“I don’t know why!” she screamed, bracing herself and believing that any second she would feel the sting of a bullet piercing her skin or exploding in her brain. “All I know is that he wants to kill me and my sister in some weird ritual that involves zero clothes and red ribbons and being hog-tied and all kinds of weird crap. He’s probably got Chloe and . . . oh, Jesus, I didn’t think he would kill her first, it all has something to do with birth order, I think, but now that I’ve gotten away, God only knows what he’ll do.” She didn’t want to think about it.... Now was the time for action, not worry.

The farmer shook his head, eyes on the road. “This is all some kind of crazy.”

At least he didn’t want to talk her ears off for the twenty minutes it took to reach the outskirts of town. Now, with the city of New Orleans rising before them, her heart leaped with joy at the thought of seeing her mother again, and relief to know that the psycho was far behind her.

But most likely so was Chloe.

And that leaping heart turned to stone.

Zoe didn’t want to believe that she had sealed her sister’s fate by escaping. But then, she didn’t know what had happened to Chloe. Maybe, just maybe, her twin had escaped, too. There was always the chance! Not for the first time she sent up a desperate prayer for her sister’s safety.

The phone jangled in her hands and she let out a sob when she saw her mother’s number.

“Mom!” she answered, her voice cracking.

“Oh, baby, where are you? I can’t believe you’re safe. Oh, my God, Zoe!” Selma said, her voice broken by a sob.

“I’m almost home. I’ll be there soon. Ten . . . maybe fifteen minutes at the outside?” She looked at the farmer for confirmation. He nodded, then held out his hand for the phone. Reluctantly, Zoe handed him the cell.

“Your mother?” he guessed, and Zoe nodded. Into the phone, he said, “This is Rand Cooligan. I’ve got your daughter with me and she’s fine . . . er, safe. But you’d better get the police involved. There’s some idiot taking potshots at her, shooting at my truck, and she’s got a wild tale to tell . . . yes . . . no, no, as I said, she’s okay . . . Yeah, soon. I know, I know. Just hang in there . . . Yeah, I know the area . . . uh-huh. Ten, fifteen minutes on the outside.... What? . . . No, I’m sorry. Just the one. Zoe. Yeah, sure. Here ya go.” He handed the phone back to Zoe. “She wants you to stay on the line ’til we get there. Can’t say as I blame her. You can talk all ya want. I know where we’re going, and the phone’s all charged up.”