“Let’s run,” she says, and I nod in agreement. I want to be as far away from here as I can get.
We walk to the entrance silently, and slowly open the door. The creak of the hinge echoes in the quiet cabin, and panic floods my body. I step out onto the deck only to be grabbed by my hair and yanked backwards. Without thinking, I scream Jordan’s name. It’s a cry for help because I want him more than anything right now.
I’m pulled back into the cabin and thrown onto the sofa. Adrenaline pumps through me as I watch Summer throw herself at Stein. It takes him less than a second to throw her off, and then he hits her with the butt of his gun. She falls to the floor, and I scream. I don’t seen any blood, but she doesn’t move.
“Summer!” I cry out, but she just lies there.
Tears fall down my face, and I try to go to her, but Stein only pushes me back.
“You little bitch. Think you’re so clever.” He sneers at me.
He comes at me and tackles me to the ground, getting on top of me. I scream. The pain from my wrist shoots through my body as the weight of him lands on me. I try to fight, but there’s no use. He’s too big, and I’ve only got one good arm.
I cringe and brace myself for pain when I see him pull back his arm to punch me.
“Stop!”
Stein stops midair, and we both turn toward the voice. I look over to see a man I don’t recognize standing in the doorway.
“She can’t talk with a broken jaw, and we both know he won’t do what we want unless he hears it from her.”
Stein glares down at me, clearly wanting to give me what he intended. I look up at him and pray he listens. After a moment of hesitation, he drops his fist. I can tell in his eyes that he’ll be coming for that blow. It might not be now, but he still wants it.
I look at the man standing in the door. Unlike everyone else we’ve come across, he’s in jeans and a tight black T-shirt. He’s small, maybe only as tall as I am, but it’s clear Stein is scared of him.
Stein gives me one more hard look before getting off me. I glance over to Summer, wanting to go to her. She rolls onto her side, but her eyes don’t open. She looks as if she’s asleep.
“Sit up,” the mystery man says, walking in and shutting the door. I do as he says, moving up on the sofa and not saying a word.
“Here,” he says to Stein, tossing him a phone. “Make the call and be done with this. You’ll be lucky if I don’t kill you afterwards.” The man turns and walks back out the door.
Stein hands me the phone. “Call him and tell him to open the server.”
My hand shakes as I take the phone from him. I don’t want to make the call, but maybe if I do, Jordan can find me.
“Now,” Stein barks, and I nearly drop the phone.
I slide my finger across the screen and I key in Jordan’s number. I know it by heart. It barely has time to ring once before he answers.
“Jay?” His voice is panicked, and I can hear the fear through the phone. I have no idea how he knew it was me. Maybe he was just hoping.
“Jordan,” I whisper back. Just hearing his voice makes me want to cry. I want to be near him. I want to be back in our bed and wrapped around his body. A sob climbs up my throat, and terror crawls over me.
“Baby. Talk to me.” There is so much anguish in his voice, it makes my heart want to break.
But I have to be strong. I have to get through this so that Summer and I make it out of this cabin alive. I’ve got to hold it together for just a little longer.
“I’m supposed to tell you that you have to open the servers. They…” My voice trembles. Stein grabs me by the hair at the back of my head, and pain shoots through my scalp. I scream as the still-raw cut on my head throbs angrily.
“Jay!” Jordan yells into the phone, but his voice barely registers.
I blink a few times and take a breath, trying to get it together. “I’m here,” I tell him through a sob. I try to stay strong, not wanting to hurt Jordan any more. But my voice gives me away. “You have to open the servers. They want to delete things,” I finally get out. God, I hope that was what I was supposed to tell him.
“Okay, baby. I’ll do it.” His voice is tight. I can tell he’s holding back. “I love you.”