What they had to do was work together to overpower the man, wrest the gun from his control, and secure him until they could call in reinforcements.

The challenge was how to accomplish that.

If they had a brief window—a single moment when Wilson’s aim at Kayla wavered and they were all close together—they could bring him down with a tandem effort.

It was possible they’d get hurt in the attempt, but trusting the man’s promise to spare them was foolish.

“You’re trying my patience, Cate.” A touch of irritation crept into his voice.

She fumbled for the handle and opened the door. Slid out into the blustery cold.

On the other side of the car, Kayla emerged first.

Cate leaned as close as she could over the roof, pointed from Kayla to herself, and spoke in a whisper. “Work together. Follow me.”

The girl gave a jerky nod as Cate stepped back. Wilson got out, the pistol still aimed at Kayla’s midsection.

Maintaining his grip on her arm, he motioned with his head toward the woods. “There’s a path through the trees. Follow it.”

After a brief hesitation, Cate started down the trail. A few steps in, she glanced over her shoulder.

Wilson hadn’t moved.

She stopped.

“Keep going.”

Expecting a bullet in the back any second, Cate walked on.

A shuffling sound came from behind her.

Wilson was following with Kayla.

The man was smart.

He was allowing enough distance between them to keep his two prisoners from working together to launch a physical attack.

This was going to be a challenge.

They tramped over the fresh, transparent layer of powder for a hundred yards before Wilson issued another order.

“Stop here.”

Cate halted. Gave the area a sweep.

As far as she could see, they were in the middle of the woods, surrounded by nothing but trees and a few boulders and—

Wait.

There. Off to the side.

What was that cylindrical protrusion coming up from the ground several yards away?

“I see you’ve spotted our destination.”

Cate stared at it through the swirling white flakes.

“Why did you bring us to the c-cistern?”

At Kayla’s tremulous question, Cate’s lungs locked and dread congealed in her stomach.

What better place to hide bodies than in an abandoned cistern on remote property?

Wilson hadn’t lied. He wasn’t going to kill them tonight. He was going to stash them below ground where no one would ever find them and walk away, leaving them to die on their own.

Panic clawed at her windpipe as she regarded the two-foot-wide access portal sticking up above the ground.

Death was bad.

But being locked into a confined space underground?

Almost worse for someone with claustrophobia.

“It’s the perfect place for you ladies to strengthen your bond—and give me a few hours to catch my plane and escape.”

“From what?” Kayla appeared to be totally confused.