Heading back down the mountain, she allowed herself the fantasy of forcing the rescue team off one of the cliffs, of hearing the satisfying crunch, the screams of agony and pleas for help, but she had other things to tend to for now, other plans to make. Only with her death would she be out of this game. Because that was what this had become – a game she had no intention of losing.

Chapter Fifty

Wednesday, October 9

Alyssa snapped the hair tie secured around her wrist, ignoring the sting, as they trekked their way up the winding, off-road trail. Nearly forty-five minutes had passed since entrusting Addis and Emerson’s care to Joe, Sandra, and the search and rescue team, and the bubbles of anxiety, of not knowing where or how they were caused her stomach to hurt – even if she tried to blame it on the rough ruts. For the dozenth time, she considered calling off the search for Campbell’s cabin until first light and then heading back out, but like she had every time before, she dismissed it.

Tony hit the brakes, jolting her forward so that she had to throw out her hands to protect herself from faceplanting into the back of the front seat. ‘Let me see that map again.’

Cord unfolded the map while Tony flipped on the dome light. He hummed as he ran his finger down the paper, then bent forward to peer around Cord before glancing outside his own window. He pointed to an obscure trail faintly illuminated by his taillights, then threw the truck into reverse and backed down the hill, seeming to hit every single hole in the road along the way. Alyssa was really beginning to hate the topography of this mountain.

When Tony stopped again, he stared straight ahead at the nearly invisible turn-off leading to Campbell’s cabin. ‘Yep, this is it.’ He twisted around and showed Alyssa and Cord the landmarks he’d noted. He tipped his head to indicate where they were heading. ‘At a guess, I’d say we’re a ten-minute hike away, assuming we don’t want to drive up and alert him to our presence.’

Blocking out the hint of sadness that betrayed Tony’s true feelings, Alyssa put her jacket back on and secured her flashlight as she scooted across the back seat so she could climb out. ‘What are we waiting for? Let’s go.’

An avid runner, Alyssa was in shape. Even so, her chest heaved in and out as they climbed the ever-steeper terrain that was nearly a thousand feet above Albuquerque’s altitude. And then, appearing seemingly out of thin air, she spotted the cabin. Or, a more accurate description might be a ‘wooden hovel.’ Somehow, it had appeared less slovenly on Google Earth. The three of them switched off their flashlights, casting them into total darkness until their eyes adjusted to what little light the moon and stars offered.