So now she needed a plan.

Either he’d return and hurt her, or leave her in this miserable basement to die. Both scenarios were terrifying, so she had to find a way to free herself. That was what Zoe would do. She would find some way to either climb out of here or wait until the whack job returned and somehow get the drop on him. That would be harder than ever, now that Zoe had done it once.

And, she told herself, she wasn’t Zoe. She wasn’t brave or strong or athletic. She didn’t have Zoe’s fire and edge. She’d always been content to let her twin be the leader in their lives, but now, she had no one to rely on but herself.

Worse yet, Zoe was counting on her.

But it was an impossible situation.

She was trapped in this prison.

Blinking back tears, she curled into a fetal position on the cool stone floor and tried to calm her racing thoughts. She needed a plan. Something clever, like the thing Zoe had done. She tugged at the binding on her wrists, which was tighter this time. It was no use. Her twin would have to find a way to save them both.

Brianna paced to a window of the college’s admin building and stared out at the pathways cut through well-manicured lawns. The windows in the stone building were small, reminiscent of a medieval monastery, but they allowed her a sweeping view of the campus grounds. How she would have loved to recognize Zoe or Chloe among the handful of students and faculty crossing the campus, heading off to a dorm or summer session classes. Behind her, Selma sat silently. Waiting and waiting to meet with the dean of students. After a tough morning spent searching this campus, they were more frustrated than ever.

They had fast-talked and finagled their way into the twins’ rooms, appealing to a very annoyed-looking resident assistant who’d been taking advantage of the summer break to catch up with her shows on a laptop at the reception desk. Zoe’s room had been unremarkable, with clothes strewn over the twin beds, books scattered, posters of sunsets and pop stars pinned to the walls. Chloe’s room had been more of the same, though a bit tidier.

Distraught to find another empty room, Selma had collapsed on Chloe’s bed and buried her face in the pillow before Brianna had been able to stop her. “We can’t disturb anything,” she’d reminded the twins’ mother. “You know, just in case . . .”

“The police investigate.”

“Yes, I just thought we needed to check their rooms, but . . . let’s move on. ”

Selma had stiffened. “I told you they weren’t hiding from me or sleeping it off or whatever.”

“Right. I know. I’m sorry.” Though contrite, Brianna had known it was no time to deal with Selma’s overly raw emotions. “Come on.”