“I don’t know what to say.” He scratches at his messy hair. “Do you want to go outside and look for him?”
“Yes,” I say.
Maybe Noah is right. Maybe Jack did go out for a walk. Maybe we’ll go outside and see him alive and well, and I’ll admit I was getting worked up over nothing. I hope so, at least.
Noah goes to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water, but I’m too antsy. I go to the front door and push it open. And that’s when I see it.
Blood. All over the doorstep to the cabin. So much blood.
So much blood.
“Claire?”
I try to answer, but my voice comes out strangled.
There were six of us in the beginning. Now there are only two. And I haven’t done this.
“Claire?”
I whirl around to face my husband. He takes a long drink of his glass of water and places it on the kitchen table. He steps toward me and I take a step back.
“Claire,” he says again. “What’s wrong?”
“There…” I can barely get the word out. “There’s blood…”
“Blood?” His voice sounds flat, disinterested. “What do you mean?”
“It’s… it’s all over the ground in front of the cabin.”
“All over the ground?” His hazel eyes darken. “What are you saying?”
There’s something very unfamiliar in Noah’s face. Oh God. How did I not see this before? Jack was right. Noah knew about my affair, and he never forgave me for it. I’m such a fool.
He planned this whole thing. This is his revenge. He set us up. He’s been killing us one by one.
And now I’m the last one left.
I’ve got to run. But where? I’ve gotten nothing but the clothes on my back. No food, no water. I don’t even have my purse with my phone anymore. If I run away from him, what are the chances I’ll ever find help in time? If I leave this cabin, I’m dead for sure.
Noah takes another step towards me. “Claire…”
But if I stay, I’m dead for sure.
I jerk my head around. The door is open behind me. It’s my only chance.
I take off running as fast as I can. At first, I’m not sure which way to go, but then I remember the truck. It looked like there was a path ahead of the truck that was clear. Maybe it goes somewhere. It’s the only chance I’ve got.
I run as fast as I can. I’m vaguely aware of stepping on a branch and my right ankle twisting slightly, but I ignore the pain. I’ve got to get out of here.
As I get closer to the truck, I realize another person is sitting inside the cab. My eyes widen when I realize that Jack is sitting there, next to the dead guy. I almost cry with relief. Maybe he’s trying to hotwire it and get it running. Maybe Noah didn’t have a chance to get to him after all.
I hold onto the side of the truck, attempting to keep my balance, and I wince at the pain in my right ankle. Jack will know what to do. He’s been my rock for the last several months. He’s going to get us out of here. Thank God for Jack.
“Jack!” I cry.
I wrench open the passenger side door to the truck with my right hand. It takes me a split second to realize Jack is not attempting to hotwire the truck. He’s not attempting to do anything. He’s just sitting there in the passenger seat, a bullet hole in his forehead.
No way an animal did that.
“No…” I clasp a hand over my mouth and back away from the truck. “No… No no no no no…”
It’s too late.
“Claire, step away from the truck please.”
I’m only vaguely aware of the toneless voice giving me instructions. All I can think is that the man I loved betrayed me. I’m never going to see my children again. I’m going to die out here in the woods.
“Claire…”
I turn around slowly, expecting to see Noah with that missing gun pointed at me. Or maybe Jack’s rifle. But it’s not Noah at all.
It’s Warner.
He’s got Jack’s rifle pointed at me. His blue eyes are dark and foreboding. This is not somebody who you say no to.
“Would you please put your hands in the air, Claire?” Warner says. “Otherwise you’ll end up like your friend over there.”
My head is spinning. Why is Warner here? He disappeared. There was all that blood. We all thought he was dead for sure.
But of course, we never saw his dead body. We just assumed.
“You…” I manage. “You did all this.”
A chilling smile plays on Warner’s lips. “Well, I can’t entirely take credit.”