“Let’s do it,” Tristan said, clapping his hands. We turned to walk back to the cabin when Eric’s phone started to ring. He went to answer it, but the call dropped. Then Tristan’s phone began to ring. Weird. He answered his phone, but the service still wasn’t great, the call dropping before he could get a “hello” through.

Then my phone started to ring. Tristan and Eric both looked at me, worry knitting through the wrinkles in both their foreheads.

It was Yvette. I answered, and a couple of words managed to break through. “Come back—cameras.” And then the call ended.

“We have to get back. Let’s go.” The boys likely picked up on the fear in my voice. We broke into a run, fighting against the sloping hill, none of us sure of what the hell we were running toward.

28. Jake Perez

28

JAKE PEREZ

The entire crew was gathered outside of the cabin, bags packed and frantic faces on each of them. Tia held Jess in her arms while Yvette walked in circles as she spoke rapid Spanish to someone on the phone, her words flying like bullets. Noah came right over to my side, looking like he’d just thrown on a pair of gym shorts and a T-shirt, his dark brown hair still messy from lying on the pillow.

“What the hell happened?” he asked, and I could tell he was already expecting the worst. Another threat made, another chicken head found, something else to fuel his endless night terrors.

“Yvette found a camera in her room,” I said. “And when we started to look, we realized they were everywhere.”

Noah’s jaw dropped, and the color drained from his face. “Seriously?”

“They were everywhere,” Jess said, her lashes wet and eyes red. “They were in the bathroom, Noah. In the vents.”

“Robby never said… what the fuck? What the fuck. What the fuck.”

Eric and Tristan went into the house, only taking a couple of minutes before they walked out with one of the cameras in hand. “Jess is right. These are everywhere. Jesus Christ.” Eric went to drop it on the floor and crush it with his boot, but Tristan stopped him.

“Hold on. If we save them, then we could possibly delete the footage. Even if it’s stored online somewhere.” Tristan grabbed the camera from Eric’s hand and pocketed it.

“Can he still hear us through that?” Noah asked, looking down at Tristan’s pocket as if a cobra were about to slip out of it and strike him at any moment.

“No, I made sure it was disconnected before I brought it out here.”

Noah looked up into my eyes. His upper lip quivered as tears welled up. “Jake—that means… if Robby didn’t say anything, and after that text message last night—” Noah choked on a cry. I wrapped him up in my arms and held him as tight as I could.