They ran for their lives, Evie pushing her daughter ahead to get her out first. They hurried up the steps, rushing out toward the group of police officers who had gathered around the cabin. Amelia ran instantly into the arms of a random cop, while Evie made her way toward Bill. The man who had dragged himself out of the hospital to lead the charge, his arm in a sling and exhaustion riddling his face. The friend of the family who always came through in one way or another. The man who could save her brother’s life.
“What’s going on down there?” he asked, stopping her.
“They’re fighting. You have to go,” Evie said, her lips barely moving as she spoke so fast. She then stood back as Bill took charge. She watched him collect his team – who had been forced to stay idle until now – and directed them toward the cabin. By then Amelia came to her, twin rivers of mascara streaming down her soft cheeks. Evie held her close to her chest, protecting her as they continued to watch.
“Is he going to die?” Amelia asked.
Evie didn’t answer. How could she? Even if she knew what to say, she could hardly bring herself to say it. She only held her daughter to her chest, combing her fingers through her hair while she watched the police in quiet anticipation.
The team gathered at the hatch. Bill used hand gestures to signal his directions, and they quickly filed down the stairs in an order that was too quickly decided to be random. Bill followed in close behind them, limping. Suddenly, even the open air felt close. Like they were back inside that underground bunker. Evie held her breath without realizing she was doing it, waiting for some sign that Mason was still alive. That he had won the scuffle with the killer.
That was when the gunshot echoed through the woods, forcing a gasp from her dry throat. It told her for sure that her brother had lost and that now he was just another body to go on the killer’s list. Another man who had suffered from that twisted man’s games.