Sarah screamed as she ran into the wilderness. She wouldn’t be screaming for long. He’d make sure of that.
He looked down at the blade. And he remembered another girl. A knife had sliced against her throat. She’d begged, too. Asked him to believe her. To trust her.
He’d also given her a chance to survive. But she hadn’t run fast enough. They never did.
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He waited, counting, then... “Time’s up.”
The thrill of the hunt heated his veins.
Chapter Nine
The sheriff’s men had fanned out to search the area around the Burrows cabin. Thomas watched as those men made heavy paths in the snow. Aaron was behind him, and Noelle was at his side.
“It’s too easy.”
Noelle glanced over at his words. “You know he’s not here,” Thomas told her flatly. “He took her someplace else.”
She started heading toward the cabin just as the sheriff appeared in the doorway. “Place is clear!” Hodges called out. “It looks like no one’s been here all season!”
“Appearances can be deceiving,” Thomas heard Noelle murmur as she kept walking toward the cabin.
“I’m betting the guy has half a dozen places he uses for hiding up here,” Aaron said. His gun was holstered at his hip. “If the sheriff is right about him coming up for big game, then he’d have to know the area.”
That was their problem. The man knew the area better than they did, and that was why he kept getting away. “He’s not going to stay up here forever,” Thomas said. “If we don’t find him soon, he could slip away.”
And take the answers they needed with him.
Noelle disappeared into the cabin.
The sheriff joined his men on the search.
Thomas had just taken a step forward when he heard the cry. Sharp and high. At first, he thought it was an animal. One that was hurt.
But then the cry came again, echoing up to him.
A scream.
Thomas whirled around. Aaron had already taken off, running toward the scream. Other deputies were scrambling to follow. “Be careful!” Thomas bellowed. “He likes his traps!” Thomas didn’t doubt for an instant the man would use human bait to pull them into another one of his hunts.
He glanced back toward the cabin. Noelle had just run outside. Her eyes were wide and desperate as she hurried after him.
They both knew that scream belonged to Sarah Finway, and the fact they didn’t hear any other cries...
We’re coming, Sarah. Just hold on.
* * *
HE LIKED THE way the snow turned red. That was always a bonus he got when he hunted in the colder climates. Sarah had gotten farther than he’d expected. Probably because she knew the area nearly as well as he did. She’d used some shortcuts that he just had to admire.
A gurgle came from her lips.
He wiped the knife on his coat. The blood smeared. “It’s okay. You just stay here and try to breathe, nice and slow. That will help you survive longer.” He needed her to live for a few more minutes. He put the knife in its sheath. Then he drew out his gun.
Her eyes widened. Another frantic gurgle broke from her lips.
“Shh...” He aimed the gun at her head.