“There are first aid supplies in the cistern, along with other provisions. You can help her.”

“I’m not a doctor.”

“You’ll have to do the best you can until help arrives. I’ll leave directions to your location after I’m gone.”

“Gone where?”

“Far away, where no one will ever find me. You girls will be fine.”

Maybe they would . . . maybe they wouldn’t. Kayla was hurt and it was cold. Death was a very real possibility.

Would a heaping dose of guilt sway him?

“Do you really want more blood on your hands? What if I can’t help Kayla?”

“I can’t . . . I didn’t mean to . . .” He sucked in a breath, and his tone hardened. “There’s no choice. Help her up and go over there.” He waved the gun toward the narrow opening. “If you don’t, I’ll have to finish this now.”

Would he actually follow through on that threat?

Unknown.

He did seem upset about hurting Kayla—and he claimed to have stocked the cistern with supplies. Why do that if he wanted her to die?

But survival instincts were strong, and many people were willing to sacrifice their principles to save their neck.

Like Will Fischer had.

Besides, despite Wilson’s claims to the contrary, he was no paragon of virtue if he’d had anything to do with eliminating Stephanie and her boyfriend. He may also have been the one who’d arranged to have her roughed up so Fischer would have an excuse to restrict access to the undeveloped parts of the campus.

A man like that was definitely capable of pulling the trigger and tossing their bodies into the cistern.

Delay, Cate—as long as you can. Another idea to gain control of the situation may come to you.

“How do we . . . do we know you left supplies?”

He tossed the small flashlight to her. “Take a look—and don’t aim the light my direction. You do, I aim the gun at Kayla again.”

Stomach churning at the thought of merely approaching the small opening, she forced herself to walk toward it.

Up close, it was apparent the man had, indeed, done advance preparation.

A rope ladder was attached to the edge of the protrusion and dangled down into the darkness.

Cate crept toward it. Bent down and swept the light around the interior.

The abandoned, bricked-in chamber was about ten feet in diameter and ten feet deep. It appeared to be very old.

And Wilson hadn’t lied. A sleeping bag, two plastic sacks cinched at the top, and a lantern rested on the floor.

Since her ribs were aching from the tumble she’d taken and Kayla was bleeding, it was clear they weren’t going to be able to overpower the man.

Plus, he continued to control the gun.