs in and out of view. Like maybe he’s worried Allie and I are in the water at this very moment, trying to untie it.
“Get a little closer,”Parker instructs.
I hesitate, knowing what’s at stake, eyeing the arrow aimed straight at my friends.
But that voice hasn’t steered me wrong yet.
I take a careful step, heart thumping. Allie follows my lead.
Leo swings the bow back toward Macy. “I’ll give you five seconds to tell me where they are. Five … four … three—”
“Now,”Parker says in my ear.
“Now,” I whisper to Allie. I throw the rock in my hand with everything I have. Beside me, Allie does the same. The stones seem to hurtle in slow motion, arcing up against the dusky sky.
My rock lands in the sand with a thud, pitifully far away from its mark.
Allie’s, on the other hand, flies with surprising force. The wordscaptain of my intramural softball teamscroll across my mind—right as the rock hits Leo square in the back of the head with a sickening crack.
