“Hurry!” Zoe stage-whispered, still yanking on her twin’s hand. The rain was coming down harder now, fast and furious, so loud that she could barely make out the rush of the river. The sudden noise of a dog barking wildly in the distance alerted her senses. “Come on.” She couldn’t get away from that horrid cabin fast enough. Sure she’d left their captor bleeding out, probably dead already, but the all-consuming fear that they somehow wouldn’t escape kept her racing on the uneven track.

“Ow! Shit!” Chloe stumbled and let out a groan.

“What?”

“I think I cut my foot. Goddamned rock.”

Too bad. “You’ll be all right.” Zoe kept pulling on her sister, forcing her to run.

“I . . . I don’t know.” Chloe’s whiny tone was back. “How did this happen?” she demanded, breathing hard. “Who was that psycho? What did he want from us?”

“Who knows? As you said he’s a psycho.” But whatever his sick plans were, they included their birthdays.

“Jesus, he was going to kill us, Zoe. I know it!”

“Just keep going,” Zoe said, tugging her sister along as a new noise cut through the night. A rumble of sorts. “Wait!” She skidded to a stop, wet grass and gravel sliding beneath her feet.

“What? But I thought—”

“Shhh!” Over Chloe’s complaints and her own breathing, Zoe thought she heard the sound of a motor, a car’s engine. Trying desperately to locate the direction, she closed her eyes, straining to listen. “You hear that?”

“What?”

“A damned car or truck or—oh, shit! Maybe it’s him!”

“What? No, I thought you killed him.”

“I thought I did, too.”

“Where is the car?” Chloe looked over her shoulder, one way and then the other. Even in the dark night Zoe saw the wide whites of her sister’s eyes, felt her fear. “I don’t see anything. No headlights, no—”

“Just run!” Zoe yanked hard on her sister’s hand. They had to leave the road. Zoe couldn’t believe the freak could have survived her attack, but maybe he had an accomplice. Chloe was right, no headlights shined in the wet night, but the uneven growl of an engine bore down on them, and it was coming from the direction of the cabin. “Come on!” Zoe tore through the dark woods, dragging her sister with her. From the way Chloe lagged behind it was clear that Zoe had always been more athletic, while Chloe more of a student. Tonight it didn’t matter. Chloe was going to have to dig deep and push herself if they were going to escape this living nightmare.