“Mmm. Mmm.” Ashley pulled her inhaler out of the pocket of her cargo pants. She squeezed the pump and huffed the medication into her lungs. “He is the definition of tall, dark, and handsome,” she said in a breathy voice.

“Too bad he’s all hung up on our innkeeper.” Victoria watched her friend’s breathing ease. But Ashley’s color didn’t improve, and her mouth was still gaping for air like a fish in a cooler. Victoria broke a small piece of protein bar off and popped it into her mouth. Chewing slowly, she recapped her water bottle. Maybe a few more minutes of rest would help.

Dry foliage crunched from the nearby woods. She glanced around, looking for an animal. Nothing. The shimmering water pulled her gaze back. What happened to the guy in the boat?

“Did you hear that?” Samantha whispered.

“Shhh.” Ashley chastised. “Maybe it’s a deer.” She pulled her camera out of her fleece vest. None of them moved for several long minutes. The only sound on the windless air was the gentle rush of the river. “Guess it wasn’t anything.” She stood and brushed some dirt off the seat of her khaki pants.

They turned around the started walking single file. As usual, Samantha took the lead. They trudged up the steep slope to the trail. After they mounted the summit, the downward slope was a relief to Victoria’s tired legs. “Maybe next year we could mix it up and go somewhere warm. Not Florida, though.” She shuddered. “The whole girls-gone-wild deal just doesn’t appeal.”

“How about Mexico?” Ashley suggested. “Or the Bahamas.”

The trail narrowed. Leaves and twigs brushed their legs as they walked. Bringing up the rear, Victoria couldn’t see the trail ahead.

“Spring break at a tropical beach is so cliché,” Samantha chimed in. “And think of it this way. We’ll be the only girls to come back from spring break in better condition.”

Something snapped in the underbrush.

Ashley slowed. “What was that?”

Victoria bumped into her. “Probably just an animal. Move on. There’s nothing to see here.” She gave her friend a playful tap on the shoulder.

Zap. In front of them, Samantha froze, then dropped to the ground.

Ashley screamed, and Victoria tried to see past her friend on the narrow path. A man blocked the trail. Tall. Blond. Scruffy-looking. He could have been handsome, except for the Unabomber haircut and beard. He held a black-and-yellow gun in his hand. He snapped something into the front of it and pointed it at Ashley. Zzzap. Her body went rigid, and she went down like a tipped domino.